TED
GEOGHEGAN

Ted Geoghegan has been a fixture on the independent horror scene with some cult favorites amongst the extreme horror and science fiction crowd. A lifelong horror fan, Geoghegan shows no apologies for his latest script SWEATSHOP, an homage to the early 1980s slasher film. Geoghegan has penned other cult hits as NIKOS THE IMPALER, DEMONIUM, and BARRICADE. He began his career by writing a graphic novel.

The Montana native turned New Yorker, at just the age of 29, has amassed over a decade of experience as a writer and producer, and shows no signs of slowing down. Under the tutelage of the late Carroll O'Connor, Geoghegan's scripts are brutal, straightforward, but extremely fun.

To promote SWEATSHOP, which recently had its preview screening in New York, Geoghegan answered questions via e-mail to discuss his career to date, his collaborations with Joe Zaso and Raine Brown, the future of SWEATSHOP (and it's comic book tie-in), and many more in this Crypt exclusive.

                                                                                                                                    

COLONEL’S CRYPT: What inspired you to become a writer and producer?

TED GEOGHEGAN: I love to write and I love movies. My passions collided and the result was a screenwriting career. As for the producing bit, I kind of just fell into it. I wanted a bit more control over what people were doing to my screenplays, and I wasn't tough enough to pull off directing a feature, so I figured I'd try my hand at producing. I like it very much, and hope to find myself doing a lot more of it in the years to come.

CC: What were some of the horror films that inspired you?

TG: I grew up watching slasher films, which really helped mold me into the filmmaker I am today. I love the way those films have fun with their audiences and never take themselves too seriously. I adore the FRIDAY THE 13TH series (even Part 5), HELL NIGHT, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, and their ilk.

CC: You started in the industry as a screenwriter under the tutelage of Carroll O’Connor. What is it about the writing process that you enjoy so much?

TG: I've always been a writer. I'm not that great at expressing myself while speaking, but as soon as I can put it down on the page, its 100 times more eloquent. I think that's what I like so much about it. It gives me the opportunity to speak my mind while simultaneously being able to go back over my words and give myself a grammar correction now and again... I'm much smarter when I'm on the page.

CC: Being you’ve produced films that you’ve written, why haven’t you made the jump to directing?

TG: I directed a short film in 2004. It was fun, but I liked the producing side of it much more than directing. I'm not tough enough to push the best performances out of people. Anyone who knows is aware of just what a pushover I am, and I just can't bring myself to be the tough guy. Producing, however, is a nice way for me to express my opinions and desires about the direction of a film without being the bad guy. I usually make it a point to produce films by directors that I admire and know I can get along with. So far, it has always been a very good experience.

CC: You created a graphic novel at the age of 18 called THE ISLE OF INSAW. What was the process in creating this and what is it about?

TG: A friend of mine was in the process of creating a comic, but needed a writer to pull it all together. I offered my services and we put together a very fun, single issue fantasy story. I originally wanted something kind of Conan-esque with lots of blood and nudity, but given that the artist was a Mormon, it eventually turned into a story about a fairy in search of her lost brother. Seriously. The writing was decent and the art was great, but its not exactly what I'd call a typical Ted story.

CC: Have you thought about turning THE ISLE OF INSAW into a feature film?

TG: Good god no.

CC: You’ve worked overseas on several projects and have collaborated with Timo Rose. Explain the differences between shooting a film in America and shooting a film in Europe .

TG: A lot. There are very few limitations while shooting in Europe, and the crews over there are actually a lot more willing to pull all-nighters or shoot for 24 hours straight. Not to say that American productions don't give it their all, but there's some strange ability in Europeans that allows them to shoot until 7AM, sleep for 30 minutes, and somehow have the ability to keep going until the same time the next day. Language barriers can be difficult, but we always find ways around them. When it comes down it, we're all just genre geeks, love what we do, and aim toward the same goal.

CC: Your latest film SWEATSHOP, in addition to being released soon, will also be released in graphic novel form, which is a trend some filmmakers are going with to get their stories out. Why did you decide to make a graphic novel version of the film and why do you think this process is popular amongst filmmakers?

TG: It is not actually a graphic novel of the film, but a short tie-in comic. It shows what happens to one of the film's characters after he disappears from the movie, and the results are pretty gruesome. It gave us a chance to play around in a new medium, create a new story, and work in a medium that seems to be gaining more and more respect every day. I wrote the story with Stacy Davidson and we hired Thomas Mason (of Freddy vs Jason vs Ash) to illustrate. It looks amazing. I think more filmmakers are taking this route because it gives them the opportunity to create certain setpieces that are more difficult (or even impossible) to create on film, all the while adding to their overall cinematic vision.

