Ahead of its world premiere this weekend, heres how we brought our evil shed to life.
Sometimes ideas come from news stories, or real-life situations.
Short films need to grab people!
They have a very limited time to get the audiences attention.
This makes it more fun, and keeps you open to alternate directions.
Then we nailed down a structure, kept the bits that fit, and found an arc.
We typed up an outline and then passed rough script drafts back and forth until it was ready.
If we were laughing at the drafts, we were happy.
Luckily, a lot of amazing people chipped in and spread the word.
Kickstarter isnt easy, though.
People want to know that you arent just going to buy Funko Pops and Twix.
Make it easy for people to combine perks, too give them clear instructions.
If people love the idea, they might even want a piece of the shed… or pie.
Figuring out who should play your leads is a huge decision.
And they have to fit each other, too.
Be professional and give details reassure them that you arent a serial killer or crazy fan.
This is the simplistic version!
You will need contracts, but thats a whole other novella.
Find an actor who might not have done anything like this.
They might take a punt on something different.
Blood Shed isset in 1985.
In the 80s, fashion was ALL THE SHAPES!
The list of tasks is endless and doesnt stop.
I say we, Cat produced the short, and did this part Im not built for that… All of the scenes took place in and around the house.
Fortunately, they took it like champs, and we had a never-ending supply of blood and guts.
The edit can be difficult.
It takes a long time to get the right look and feel.
Once it all came together, the amazing Ben Foster gave us the most 80s-tastic score possible.
The score is such a crucial part of the film, and feels like a character in itself.
If you know a great musician, they may be able to help you out.
Otherwise, try copyright free music incompetech.com is a great source weve used many times.
And then the film is done!
Its time to submit to festivals…
Horror Channel FrightFest is our horror home.
Everything weve produced has premiered there, so we definitely wantedBlood Shedto do the same.
We submitted, waited, chewed our fingernails off… and were thrilled to be selected.
Well be there on Sunday, seeing what an audience thinks of it for the first time.
Its always exciting, always terrifying, and always completely unpredictable.
The big moment you think is comedy gold wont get a laugh.
A throwaway line you dont even think is funny will bring the house down.
But thats the joy of screening your work.
Theres nothing quite like it.
And you learn all too quickly that the colour of adrenaline is brown…
Shorts rarely get seen or reviewed, so festivals are usually the only way to get them out there.
Can anyone do the same?
Have a fun, high concept.
Do lots of prep.
No, more than that.
Figure out how to fund it.
Surround yourself with good, talented people.
Take the time to craft it further in post-production, or get your mitts on someone who can.
Keep an eye on what youre spending.
And seriously, do even more prep.
It still wont be enough, but itll help.
Sheds have egos too.
No actors were harmed during the making ofBlood Shed, only the filmmakers.
Tickets for the screening availablehere!
See more atbloodshedfilm.comor on Twitter @bloodshedfilm.
