An accomplished and award-winning writer, actress and director, Lisa Ovies has turned a life-long passion into a fine career working with numerous talents in various fields of the genre. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early interest in filmmaking, working in various credits in the industry and the filming of her upcoming film Puppet Killer.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Lisa Ovies: I don’t know when it all really started for me but I know I was very young. One memory that stands out for me though is watching the original IT mini-series when I was 13. It was filmed in Vancouver (my hometown) and I was obsessed with how they made it and which locations they used etc. I recorded it on VHS and watched it obsessively. I know in grade 7 I did a book report and chose the book “The Dollhouse Murders.” I borrowed a friend's VHS camera and made my friends recreate the film. I had them running down hallways carrying real butcher knives (*facepalm) while I directed it. Clearly, this was what I was meant to do but I don’t really know why I have always been so passionate about it.
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
LO: My mother is not into horror or genre films so it was something I found on my own. It was IT and Alien that really sealed the deal for me. I remember watching Alien for the first time and realizing how the atmosphere and camera played a character as much as the actors. And having a bad ass woman like Ripley to look up to, that film had everything. There was no looking back after that point. Shortly after I discover Sam Raimi and the Evil Dead franchise and started to really believe it was something I may be able to do as a career.
Me: When did you discover a passion for filmmaking? Who were some of your inspirations to enter the industry?
LO: In elementary school, I started turning any project I could into a film and directing my classmates. In my grade seven yearbook, I said I would either be an actor or a lawyer. I wasn’t far off lol.
In high school, I got really into Sam Raimi, Kevin Smith, Tarantino and Rodriguez. All the filmmakers I could find that really just made it happen for themselves and never took no for an answer. I would spend any extra money I had on biographies or VHS copies of their films. My obsession with them became my first and best film school.
Me: Upon entering the Vancouver Film School, what did you learn about yourself to help you grow your style?
LO: I learned I was impatient. I took a few part-time classes in screenwriting, Production and documentary film. What I really took away from it was that I didn’t want to be sitting in a classroom learning about making film. That I wanted to be out there getting my hands dirty and making my mistakes as I went. That said, I found sitting in a classroom filled with people that believed that making film could actually be a career and shared my passion was an amazing feeling. I remember I had just got a one-bedroom apartment downtown I shared with a girlfriend. I worked full time in the day and then took classes at night and truly felt like I was living my best life.
Me: With plenty of short films early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to feature-film projects?
LO: So many skills transferred over and I was lucky to also produce and act in several features before directing my first which also helped prepare me. I would say doing so many different jobs in various departments really gave me an idea of everyone’s contributions and allowed me to communicate my needs better as a director. Producing shorts was stressful and let me wear so many different hats, I think all of it was invaluable. I strongly suggest everyone working/volunteering on set in any capacity and trying to soak it all in. Also the connections I made allowed me to continue to grow into larger projects and roles and that was another invaluable part of the ten years I spent in the community prior to making Puppet Killer.
Me: That brings us to your latest project, "Puppet Killer." What can you tell us about the film?
LO: This was my passion project and I am still so very proud of it. I came up with the concept while working on a few different films and happened to be in Phoenix with a film that was playing at Comicon. Some of my team was driving to the Grand Canyon for the day and my writer heard me pitching it to an actor and the rest, as they say, was history. Kevin and I worked really well together and the script came together really quickly. We shot it with my dream cast and I will forever be grateful for how it has been received on the festival circuit by genre and non-genre festivals alike.
Me: Where did the inspiration for the film come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
LO: Honestly I just wanted to make something of my own. I loved producing and being a casting director but I really wanted something with my unique footprint on it. And if you have seen Puppet Killer, you get an idea of how weird I truly am lol. This was the chance for me to combine my training and love of comedy with my passion for horror and practical effects. It was very self-indulgent. It was a way for me to put everything and everyone I loved in one project and really go all in. I knew we had a pretty high chance of failing but I wanted to do it on my terms and thankfully I had a team that supported that. Horror comedy is, in my option, one of the hardest things to pull off successfully and the only way we did it was with everyone in front of and behind the camera really believing in the vision and going all in.
