Jennifer Nicole Stang, her Blackwood Falls movie
Here we go with another interview on Horror Galore
I am really honored to have the chance to interview a fantastic woman today… Jennifer Nicole Stang, she is preparing her first feature film as a director and of course it’s gonna be an horror movie. But she is not a beginner at all, in facts:
Q: Jennifer, i am just reading your biography, i realize you are a film director, film producer, music producer, dancer, actor, and a beautiful woman… what else? my question is: are you HUMAN?
Haha that’s very kind of you. Many of the departments of film fascinate me, and it’s been fun to dive in and find out how each department functions. As for being human, sometimes I’m not so sure. Haha. I tend to feel different than those around me, but then again, I think most people feel that way. Whether I’m human or an alien, I’m enjoying the experience.
Q: Watching one of your former productions, something reminded me a few scenes by Bergman cult movies… do you like cult movies and cinema d’essai?
Thank you! I take that as a huge compliment. I love films that experiment and push the envelope in how we see art or how we look at culture and the world. So yes, I like any films that explore a different way of looking at humanity. I find surrealist films to be particularly interesting.
Q: So "Blackwood Falls” is gonna be your next production. It is a psychological horror that explores the world of the paranormal. do you wanna tell us something more about the movie? our audience is really curious: what’s the movie about? when is gonna be ready?
The movie is about a young woman named Clare, whose mother has died suddenly in a mental institution. She ventures out to Blackwood Falls for her Mother’s funeral, and meets a side of the family she never met before. She discovers that her father’s killer is on the loose and that there’s something not quite right about the town. Something haunts the place, and Clare has to find out to save herself… As for when the movie is going to be ready, we don’t know! We are in very early stages of pre-production and we have been having readings of the script with some great actors, making changes, fleshing out some scenes, and pretty soon we’ll be jumping into storyboarding, and in some months we plan to have a Kickstarter campaign. I expect it will be ready sometime next year.
Q: We usually ask about our guest's personal life story. Want to tell us how you grew up?
I grew up travelling all over the place. I was born in Argentina, grew up in the UK, Canada, lived in the U.S. and Spain. I did a lot of extracurricular activities as a kid. I studied ballet, classical piano, and for a time did pre-Olympic gymnastics and figure skating. My parents were great about introducing me and my brother to music and movies from all over the world, which I’m really grateful for. I went to study at the National Ballet School in Toronto before I started to get into songwriting and acting. I had all sorts of interests, and liked to write as well.
Q: I saw you’ve been working at many kind of productions, what brought you to horror genre? Please tell us your connection with horror and horror movies during your life and your youth
Watching Vincent Price films inspired me to write my first horror short, The Devil’s Snare, so it was a pretty natural way to get into the horror genre. I discovered that I could play with a lot of images, and camera angles, and found that really exciting. That’s why I’m diving into the land of horror features, because I feel like it’ll give me an opportunity to push myself into finding interesting visual ways to tell a story. Not to mention that I’m really excited about this script! Horror movies were films I wasn’t really allowed to see when I was young, so when I got to watch them at friends’ houses, it was really exciting. Later my mum introduced me to Alfred Hitchcock, and I love the suspense and mystery that horror films bring.
Q: I found some of your footage was shot in RED digital format, what’s your opinion about the contemporary way of filming? digital? old school film format?
You know, I’ve only ever shot on a digital format. I still like the look of film, and I feel like digital cameras are improving all the times, getting closer tot he qualities of film that we all love. We can’t say if digital will ever match the look of film, but it is an exciting new way to shoot, and for us indie filmmakers, a cheaper and easier experience getting the film prepared for post production. I love using RED cameras, but I’d also love to shoot on real film one day.
Q: Certainly our users want to know about your horror tastes… what’s your favorite horror movie and, if possible, your favorite director?
I have a lot of favourite horror movies… Hard to chose! I think a few would be The Shining, El Orfanato (The Orphanage), The Ring, and pretty much all Vincent Prince movies, especially the Tales of Terror compilation. And as for favourite directors, I like the work of Peter Jackson, M. Night Shyamalan, Alfred Hitchcock, William Wyler, and Quentin Tarantino to name a few.
Q: As i mentioned at the beginning of the interview you look very beautiful, many people think that working in cinema it’s easier for a pretty girl, what do you say to those people? what do you think about women working in movies in general? do you have a favorite female director?
As for actresses, it all comes down, in my opinion to talent. I think having a pretty face can get you to do some roles, but it won’t make your career. When I cast I look for talent, and appreciate strong personalities. As for myself, it has been more difficult proving myself as a director because people look at me and they don’t see one. I don’t act like one, I don’t dress like one. But I refuse to change that, and don’t really mind what people’s opinions are about it. If they like my work, great, if not, that’s fine too. I’m not going to change my appearance or my projects either way. Women have said that they are not getting paid as fairly as men in the industry, so if that is true, I believe that needs to change. As for favourite female directors, to clarify, I like directors based on their work, whether they’re male or female. I do like Catherine Breillat’s work very much, as well as Mira Nair.
Q: Did you ever act yourself inside a movie? you will be interested to do it in the future?
I have acted in a number of films and other projects, and I am actually preparing for a role in a web series, which will be fun. So yes, I will of course act in the future, but my main focus will always be writing and directing.
Q: You’ve founded a production company with your brother, Heart Anchor Productions, how did you have the idea to make it with your brother? Is it always been a family project since you were kids?
Actually, my brother and I were planning to start auditioning here in LA, and decided we needed some footage for our reel, and what better way to get some on camera experience and get into the union than a project you do yourself! We founded the company, and then soon after I realized that I actually enjoyed being behind the camera. So it was a natural progression from acting to producing and then directing.
Q: Share a dream with us. about your work or anything else.
I dream that everyone finds their bliss and their purpose in life. It took me a long time to find mine, and I found it to be torture until I did. As for my dreams going forward, I wish to make movies that provoke feeling or thought, and strive to create projects that push me to improve myself as an artist and as a person.
MANY THANKS to Jennifer for this interview
here you can check a few links about her work:
