Thomas Smith is quickly making a name for himself as an ambitious filmmaker who is not only a talented director, but a gifted writer. His screenplay, Till Death, was a finalist in the 2007 Birmingham Film Festival Sidewrite Competition. In 2008, his zero-budget short, Shadows, placed second in the first round of the Master of the Macabre competition, and throughout 2009, the short films The Strange Experiment of Doctor Purefoy and The Night Shift screened at several festivals across the country. Inspired by the amount of positive feedback and support The Night Shift received and a general disillusionment with Hollywood’s current output of remakes and reboots, Thomas decided to expand the concept into a feature film. He believes the feature delivers everything audiences loved about the short, while adding more adventure, more laughs, and a greater exploration of the world Rue Morgan inhabits.
What was the first horror film you created?
It was a no-budget slasher called Camp Hill, sort of an homage to 80s slashers minus the abundance of gore. It wasn't the best, but it was fun. Just a few friends running around the woods being chased by a guy with a plastic machete and some kayro syrup. It wasn't meant to be great but served as a filmmaking exercise.
What led you to create your first film in the horror genre?
I just really enjoy horror films and the sub-genres it contains, specifically horror comedies. They're fun to make, you can slink by on a lower budget and there's a large audience for them.
Tell me more about The Night Shift.
The Night Shift started as a 23-minute short film I made in 2009. I wanted to make a sort of Indiana Jones adventure fantasy with horror elements. The film is about an undead cemetery caretaker and his skeleton friend Herbie. They're tasked with patroling the cemetery, which is sort of a rest home for the undead, and keeping everyone in check.
Where was the movie filmed at?
The film was shot in Mobile, Alabama.
As an original short film, did The Night Shift receive any awards?
It didn't receive any awards, but was invited to screen at many festivals across the nation in 2010.
The film definitely features comedic elements. Which films influenced you the most when writing and directing this film?
I would say there's a little Army of Darkness, some Indiana Jones, Gremlins, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and an amalgamation of the classic Universal and Hammer films.
What reasons led to your decision to remake The Night Shift (as a short film) into a feature film?
The short was very well received and Fangoria gave it a nice online review, which was totally unexpected. I had more stories to tell in that universe and decided that, combined with the good feedback, expanding the story into a feature would be a step in the right direction.
You don't see too many full-length films in the independent horror industry. I find it interesting that you went to extreme opposites by turning The Night Shift into a two hour film. How did the decision come about during the editing process to make this such a long film?
It began with the script. I had a lot of story points I wanted to get in and I wanted to explore the characters to give the audience people they could care about and relate to, while delivering some fun action/adventure moments. The script clocked in at around 110 pages, which would put it at just over the hour and a half mark, but action scenes always add to the running time. We have a 123 minute film, which is a little longer than typical horror films. However, I can't recall the last time I watched a big Hollywood film that wasn't over two hours. When it came down to it, the story didn't have much that it could lose since pretty much everything that happens in the film is either set up for the story or relevant to the story and characters.
Are you currently working on any new horror films?
I have a few ideas. I'm waiting to see how things turn out with The Night Shift before I tackle anything else. I'd like to do a follow-up story to The Night Shift that would take the story and characters into a whole different direction and put them in a new setting. I'm also wrestling with an idea for a creature feature and a comedic ghost story.
What is the best horror film of all time?
That's a tough one because of horror's many sub-genres. I'm torn between Halloween and the original Dawn of the Dead. Halloween is an immensely watchable film that just draws me in, even if I'm just flipping through the TV channels. Dawn is great on so many levels and it solidified the zombie genre and its rules.
Which horror character scared the hell out of you as a child?
Jason. There are a lot of wooded areas in Mobile, AL and they even filmed one of the later films in the area, so I had cause for alarm. Baghead Jason from Part 2 with that one eye hole was the most frightening.
What has been the biggest moment of your filmmaking career thus far?
