This week’s FilmQuest short film is a horror comedy parody film trailer titled F*cking Ghosts, about a family that buys a new home that is haunted by horny ghosts.
The film comes from writer and director Jason Cook and I included an interview with him that you can read below.
This short film is shared in collaboration with the FilmQuest Film Festival, where we are looking to expose some of the radical indie genre films and shorts that filmmakers are creating.
Without spoilers, tell us what your film is about, its characters, and its themes. Is it a proof of concept, or a standalone story?
Fucking Ghosts is a parody trailer of a fake horror film about a family that buys a new home that’s haunted by horny ghosts.
What was the inspiration for your film? How did you come up with the idea?
I was thinking about truly terrifying ghost films like Paranormal Activity, and thought about lowering the stakes quite a bit. Like what would happen if the ghosts were just really horny? What would that look like? I set out to find some answers.
Tell us about yourself. What is your background? How long have you been a filmmaker?
I’m a seasoned commercial director and creative director in the advertising space. My love of comedy and filmmaking led me to partner with a comedy group called Superfunny, of which this film was produced for.
What inspires you to work within genre cinema and tell these kind of stories?
I thought the idea of a super broad comedy interpretation of horror film tropes would be really funny.
What was your favorite part of the filmmaking process for this project?
Collaboration! All of the improv we did was so fun. Yelling cut and the room exploding in laughter.
What are you most proud of with this film?
I love that this stupid (yet funny) idea resonated so much with so many people. Also just trusting my gut was so validating.
What is a favorite story or moment from the making of the film you’d like to share?
I was the on set ghost voice for the actor cues, and ended up doing ADR for the film.
What was your most challenging moment or experience you had while making your film?
Working with a small crew has it’s challenges but they worked magic. We made our days and delivered on the promise.
If it did, how did your film change or differ from its original concept during pre-production, production, and/or post-production? How has this changed how you’ll approach future projects as a result?
Editing the film myself was a big learning curve. It changed countless times in the edit and I definitely lost some amazing and hilarious scenes because they were messing up the pace.
Who were some of your collaborators and actors on the film? How did you start working with each other?
Ben Morrison, Natalie Lynch, Piotr Michael. Ben is a long time collaborator of mine. Piotr and Ben and I did a film together called “Stuck in Jeff” about a stand up comic that gets stuck in him impression of Jeff Goldblum. Natalie, came in at the very last minute and was such a pro. She’s the best!
What is the best advice you’ve ever received as a filmmaker and what would you like to say to new filmmakers?
Trust your gut, and trust the process.
What are your plans for your career and what do you hope this film does for it? What kind of stories would you like to tell moving forward?
I am writing a feature length version of Ghosts, and I am developing a few other things as well.
Where can we find more of your work and where can interested parties contact you? Do you have a website or YouTube/Vimeo channel? Social media handles?
cookerama.com
Bonus Question #1: What is your all-time favorite film?
By views alone, it’s got to be Point Break.
Bonus Question #2: What is the film that most inspired you to become a filmmaker and/or had the most influence on your work?
2001 was kind of a surreal experience for me. I remember marveling at the production design, and cinematography, and the way the film is laid and edited was so inspirational. It was the first time I noticed these things at a younger age, and it was my first itch at becoming a storyteller in my own right.
Check out the short film and the trailer below. If you can’t watch the short in the player below, click here.
