Horror movies &stuff Interviews "Frayed" Writer/Director/Producer Norbert Caoili
HM&S.com recently got a chance to chat with Norbert Caoili, Writer, Director, and Producer of the upcoming indie horror pic "Frayed", which arrives on DVD August 25th. In the movie...a small town sheriff's worst nightmare comes true when his homicidal son escapes from a psychiatric hospital. An intense manhunt ensues as the dark secret behind the son's evil past becomes revealed.
MR. H:How did you get your start in filmmaking?
Norb:I got into filmmaking back in elementary school. My dad was the first on our block to get a video camera and together with Rob and Kurt we made all kinds of video shorts every day after school - action, drama, comedy, even stop-motion animation, but our favorite was horror. Someone always ended up dead in our movies, so it was a natural fit. That was also around the time when we first saw films like Halloween, The Exorcist and The Shining. We just ate it up and it fueled our filmmaking bloodlust! We were just average kids, but people started to wonder if there was something seriously wrong with us. After I finished school at the University of Washington, Rob and I continued making video shorts through our monthly cable comedy show, and eventually, shot our first real film short - a super16mm B&W thriller, "Coup De Grace" which, of course, featured someone getting killed.
After that, I moved away from filmmaking to do commercial/corporate video work. Though not as exciting as shooting horror flicks, it allowed me to hone my producing and directing skills, since the process isn't that different from filmmaking, except I was actually getting paid for a change. Computer-based editing, sound mixing and music composing was just starting to take off and I was instantly hooked. It's become my favorite part of the production process. Everything came together at just the right time when it came time to make "Frayed."
MR. H:"Frayed" is your first feature film, despite it being an indie. What was behind the decision to make a horror movie as your first feature?
Norb:Ever since we were kids, we've always wanted to make a horror film. So when Kurt came to Rob and me with the idea of making a feature, there was no debate. We also wanted to make a movie that could actually sell without a big budget or huge stars - perfect for horror. Kurt had the initial idea of starting the movie with a brutal murder caught on video. From there we developed the story of "Frayed" following the style of the old classics we grew up with - less gore, more suspense, but with a modern twist. We wanted to make a movie that would really shock people at the end and make them think. Although, to this day, my mom still wishes we had shot a romantic comedy.
MR. H:Looking at your credits on "Frayed", you co-wrote the film, co-directed it, co-produced it, and even edited it. Do you think ultimately, the final product turned out a lot better because you had so much creative control over it?
Norb:Making a movie is all about creative control and realizing your vision. Typically, the filmmaking process forces you to make compromises because of factors out of your control or having to depend on someone who may not share your vision. Kurt, Rob and I were a "three-headed monster" creatively on "Frayed" since we had spent so much time envisioning exactly how the movie would turn out. Yet we still had to make compromises on set due to time constraints, weather, and other factors. But when it came to post-production, there was nothing to stop us from making the movie come to life the way we wanted it to. Thanks to technology, I was able to set up a full HD editing, sound mixing and composing suite in my home studio. During the day, I could help my wife, Jin, chase and keep our then one-year-old daughter from drooling on the computers, then work all night cutting, mixing and scoring.
Having a supportive wife and family is invaluable when it comes to pursuing a filmmaking career, that's for sure. Mike Lorrain, my business partner and visual effects supervisor, had an identical edit system in his place across town, so he could replicate our edit changes while simultaneously creating visual effects shots. Kurt, Rob and I made all the edit decisions together. Kurt and I tended to cut shots out while Rob liked to leave as much in. We almost took out a major twist at the end of the film, but Rob strongly fought to keep it. I'm glad we stuck with Rob and our original idea, because the end is much stronger and deeper this way. This dynamic kept all of us in check and resulted in "Frayed" being a better movie. When it came to the mix and music, we all collaborated on the ideas, but most of the time the guys just trusted me to get the soundtrack right. This was the biggest project I'd worked on, so I just prayed I wouldn't mess it up too badly.
MR. H:The basic premise of "Frayed" is a smalltown sheriff's son escapes a mental clinic, and as the local authorities hunt for him, the secret behind his evil behavior is slowly revealed. Can you elaborate further on the films overall storyline?
Norb:This basic premise about an escaped mental patient often results in our film being compared to Halloween, but in reality, "Frayed" is very different, especially the ending. The movie focuses around Gary (Aaron Blakely), a security guard, and Sheriff Baker (Tony Doupe'), who is trying to protect his daughter camping out in the woods where his escaped son is lurking. When all these characters' fates crash together, things really explode. Most people who have seen "Frayed" tell us that they thought they had the movie figured out, but had no idea the movie would end the way it does. Without giving too much away, there's a good reason we call "Frayed" a "slasher with a twist."
MR. H:The cast of this movie is basically made up of unknowns when it comes to the horror genre and indie horror films, in general. Were you worried about how the film would play with distributors marketing wise with no Tony Todd's, Tiffany Shepises, or Lance Henriksen's involved?
Norb:We were a bit concerned in the beginning since a lot of industry people were telling us we needed to have a name in our movie. Unfortunately, we didn't have the budget or the connections to get one, so instead we convinced ourselves that, with a good story, solid acting, high production value and a unique style, "Frayed" would sell itself. Sometimes a little faith and a lot of luck goes a long way.
