In the 14th edition of A Night of Horror International Film Festival there are several feature films that have had the screenplay written, or co-written, by the lead actor, or co-star. All of them women.
Dani Barker, star and co-screenwriter of Follow Her
As a screenwriter what do you start with? The opening scene? The final scene? A seemingly random, yet pivotal scene in the middle? A title?
Such a good question. I start with the STORY. What is the story I want to tell? I am much more deliberate about this having written what-feels-like hundreds of drafts on the same scripts. I save a lot of time now understanding the story I want to tell first. Then I start on the first scene. And from there, I let myself go on the ride. I don't know what comes next, I let the characters predict it for me. You really have to know your characters inside and out to write in this way.
How do you collaborate as a screenwriter? Do you use certain methods?
I always stay open to feedback at any point along the way, whether it's pre-production, shooting, or post. With Follow Her, it really became a collaboration between myself and [director] Sylvia Caminer along with Preston Witt, who acted as script consultant and he was incredible. He really pushed me to go deep with the characters and understand their motivations from a true place. I would work with him again in a heartbeat. And by staying open to feedback, anyone can contribute on the journey. Our super-talented editor, Alex Gans, even he helped shape the story by contributing to the ending.
How particular is your dialogue? Is it the easiest or hardest part to write? Do you allow for improvisation?
My dialogue is very particular to each character. Characters like myself are the easiest for me to write, as with anyone I suspect. Otherwise, I do a lot of research, watch documentaries and make a point of listening to people out in the world. I look at the script as the bones of the story, but the real magic comes through improvisation or people’s ideas on set!
As an actor, what direction from the director do you value the most, or hope to get, or enjoy the most?
As an actor, I value reminders to be still. And let the eyes do the acting for me. When I'm in the directing chair myself (on other projects), this is often the note I give actors the most. "Just be there, you don't need to do anything but be there."
How important is the ending of a horror, or dark genre film?
The most important aspect of a story is the ENDING and “wrapping it up”. The majority of scripts I read completely fall apart in the second half. I think people tend to rush the ending just to get it made or settle with "good enough"... but inevitably the project suffers because of it.
What are your five fave psycho-thrillers?
Cruel Intentions, Black Swan, Berlin Syndrome, Knock Knock, Eyes Wide Shut.
Llana Baron, co-star and co-screenwriter of Curse of Aurore
As a screenwriter what do you start with? The opening scene? The final scene? A seemingly random, yet pivotal scene in the middle? A title?
It really depends on the premise and project. With Curse of Aurore, I was drawing from a lot of real-life memories I'd made over the years in that house. Just like my character says, the house we used in the film does actually belong to my family and has been part of our history for nearly one hundred years. For that script, my co-writer and I started by writing those memories into short scenes, then inserting our characters/plot into them. We built the rest from there. It was a unique approach to writing that we hadn't tried before. Most of our other screenplays start with an idea or premise that turns into a synopsis, then a full outline. Once all of that is mapped out, it's easy to build the script from scene 1.
How do you collaborate as a screenwriter? Do you use certain methods?
I prefer to write with a partner. I think it's good to have the thoughts/visions/opinions of another person to help broaden my own. I like bouncing ideas off another person, having a world we can share that's exclusively ours as its creators. Director Mehran Torgoley and I have been writing together for almost ten years. We've developed a solid and respectful writing chemistry that has improved over time. Often the hard part is coming up with the initial synopsis. Once we get through that, we just sort of take turns writing scenes and discussing them until our first draft is done. We use WriterDuet to collaborate. We have virtual writers' meetings 3-5 days a week to keep ourselves on track. One of the best things about having a writing partner is keeping each other accountable. We all have writers' block from time to time, but when you have someone else working through it with you it's not nearly as difficult to get through.
How particular is your dialogue? Is it the easiest or hardest part to write? Do you allow for improvisation?
I've never found dialogue to be particularly difficult to write. As an actress, I play the scenes out in my head, sometimes even act them out. If the line doesn't sound natural, I keep working it until it does. I'm all for improvisation as long as it's done well and doesn't change the essence or meaning of the line/sentiment. Often the best reads are when an actor "makes it their own."
What direction is most essential to you as an actor?
Be myself. Be real.
How important is the ending of a horror, or dark genre film?
A solid ending is VERY important. We all deserve a good pay-off after ninety minutes of dread and suspense!
What are your five fave movies that deal with the occult?
Midsommar, Rosemary’s Baby, Hereditary, The Witch, The Wicker Man.
Elise Finnerty, co-star and screenwriter of The Ones You Didn’t Burn
As a screenwriter what do you start with? The opening scene? The final scene? A seemingly random, yet pivotal scene in the middle? A title?
Believe it or not, as a screenwriter I start with the music. I was able to collaborate with my composer very early on in this process and his music helped shape the film. Once I felt that the music captured the tone of the film, I could start writing some of the more "trippy" scenes. And from there I filled in the structure.
How particular is your dialogue? Is it the easiest or hardest part to write? Do you allow for improvisation?
I started in the theatre, where characters speaking is the main form of exposition, so dialogue is my favourite part of screenwriting. I prefer an actor to start with what I wrote and we can improvise from there. I love and welcome improvisation but I need to hear what I wrote word for word first.
What direction is most essential to you as an actor?
As an actor I don't want to be told how to feel or what an audience is "supposed to" see. There's so many layers that go into a performance and I believe that a truly terrific actor will be able to be so subtle that an audience member can reflect whatever emotion they want on them. We have to trust the audience to be smart enough to accept what we're giving them. Otherwise, it takes all the fun out. Ha.
How do you create atmosphere and tone in your scripts?
Like I said earlier, Dan Reguera's music. And maybe some light drinking to loosen the inhibitions during a late-night writing sesh ;)
What element in a horror movie is most important?
DON'T SHOW THE HORROR TOO EARLY. Nothing is scarier than a person's imagination. If you give it away, the tension gets sucked out.
What are your five fave films that deal with the supernatural?
The Babadook, Mandy, Signs, 28 Days Later, It Follows.
Mie Gren, star and co-screenwriter of Rotten Flowers
As a screenwriter what do you start with? The opening scene? The final scene? A seemingly random, yet pivotal scene in the middle? A title?
It’s very different, depending on what kind of idea it is. And I must be honest, I am still quite new to this whole “script writing world”, and I have been under the wings of my director Kasper Juhl, who have taught me a lot, the last couple of years. - I really love it so far. But to answer the question: If it’s an idea for an abstract more arthouse-inspired script, it’s very random where I/we start. Then it’s just about getting the feelings down. Otherwise - if it’s a story where we wanna try to “follow the old fashion film rules” we first of all start with a long brainstorm, to figure out how the whole universe and the characters should be. And when we know how we wanna tell that story, and what feeling it should have, then we start to write a treatment from the beginning to the end - trying not to spend too much time on it, just to get the scenes down. Afterwards we finally start to write the dialogue and delete unnecessary scenes again, adding some new ones, and so on. But overall, it all starts with a feeling and a curiosity we want to express.
How do you collaborate as a screenwriter? Do you use certain methods?
We talk a lot, discussing all the ideas for the script. While writing we sit next to each other, speaking out loud what we are writing. Sometimes, when we find it difficult to write a scene, it can be helpful to walk away for a little while, and maybe one of us stays, trying to get something down. Otherwise, we might skip that one for the day, and move on to the next scene.
How particular is your dialogue? Is it the easiest or hardest part to write? Do you allow for improvisation?
Sometimes it’s the easiest and sometimes it’s the hardest. I feel it all depends on the mood for the day, what type of scene it is, and on what we know about the characters so far. And YES - we allow that. We both think that improvisation is gold. Especially if you have great actors on board on the project. It can help in putting on much more spice and shades to the scenes. And it can help in making the scenes more natural organic and real. You often get something more unique, because it gives the actor more freedom to explore the character.
What direction is most essential to you as an actor?
I think the most essential direction I personally can get, is when it’s kept simple. I love when directors know exactly what to say, in order to give me the feelings that they want me to express. The worst thing you can do to me is to lock me up with thousands of words, directing me on each sentence, and to “play the scene” for me yourself. Cause then I instinctively try to do as you do, and that is not good, because then I fall out of character and become a stiff mechanical robot, instead of being naturally present, inspired, and fluent. It literally kills my creativity. The best thing for me is, to have lots of meetings before the shooting day, so I know what you want, and you know, what I can give you. It gives much more freedom and space to be playful on set.
How important is the ending of a horror, or dark genre film?
For me the ending means almost everything. It totally breaks my heart if the whole movie seemed to be a masterpiece, and they just drop the ending on the floor.
What are your five fave films that deal with vengeance?
Carrie, Oldboy, The Last House On The Left (2009), Joker, Prisoners.
Sarah Roy, star and co-screenwriter of Zebra Girl
As a screenwriter, what do you start with? The opening scene? The final scene? A seemingly random, but pivotal scene in the middle? A title?
Zebra Girl was taken from the one woman play "Catherine and Anita" which I performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was written by Derek Ahonen. Derek wrote the initial screenplay and then Stephanie Zari (our director) and I fleshed it out. As we had the framework from the play, we had the beginning and end but spent a lot of time filling in the details of Catherine's story. I think having a director and co-writer who has had a lived experience similar to Catherine's was invaluable in telling her story too.
How particular is your dialogue? Is it the easiest or hardest part to write? Do you allow for improvisation?
I'd worked with Derek in New York and love his writing so I knew I wanted him to write for me. His writing is quite stylised and sometimes what works for a play doesn't work for a screenplay so that is also a different challenge. I particularly enjoyed getting to add my own dialogue and really feel like I built the character from the page to the screen.
What direction is most essential to you as an actor?
The character work I got to do with Steph whilst writing the script was incredibly in-depth so by the time we got on set it made the whole process so much easier. She is a fantastic director. Some of the scenes in the film required me to go to a pretty dark place and Steph was very encouraging whilst also pushing me which, as an actor, I relish. I also got to work with the incredible Jade Anouka and Tom Cullen which was a dream.
How do you create atmosphere and tone in your scripts?
As the story isn't linear and jumps back and forth between time periods, we spent a lot of time on the structure of the script which played an important part in creating atmosphere and tone. We really wanted to keep the audience guessing and create suspense throughout the film which our editor, Benji Gerstein, was also brilliant at. It was definitely a process and sometimes you feel like banging your head against a wall but I hope we managed it in the end!
What element in a horror movie is most important?
Definitely suspense. I want to be kept on the edge of my seat!
What are your five fave psycho thrillers?
Psycho, Last Night In Soho, Rosemary's Baby, Dolores Claiborne, Get Out.