A novelist-turned-screenwriter, Susie Moloney is quickly amassing a solid career in the field working on a variety of projects with the prospect to come as she carries on her career. Now, in honor of the release of her first film Bright Hill Road, I talk with her about her process for writing, the collaborations with director Robert Cuffley and writing the film itself.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, how did you get into movie-making in general?
Susie Moloney: I started off as a novelist--I have five books--but I had always been a tv and movie girl. When one of my novels was optioned for film, I negotiated to write the first draft. I wanted to learn. That's actually how I met Robert Cuffley, he'd been attached as director and was hired to write the second draft--wisely. He generously allowed me "look over his shoulder," while he laid out the draft and we've been working together on and off ever since! Now here we are, we've made an award-winning short together (Romi), and BRIGHT HILL ROAD drops on VOD Jan 12!
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
SM: My whole FAMILY was into horror! One of my early memories is of my mom waking up my brother and I to watch a horror movie with her because she was too scared to keep watching alone. Bad parenting, GREAT mom.
Me: When did you first discover your passion for writing? Were you always into writing growing up?
SM: I always wrote. As soon as I could spell. I loved that I could control these tiny worlds inside my head, and that I could make words do whatever I wanted them to do. One of my very first stories, by the way, was a horror story about an old woman with a fabulous garden who was chopped up and buried for her money. Wouldn't you know it ... she grew back. It was called "The Green Thumb."
Me: When writing a new project, what's the one fall-back tactic that you're always able to draw inspiration from?
SM: No matter what I'm writing, prose or script, I start with an image. The image is an important part of my process and I generally wait until I have it. If I'm writing prose it generally comes with a first line, but of course, that's not necessary with film, I can just write the image.
Me: Is there any specific type of character you prefer writing? What is the process like when you start in on a new story?
SM: I think everyone likes to identify with the protagonist of whatever they're watching, even when it isn't horror. And I think everyone is flawed. So my goal is always to write a flawed character that people can identify with. I think I can say that every story I've told has started with an understanding of the character in the story. Once I have that character in my head, and understand the premise of the story, I start finding the path.
Me: Is there any specific type of genre you prefer writing? Is there any style or format you find easier to get into even without a preference?
SM: Oh I'm ride or die for horror. I do write other things, but I always come back to horror. It's what I like to watch, and creepy--what I like to think about ha ha.
Me: So, that brings us to your new film 'Bright Hill Road.' How did you approach the story with this one?
SM: The character of Marcy was right there in my head. She's just the sort I like to write about, a deeply troubled young woman who was at the mercy of her own bad and reckless behavior. I added in the concept of what happens after a traumatic event, and how does the reckless and damaged person deal with it? Throw in a lot of death and blood ... and you have Bright Hill Road.
There was a super fast deadline on Bright Hill Road, so I didn't have a lot of time to change my mind or rethink the premise or the situation. I had to get the story down.
Me: Was there anything while writing the characters that you were surprised by in telling the story?
SM: Once you start telling the story and the character become flesh, they always surprise you. That's nothing though, compared to the surprise you get--the pleasant surprise, that is--when an actor takes your words from off the page and makes the character truly human. I have to shout to Siobhan Williams, who played Marcy. She was incredible. Agam Darshi and Michael Eklund round out the cast and I have to say I was so incredibly impressed by these performances. Serious chops.
Me: Having worked with director Robert Cuffley before on the short "Romi," did that allow an easier time during the writing process knowing his style and approach?
SM: Robert Cuffley and I are old friends, and much of our bonding has been around our mutual love of horror. When we started seriously working together, we almost developed a kind of shorthand for what we saw in a scene. We have very similar tastes and so it's like working with a taller and more mop-headed me.
Me: Coming from writing TV shows and shorts, was it a challenge working on a feature-length project?
SM: I am lucky enough that I have experience writing longform--I was a novelist. Lemme tell you, writing for the movies is a different story from writing a novel--where you have all the geography in the world to tell the story.
But a feature is always a challenge because you have to carefully build the story, not giving away too much, and making it all fit logically within the confines of your movie world. And you have to do that within 90 or so pages.
Me: With the small cast required for the film, did that help or hinder the process of writing for everyone?
SM: I always say that parameters help creativity. If there are no boundaries, if the sky is the limit, then you are spending all of your time making choices. It's like flipping through a catalogue, or going on Tindr. Too many options. Give me boundaries and I'll tell a focused story. I think they help.
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!
SM: The next project will also be with Colin Sheldon of Nevermine Films, who produced Bright Hill Road. Robert Cuffley will be directing, and I'm writing. It is the full-length version of our tech-horror short, Romi. We're super excited. Romi was a character that we all agreed, deserved more time. I'm also writing a new novel, but the focus is on getting Romi shot--this spring. I'm also writing my first horror-comedy, based on a story from Cuffley. It's going to be a great year!
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