Today I have a horror movie for you to watch called baby next doorIn the film, a baby’s cries send a man going through a breakup into a drug-fueled frenzy.
This short is shared in partnership with FilmQuest Film Festival, where we try to showcase some of the indie genre films and shorts that filmmakers are creating.
We spoke to the filmmakers who created the short film, Alec Gibbons. I hope you enjoyed this short video and interview. I will warn you, this one is going to get pretty dark.
Please tell us, without spoiling anything, what your film is about, its characters, and its themes. Is it a proof of concept, or a standalone story?
A baby’s cries send a man going through a breakup into a drug-fueled frenzy. Ruthless ambition, repressed memory and reckless drug abuse collide with disastrous consequences in this wild, high-octane fusion from Jay McInerney and Poe; A manic, horrifying, and vitriolic modern gothic spin on yuppie nightmare narratives, it balances savage social satire with a brimstone study of self-curse and the corrosive power of guilt.
What was the inspiration for your film? How did you come up with this idea?
As a director, I wanted to show that the scariest monsters are probably humans. Only when the darkest moments of a person’s life are revealed can you truly understand the truth and the person behind the mask.
Tell us about yourself. What is your background? How long have you been a filmmaker?
I’m a filmmaker from the Rust Belt, now in Los Angeles, I’m a cinephile, an avid screenwriter, and I love genre movies. What I most want to be is a feature film producer. I’m a young guy working on my second short film and looking forward to seeing some proofs, features and shorts in the near future.
What inspires you to work in genre films and tell these kinds of stories?
Genre is where a film and all its parts—cameraography, sound design, editing, music, special effects, etc.—really come into play. Great sound design can overwhelm an audience, wild special effects shots can make them scream, great camerawork can hypnotize them, and having actors involved can make the audience care about someone in a scene they may never experience .
What was your favorite part of the filmmaking process on this project?
I really enjoy collaboration and I give everyone involved in the project a lot of room to be creative. I think working with the cast and crew at every stage was the most enriching part.
What are you most proud of about this film?
I’ve been to many screenings and seen audiences stunned into silence. I’ve seen people have to leave theaters. A lot of people have come up to me and told me how scary and intense the ending was and how the movie kept them guessing. That’s more important than any awards, distribution opportunities or otherwise.
What’s your favorite story or moment from the making of the film that you’d like to share?
Before a big fight, one actor ate an all-meat burrito in two minutes, jumped off and did dozens of push-ups, and then excelled in the scene.
What was the most challenging moment or experience you had while making the film?
Definitely the location. Once there we lost the location for most of the shoot and had to make the most of the day and then fight to get the money back to shoot in another office space.
If so, how did your film change or differ from the original concept during pre-production, production, and/or post-production? How does this impact the way you approach future projects?
As long as the director is willing to let the cast and crew contribute and use their creativity, every film will be transformed through these processes. I listed storyboards and shots, but most of them ended up being everyone’s input. The actors came up with a lot of great moments back then.
Who are your collaborators and actors in this film? How did you start working together?
I met Ricardo (co-writer/co-producer) at a genre event where he produced the original version of this script. Most of the original cast also participated in my first short film “One Bad Night” (https://vimeo.com/alecgibbons/onebadnight)
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a filmmaker?
Trust your gut and intuition. Typically, this is the way to go. If you want to make a great project, be open to collaboration as well.
What are your plans for your career? What stories would you like to tell in the future?
I want to get into feature films as soon as possible and will break through walls to do it like a cool guy. I want to continue telling intense, wild, manic stories in the thriller and comedy realms.
What’s your next project?
I’m currently finishing a sci-fi feature called “An Inconsequential Choice” with Ricardo Bravo, who is on this project. We have some producers interested in it, and it’s a wilder, more intense, wilder story than this.
Where can we find more of your work? Do you have a website or YouTube/Vimeo channel? Social media handle?
Instagram: @alec.gibbons; Website: alecgibbons.com; Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/alecgibbons
Bonus Question #1: What is your favorite movie?
good guy
Bonus Question #2: Which film inspired you the most as a filmmaker and/or influenced your work the most?
apocalypse now
