Interview with Jeremy Gardner and The Vocabulariast
I recently talked to the guys behind All Hell Breaks Loose about their upcoming project called The Cemetery People. These two guys are making horror movies that you are excited to see, and movies you can’t wait to get your hands on. Jeremy Garner and The Vocabulariast are not just making films for horror fans, but making films they want to see. Sit back and enjoy.
So, what is this movie going to be about?
The Vocabulariast
The Cemetery People is a sort of messed up “cabin in the woods” story where a gang of hooligans kidnap some people headed to a costume party on Halloween. They do some nasty things, and wind up resurrecting a group of flesh-eating demons that hate sinners. It’s good wholesome fun.
Jeremy Garner
Yeah what vocab said.
That sounds rad! Where is this taking place, what state and time period?
Jeremy Garner
Oregon. This coming July.
Can we expect a lot of gore on this? How brutal is it going to be?
Jeremy Garner
There is a ton of gore. And the great thing is that it will all be handled by Jerami Cruise of ToeTag EFX. Which is known for their ultra realistic gore fx
The Vocabulariast
It’s a pretty violent film… there’s a lot of nasty business involved. I can’t wait for people to see what we’ve cooked up with this movie. It should turn some stomachs.
Wow! So , has anyone been cast?
Jeremy Garner
For the most part. We have our essential players. Still looking to fill some small bit parts and things could change as we are raising money. We have roles that would be perfect for cameos from genre actors that are well known but it’s all about the money right now.
We have a good core of local actors we always work with but this is the first film we will be flying in talent like Eli Church.
The Vocabulariast
Ellie Church.
Jeremy Garner
What he said haha.
That’s huge! How did you get hooked up with toe-tag?
Jeremy Garner
Dani Inks who is an actress and also Jerami Cruises girlfriend contacted me about a role after seeing something about it on Ellies FB. She told me her boyfriend did fx work and after some FB creeping I discovered who he was and jumped at the opportunity to have both of them.
Very cool! Since this is independent, are you doing a Kickstarter, or Indiegogo to raise money?
The Vocabulariast
Yeah, definitely. We’d like to get some investors going, but we’re not going to hold our breath on that, so we’re going to explore that route at the same time. It would be nice to have investors so we don’t have to hit people up, but that’s the name of the game these days.
True, what will be some of the perks that will be offered?
Jeremy Garner
I’m working on putting some awesome perks together and a lot of it would be stuff you get immediately. Like copies of our last feature All Hell Breaks Loose, to posters and shirts. There will also be perks to get behind the scenes updates as the film is being shot, screen used props signed by Cruise and even chances to come be a demon for the day and eat people on screen. But of course we’ll also offer producer credits to those that can really help us.
The Vocabulariast
And if there’s anyone out there that wants to just give us the money… you’ll get to hang out with us while we make the movie. Is there a greater perk than that?
That is very cool! What is the horror scene like in Oregon?
Jeremy Garner
There isnt one really. We have some great filmmakers up here but horror doesnt get a lot of love. No cons, no press coverage and it’s hard to book screenings. But thankfully we have the internet haha
The Vocabulariast
I would say it’s largely underground. There are some pockets of filmmakers around town, but it’s very loose, disorganized, and everyone seems to be out for themselves. I would like to build it up though and make Portland, Oregon a nice horror destination. The local press kind of sucks and looks down on horror. It’s a sad state of affairs.
What got you into writing and film making?
The Vocabulariast
For me, I was a movie critic for years. I watched thousands of movies and reviewed them. Eventually, I became frustrated by all the crap I had to sit through, and I said, “I can do better than that.” So I started reviewing indie movies, making connections, visiting some sets, and then I just sort of hooked up with Jeremy through Facebook, and now we make movies together.
Jeremy Garner
I’m no writer. I leave that to vocab. But my love of film came from my dad. We’d go to the cinema weekly when I was younger. I’ve always been in love with the magic of movies and for
whatever resin gravitated towards horror and science fiction.
I’m much happier using my writing skills to create as opposed to critiquing.
