Film Name: Knell
Director: Dean Ferris
Writer: Craig Sullivan
Starring: Lani Landsman, Christopher Hill, Millicent Walker
A short folk horror story that follows a couple on a walk through the woods.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got a chance to ask Director Dean Ferris a few questions about his film ‘Knell’, which has been selected to play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday, 24th January at 10:00hrs.
Q. Your film ‘Knell’ has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. Expect the unexpected! A short tale of terror with a twist that takes two lovers on a journey through fear. What starts as a simple walk in the woods, leads to an innocent act of affection with a deadly consequence.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. Knell is inspired by classic TV anthology shows like A Ghost Story for Christmas (1971-1978) and Tales from the Crypt (1989–1996), with a decent dash of folk horror added for good measure. It delves into the magical, unknown side of the woodland that hides out of our sight and holds unknown secrets within. We wanted to keep the effects simple and practical to give a classic, vintage feel to the film.
Q. What first attracted you to the script which was written by Craig Sullivan?
A. Craig’s script was inspired by the mask that was created by Millicent Walker for Knell. It was so striking that we wanted to put it into a film and the folk horror genre seemed the perfect fit, while also sticking with the short ‘twist in the tale’ style of story that is easier and quicker to produce than a feature film.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Working as a team is always fun. Having all the different ideas from the people involved was challenging but ultimately gave a wide range of inspiration to draw from. Putting all this together in a coherent story, with realistic characters became an enjoyable team effort that shows in the final version. At one point a random member of the public attempted to start directing the film, which was unexpected but added some levity to the shoot. The final scene was the most fun as we were using practical costumes, lighting and smoke effects, which really brought the creature to life.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. No, only timing which is always an issue in any field of work. We planned and rehearsed extensively to ensure if an issue came up we knew we had another plan and direction for Knell. These challenges during production I feel can only make me stronger as a director and gain the experience to work on a longer, more ambitious project.
Q. What makes Knell stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I feel the basic story is original but the idea was always to pay homage to classic styles of supernatural story telling with a practical approach to the effects that gives the film it’s overall look and feel. Knell is not based off of any specific aspect of folklore but draws from the general idea of secret cults, evoking spirits of nature in a vengeful manner.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. Not a flower…I think if they come away feeling something, then great Hopefully they feel they have been entertained and perhaps a little shocked by the conclusion. In the end it’s a cautionary tale, so maybe they will think twice about messing with the secrets that nature has hidden.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. We are currently working on a micro short ghost story based on a local legend in Exeter, one minute in duration. We are also developing a script based around an alien invasion which is much more ambitious and may take a little longer to bring to the screen so watch this space…
Q. If someone was looking to direct their own film what advice would you give them
A. Make it and have fun whilst doing it. Surround yourself with the best people possible, all with the same drive, passion and love for art & film as each other. Let the story tell the story rather that forcing dialogue which is not sometimes needed or feels at all real within a situation. Gain any practical hands on work experience within TV/Film, news, documentary, corporate, live action or animation. Surround yourself within it all and most of all have fun!
knell has been selected to play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 24th January at 10:00hrs.
You can find out more about Knell and purchase tickets for the film here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
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