Perhaps most fascinating aspect of the horror filmmaking genre is that its subject matter can be pretty much anything. There are terrifying moments and horrific sensibilities that can be found anywhere—a pleasant camping trip, emotional strife, or even food delivery. All it takes to find inspiration is to just look for that tiny little “ick” feeling inside yourself when you’re out and about.
For his latest horror project, indie filmmaker Julian Terry has found a new subject to explore. Following up on his previous efforts (which we’ve featured before on No Film School and part of our Horror Weeks in the past), Terry casts his gaze on DoorDashing and food delivery.
Using the new Blackmagic Design PYXIS camera and several DIY tricks, let’s hear how Terry was able to concept and dive into his latest horror feature as well as explore some advice for all of you aspiring horror filmmakers out there.
Check out our latest Horror Week interview below!
Editor’s note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity.
No Film School: Great to chat with you again, Julian. Can you catch our readers up with what you’ve been working on in the past year since we last chatted with you about “Daniel Wants to Play”?
Julian Terry: It’s so great to chat again! “Daniel Wants To Play” was such a fun short to make since it was such a last-second switch from a camera test to being short. I haven’t been able to announce the news yet but I had three scripts optioned as well as dry pitch since Daniel was released. I’ve been pretty busy writing and shooting tests.
I was very close to making my first feature last year. We were gearing up to shoot then the strike happened. Sadly the strike threw many of my projects through the Twilight Zone door. To get back on my feet, I just started writing more ideas. This industry is a rollercoaster, you have to stay on the ride or leave.
The last few months have been busy with prep for an indie feature—t’s a small budget with a fun concept. I’m crossing my fingers we shoot it soon!
NFS: Tell us a bit about the concept behind your most recent horror project.
Terry: A lot of my friends resorted to DoorDashing during the strike to keep paying rent in LA. I learned when delivering to older folks you may be asked to bring the food inside. What a creepy thought… going into a complete stranger’s home to deliver food?
Why not make a short that just makes you feel what it’s like to enter a stranger’s living space? It’s more of a mood piece where you feel something is wrong from the core of your gut. It’s currently titled: “Midnight Snack”.
I remember being a kid in Chicago and I went to Guitar Center to get a bass for a band my friends and I were trying to form. I got in touch with the guy selling the guitar and he said he was a movie producer. I was excited because he was the first person in the industry that I could talk to. He told me we could grab coffee and chat. I met up with him and, he told me his mom was feeling sick and needed help. He asked if I could go help him in his apartment. I stupidly agreed to help.
I walked up to his apartment and watched him enter his dingy place. He went to a room down the hall and told me to come help him. I started walking inside his apartment. The smell was awful. Something felt very wrong with each step I took. I opened my phone and typed in his name on IMDB and nothing came up. I asked him how he spelled his name. He repeated the name I just entered. I was deep in the living room at this point. I asked, “Hey, I don’t see your name on IMDB.” He was moving something around in the room ahead.
He finally responded, “What’s an IMDB?”
A chill ran up my spine. Something was wrong here. I knew something bad was waiting for me inside that room. I turned around and ran out of the apartment. He yelled he was going to blacklist my name and I would never work in the industry.
I never forgot that feeling. My body was practically screaming at me to leave. I wanted to capture that same experience with this short. Instead of a creepy guy I swapped him out for a witch. The story of a witch luring kids inside their home felt fun to mix with this DoorDash tech era. Whose home are we blindly walking into?
NFS: What camera did you shoot on and why?
Julian Terry: We shot on the Blackmagic Pyxis! I love experimenting with different styles. “Daniel Wants to Play” was captured in a vertical 9×16 frame. This one is all 3:2 open gate!
When I was a teenager, my friends and I went and saw The Dark Knight playing in IMAX. I remember the feeling I had watching the entire screen enveloped by action. I always wondered why we don’t shoot horror in this super wide scope. It gives so much room for the eye to look around for the danger.
Since I want to use the camera on the indie feature, I thought why not test out the camera with a horror short? I wonder if this is the first horror short captured on the PYXIS.
NFS: What interested you about shooting with the Blackmagic PYXIS? What was your setup for working with the camera?
Julian Terry: We had no time. We received the camera hours before filming. Luckily, Matt Miller brought his gear to give it rails and power. I did the one thing they teach you not to. Always test the camera before you shoot! Thankfully the camera is idiot-proof. I was able to shoot with it just like any of the other Blackmagic cameras.
One thing I noticed was how I treated it as an operator. Its metal shell makes the camera feel more intense. When shooting with the previous pocket cameras, you feel like you’re shooting with a DSLR a bit. The actors feel it too.
We shot the entire short on the Sigma 20mm 1.4 cine art lens. To give it a little something we taped on a matte box with a Black Pro mist 1/4 filter.
NFS: How have you found the editing process for this style to be?
Julian Terry: Resolve makes the turnaround so quick! Moving from editing to color is so smooth. I’m all about finding ways to speed up post.
NFS: You’ve made a name for yourself in the DIY horror filmmaking space. What advice would you share from what you’ve learned shooting horror concepts over the years?
Julian Terry: I find a freeing feeling when shooting these as small as can be. This crew was super small. They all came from my BuzzFeed days. My partner in crime, Alex Anderson, helped produce and scramble to get it done last second. Matt Miller used to be my 1st AC while at BuzzFeed and he became my DP for this one. I operated each shot because I loved it too much. The three of us just went shot to shot problem-solving each angle.
My friend Rob Savage let me use his place to shoot so I made sure to make an homage to the famous Texas Chainsaw Massacre shot on his driveway.
I called Jordan DeBarge to see if she was down to act again and she said yes before reading the script. I love filming with super close friends. It feels more like hanging out that way. Plus, they usually get my corny dad jokes.
If I could give any advice I would say make it feel like a high school shoot. Make it feel spontaneous. If anyone comes up with an idea try it out. Also having such a small group of friends makes it also feel a lot less stressful. Anything to alleviate the stress on set, the better.
Don’t wait to have the budget to shoot on a RED or Alexa. Shoot with whatever you can get your hands on. Use any light you can get your hands on. Ninety percent of the time, Jordan is being front-lit from her iPhone.
We used no lights for the exteriors and just relied on street lamps. If an angle needed a little light we just maneuvered the car headlights a bit.
All the night sky shots are real. The PYXIS captured the night sky so well!
A final note is to make sure it’s always fun on set. I play scary music to get the cast and crew in the mood for something scary. Even when Matt and I were building up the camera I had The Innocents and Texas Chainsaw Massacre on in the background. I love to live and breathe movies. The first person who sees my shorts has always been the person who got me into scary movies in the first place, my Mom.
Have fun shooting!
Let us know what you think in the comments… Or else.
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This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
