Strange Stuff - Indie Films and Filmmaking

The director of "Something to Scream About," and author of "Assault of the Killer B's," talks about the indie film industry in this informative interview. Jason Paul Collum has a ton of experience in the industry and is definitely an indie filmmaker to watch.

Jason Paul Collum of B+Boy Productions
Photo courtesy of JasonPaulCollum.com

StrangeStuff: What made you want to do Something to Scream About ?

Jason: My true heartfelt love of scream queens. I had made it my mission in life to get the actresses who often work at this level of the industry the exposure they deserve. These women bust their rears trying to make a living in the industry and receive very little in the way of praise, paychecks and financial security. They're seldom recognized by the industry itself, and are often considered little more than cheap women whose talent lies in their cleavage.

They're also typically narrowed down to a very tiny core group: Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer, Debbie Rochon, Julie Strain, Tiffany Sheppis, Tanya Dempsey, Elizabeth Kaitan, Debbie Dutch, Maria Ford.... There are thousands of women doing this from the bottom of the barrel s-o-v [shot-on-video] flicks like Debbie D to women in once popular movies who are now forgotten like Pamela Susan Shoop. My goal was to remind people, the general public, about these women at all levels of the horror genre, and of the B-genre itself.

I began my mission by doing retrospectives for Femme Fatales magazine, then culled that into my book Assault of the Killer B's and the documentary. I thought people would be more willing to discover these fine ladies if they could see them talking. Find out what makes them tick in 65 minutes of television viewing vs. hour after hour of reading and having to use their literary skills.

I chose the women (and there were some chosen who either declined the offer or couldn't make shooting schedules match) based on a more broadened spectrum. From Lilith Stabs who has appeared mostly in underground films the mainstream public has never heard of like Vampire Callgirs, to girls who had one cult flick like Slumber Party Massacre veteran Debra DeLiso, to modern reigning Scream Queens like Debbie Rochon, to the ultimate long-lasting Scream Queens like Brinke Stevens and Julie Strain and on to those who have appeared in a genuine classic everyone has heard of like Night of the Living Dead's Judith O'Dea. In picking such a wide variety of women, I felt views and experiences would be more diverse than getting the usual suspects together.

StrangeStuff: What one thing should every aspiring actress know before getting into the horror genre?

Jason: They should be prepared to not make any money. In this day and age, b-movies are being made for only a few thousand dollars. Of that, about $500 total is going to go into their pockets, if they're lucky - from 10 days of working 17 hours each day. There's no residuals... no royalty checks. You come in, do your job, and go home and hope that, perhaps, the producers might hire you a second time for a slightly higher rate (like $510 for a total of 15 days). It's also becoming more difficult for said projects to get any kind of exposure, so don't sit around waiting for your fan base to kick in so you can start up a fan club and sell personal autographs. Honestly, that era is done.

Horror conventions suck. I know one actress in particular who could always depend on bringing home no less than $1,300 per 3 day show. Now, she's delighted if she makes $200. Which is another bit of advice: If you're going to sell yourself as scream queen, you'd damn well better be one. A "fan" isn't going to plunk down $20 of his hard earned cash for some bimbo who's only "starred" in one s-o-v flick which was made by her best friend in his back yard. If the previously mentioned true-scream queen is only making $200 with a fan-base stretching 20+ years, the impersonator will likely find herself with only $20 in her pocket, and that's if she hasn't spent it on food, gas and board over those 3 days....

What does this sum up to? YOU don't dictate that you're a scream queen. Fans do. Make sure you have a day job and the ambition and drive to push yourself to the brink of despair in order to possibly make it. It's a cliché, but it's true: Only the strong survive.

StrangeStuff: What did you learn from this project that surprised you?

Jason: None of the actresses considered themselves "Scream Queens." Not one. Not even Julie Strain. Or Debbie Rochon. They all simply considered themselves actresses. (Wannabe Scream Queens, take note...)

StrangeStuff: What other Jason Paul Collum films should be next on our list to check out?

Jason: Next up is a little flick I wrote, produced and directed called October Moon. I suspect it'll cause a bit of a stir based on its gay-theme. The main story evolves around an obsession between three gay men, one of whom is just coming out of the closet. However, I'm hoping the straight folks aren't too nervous to watch it, because it's been designed to speak to both gays and straights. There's a lesson to be learned within the story for both sides, so I really hope it crosses that barrier. They need not worry about boy on boy sex and wriggling penis's and such... we play it pretty straight (no pun intended) and take ourselves very seriously.

It's not a soft core flick in any way. It starts off as a drama, becomes a thriller and ends as pure, unrelenting horror. The end is pretty gnarly! Plus we've got some AWESOME names in it like Judith O'Dea, Brinke Stevens, Tina Ona Paukstelis (Aswang: The Unearthing), and Jeff Dylan Graham (Selena). Best of all, viewers will actually get to see Brinke in a dramatic role! No screaming and bloody mayhem for this lady. She actually gets to show her thespian talents! So how cool is that gonna be?! Anyone interested can check out the trailer, photos, bios, and tons more at the web sitewww.octobermoonthefilm.com.

