Dead Insight: Girls Gone Dead Creative Team Interview

The creative team behind the soon-to-be released film Girls Gone Dead, answer my questions on filmmaking, writing, marketing and all the other little things that go into making a feature film. Ryan Dee, Michael A. Hoffman and Meghan Jones Hoffman join us and share their insight on producing Girls Gone Dead. The following question and answer segment came from an email interview with the team. 

Joel: What gave you the idea for Girls Gone Dead?  What were your roles in writing and creating the work?

Michael: I had the concept for more than ten years. I’m a big horror movie junkie (especially stuff from the 80’s like Sorority House Massacre). When the reality gimmick came into play with stuff like Blair Witch, etc. I threw the idea down on paper. Over the years it’s gone through re-development, and at one time was optioned —but it landed back to me. I’m glad we had the opportunity to do it as a true feature and not a “camcorder gimmick film,” because I was always against that angle (aside from a few insert shots and jabs at the genre).

 Ryan:  Mike and I worked on another horror film, entitled Beware, and talked about wanting to produce something in the future.  An opportunity finally arose to work on a potential project. Mike and I were responsible for writing the treatment that we pitched to the eventual executive producers of the film. Originally, the story was supposed to be a sequel to one of Mike Hoffman's movies entitled, Spring Break Massacre. Through numerous meetings between Mike, myself, and the executive producers, it morphed into the inclusion of the Crazy Girls Unlimited (parody of Girls Gone Wild) segments forming, Girls Gone Dead.  I was mostly responsible for the spine and logistics (making sure there were minimal logic holes) within the story. Mike, and especially his wife Meghan, developed the characters and wrote the majority of the dialogue. We wanted the lead girls to speak believably like a group of best friends would. We agreed that their dialogue should be written from a female's perspective. Luckily screenwriter, Meghan Jones Hoffman, was willing to make time in her busy schedule to write the dialogue and transform our extended treatment into a working screenplay.  Mike produced, co-directed, and edited the film as well.  During principal photography, I was also the 1^st assistant camera, in charge of the camera department and pulling focus, as well as a camera operator.




The director of Girls Gone Dead, Michael A. Hoffman, on the set. Photo by Aaron Wells.

Joel: What makes GGD different than the other films horror fans have seen in the past?

Michael and Meghan: Well, this one is pretty crazy. We think many people will be expecting a cliché hack and slash fest. Hopefully, many will be pleasantly surprised. The clichés are definitely there, but more in a spoofing manner. We found it very difficult to write a self-aware parody without slipping into full-fledged camp or Airplane! mode if you will. So what we have here is essentially a movie that is a joke on itself (literally every line is from a cliché). But it’s up to the audience to pick up on the jokes as the movie is presented in a more serious package. Plus, there’s a lot of fun T&A (a lot).

Ryan:  I think we have some kill scenes that are original in regards to who it is that’s being killed or killing (I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll leave it at that).  I also believe that our killer’s weapon, a medieval war hammer, is unique.

Joel: What was the most difficult part of making Girls Gone Dead?

Michael:  The stop and start nature of the production and the fast preproduction times. We literally had very little prep time. Seeing how this project began as a micro-budget sequel to a film Meg and I had written years ago (Spring Break Massacre), when it made the transition to become Girls Gone Dead  it required a very fast re-write on key scenes and even less prep time (we found this out with less than two months until shooting). Meghan was great about working in the “Girls Gone Dead” elements into the script that already existed. Also, the weather caused a serious delay. We were filming in freezing conditions (in South Florida no less) for the first wave of the shoot. We had to cancel the climax and nighttime outdoor scenes until warmer weather. In the end, the weather was a saving grace as I had actual prep time to go into the next phase of shooting, and had the ability to create things like seating diagrams, some storyboards and full shot lists that fit our locations. Though due to the speedy nature of the shoots, I was rarely able to stick to those and had to improvise with our DP’s quite a bit. This break from shooting also granted us the ability to build and create the main centerpiece for the movie—the Wyld Willee’s bar location (which was an amazing feat in itself).

Ryan: The cold weather throughout our shooting schedule. It sucks not being able to predict the weather weeks in advance while developing the shooting schedule. We had an unforeseen cold front plague us in the first wave of shooting that forced us to schedule a later week in March, followed by pickups, to finish shooting the movie.  Asking girls to act in bikinis in 30 degree weather all evening was not going to fly.

 

Ryan Dee switches out the lens on a Panasonic AJ-HPX3700 on the set of Girls Gone Dead. Photo by Aaron Wells.

 Joel: What was the most exciting part of making the movie for each of you?

Ryan: Bringing in some great talents in cast and crew to make this movie.  Also, we set a goal to write, schedule, shoot, and edit an ambitious movie idea, and we succeeded.

Michael: Seeing it completed for the first time with the general public, and hearing the reactions (although I did squirm nervously in my seat throughout most of the premiere).

Meghan: Working with Jerry Lawler to enhance the script and when he agreed to come back for more screen time that we had initially thought. He was a very positive and creative influence and he really helped flesh out his character.



