Film Name: Magenta House
Directors: Bill Ross, Z.G. Taylor, Freddie Skerritt, Jake Bebbington
Writer: Bill Ross, Z.G. Taylor, Freddie Skerritt, Jake Bebbington
Starring: Connor Pracy
Three patients escape from an experimental facility, what will happen to the world around them?
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got the chance to ask Co-Writer-Director Jake Bebbington a few questions about the segment of ‘Magenta House’ called ‘THE FACELESS SENTRY’, which will have its World Premiere at The Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Sunday, 25th January at 09:30hrs.
Q. You Directed the segment The Faceless Sentry as part of the feature film Magenta House which has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from your segment?
A. My segment is in the vain of classic slasher films from the 80’s and 90’s. It revolves around a group of young people uncovering secrets of an abandoned cult all while being stalked by a mysterious individual…
Q. In addition to directing you also wrote the segment. What were your inspirations when writing the script?
A. I looked into prominent slasher films which inspired numerous aspects of the segment. Such as the Halloween franchise which features an seemingly unstoppable killer, Michael Myers with that character laying the foundation for both the way the character looked and behaved. Another major inspiration would be the original Scream (1996) which holds a more self aware quality compared to most slasher films at the time which helped me add a slightly comedic tone to the segment. I also did some research into famous cults throughout history as it plays a part into my segment.
Q. Did you have any of the cast in mind for the characters when writing the script?
A. When writing I didn’t really have an idea of who I was going to cast. It wasn’t until the first day of auditions when I came across Connor that I saw the character come to life.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. The style of my segment was inspired by again classic slasher films with conventional elements of group horror. I also really wanted to lean into the overtop tropes such as Dutch Angles and close up on the unsuspecting victims throughout the film.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. One of my favourite moments working on the film was when we were filming a death scene and originally I wanted to create a blood splattering effect onto the character’s mask and suit. However the colours of the costume were to dark so a few members of the crew came up with the idea to wrap the camera lens in cling film and splatter blood onto the lens. I was really grateful for the crews contribution and the final shot looked great, it really emphasised the intensity and brutality of the character and the segment.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. One major issue I experienced was towards the end of shooting for my segment when I wanted the slasher character to be stabbed by the last of the surviving characters. We managed to source a blood squib however after numerous takes we weren’t getting the shot we wanted and due to time constraints we had to ditch the shot.
Q. What makes Magenta House stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. Magenta House blends different themes and genres throughout the anthology which means that there is something for every fan of the horror genre.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. That aspiring filmmakers should see the film and be inspired to make a project as ambitious as this and that it is possible with a minimal crew, equipment and a very small budget.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I’m currently working on my first feature length screenplay which I will submit for my dissertation at the end of my third year.
Q. If someone was looking to direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Just do it. No time like the present.
Magenta House will have its World Premiere at The Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Sunday 25th January at 09:30hrs.
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets 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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