StrangeStuff: How did you get started in the film business?

Jason: I had written a script for The Last House on the Left - Part 2 on my own in 1992. Kushner-Locke, owners of the sequel rights, loved it, but after many months of debating decided they couldn't take the financial risk on it because it was too intense and they feared an NC-17 rating. So I sent it to other companies, one of them was MDM Productions. They loved it as well, but couldn't afford the sequel rights from Kushner-Locke. MDM initially wanted to make it anyway as The First House on the Right, but I declined. In turn, they offered me writing/directing duties on Mark of the Devil 666: The Moralist. Filming began in the summer of 1994 and it was released in July 1995. It sold well, so I made two more movies for them -- 5 Dark Souls (1996) and 5 Dark Souls II: Roots of Evil (1998). I then moved to West Hollywood in early 1998 and through the help of Brinke Stevens and J.R. Bookwalter (The Dead Next Door) met David DeCoteau who gave me Assistant Director duties on Ancient Evil: Scream of the Mummy (2000). The rest is history.

StrangeStuff: What would you be doing now if you weren't in the business?

Jason: To the shock of many, I'd be a Kindergarten teacher! It had been my goal and ambition from about age 6 until around 18. I even used to help my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Murdock, every day after school and even on my off days from 1st grade until she retired after my Sophomore year. Around the same time I realized how rotten school kids were getting and how the system of discipline had turned against the teachers because of parents. So I changed my mind quickly.

StrangeStuff: What is your favorite aspect of filmmaking?

Jason: The storytelling. I get to see my thoughts, dreams, and visions come to life on screen. I get to make people experience emotions. I get to make them laugh or cry or scream. There's an odd sense of power behind it.

Also, hiring new actors or people who had never before considered acting. It's a dream come true for so many people, even if they would never consider doing it as a true profession. To see the glow on their faces when they see their face on screen for the first time...priceless.

StrangeStuff: What is the most challenging part of filmmaking for you?

Jason: Getting it all filmed, then waiting months on end for the post-production to be completed. It's basically like you're pregnant and awaiting the arrival of the child. You're so anxious for it to be born into the world. Often, it's worse, because you have to wait longer than 9 months. It can be more than year before post is done, then even longer before you get it out to the public. Something to Scream About took nearly two years from start to finish.

StrangeStuff: What is one of the strangest, or funniest, things that has happened on one of your films?

Jason: All of October Moon was strange...both good and bad. Strange in that everything fell right into place with such ease: locations, actors, crew... This one movie has been an emotional roller coaster ride like I've never before experienced. Tons of laughter and tears. You'll have to wait for the Special Edition DVD in a few years for all the juicy details.

Most fun: Final Stab (2001). A crew and cast that just melded perfectly. It was non-stop laughter on that set. Those actors bonded instantly. I can't even name one particular event because everything behind the scenes was funny. Making the Bad Movie Police series was also a blast. Again, just a really fun group of people. And I tweaked my nipples on screen without telling the director (John Treacy) I was going to do it, so when I did, everyone just stood around speechless for a few moments, then broke out in laughter. Of course they thought it was so funny that I had to do it repeatedly for the next two hours while we did additional takes and angles...

StrangeStuff: What advice do you have for other indie filmmakers?

Jason: If your passion is to make movies, then go out and make one. Find a friend with a video camera, a few more to use as actors, and get to it. Keep your script short and reasonable for your locations and FX and actions. Keep your lead cast to less than five people. Scheduling them to all be at the same place at the same time will be a complete bitch, especially if you're not paying them to be there. Remember that if you’re shooting an entire movie for $300, you can't have buildings blowing up and helicopters crashing. KEEP...IT...SIMPLE...!!! Start small until you grow into knowing what you're doing and exactly how you're going to do it. You'll learn more and more with each new production. No movie is ever a wasted experience. It's better than going to film school, because you're actually out making it happen.

StrangeStuff: Filmmaking is a tough business. What does the indie producer need to do in order to make a living at it?

Jason: Everything which doesn't involve filmmaking. Some of us bartend. Work in Malls. Fill Gas tanks, etc., etc. I always say I have two jobs -- the one I love and the one which pays my bills. So don't be ashamed to admit you do both.

StrangeStuff: Can you give us a hint of upcoming projects?

Jason: If the post-work on October Moon doesn't kill me or send me to an asylum first.... I have a few options. One is a supernatural story involving water, one is another gay horror flick, and yet a third is a hardcore guts and gore flick in the vein of Last House. Haven't decided which, if any, I'll tackle. Another option is to get another book going, but again, I'll need the drive to do it. October Moon has really wiped me out. Then again, I said the exact same thing about Something to Scream About...and 5 Dark Souls...and Assault of the Killer B's...and....

StrangeStuff: Thank you for the interview!

Attention Filmmakers!
One of the best ways you can support indie filmmakers is to buy their products. "Something to Scream About" is a must see for EVERY actress starting out in low budget horror movies. I also recommend it for filmmakers. You can't have my copy, so do yourself a favor and buy your own today.

Christopher
StrangeStuff.com

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