The Killer Shorts Contest is excited to bring you this interview with Killer Alum Jess Bartlett who is a 2023 2nd Place winner of the 1-page category with her script Duck Duck Goose. Being drawn to the diversity of the horror genre, Jess has worked tirelessly for years working on personal projects. With her co-writer and friend of Killer Shorts Ethan Evans, Jess decided to write and produce a short film Outside Noise. The Telluride team were fans of the short and shared it around, landing Jess representation with Zero Gravity Management.

Working with a manager has elevated Jess’ work now that she has someone to help develop a plan for her career. Jess has already had meetings with producers that she feels wouldn’t have happened before being signed with a manager. Check out the interview with Jess Bartlett below.

Conversations with Jess

Where are you from and where do you currently reside? Do your surroundings have an impact on your writing?

What inspired you to submit to the 1-page category with your 2nd place script, DUCK DUCK GOOSE?

I’d had the idea for a while and originally it was a few pages long. When Killer Shorts was brought to my attention, I was really excited by the challenge of telling it in one page, so I did that specifically for the KS contest and thought it really benefitted from being tight and punchy.

Did you ever expect in your wildest dreams that the short film you wrote and produced, OUTSIDE NOISE could help you land representation?

Not at all – it’s been a big goal of mine for the last couple of years to get representation, so to have been signed before we even started our festival circuit for Outside Noise was a total dream come true! We only hoped that Outside Noise would get us in the right rooms with the right people, so it’s overwhelming when that actually happens.

Can you describe the process of submitting OUTSIDE NOISE to a horror festival to landing representation with Zero Gravity Management?

We submitted Outside Noise to Telluride Horror Show as festival alumni (they screened my prod co. Terror Arcade’s first horror short back in 2019). The Telluride team were so encouraging and loved Outside Noise, offering us an early acceptance. Meanwhile, they kindly shared it with some of their contacts and through a very generous producer, it made its way to Elissa at Zero Gravity Management! A totally surreal and unexpected path which I’m very grateful for.

How have things changed for you now that you’ve signed with a manager?

After years of pouring full-time hours into my filmmaking – blood, sweat and tears, mostly alone in a home office – it’s a breath of fresh air to share my journey/ambitions with a manager who is also rooting for me. So far, my manager and I have assessed all my projects and created a plan of what to prioritise and what’s next for me – it’s very exciting. To have someone incredibly experienced offering guidance and new possibilities on where my career is headed is invaluable. I’ve already had some meetings with some exciting producers/development execs based in the US off the back of my writing samples, which I wouldn’t have had direct access to without my manager.

Can you give a brief description of your short film OUTSIDE NOISE?

Outside Noise follows overworked Layla who downloads a soundscape app called ‘Outside Noise’ but soon when the surreal sounds begin to mix with her reality, she suspects it has conjured something into her room. The short explores the impacts doomscrolling and technology have on our mental health – especially late at night before bed. The film is starting its festival circuit this October!

What inspired you to take a script you’ve written and produce the short film?

As a writer/producer, there’s something so exciting and rewarding about seeing an idea through from conception to the very end – it’s extremely fulfilling to be the person facilitating the project but also have a creative voice throughout.

Deciding to shoot your script can be a hard decision for a lot of writers. How did this decision come about for you? Can you break down your process of obtaining production funding for OUTSIDE NOISE?

Last year, writer/director Ethan Evans – who I work on most horror projects with and the other half of Terror Arcade – and I were itching to make a proof of concept short that could more accurately showcase our abilities/visions as filmmakers. All the horror shorts we’d produced before Outside Noise had been entirely self-funded, so we were really motivated to take a step up with whatever we made next. After early discussions about our next short film and Ethan in early development of the Outside Noise concept, we discovered a new genre-friendly production fund from CenterFrame in the UK and knew that we had to put Outside Noise forward! This motivated us to write/develop Outside Noise in a short time frame ahead of the funding deadline – we made sure the script was contained and doable if we were to win. To our surprise, we won the production funding which was down to the CenterFrame members voting for our idea – it was a huge milestone for us; our first pot of external funding! We were so excited by the prospect of higher production value and access to more resources. I can confidently say the film is the step-up that we desired and we’re so proud of it.