Finishing my first feature. But, I have to say that all of the positive reviews we've received for The Night Shift thus far has provided a great sense of validation.
What advice can you give to beginning filmmakers reading this interview?
Just practice. Make anything you want, it doesn't have to be perfect. Every project you do is a learning experience and, even if the film doesn't turn out, you can always take something away from it.
Thomas, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. I wish you the best of luck with your film and your future as a filmmaker.
It was a no-budget slasher called Camp Hill, sort of an homage to 80s slashers minus the abundance of gore. It wasn't the best, but it was fun. Just a few friends running around the woods being chased by a guy with a plastic machete and some kayro syrup. It wasn't meant to be great but served as a filmmaking exercise.
What led you to create your first film in the horror genre?
I just really enjoy horror films and the sub-genres it contains, specifically horror comedies. They're fun to make, you can slink by on a lower budget and there's a large audience for them.
Tell me more about The Night Shift.
The Night Shift started as a 23-minute short film I made in 2009. I wanted to make a sort of Indiana Jones adventure fantasy with horror elements. The film is about an undead cemetery caretaker and his skeleton friend Herbie. They're tasked with patroling the cemetery, which is sort of a rest home for the undead, and keeping everyone in check.
Where was the movie filmed at?
The film was shot in Mobile, Alabama.
As an original short film, did The Night Shift receive any awards?
It didn't receive any awards, but was invited to screen at many festivals across the nation in 2010.
The film definitely features comedic elements. Which films influenced you the most when writing and directing this film?
I would say there's a little Army of Darkness, some Indiana Jones, Gremlins, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and an amalgamation of the classic Universal and Hammer films.
What reasons led to your decision to remake The Night Shift (as a short film) into a feature film?
The short was very well received and Fangoria gave it a nice online review, which was totally unexpected. I had more stories to tell in that universe and decided that, combined with the good feedback, expanding the story into a feature would be a step in the right direction.
You don't see too many full-length films in the independent horror industry. I find it interesting that you went to extreme opposites by turning The Night Shift into a two hour film. How did the decision come about during the editing process to make this such a long film?
It began with the script. I had a lot of story points I wanted to get in and I wanted to explore the characters to give the audience people they could care about and relate to, while delivering some fun action/adventure moments. The script clocked in at around 110 pages, which would put it at just over the hour and a half mark, but action scenes always add to the running time. We have a 123 minute film, which is a little longer than typical horror films. However, I can't recall the last time I watched a big Hollywood film that wasn't over two hours. When it came down to it, the story didn't have much that it could lose since pretty much everything that happens in the film is either set up for the story or relevant to the story and characters.
Are you currently working on any new horror films?
I have a few ideas. I'm waiting to see how things turn out with The Night Shift before I tackle anything else. I'd like to do a follow-up story to The Night Shift that would take the story and characters into a whole different direction and put them in a new setting. I'm also wrestling with an idea for a creature feature and a comedic ghost story.
What is the best horror film of all time?
That's a tough one because of horror's many sub-genres. I'm torn between Halloween and the original Dawn of the Dead. Halloween is an immensely watchable film that just draws me in, even if I'm just flipping through the TV channels. Dawn is great on so many levels and it solidified the zombie genre and its rules.
Which horror character scared the hell out of you as a child?
Jason. There are a lot of wooded areas in Mobile, AL and they even filmed one of the later films in the area, so I had cause for alarm. Baghead Jason from Part 2 with that one eye hole was the most frightening.
What has been the biggest moment of your filmmaking career thus far?
Finishing my first feature. But, I have to say that all of the positive reviews we've received for The Night Shift thus far has provided a great sense of validation.
What advice can you give to beginning filmmakers reading this interview?
Just practice. Make anything you want, it doesn't have to be perfect. Every project you do is a learning experience and, even if the film doesn't turn out, you can always take something away from it.
Thomas, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. I wish you the best of luck with your film and your future as a filmmaker.
