An accomplished actress, writer and producer who is mostly known for working with Gravestone Films, Amanda Megan is working on her craft with plenty of experience so far to bring out the best of the studio's output. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her interest in the industry, working on several of the studios' past works and upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
Amanda Megan: I grew up a big horror fan. My family would do Friday night pizza-and-movie nights. My uncle used to live with us and he would let us watch Tales From the Crypt when it was late. My mom hated this, by the way. I also enjoy a good comedy or a drama every once in a while. We had a nice variety for our movie night because my dad and my brother liked Action and car movies. Dad also enjoyed westerns. My favorite horror franchise growing up was Nightmare on Elm St. Meeting Robert Englund has been on my bucket list for a very long time.
Me: Where did you get the urge to get into the industry?
AM: I got involved with the entertainment industry a few years ago, after my divorce. I actually started out as a freelance model. I needed to boost my confidence and in the process, I was able to teach other people to love themselves a little more. I do still model but I've found even more confidence and friendships in the Indie Horror Film Community.
Me: What drew you to joining the Gravestone Films production group?
AM: The owner of Gravestone Films, Scotty McCoy, is a really good friend of mine from High School. When he wrote Samhain, he had reached out to me to see if I would be interested and of course, I said yes. It was originally written as a web series. We had some issues getting started and actually scrapped the entire project. About a year later, Scotty and I were talking about writing a different film and we had the idea to take Samhain and turn it into a feature film. This time around we made sure we were surrounded with the right people, created a budget, and got to work.
Me: When working on a new project, do you prefer to be involved from the beginning or work later on once it's been started?
AM: I really enjoy being involved from the beginning of a project. I like to hear everyone's ideas and bounce some of my own around for feedback. The executives' Creative teams at Gravestone work really well with one another. Our ability to lean on each other during the entire process was necessary for our success in making the film Samhain.
Me: With their full-length effort "Samhain" you took on the lead role of Sami Freed. What inspired you to take on the character? How close is she to your real personality?
AM: I played Sami Freed in Samhain. Her personality is similar to mine in real life. A little apprehensive at first but can handle a lot of things very well. The biggest difference is that Sami and her dad don't get along well, but my Dad is like my best friend so that was a bit challenging at times.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
AM: The sets varied. A lot of it we were able to shoot outdoors during the fall, which I really enjoyed because the weather was pretty nice and I enjoy being outdoors and hiking and all that. Some of the sets were friends of our homes that they generously let us use. The cast and crew were great. Everyone got along well, no major drama. A few of us butted heads a few times but that's to be expected with any large project. But overall, you can tell that everyone had fun, enjoyed themselves and is very proud o what they've accomplished.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
AM: My favorite funny on-set story..... the guy that played Benjy... there's a scene where he has a spray bottle. I so wish we had this for some BTS footage. But he took the bottle and sprayed it in his mouth, thinking it was water..... it was actually vinegar and his reaction to it was hilarious.
Me: You also directed their short "Friday the 13th: Dead Before Dusk." Where did the inspiration to jump onboard as director of that segment?
AM: I also directed a short fan film with Gravestone Films called Dead before Dusk that featured Tyler Ebert (Benjy) as Jason Voorhees. Scotty wrote this and I took on the role of director. I was really excited to be able to bring his vision to life and then even top it, in a way. We also wanted to experiment with a different SFX artist and see how far we could really push ourselves. I really enjoyed the opportunity to direct it. The cast and crew were amazing for this as well. We had to improve our budgeting and time management skills to make this happen as quickly as we did. Those are skills I plan on taking with me everywhere I go.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
AM: I do have a few other projects I am working on at the moment. I spent the last weekend filming Night of the Axe in Baltimore and I will be filming Open House at the end of the month. I'm really looking forward to Killed on Arrival.... we had to postpone that. Gravestone is working on another film called 72 and a Samhain reboot. It's going to be a great year for film!
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
AM: To any other women who are trying to break into the industry, the best piece of advice I can give you is
1. Never give up. If you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen
2. Never lose sight of who you truly are. Stick by your values. Trust your instinct and remember where you came from.
They are welcome to follow me on Facebook
IG is @missmandirose1
And IMDb-
This interview ran as part of our Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out all of our reviews and interviews about the occasion:
Comments
Post a Comment