What advice would you give to screenwriters considering entering a competition like Killer Shorts who hope to follow your path?

You have to be in it to win it – cliché but very true! When I entered Killer Shorts, it was my first time, and I never imagined I’d be one of the winners. I’m guilty of spending a lot of time wondering if my scripts are ‘ready’ or good enough but once you develop confidence in your voice/abilities, just going for it will pay off in the long run. Killer Shorts is an extremely nurturing, inclusive and supportive contest – if you’re a horror writer, I couldn’t think of a better place to get exposure for your work.

Despite finding representation from submitting to a festival, how do you think festivals and contests can be beneficial for writers?

For me, the most beneficial parts of festivals/contests are the people you meet – potential collaborators, filmmaker friends and new supporters of your work. Being in these environments has really helped me build my network with like-minded people. A close second is the opportunity to screen/share your work in places you may never have had access to – the privilege of connecting with audiences across the world is something I’m extremely grateful for when selected for a festival/competition.

You have spoken about your frequent collaborator, and friend of Killer Shorts, Ethan Evans. What is the process like working alongside another writer? 

Working closely as co-writers in horror has really enriched Ethan and I’s work. Having someone with another perspective only adds more possibilities to the mix. Ethan has been a lifelong horror fan whereas I joined late to the party in my 20s, so our varied knowledge and different ideas really compliment each other. That said, like any relationship, creative partnerships can be hard at times because you have two unique creative brains coexisting in each other’s space – it’s really important to have trust in that person and respect what they bring to the table, even if it doesn’t end up in the final script.

Were you always interested in the horror genre? Do you plan on continuing in this genre as your career progresses?

I’ve always had a fascination with the dark/scary since I can remember but deemed myself ‘too scared to watch horror’ growing up due to my wild imagination. However, I’ve always favoured darker films like Coraline, Donnie Darko and Monster House. In my teens, I started to watch a few commercial horrors like Paranormal Activity and The Conjuring (totally terrified me) but it was only when I studied film production at Uni that I fully immersed myself in horror. Halloween has always been my favourite time of year, so I chose to produce a horror short in my final year set on Halloween– this meant that I needed to start watching and understanding the genre. After a crash course from Ethan (our first short film together and where we met), I’ve never looked back and absolutely love the diversity of horror. I plan to continue writing stories in horror (my first independently written feature is one) but also explore others alongside that; Spielberg/larger-than-life movies are what inspired me to get into film, so I’ve got loads of ideas swimming around including a dark musical feature.

Do you have any upcoming projects you’re excited about?

I’m currently working towards getting Terror Arcade’s first feature film off the ground which is an adaptation of one of our horror shorts. We’ve got amazing producers on board so I’m very excited to be surrounded by them. I’m also hugely motivated to find a female-identifying director for my first independently written feature, and once I’ve done a polish of the script, hopefully find a home for it and get it made.

What is your dream job?

I have so many, but a handful include a live-action Monster House or Coraline, or a large-scale movie musical. I also recently read Dracula and was ridiculously inspired to write a female-led version. Ethan and I regularly pitch each other new takes on existing IPs like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a dark Scooby-Doo, so it would be an absolute dream to add to an iconic franchise. Ultimately, to be paid to write something I’m passionate about is the dream.

Final Thoughts

We hope Jess’ story encourages you to submit to the Killer Shorts Contest. For Jess, contests are a great way to build your network and get your work seen. You never know what project might be the one that lands you representation. Jess hoped Outside Noise would get them in front of the right people and it certainly did as it landed her a manager with Zero Gravity Management. Dedication and seeing your project through could be just the ticket to getting your work in front of the right people.

You can also read about Jess in the Blog Post, Pride Month: 17 LGBTQIA+ Screenwriters To Watch in 2024

Jess Bartlett on Coverfly

Jess Bartlett on Instagram

Jess Bartlett on X

Jess Bartlett’s Website

Jess Bartlett on IMdB

Killer Shorts on Instagram

Killer Shorts on X

Killer Shorts Website