Jerry Lawler (left) with Ryan Dee (right) on the set of Girls Gone Dead. Photo by Aaron Wells.

Joel: I can imagine raising the capital for a feature film is a difficult task. It’s probably one of the biggest questions all indie filmmakers struggle to answer. First, how much did you raise? Second, how did you do it?

Ryan: Mike should take this one.

Michael: Honestly, I’m not sure how much we raised. It was pay as you go for the second half of production. I’ve been told the film (with post) is around half a million, which sounds accurate. I know post-production was costly as well—especially in the world of music licensing, color correction and audio mastering. We did license some huge artists and utilized the services of facilities like Technicolor and Postworks.

Girls Gone Dead was definitely not done the traditional way of creating a script, breaking it down, attaching key players and crew with letters of intent, followed by budgeting, etc. This literally was a “You have so much money for this—make it work” situation. Which was fine—because the fact I didn’t have to worry about contracts and moneys paid out after the first wave of shooting let me focus on my job as the director (which was almost impossible for the entire first shoot).

As for raising the money—it’s something I just fell into. I wasn’t looking for funds to be entirely honest. I work at Bongiovi Entertainment (a recording studio) and the executive producer was a friend of a friend. We started talking. I mentioned I directed three prior films, all of which had secured domestic and international distribution—and it was off and running.

Ryan Dee (top left) with Michael A. Hoffman (top right) on the set of Girls Gone Dead. Photo by Aaron Wells.

Joel: What advice do you give indie filmmakers trying to get started themselves?

Ryan: Don't agree to anything without knowing what it's ultimately going to cost when meeting with your executive producer(s). Write your scripts with attainable budgets and believable scheduled shooting days in mind. Try not to add bigger scenes/stunts/camera movement after an initial, broken-down, itemized line budget is composed and agreed upon between you and your investors. Mike and I learned a valuable lesson to budget much higher and spend more in the beginning of preproduction, as opposed to cutting corners wherever to save money. Otherwise it costs you more in reshoot needs once you're in principal photography and post. And do not create rushed deadlines for your team. Give yourself ample time in each stage of production (pre, principal, and post) to make the best possible product with the least amount of mistakes to correct later.

Michael: Don’t expect opportunities to come find you. Get something done. I shot my first film with $1200 out of pocket. Work on as many sets as a PA that you can find when getting started. I know I worked my first jobs for cult director Tim Ritter (Truth or Dare?) when I was about 14. Also, when you have some work to show, make sure you get a supportive team that understands your quirks. We all have our little personality traits (and disorders) and it’s important for those around you to work with and not against you.  That’s why starting with small projects in your area is important. It is on these shoots you can meet the people you’d like to work with in the future and those you don’t. Finally, make sure any project you tackle is something you’re interested in. To deliver a feature film to major distributors the proper way can take years of pre and post production. If you’re not totally into the project, this can become a monotonous thing. However, if you’re directing Sy Fi Network fare like Mega Fault vs Giant Earthquake, the above line doesn’t factor in. Those are quick pay checks that usually won’t have your heart into them. It’s important to decipher what’s a job and what’s worth being a labor of love.

 

Michael A. Hoffman (top right) on the set of Girls Gone Dead. Photo by Aaron Wells.

Joel: What advice can you share with aspiring screenwriters looking to get into the industry?

Meghan: Don’t give up.  Most scripts were turned down several times before finding their place. It can be frustrating to hear over and over again that your ideas won’t work or that they are not marketable. Take advice and opinions, use them to your advantage and edit as you go, but stay on track with your original idea as much as possible because if you try to please everyone you’ll only end up even more frustrated.  Be flexible, open to new ideas and observant to the things happening around you. As for actually getting a script sold or financed, that is tricky.  Marketing yourself and making connections is important while protecting your work at the same time. 

 

Michael A. Hoffman and Meghan Jones Hoffman at the Girls Gone Dead premier. Photo by Bluepoem Studios.

Joel: What are some of the resources you’ve come across that really helped you out?

Ryan:  Action/Cut Filmmaking, with Guy Magar, is a great three-part DVD resource.  Robert McKee’s Story, is very helpful for developing a screenplay.  The Reel Truth by Reed Martin, focuses on what you need to know about making an independent film.  Finally, coming from a camera department background, The Camera Assistant’s Manual, by David E. Elkins, SOC, is so helpful in explaining every aspect of what a camera assistant does, and how to do it as efficient as possible.

Michael: Honestly, working on multiple sets was the only way I got ahead. It was the connections I made that led to new connections. Departments I learned that lead to tackling new departments, that eventually landed me a card in the Los Angeles Editor’s guild. While I’ve read a lot of books on the subject, nothing can truly prepare you for making a feature or networking the right way.

