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Your new project Horror Hack - what can you tell us about
your inspirations for it and the philosophy behind it in the first place?
The
idea started when I was promoting one of my own film projects. I decided
to approach bloggers for reviews. It was a lot of work finding them. And
learning whether they accepted submissions. Or even finding their emails
in some cases. It was a great experience, though. Because bloggers take a
personal approach. And they know their stuff! So I thought, how can I
share this information with other filmmakers who want to promote their
work? How can I help them so they don’t have to duplicate all the work
I’ve already done?
The
philosophy is to treat horror creators (filmmakers, writers, artists,
composers, etc.) with respect. And give them a resource to help them
proudly share their work with the media.
So
what kind of information will be on your website?
Contact
information for sources that review horror films and interview filmmakers.
Bloggers, podcasters, magazines… both traditional media and online media.
And listings for horror film festivals. And companies seeking horror
movies for distribution. I want the site to be a one-stop resource
creators can use to do craft their own PR and help them with DIY
promotion.
It’s
important to find sources that are receptive to your work. Some bloggers,
for instance, don’t accept submissions for review. So I would like to
create listings that specify this. And for sources that do want
submissions, to list up-to-date contact information, and how they want to
be approached. This helps both sides to not waste time and energy. And
it’s free. No one will have to pay to be listed on the site. And it’s
free to the creators who want to use it.
With your site focusing on indie filmmakers - how would you
characterize indie horrors in contrast to studio horrors?
Indie horror filmmakers are more likely to
do their own promotion. Instead of hiring a PR firm, or having an in-house
PR team like a big studio, they make direct contact to get interviews and
reviews. They hustle to get their films made, and they hustle to get PR.
And with all the noise and all the films out there, it’s harder to get
noticed and stand out in the crowd.
What
do you hope for a horror filmmaker to get out of the site?
To
save time. Because it is time consuming to start from scratch and search
for contacts. And also to get inspiration and PR advice. So we’ll be
posting articles. And will also have guest blogs.
The $64 question of
course - where
can one submit to your site?
We
have two submission forms on our homepage at www.horrorhack.com.
One is for bloggers, magazines, etc. to list their sites with contact info
and what kinds of submissions they accept. The other is for our PR
newsletter which will have useful content to help with promotion of your
work.
What does the horror genre
mean to you, on a very personal level? Horror
is a very creative genre. I especially enjoy supernatural horror. Some
people dismiss horror as childish or frivolous. But I think horror allows
us to reveal humanity in a pretty deep way. So I enjoy the “fun”
trappings of traditional horror. Costumes, makeup, special effects. But I
also like the more psychological side. And even a certain transcendence.
When a horror movie enters a religious realm. Questioning good and evil,
life and death, and the supernatural forces that may or may not be messing
with us. Having worked in
indie horror for a good quarter of a century, how has the scene changed
over the year, and what can you tell us about the influence of the
internet, social media, and all kind of streaming services we have
nowadays?
Going
from analog to digital is amazing, of course. I still can’t believe how
long it took, back in the day, to go through videotape, and how clunky
editing used to be. I love being able to edit digital footage on a
computer. And I love how the prices have come down for equipment.
I’ve
seen horror go through several cycles. I actually got to see classic
slasher movies in the theater when they first came out in the early
‘80s. I got to experience the old mom-and-pop videos stores that rented
horror on VHS. I can remember when there were lulls in the market and
hardly any new horror was being produced. Can remember when The
Blair Witch Project came out. And how it brought so much attention to both
found footage films and creative internet marketing.
I’m
most influenced now by social media. But it’s not just about numbers.
Not just about how many Facebook followers you have. To me, it’s about
making real connections. And to do that, it can’t be one-sided. You
can’t always shove your work down other people’s throats without
talking time to learn about their work. Because now the line is blurred
between creator and fan. Chances are that many of your potential fans also
create stuff. Movies, art, music… we all have an outlet now. So it’s
more important than ever to treat everyone respectfully online. And to not
dismiss anyone. Because the person you least suspect could very well
create the next big thing in horror.
So even if it's only wildest speculation, where do you see
your website a decade from now, and where do you see the genre as a whole
then?
In
ten years I would like to see Horror Hack well established in the horror
community. With a lot of valuable content in addition to the listings.
How-to articles, interviews with successful people who share their PR
secrets… stuff like that.
Where
do I see the genre? Well, I think we’re going to see more diversity.
There’s already more female directors in the scene. And I would hope to
see work from a variety of viewpoints made by people from different
cultures and backgrounds.
Personally
I would like to see more horror movies with adults as lead characters.
It’s pretty standard to see movies featuring teenagers and
20-somethings. Pretty much expected in slasher movies. But I would like to
see more horror in the adult realm. Like Rosemary’s
Baby. Let’s terrorize more people over 40. Let’s give more roles
to older character actors. More roles to older stars when they get gray
hair and wrinkles. Good acting can really elevate a horror movie. So why
not take advantage of all these great experienced actors.
Any (other) future projects you'd like to share? This
year I’ll be releasing a movie called The Mephisto Box [Kelly's
The Mephisto Box interview - click here]. I’ve been editing it in chunks and posting them
on YouTube as a web series. Which has allowed me to experiment a bit. And
to jump start my promotion before it is released as a feature. And I’m
working on a new screenplay. One where I’m adding a twist to a typical
slasher film. Ironically it’s the most commercial thing I’ve ever
written. Your/your
project's website, Facebook, whatever else?
Horror
Hack: www.HorrorHack.com
My
website: www.kellywaynehughes.com
Mephisto Box on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/The-Mephisto-Box-1630776547193994/ Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
We
have so many choices today. We can all make movies and music and art. And
share it with the world. But to break through as an artist, you’ve also
got to limit your choices. To not let yourself get distracted. Focus on a
genre, on a medium, on a project. And follow through until you complete
that project. Then promote it with all your heart. You will learn so much
from doing that. Once you are successful at something, then you can branch
out if you want to. But you will self-destruct if you bounce around from
project to project without completing anything. There’s power in
finishing things.
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Feeling lucky?
Want to
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The links below
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just there!!!
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And
only take criticism from colleagues. From people with more experience than
yourself. And don’t take it personally. Even if your work sucks, it
doesn’t mean that you’re not a valuable person. And sometimes one
person’s opinion is just that. You have to strike that balance of being
confident in your work, but not delusional. To learn the skills. To refine
and edit your work. Set a standard
for yourself.
But
above all, don’t waste your time arguing with the online trolls. Please.
Just avoid them. The time and energy is better spent on creation and
promotion. Don’t fool yourself that being busy online is leading to
something constructive when it isn’t. Let “Get to work and finish the work” be your new motto.
Thanks
for the interview!
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