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Your new movie The
Scarlet Vultures - in a few words, what is it about? The
Scarlet Vultures is about a depressed young woman who realizes that her
blood might be more special than anyone else’s. This leads her to fall
into the clutches of a group of people who take advantage of her unstable
state. What
were your sources of inspiration when writing The
Scarlet Vultures?
When
it comes to the story there wasn’t a specific source of inspiration. I
had always wanted to make a spin off to my first short film and as I was
developing it I was just thinking about films in general that use the
blood/body parts in food plot element, and thought what if I made it more
personal, put a spin on it. Because it’s not really about baking with
blood, it’s about a young woman unhinging after the death of her sister,
and finding dark coping mechanisms that lead her to self-destruction.
Visually
I was inspired by Italian horror films like Blood and Black
Lace,
obviously Suspiria, and other films like
The Neon Demon, with stylized
images and lighting.
To what extent could you
actually identify with The
Scarlet Vultures' lead Evelyn, and with the situation she's in? I
can’t say that I really relate to Evelyn. That’s the boring answer. In
some respects, like her seeking approval from others, I think everyone can
relate. Not in everything we do, but we all want to be liked, we want
people to see some value in us in one regard or another. Evelyn wants to
be valued by people, but goes to disturbing extremes to attain that
recognition. Do
talk about your movie's approach to horror for a bit! My
intention was never to make a scary film, I’m not expecting anyone to
lose sleep over this, but I wanted to build an unsettling atmosphere.
It’s not a fast-paced film, even for a short, but I think the build-up
of dramatics helps to increase the horror of the situation Evelyn ends up
getting herself into. The horror is more psychological than I have done in
the past. I didn’t necessarily try to create a film that was
“slow-burn”, I just wanted to tell the story as it made sense and
basically that meant most of the horrific stuff is saved for the end.
What
can you tell us about your overall directorial approach to your story at
hand? Every film I approach with a different mind-set and
end game. For this one my intention was to create a film that was a bit
surreal, and I felt dramatic visuals really suited the type of story that
was being told. There’s almost a bit of fantasy to the horror elements,
so I just wanted to have fun with the look and the pace, creating lurid
lighting, a lot of lingering shots and slow zooms. I tried to get a bit
more experimental with this one than I have in the past. Do talk about your key cast, and why exactly these
people?
There
are a lot of talented actors in the Ottawa film community, but
Anne-Carolyne Binette (AC as we call her) brought an innocence to the role that
was needed. Evelyn could have been an unlikeable, loathsome character, but I
think with AC playing the part she was a bit more sympathetic. I don’t
know how many people will hate the character or feel bad for the
character, but I feel she captured a performance that would leave people
feeling conflicted about it all, which to me is a good thing.
Astrida Auza
just has such a strong presence. She really came across as sinister and
almost motherly, and the character of Mater Scarlet had to be more than
just one note evil, she needed the charisma that Astrida brought to the
role. The audience knows she's not right, but Evelyn had to be seduced by
her. Once she auditioned I knew I had to bring her over from Montreal for
the part.
Fabio Ricci I had met and worked with before, and I knew he just had a natural screen
presence. There isn’t a whole lot of the Toby character, but that
didn’t mean I could skimp on the actor playing him. Fabio brought an
innocent naivety to the part.
A few words about the shoot as such, and the
on-set atmosphere? I like to think the on-set atmosphere is
laid back, but efficient. I just always hope that cast and crew have fun
during a shoot, because what’s the point if there is no enjoyment.
Everyone was really committed to making this turn out as good as possible
on the limited time and budget, there was great comradery between
everyone. There were some hiccups, but in the end we made it work and have
a finished product, and I’m lucky that I was surrounded by talented
people who always wanted to do more. The $64-question of course, where can
your movie be seen? Right now it is on the festival
circuit, but eventually, at some point next year, it should be online for
free! Anything you can tell us about
audience and critical reception of The
Scarlet Vultures yet? It’s only received a
handful of critic reviews, but so far they have all been very positive.
It’s hard to tell how engaged an audience has been with it as it’s not
really a film that elicits a visible reaction, but I’ve been given some
nice feedback from people who’ve seen it either through festivals or
private links. I know this isn’t going to be the type of film that’s
accessible to everyone, but I’m glad to say so far it’s been well
received. A number of comments have been about the music, which I also
love, Mathew Rees did a stellar job, so that’s always great to hear. I
always hope that the people I bring onto a project feel it’s worth their
time and effort so when accolades are sent their way I’m proud to pass
them along. Any future projects you'd
like to share?
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I just finished filming a large portion of
my next short this week. There are still a couple of scenes left to shoot,
but it will be finished for the autumn festival season next year. It’s
less stylized than The
Scarlet Vultures, but kind of in the same vein,
with a witchy/cult theme. Your/your movie's website, Facebook,
whatever else?
www.redrazorpictures.com
Facebook.com/redrazorpictures
Anything else you're dying to mention and
I have merely forgotten to ask? I have a rabbit named Socks
and she doesn’t really watch my films. Thanks for the
interview!
Thanks again man!
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