The
Gorst Underground Film Festival
debuts this year, backed by experience. "Our organizers
have been involved in other film festivals, both horror and
underground," says festival director Kelly Hughes.
"We
created Gorst to incorporate local artists and musicians into the
event. To make it more multimedia, while still exploring darker
themes and alternative approaches to filmmaking."
* What They're Seeking
"We love the underdog,"
says Hughes. "It’s very satisfying to showcase films that
aren’t getting the attention they deserve.
"I would love to see more
real-life horror.
Documentaries on scary individuals or
happenings. Documentaries about horror films and people associated
with horror (e.g., actors, composers, writers, directors, SFX
artists, etc). "Documentaries such as
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy. There’s room for docus like that, but which cover even
more obscure aspects of horror and underground film.
"
Non-linear,
abstract,
and
experimental narratives are appreciated.
"We’re open to
ultra-low-budget/no-budget works. Films that are rough around
the edges."
* Tips to
Improve Your Craft
Hughes recommends that you "Put
the fantasy back into dark fantasy. Take advantage of the freedom
horror gives you. Get surreal. Go hallucinogenic.
"Re-watch all the movies that
inspired you. Remind yourself about all the elements that got you
excited about these films. Use those elements, but put your personal
spin on it."
* What to Avoid
1. Long Opening Credits.
"Just dive into your film. Save
the credits for the end."
2. Excessive Running Time.
"Be brutal with editing. Maybe
your two hour feature can be 90 minutes? Maybe your feature
would be stronger as a short? Even then, shave off a few
seconds from every cut? Maybe you can delete entire scenes? Or cut to
the middle of a scene?
"We don’t need to see people
opening and closing car doors. We don’t need to see their every
step from the bedroom to the bathroom. Audiences are aware of the
basics of day-to-day living. Get to the point. Move your story
along."
3. Static Shots
"Many beginning filmmakers pose
their actors in shots like it's a still photo. If you're drawing
attention to a 'cool' shot, you probably aren't advancing
the story. Make your action so compelling that we don't even notice
your beautiful lighting, production design, whatever.
"Get over the fact that you can
create a workable image. Get back to telling a story that is
constantly progressing and offering new information. Think in terms
of a series of useful connecting shots, not a slide show of money
shots."
4. Slow Burn
"Some filmmakers use it as an
excuse for lazy filmmaking. Don't. If you achieve a sense of
dread with gradually building suspense, more power to you. But don't
defend your slow-moving story with the 'it’s a slow burn' excuse.
It's not a slow burn. It's just slow. And boring."
5. Lovecraft
"Why do Lovecraft inspired films
always end up unintentionally silly? It's not the
filmmaker's fault. Lovecraft is a big tease. His literary 'payoffs'
don't translate well to screen. If you want to adapt his work, go
ahead. Maybe you'll be the exception. Maybe you'll crack the
Lovecraft code."
6. Retro Synth Soundtracks
"Go ahead. Use 'em. But they're
approaching cliché status through overuse. Sorry. Try shocking us
with piano music. Or bagpipes. Or xylophone, even."
7. The Graffiti Wall Shot
"If you have access to a wall
covered in colorful graffiti, resist the urge to shoot a random shot
of your actor walking past the gratified wall. It's self-indulgent.
It adds nothing to your story.
8. Giant Head-Covering Masks
"To achieve a sinister, horrific,
kinky vibe, resist the urge to cover your actor's head with a big
bunny head, or a big pig head, or even a slick black gas mask. These
have all lost their shock value. Show us a villain with pantyhose
pulled over his face. Or just give him crooked teeth and a wonky eye.
The fetish dungeon look is so cliché."
9. Alarm Clock
"Never start your film with an
alarm clock going off. Not even ironically."
* Gorst Is Northwest Noir
Why makes Gorst unique among the many
horror film festivals out there? "Gorst is true
Northwest
Noir," Hughes answers. "It's a small community at
the edge of
Bremerton, near the Naval shipyard. A working-class town
with steelworkers and an authentic blue-collar sensibility.
"Seattle
is just across the water, but it feels like it's a thousand miles
away. Gorst has that authentic
Twin Peaks vibe. There is nothing
ironic or self-conscious about it.
"We'll be screening our films in
the warehouse workshop of metal artist Ray Hammar. It's a remote
location. The space has an industrial feel. The audience will be
surrounded by iron rods, steel beams and scrap metal.
"We'll have an art show, musical
performance, reading of the winning screenplay from our writing
contest, and a welding demonstration. But the films themselves will
take center stage on a specially-built screen/set-piece created by
local metal artists.
"This warehouse would make a good
setting for a horror film. As the sun sets, the later screenings will
take on a more immediate, spooky tone. Every little sound will make you think there's a killer hiding in the shadows behind the
clusters of rusty metal. And since there's a women's prison not too
far away, who knows? Maybe we’ll get a surprise visit from an
escaped murderer."
================
For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see
Horror Film Festivals and Awards.
This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals,
and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over
several decades.
