“I think producing your script will give you a wider understanding of the craft of screenwriting. If you know the next steps, and just how bloody difficult it is to make a movie, it helps inform your choices in how to present the story.”
David Bryant
As we approach the November 26th Final Deadline, Killer Shorts is excited to bring you this interview with a Killer Shorts Alum, David Bryant. David was a Season 1 Semifinalist with his script Cold Call and a Season 2 Quarterfinalist with the script Blood Month. Originally hailing from East London, David’s scripts are very much influenced by his surroundings. His move to the coast influenced his short film Between Worlds. David has had quite a bit of success taking his films from script to screen and we think his journey of obtaining a sales agent on his film Splinter will be of particular benefit to our finalists and all writers wondering the age-old question, “What do I do with my script now?”.
Motivated by the subjects that piss him off, David took inspiration from 90s thrillers to highlight today’s problem, toxic masculinity, in his Semifinalist script Cold Call. Cold Call is currently in the process of raising funds, an often daunting experience, but David has producer Adam Bouabda attached to the project. David worked with Adam on Splinter, his horror feature about a man with agoraphobia following the murder of his family. With David as the writer, director, and producer, Splinter is a great example to anyone thinking of shooting their scripts. David talks about how writing the script with the knowledge he would also be directing and producing the film affected how he approached it as a writer. David details obtaining a sales agent for Splinter, and the scary process of seeking distribution for a low-budget feature. David gives really great advice on the benefits of writers shooting their scripts and how doing that can inform the writing process. You don’t want to miss David’s insights into shooting in the horror genre. Check out the interview below with David Bryant.
David Bryant on Coverfly.
Conversations With David Bryant
Where did you grow up and where do you currently reside? Do your surroundings have an effect on your writing?
I am originally from Hackney, East London, and moved away to attend University in Wales but returned for some years before moving to the historic town of Hastings on England’s beautiful South Coast 12 years ago. Without doubt, my surroundings have played a major role in what I’m writing. When I was learning to write screenplays, they were very much based on my life in the city, using school friends as the basis of characters and often involving the sense of danger present within my local area, which was quite notorious while growing up. Since arriving in Hastings I have set several scripts here, a few with specific locations and have made four films in the town, including a sci-fi drama short I produced in the 2020 lockdown Between Worlds, shot entirely outdoors using natural light which used several stunning coastal locations. More than this I feel my screenplays are influenced by the more relaxed mood of living by the wide-open sea than the intense feeling of a crowded capital city.
Can you give a brief description of your Semifinalist short COLD CALL?
Cold Call is presented as a bit of a throwback to glossy 90’s thrillers where a sassy young woman is being stalked, but I wanted to bring in contemporary themes of toxic masculinity (which was always present but now openly called out) and a woman’s right to feel safe without male interference. There’s also a sting in the tale, but I won’t give that away.
What was your inspiration behind COLD CALL?
Most of my work is inspired by current affairs, often subjects that piss me off, and I find a way to present them within an entertaining genre narrative. Here it was stories of women feeling threatened, twinned with the Me Too movement. I wasn’t inspired by a specific case but the idea of stalking freaks me out, the fact that someone thinks they have a right to interfere in another person’s life is abominable. Then there are those bloody annoying fake cold calls from scammers that drive me insane. I guess I mashed them together and got Cold Call.
Request Cold Call on Coverfly.
You have a producer attached to this script, but can you talk about the process of obtaining a budget for your short COLD CALL? How are you planning on raising funds and do you have any advice for writers looking to start this process?
I was lucky enough to work with producer Adam Bouabda on post-production of my feature Splinter and I hoped to work with him on other projects. He saw what I was trying to do with the script and that it would play great at film festivals etc. Adam has a very similar philosophy to me in making a film in that you don’t write what you can’t shoot. So, Adam looked at the script, two characters, one mostly voice-over, one location- a house, a short schedule, and knew that we could get the film done on a very low budget. Now, the key to this is our contacts that we have built up over the years. We have an amazing crew from production and post who we love to work with and will make the film look and sound amazing. We will try to raise the small amount of cash budget from crowdfunding and sources we have, but the key is we are not looking for much money. Now, to answer your question my advice to writers is (if you are planning to produce the film) keep a reign on 1. The amount of characters- and write for actors you may know 2. A location you can realistically get- not a Space Shuttle 3. Look for other filmmakers in your area and network socially- you may meet a camera operator who knows a sound recordist etc etc. Of course, if you are not planning to produce the script go crazy- I’ve written psycho Christmas Elves, Werewolves on a space station… So much fun to write- which is also important- if you’re not enjoying it, why will anybody else?