CC: Your scripts and films thus far are extremely violent and have some very intense moments within them. There would be some who feel that extreme violence and gore detracts from the story being told. From the screenwriter’s point of view, what would you say to counteract that argument?

TG: I love horror movies. They are a very visceral experience and rely heavily on violence to elicit the scares needed to make them work. If I was making a comedy, it would be packed full of jokes. if I'm making a horror movies, its going to be packed full of blood. I suppose that one day I could see myself writing a horror film with less of the red stuff, but having grown up on slashers, its what I like - and it gets the reaction I enjoy out of my audience.

CC: How did the idea for SWEATSHOP come about?

TG: I walked into a Hot Topic one day and said, "Wow. Everyone in here looks really embarrassing, but they're all so hot! I've got to make a movie about them!" I teamed up with Houston director Stacy Davidson, who knows a lot of kids in the  industrial music scene, and he brought it all together. 

CC: Two actors in particular that you have worked with as a screenwriter and a producer are Joe Zaso and Raine Brown. How did you meet both and does it get easier during the filming process as you work on more projects with them?

TG: I met Joe on a message board back in 2000, and I ended up getting him a role in an Italian film I had written called DEMONIUM. We became fast friends while on-set in Rome and have always found our way into each other's projects since then. A year later, I met Raine through my friend Dante Tomaselli and we immediately hit it off. We wanted to work together for quite a while, and when I was casting Barricade in '06, I got Joe and Raine involved. Now we're just one big, incestuous family. In the East Coast horror scene, everyone works with everyone. Its fantatsic.

CC: SWEATSHOP was shot on High Definition. Being you’ve shot with film and on High Definition, what’s your opinion on this digital boom of film equipment?

TG: It’s the future of filmmaking. As soon as I saw what the dalies looked like on Sweatshop, I was sold. It looks just like film, and the image is truly striking - no matter how many times I see it. Just be sure that if you're gonna go digital, you go all-out. There are a lot of shitty cameras out there that claim to have a film look and they end up looking like trash. Ask around, talk to other filmmakers, and see what the buzz is surrounding. I couldn't happier with the equipment we used on SWEATSHOP... and I can't wait to see what the movie looks like on Blu-Ray!

CC: You have shot your films on relatively low budgets yet have a much bigger look and feel to them. What approach do you go through in each project?

TG: A great crew really helps, and I think a lot of Sweatshop's polished look came from the amazing lighting scheme. Its all of those things that people tend to overlook that really make a film come together. If you're going to shoot in someone's living room, don't just turn on the light switch and start filming. It won't matter what camera you've got, it'll look like crap. Take the time to see how others pull off a good shot - and then make it work for yourself.

CC: What would you say are the most important keys to independent filmmaking?

TG: Don't get a big head. If you think you're the next Orson Welles, don't tell everyone. Let your work speak for itself, and don't let your offscreen persona become the focal point of your career. Also - and I can't stress this enough - learn how to properly use social networking sites. They're an amazing help, but don't be one of those people who posts a reply to literally everything a person writes. It’s very easy to go from "That person I know on Facebook" to "That person who won't leave me alone on Facebook."

CC: When should we expect to see SWEATSHOP?

TG: We're hoping to premiere the film this Summer and start shopping it around to distributors soon after. I think it would be safe to expect it on DVD sometime in 2010.

CC: Where do you see filmmaking and in particular the horror genre going within the next five years?

TG: I hope that it strays away from remakes, but as long as horror is still making money at the box office and people are watching it, I'm happy. The genre is in good shape these days and has become a viable moneymaking machine again, even if a lot of its originality has flown the coop. I'd like to see more quality indie films and less of these "$500 backyard slashers" that have given direct-to-DVD films a bad name.

CC: You are a film professor teaching “Horror 101” to a class of students and you have five films to show your class. Which five films would they be and why?

TG: PSYCHO, because... well, its absolutely required viewing for any horror fan. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, because its one of the most perfect blends of social commentary and horror ever captured on film. BLACK CHRISTMAS, because its the first true slasher film in my eyes - and a brilliant, scary flick to boot! DEMONS, because its my favorite horror film, and a perfect example of absurdist cinema that somehow completely works. DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE, because its beautiful.

CC: What is coming up next for you?

TG: I'm working on selling a fantasy novel that I wrote a few years ago, but as far as films go... I've got a few ideas cooking. There's a Japanese dream project that I'm pitching and a post-apocalyptic race war with monsters that I'm dying to do. Hopefully one of them marches toward reality within the next year.

CC: Thank you very much for allowing the time for the interview.

TG: You're most welcome. Thank you for taking the time to interview me, Scott. It was a lot of fun.