So you make movies that you would like to watch
Jeremy Garner
Exactly. I’m a genre fan first and foremost.
The Vocabulariast
Oh yeah. I write movies that are keenly attuned to my own messed up sense of taste. They’re funny, violent, odd… basically they are that combination of things that are currently missing from today’s slate of mostly forgettable horror movies.
It’s nice to see people that actually care about the product, and not the money
The Vocabulariast
Money! Ha! Good movies are where it’s at.
If I wanted to make money, I’d just create some found-footage drivel, make it PG-13, and create a trailer with whispering children. Money’s easy, quality on a budget… that’s a Herculean challenge.
But those aren’t the types of movies I love. I think Jeremy and I are both children of the ’80s, and in some respect, we’re kind of recreating those hidden gems that you would randomly find on video stores when we were youths.
2014 was a huge year for independent films, do you think 2015 will be the same way?
The Vocabulariast
I hope so. Right now, there’s really nothing on my horror radar. I’m hoping there are some nice surprises throughout the year. I still have to see that Babadook thingie.
All Hell Breaks Loose was one of my top 5’s, that movie was insane
Jeremy Garner
Thank you. It was quite ambitious for as little money as we had. It was fun and def a learning
experience for us. It def opened up some doors for us as to who is willing to work with us now and i’m way excited to get going on this next film.
The Vocabulariast
Yeah, I can’t wait to see where The Cemetery People ends up on your list.
If it is brutal, very high. How much are you trying to raise?
Jeremy Garner
We have to raise a minimum of 17500.00 if we are going to shoot it. I would be more comfortable, as would all the talent and crew, if we had around 25k. We already have everything we have invested in it. It will be made. Just a matter of when.
When are you planning to start the crowd fund?
Jeremy Garner
In the next week or two. Ellie Church is shooting the video pitch with Brian Williams tomorrow I think. I just have to get the vid and page edited and we’ll be good to go.
It’s good to see people who actually want to make a good film. So, about the story, will there be anyone turning into a demon?
Jeremy Garner
def.
that would be a yes
The Vocabulariast
Certainly. You can’t have a good demon movie without some demon possessions.
Is it being filmed in a real cemetery?
Jeremy Garner
Theres also possessed corpses on the loose for the zombie lovers. But without all the normal limitations of zombie films. They are supernatural and can’t be easily dispatched with a headshot or whatever. Its going to be fun.
Prob not. I mean I’m sure there will be some 2nd unit stuff shot in a cemetery but the majority will be a set so we can have people crawling out of the ground without digging up someones loved one haha
I’m very excited to see this! How do get ideas for writing horror? What all goes into making a film like this?
Jeremy Garner
This film is different for us. I found a script I liked online from Mike Shelton called desecration. We optioned it from him and rewrote it to our style. We’ve never done that before. Usually it’s just us having drinks and tossing ideas around.
The Vocabulariast
That’s a good question. I’m not sure where my ideas for writing horror come from. Some of it is obviously influenced by movies I love. In All Hell Breaks Loose, there are definitely some references to some of my favorite films, or things that I find goofy and overlooked. The horror elements are usually just things I want to see. For The Cemetery People, Mike Shelton kind of laid out the story in his original screenplay, and I gave it that Vocab. sensibility and made it as weird and as I could.
We actually worked quite a bit on the script, playing with ideas, and different things that worked. All Hell Breaks Loose was all original. The Cemetery People is more of a combo of Mike’s original vision, and then Jeremy and I fooling around.
What movies are you influenced by?
Jeremy Garner
Anything from Stuart Gordon, Lamberto Bava, Fulci, frank henenlotter. For me at least.
The Vocabulariast
I love the higher-quality Troma films, Night of the Demons, Romero’s original zombie trilogy. Then there are some less famous movies that have stuck with me such as Neon Maniacs, Hard Rock Zombies, and Demons. I guess Demons isn’t lesser, but the randomness of those films just hits me. Then I mix in my love of action movies and ridiculously macho characters, guys that say things that are so hard-boiled you can’t but laugh. John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China and They Live are perfect examples of that sensibility.