MR. H:Take us through the entire process of how "Frayed", your film, managed to finally find a home with a distributor two years after its completion.
Norb:We spent the entire 2006 year working on the post-production of "Frayed." It was a slow process because we were juggling full time jobs and families at the same time. We started screening the film in 2007 and found ourselves repeatedly tweaking the cut. The pivotal moment for "Frayed" came when we received a call that summer from Rachel Belofsky at Screamfest in LA congratulating us on getting into their festival. We started jumping up and down like little kids! After that, we received several inquiries from distributors wanting to see the film and fielded numerous offers for "Frayed" after our Screamfest premiere. We were thrilled to finally sign on with Lionsgate as our domestic distributor as well as Arsenal Pictures, our international distributor.
MR. H:What kind of horror movie is "Frayed"? A straight-up slasher movie, a new-age slasher movie, a vintage slasher movie, a throwback slasher movie, or a little bit of all four?
Norb:"Frayed" is a little bit of all four, because it has the suspense and tension of old-school slashers with the psychological edge of the new-age slasher and the gore of a straight-up slasher. Plus "Frayed" has a really creepy masked killer in it -- a tasty ingredient for all slashers.
MR. H:With so much talk about how cliche' recent slasher movies have been, what genre pitfalls did you and the crew try to avoid during the filmmaking process?
Norb:It was challenging writing a slasher, because inevitably some scenes would come up that appear similar to something that's been done before (i.e. teens camping in the woods, a masked killer, etc.). There's a scene where a character is forced to hide in a bedroom. If she hides under the bed, viewers cry "cliche'!" If she hides hides in a closet, same thing. But really, how many unique places are there to hide in a bedroom? Those are pretty much your only two options! We did our best to make things unpredictable and keep the audience on pins and needles, always guessing.
MR. H:Many indie slasher films are set in smalltown america, as is "Frayed". Do you feel this location acts as the best setting for a slasher movie?
Norb:There's nothing like being alone stalked by a killer out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by deep, dark woods. It's hard to get that same vibe at the mall parking lot downtown. Actually, a slasher can be scary anywhere. It just depends on the story and the setting and if you're able to afford the shooting permits.
MR. H:How much blood, gore, and carnage can slasher movie fans, and genre fans in general expect from "Frayed"?
Norb:"Frayed" is more of a suspense-thriller than it is a gorefest. That being said, there are several bloody kills including an extremely brutal one near the beginning of the movie that should keep most fans of the genre happy.
MR. H:Has the film been screened yet at any festivals, cons, etc.? If so, how was it received?
Norb:In addition to our premiere at Screamfest in LA, "Frayed" has also screened at the Nevermore Film Festival in North Carolina, was only one of a handful of horror films at the Santa Barbara Film Festival last year and won the Best Cinematography Award at the International Horror and Sci-Fi Festival in Arizona. Internationally, "Frayed" screened at the Fantaspoa Film Festival in Brazil and the Riofan Festival in Rio De Janeiro. Nothing beats being able to sit in the theaters and witness the audience's reactions. The movie has received positive reviews and we can't wait to see how it's received by the general public.
MR. H:What is it about slasher movies that you think has kept them as a constant in the horror genre with a glut of indie and mainstream slasher movies coming out every year, while other forms of horror kind of take a vacation for two and three years at a time?
Norb:I think slasher movies are a constant every year, because they are the meat and potatoes of horror. There's something irresistibly simple about a killer stalking his victims and waiting to see how and with what is he going to off them. We can all relate to it. Everyday, people get brutally killed all the time. You see it on the news and in the paper. That's what inspired "Frayed" - the idea that the most horrific killings can be committed anywhere, anytime, by anyone. Other horror genres, like the ones with creepy girls in white dresses, can be extremely scary, yet sometimes come in waves, while a good slasher never goes out of style.
MR. H:What can a filmmaker do with an indie slasher film, that he or she wouldn't be able to do with a mainstream slasher movie?
Norb:I think with an indie slasher, and with indies in general, you have the opportunity to take more chances and be a little edgier than with a mainstream one. While making "Frayed", we didn't have to answer to anyone. We just shot the film that WE wanted to see. I'm sure that if "Frayed" were mainstream, we would not have been able to make the opening kill as brutal as we did, nor could we have made the ending as bizarre as it is. We probably would've had to dumb it down, which would have taken away some of its uniqueness.
MR. H:"Frayed" hits DVD August 25th. Depending on how well it does in it's DVD premier, can we expect a followup in prequel or sequel form?
Norb:"Frayed" is written in a way that a prequel or sequel could certainly be made. We have already heard from some fans hoping we'll make a second one. If the DVD does well, it would be very tough not to revisit the "Frayed" world again.
MR. H:What other horror projects are you currently at work on?
Norb:We are developing several scripts including another suspense/thriller, a comedy, and the possible "Frayed" sequel.
End.
Read Part Two Of Our "Frayed" Interview Series, our chat with Co-Director/Stuntman Rob Portmann Here!!
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