Can you give a brief description of your feature SPLINTER?
Splinter is a single location psychological chiller with moments of horror that tells the tale of a man, trapped inside his home, suffering from agoraphobia, following the murder of his wife and son on Christmas Eve. We witness his mental collapse as he is haunted by his family and another presence in the house. Once again, I wanted to look at the issue of mental illness and being trapped in a prison, but present it within a genre narrative that would entertain but leave a lasting impression about the subject.
SPLINTER is with a sales agent and seeking distribution. What was the process like obtaining a sales agent?
Selling a low-budget feature is a scary thing. You are putting your work out there to be rejected, and more often than not it will be. We were offered deals by a few sales agents and here’s the thing- DUE DILIGENCE. It is flattering that someone wants to represent your film to buyers but that company may not be the best people to do so. I have been there in the past where you are offered the world but that quickly disappears once you sign on. We have been lucky enough to find a great sales agent who understands what we have made (a psychological chiller) and doesn’t want to sell it as something it is not (a gory horror). Though the distributor that buys it may very well do that- as many low-budget filmmakers will know.
Knowing you were the intended director of SPLINTER, did that impact how you approached writing the script? Did the experience directing help you learn more about your script, or vice versa?
The screenplay was totally impacted by the fact I was going to make the film myself. First off I set the film in my own home, so I could shoot without restrictions and knew the geography. I also added props and art direction that I already owned or could easily and cheaply access- such as Christmas decorations. The film was written for great actor Bill Fellows, who lived close by and who I wanted to work with. Other cast were also people I had worked with in the past and wanted to do so again. I know my directing style, so that also very much informed the script- even adding a bit of camera direction- which I would never usually do. The beauty of producing the film and writing it was that I could rewrite and change things- which I did. I learned what in the script wasn’t working but could juggle back and forth as writer and director- the arguments were awful, writers can be so touchy!
Does producing your scripts help you grow, and learn more about yourself, as a writer overall?
I’ve found producing and directing films helps you understand screenwriting so much more, especially writing dialogue. Working with actors you get to know how people talk. I’m always open to actors changing dialogue and bringing more to their role and I feel this has been incredibly useful when creating characters. When it comes to theme and narrative it has also helped me as a writer by being there on set and in the edit room, crafting the story three times. All of these have informed and improved my writing a huge amount.
Your 2021 Quarterfinalist script BLOOD MONTH was selected for the Hellifax Horror Fest. Is it validating to you, as a writer, to see your scripts place well in horror contests? How has placing in contests helped you move forward in your career as a writer?
It is just a great feeling to place in the competition. To know someone has loved your screenplay validates every day that you sit there tapping on the keyboard. Blood Month is one of my favourite scripts I have written, it was so much fun to write and shorts are just easier to execute than features. I’m so happy to see other people enjoy it and this feeling pushes you on, makes you want to write the next one- or in the case of Blood Month, write a feature version. On the flip side, you also get rejections- far more. You never get used to it and it’s deflating when your film doesn’t get selected for festivals or your screenplay doesn’t get through the first round (even though it may have been a finalist in another competition). It often puts me off writing for that day but you have to put that doubt in a drawer and battle on.
Request Blood Month on Coverfly.
You mentioned you’ve been busy creating Pitch Decks. How has this helped you with finding producers and getting your scripts noticed? Do you have any advice for writers in creating a successful pitch deck?
I really enjoy creating pitch decks. My versions are relatively short and I try to keep them visual using films that relate to my own, so create a mood board, which gives you the chance to scroll through Shotdeck or google images searching for those images that inspired you in mood and tone. I have started sending them out and have had a great response as they seem to get your pitch across in an easy-to-understand way. I have one producer who said my screenplay rose to the top of the pile after viewing the new pitch deck because it gave them a clear view of the story it was telling and the world it was set in. My advice would be to keep text minimal, but include the logline, synopsis, brief character descriptions for your leads (besides a still that captures the essence of the character), if location is a factor, show them and sell yourself of course.