Meghan: Instead of reading up on how to write, I try to incorporate every day conversations and observations into my work. I feel this helped tremendously with making characters feel real as opposed to manufactured. That said, when it comes to the technical aspects of writing, programs such as Final Draft help with the proper formatting. Also, it’s always good to download scripts from other writers to see how they handled putting tough action scenes down on paper

Ryan: I would like to “second” Mike’s answer here.  There is no greater experience than just being on set.  When you’re starting out, PA jobs sometimes can be great because on downtime, you have the ability to just listen and observe what is going on around you within the different departments, and see how they all collaborate to make the final product.  Pay close attention and you’ll learn something new and valuable every day of a production.

Joel: As independent filmmakers you share the trying task of promoting your work like other independent authors and artists. What do you feel is working for you?

Ryan:  We are quite fortunate to have distribution already for foreign (Archstone Distribution) and domestic (Entertainment One), which means they will be responsible for the majority of promoting the film to potential buyers/markets.  Though, interviews like this and social media networks, like Facebook and Twitter, are very helpful as well to post news about the film.

Michael:  For past films I’ve directed, I toured the film festival and horror convention circuit, and did many internet radio/written interviews. However, in the case of Girls Gone Dead  it was sold before it was completed. There’s really been no time to properly promote. We’re just getting started now (hence this interview). So when I come across a marketing strategy that’s a home run, I’ll be the first to let you know! For the time being, we’re just beginning to utilize the social networking element.

Joel: How did you assemble your team?

Michael:  Ryan Dee handled the majority of that for production. I worked mainly outside of Florida for the last five years, so I didn’t have many production contacts. I made a few on the film Beware (in which I worked with Ryan), like our sound mixer and my co-director, Aaron T. Wells, had made a documentary on the South Florida music scene and I shot a few interviews for him. There were a few others I brought in—one I had met in passing at a film festival in Wisconsin. The others were by Craigslist/Mandy/IMDB ads (always a crapshoot).

However, when it came to post production, I utilized the recourses I’d collected as an editor/Red DIT over the years. For instance, the music department where I work (Bongiovi Entertainment) handled the majority of scoring and sound mixing. Our colorist is a director of photography who I’ve worked with on the St. Louis Cardinal’s commercials for the last five years. Also, the animator—the amazing Benjamin Budzak—was one of the friends I made when I was getting my union card working on the fantastic horror flick Forget Me Not.

Since I come from an editorial background, the majority of my “hires” or additions to the team came from past work and in the post production phase.

Ryan: Mike and I wanted to flex some of the talented professionals within the South and Central Florida area in the production industry, namely cast and crew.  We worked with Brad Davis of Marquee Entertainment for casting needs and hired fellow production colleagues and friends for crew.  The Palm Beach County Film Commission was also very helpful in permitting for some of our beautiful South Florida locations.  And luckily for us, Bongiovi Entertainment facilitated almost all of our Post Production needs.

Joel: Enough with the interview, tell us about the movie. Give us a quick synopsis. When will it be available? Where can we get a copy?

Michael: Hmm. There’s no quick way to quickly summarize the plot and make it semi-coherent.  How about this?

The story follows six hot cheerleaders in a comedic fish-out-of-water scenario, there’s tons of gore, tons of boobs, a killer with a medieval war hammer, at least two totally unexpected death scenes (that I’m sure many will be talking about for some time to come),  and tons of celebrity cameos, such as: Jerry “The King” Lawler, Beetlejuice and Sal “The Stockbroker” Governale from Howard Stern, Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden, scream queen Linnea Quigley, B movie icon Joel D. Wynkoop, Al Sapienza from Prison Break and the Sopranos, Ron Jeremy, Shawn C. Phillips, Janessa Brazil and so many more. Not to mention our leading ladies are all breaking out into mainstream stars! Brandy Whitford can currently be seen in Beware (which plays regularly via Showtime and The Movie Channel), Katie Peterson will be in the upcoming Step Up Revolution and The Collection, Caley Hayes last role was a large supporting turn in hit comedy Sex Drive, Ryan Keely (Penthouse Pet of the year runner up) just starred as herself on the MTV movie awards and in a short with M. Night Shyamalan, Shea Stewart turns in a breakout, star-making performance, and Krystyna Ahlers will soon be in Altered Reality with Rachele Brooke Smith.

There’s also a shitload of unexpected laughs. I promise. And if our supporting cast seems more of a gimmick than actual performers, wait until you see the film. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how we worked it all in.

Meghan: This is a hard movie to describe and an even harder movie to categorize since it’s really two movies in one.  You have the main story with high school friends reuniting for a couple of days over spring break and being knocked off in various and sometimes bizarre ways. Then you have the “Crazy Girls Unlimited” aspect where a mansion full of beautiful people are terrorized by a deranged lunatic. Both stories interconnect and are host to a slew of celebrity cameos in pretty funny situations.  I guess I can only describe Girls Gone Dead with one phrase—stupid fun.  There are plenty of attractive people (many of whom are topless), gory death scenes and enough tongue-in-cheek dialogue to keep people wondering where the hell it’s all leading to.

Ryan:  It’s a think-piece, pinning present day pop culture ideals and influences with anti-sacred, immoral behavior to the brink of … No, sorry … it’s a fun teen comedy/horror film with lots of boobs and gore.  What more do you need?



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