An Interview with Jed Brian, Director and Star of Unlisted Owner

by Mike Haberfelner

May 2018

Jed Brian on (re)Search my Trash

Your new movie Unlisted Owner - in a few words, what is it about?

Unlisted Owner is a found footage horror film that follows a group of friends who break into a house where a family of five was murdered the night before. With hand-held cameras you witness their day leading up to the break in and its bloody aftermath, the footage that was discovered has been edited together by the Lawford County Sheriffs Department.

With Unlisted Owner basically being a slasher movie, is that a genre at all dear to you, and what do you think makes your film stand out of the crowd?

I've loved slasher films from Friday the 13^th to Halloween since I was a kid. I have always had a soft spot for horror. As far as what sets Unlisted Owner apart from the rest of the crowd is how realistic the film is. I really wanted to convey that this is a real group of friends who make bad choices that end up being horrifying, I wanted people to think is this real or did this really happen? We also made the film appear to be crime scene evidence that had been edited by the Lawford County Sheriffs Dept. to also add another touch of realism.

(Other) sources of inspiration when writing Unlisted Owner?

The area I grew up and live in played a major role in inspiring the film. In the small town of Sumner, IL your imagination can run wild and that small town vibe really played into the film. Also when trying to come up with ways to make a full length movie on a low budget I thought about Paranormal Activity and realized that I could make a found footage style film.

Do talk about your co-writer Tyler Landers, and what was your collaboration like?

When I first told Tyler I was going to make a movie he told me that he would also like to help write it. So we would get together in his small apartment above Parrott Real Estate & Auction in Lawrenceville and write the script, but with him working nights we were unable to meet so I finished the second half of the script on my own.

Why did you choose the found footage-approach for Unlisted Owner, and what were the challenges filming that way?

The main reason I went with found footage was funding but with that there are challenges, especially in the effects-driven scenes. In a traditional movie you have several different edits and camera angles for special effects shots but in found footage you are limited to one perspective. So when trying do effects-driven scenes you have to be really careful on how you plan it out because you want it to look good but believable so it doesn’t pull the viewer out of the film.

Unlisted Owner having been filmed found footage style, how rigidly did you stick to the script, how much was just based on improvisation?

Before we started shooting I did a round table read with all my main cast and we went through and changed lines based on what they felt their characters would say. I mean there was some improv here and there but for the most part they did excellently in following the script.

Do talk about Unlisted Owner's approach to horror for a bit!

I really love the Hostel films and real life horror in general so when I was writing Unlisted Owner I wanted to go for realistic horror and have people think what would I do in this situation, would I bail on my friends or help them out?

You also play one of the lead characters in your movie - so what did you draw on to bring him to life, was he actually based on you, and did you write him with yourself in mind from the get-go?

Yes and no. With that being said he is more cautious most of the time, like how I am. In that situation I would’ve never went into the home, unlike my character. There are some aspects that are like me and some that are not.

What can you tell us about the rest of your cast, and why exactly these people?

Most of the cast I was friends with or knew before filming, since I knew from the beginning that I was going to use friends to help ease the cost and I knew it would be a learning process for me. But with having some of my best friends on board for my 1 ^st film was a great experience and something I can always look back I did with my friends.

You of course also have to talk about your "Owner house" for a bit, and what was it like filming there?

I loved every minute of it! That house was the perfect character for the film and I wrote the script around the house. When I was a kid I was also fascinated with that house and since we made the movie I’ve had people from all over email and message me saying my grandma lived in that house or I grew up there, so it's pretty neat to have a house that has so much meaning to people in the film.

A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? And how long did it take to actually film your movie?

Well believe it or not we actually had one set for the film and that was for the attic space scene and the cracked ceiling scene were all filmed on a set and we used a series of edits to make it seem like one fluid scene and make it seem like we are actually in the house. We also had a digital transmitter on my camera that went to another room or area where my asst. director Brent would be watching and give me pointers if I needed to change anything. As far as how long we shot every weekend for 3 months then went back and added the new family and we did that in a span of two years.

Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Unlisted Owner?

It has been great when the film was  ^st released we had made it as high as ninth on Amazons top 100 hot new horror release list for DVD and have had some great critic reviews for the film. With that being said you will always have people who don’t like horror or found footage horror but for the most part it has been positive.

Any future projects you'd like to share?

I mean there’s always room for Unlisted Owner II. I would love to do a traditional film next but it all depends on the funding we get from Unlisted Owner.

What got you into filmmaking to begin with, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?

After I graduated high school I kept coming up with ideas for different horror films. I was going to college for digital entertainment and game design and learned about video editing and fell in love with it. So after I realized what I wanted to do I began writing scripts and finally made Unlisted Owner.

What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to Unlisted Owner?

I did a teaser trailer for a script I had written called Meth House which you can find on YouTube , I also did a video for a GoDaddy commercial contest and got 9^th out of 539 videos for the community vote section.

How would you describe yourself as a director?

I’m laidback but also know how I want the shot to look. If I encounter a problem on set I’m always trying to think of ways to get around the problem.

Filmmakers who inspire you?

Eli Roth is a huge influence on me. He was the director who introduced me into real life horror with the Hostel films. Also James Whale, who directed Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and other horror classics.

Your favourite movies?

Some of my favorite movies would be number one Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney, Frankenstein with Boris Karloff [Boris Karloff bio - click here], Dracula with Bela Lugosi [Bela Lugosi bio - click here], Wolfman with Lon Chaney jr [Lon Chaney jr bio - click here], and The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

... and of course, films you really deplore?

It’s hard for me to say which ones I dislike. After making a movie it really opens your eyes to how hard it is to make a film. I respect any person who makes a film.

Feeling lucky? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results? (commissions earned)

The links below will take you just there!!!

Find Jed Brian at the amazons ...   amazon.com   amazon.co.uk   amazon.de Looking for imports? Find Jed Brian here ...   eThaiCD.com Your shop for all things Thai

Your/your movie's website, Facebook, whatever else?

http://unlistedowner.com/

https://www.facebook.com/UnlistedOwnerMovie

https://twitter.com/UnlistedOwner

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jed_brian/

Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?

Just want to thank you for taking the time to watch the film and thank you to everyone who has watched and supported me and Unlisted Owner! It really means a lot! And for those who haven’t seen it I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for the interview!

Thanks for taking the time to ask me!

© by Mike Haberfelner

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