What was the process like submitting to Killer Shorts? What advice might you give someone who is looking to submit their horror short scripts to a contest for the first time?
I love the whole idea of Killer Shorts. I enjoy writing shorts and horror is the perfect genre for short stories. It’s so wide open with a billion stories you could tell. Also entering doesn’t break the bank. I’ve always found Alison brilliantly encouraging and it’s good to know she is an exceptional writer herself, plus the judges are all people to respect. My advice here is to let your imagination run free. Don’t confine yourself and write a story that terrifies you whether it’s about aliens or your big toe talking to you, just tell the story you want to see that nobody else has made… but make sure you research proper formatting and learn the basics before hitting submit.
What advice might you give a finalist or horror short writer who is thinking of shooting their script?
I just say do it. The best way to learn about filmmaking is to make a film. There are others who have gone out there and raised very decent budgets and shot amazingly professional films (I’m looking at you Rickety Man) and there’s no reason you can’t do the same, but be realistic- Blood Month is set in a medieval village and would need a large cast and lots of practical FX, so is not something I would try to shoot low budget, whereas Cold Call is mostly one actor in a house, which can be just as terrifying. So go for it- unless it’s going to bankrupt you!
Were you always interested in the horror genre? Do you plan on continuing in this genre as your career progresses?
I discovered my love of horror in my teens through the films of John Carpenter (who inspired a generation) George Romero, Wes Craven, Sam Raimi, and so on. I nowadays love the brilliant work of Mike Flanagan. I’m not particularly a gore fan, I prefer atmosphere and psychological horror to being grossed out and that is generally what I write, though I also adore sci-fi horror such as Alien and The Thing and creature features. I write across genres, even have a Christmas comedy-drama feature, but I often return to my love of scaring people and have a western set horror and I’m co-writing a slasher next on my long list of things to do.
Check out David’s website Filo Films to follow his work.
What do you think is most beneficial, to a writer’s career, about also producing a short horror script?
I think producing your script will give you a wider understanding of the craft of screenwriting. If you know the next steps, and just how bloody difficult it is to make a movie, it helps inform your choices in how to present the story. The other big factor is working with cast which will give you a greater understanding of dialogue, what works and, more importantly, what doesn’t and how people interact and respond, both verbally and physically. I also think blocking scenes helps when writing scene descriptions so you can be clear and precise on where a character is at a given time. Overall I would say, even if a writer isn’t producing or directing, if their script is being made they should be around the shoot, watching the cast and crew work- but try not to interfere too much or step in with directing advice- it may end up as a horror story.
Final Thoughts
Killer Shorts thinks David’s approach to shooting his scripts is a great example to any finalists or horror writers who wonder the best way to get their scripts out there. David is currently in the low-budget funding stage of his Killer Shorts Semifinalist script Cold Call, a process he knew could be accomplished because of the simplicity of the script. He has the philosophy “don’t write what you can’t shoot” if you plan on shooting your script. David gives invaluable advice on how shooting a short horror script is beneficial to writers, as well as, the impact producing one’s script can inform the writing process. Splinter is a great example of the process to take a low-budget horror feature from script to screen. David answers the question “What now?” through the distribution phase of his film. We hope David Bryant’s experience inspires you to consider shooting your scripts, or if nothing else, answers some questions and helps you look at your horror short scripts with a new lens in time to submit to Season 3 of the Killer Shorts Contest.
Submit to Coverfly, FilmFreeway, or NetworkISA for just $30 by the November 26th Final Deadline!
Killer Shorts actively promotes diverse voices. If you are female-identifying, a Person of Color, a person with a disability, non-binary, or LGBTQ+ please email us at [email protected], or DM us on Twitter, for a discount code to submit your scripts.
David Bryant on Instagram.
David Bryant (Bryant Bros Films) on Twitter.
David Bryant on IMDb.
David Bryant on Coverfly.
Featured Image by Ieva Berzina.