Jeremy Garner
As of lately I cant get enough of Astron 6’s stuff. I feel like we are trying to do the same type of films.
Vocab is great with the adding insult to injury type of humor. I love that about his writing. Whats happening on screen can be pretty brutal but has you laughing at the same time.
Are you guys hitting the convention scene?
Jeremy Garner
I’d love to but my day job gets in the way of travel. Brian Williams is going to be carrying our items at his convention tables so always look out for Mostly Harmless.
The Vocabulariast
I’m not a big convention guy. As a writer, 9 times out of ten, I would rather be writing. If I ever got to the point where I didn’t have to worry about paying bills, I might consider it. I’ve never actually been to a convention before. I’d like to one day though.
Has it ever been frustrating making films?
The Vocabulariast
The whole thing is an exercise in frustration and interpersonal communication. If you can’t get along with others, you don’t have much of a chance making indie films.
Jeremy Garner
all the time. Things are always hard without big money backing you. You work hard going forward money or not. Sometimes it all collapses. I can say this is the most organized we have ever been in the fact that we havent shot the film yet but have distribution already in place. So it will get out there and be seen.
The Vocabulariast
I had a pretty good experience on All Hell Breaks Loose, and we pretty much nailed the vision of my script, but there were some days where nerves were frayed and tension built up.
What advice can you give people that are wanting to write and direct a movie?
Jeremy Garner
Utilize what you have on hand in your scripts. If you work graveyard at a gas station write a script that takes place in a gas station and just do it. Know that you’ll have some pretty high moments emotionally but you’ll also have the lowest lows ever and you just gotta keep pushing forward and finish it.
The Vocabulariast
Writing is tough. I’ve met a lot of people that “have a screenplay.” Honestly, you have to do the work. Formatting, editing, revising, these are the things that good scripts are made of. My biggest advice would be to start small, see how it works, and if you can make a good short film that is entertaining, then stop making the stupid things and develop a feature. Also, be on sets of other people’s films to learn the ropes.
Also, like Jeremy said, develop thick skin and manage to control your emotions, because there will be days where you’re all “What the hell am I doing with my life? This is completely pointless.” Ignore that voice, and push forward. If you wind up with a pile of shit, well hey, that’s more than quitters have.
What do you hope horror fans get out of your movies
Jeremy Garner
I hope that people just have fun and that it sticks with them like the films I love have stuck with me.
The Vocabulariast
I hope they get some entertainment. I hope they laugh. I hope they have favorite lines, and I hope they get my obscure references.
I don’t want people to watch All Hell Breaks Loose or The Cemetery People just once. I want them to include us in their rotation, the way I go back to certain movies to re-watch them, just for fun.
If you watch our movies once, say that was ok, and then never watch it again, I consider that a failure.
Jeremy Garner
I want to be that movie that youre best friend at 14 pulls out of his backpack and says “have you seen the cemetery people?’ and then it blows your mind and you spend the rest of your life a horror fan. That may be asking a lot but hell… shoot for the stars.
As a horror fan, I want to thank you for making kick ass films. Thank you for keeping horror alive, and not making the same old shit big companies are handing out
Jeremy Garner
Thank You. I’d like to add a thank you for buying and watching our film.
none of this would be possible if there wasnt people willing to watch. They are my heroes.
The Vocabulariast
Thanks for watching it and taking the time to interview us. We appreciate it. Also, I love talking about horror, filmmaking and writing, so it’s a good time for me no matter what.
I am looking forward to watching the new film! I appreciate you two taking the time to chat with me.
The Vocabulariast
No problem. Any time.
Thanks guys! It has been awesome talking to both of you! I love what you guys are doing.
Jeremy Garner
Awesome. have a good night and we’ll gladly come back anytime.
The Vocabulariast
Yeah, thanks to you to. Take it easy. I’m outta here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS8r5F9J2M8&feature=youtu.be
https://www.indiegogo.com/project/preview/55563db2