Me: With a cast of experienced and talented actors, how'd you settle on the cast in the film?
LO: Every cast member was an offer and I will forever be humbled that we had such a talented cast.
Aleks Paunovic (Van Helsing, IZombie) and Lisa Durupt (Murder She Baked) were in a short I had previously directed and I fell in love with working with them both. Lee Majdoub (Sonic the Hedgehog, The 100) was actually working as a reader for me on a feature I was casting and was the first person I called when I came up with the idea. Richard Harmon (The 100) is his best friend and Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock, Bingo) is someone I had worked with previously and adored. We had most of the main cast before we locked our script so, in a way, their roles became written for them. I always knew Aleks was my Jamie from the first day I worked with him and I will always be in debt to him for taking the risk. Each of them did such a phenomenal job I am still in awe when I watch them.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
LO: Honestly this was a challenge for everyone. We had a small budget, a tight shooting schedule and we were shooting an hour and a half outside the city, in the mountains in the middle of winter. Everyone’s attitudes are what made this film successful. People worked hard, stayed professional and truly made this film what it is. I still work with a lot of the crew and we are a real family. I love them dearly.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
LO: We shot over 5 years ago so not too many specific moments that don’t give too much away but I remember Lisa Durupt had a scene in a bathtub with our puppet. Our puppeteer, Asia Mattu, had to be placed below her in the tub. It wasn’t an easy setup and I was really wanting everything to be done without a blue screen so we worked on this for a while to get the angles just right. Just before we went to picture, I ran in to fix one little thing and hit the old faucet on the claw foot bathtub and it started filling up with water! Lisa and Asia were amazing and actually shot the scene to perfection while laying in water and as a result, we didn’t lose time. LEGENDS
Me: Considering the acclaim and success of the film thus far on the festival circuit, is there a potential release date for the film?
LO: YES! Super excited to say at this point it looks like Puppet Killer will be hitting everyone’s eyeballs summer 2021!
Me: As well as filmmaking, you’ve also started an acting school where you mentor hopeful actors into the industry. What can you tell us about the studio? How did you come to start this?
LO: I actually ran someone else’s acting school for 4 years prior to leaving in 2017 and starting my own studio, Rogue Studios. I adore what we do and who I am lucky enough to work with on a daily basis. My instructors are insanely talented actors, producers, directors, etc. all actively working in the industry and we really work to give our actors all elements of the education I wish I had received when I started acting.
Me: You’ve also been advocating for the transplant of Women in Horror Month away from February to another month entirely. Where did this idea come from? Considering the backlash against this idea, what do you say to those defenders interested in a rational conversation about it to defend your point of view?
LO: I am happy to say since you sent this interview, the month has been moved away from Black History Month and this brings me much joy. It never felt right to me to take focus from a marginalized group that already got the shortest month of the year. If 2020 taught us anything, it is how far we will have to go with racism, sexism and LGBTQ+ representation. I love supporting women in horror but I think it is something that can be done all year round. Hold women filmmakers up, create opportunity, hold the door open and reach a hand back down to the next generation. Include diversity in your casting and demand equality in your above-the-line crew. It won’t be easy, it has not been easy, but it can happen if we all work together and really listen to those who are asking to be heard.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
LO: I have a short film I shot during isolation that is coming out as a stand-alone film as well as a segment of a horror anthology. It is called ‘Witches Midnight’ and I am incredibly proud of what everyone accomplished. Every actor was their own camera op and ran two cameras, while I remote directed them as they worked in LA, Toronto and Vancouver. At one point my DP and I were outside with one producer on a back deck of our leads house, in the rain, remote running up to 15 devices. Our post team was comprised of a crew in 5 different countries and what we managed to pull off still blows me away. I even had to camera op our big reveal and let me tell you, it worked, but never ask me to do that again. My poor DP and post team having to deal with that!
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!
LO: If you want to do it. DO IT. If it is your passion and in your blood do not wait to be invited, you will probably never get started if you wait for an invitation. Volunteer on sets or read books or go to school or do whatever is accessible to you to learn as much as you can. Don’t just do the jobs you want to do if the end goal is producer or director, do them all. Learn as much as you can about what other people are doing so you can lead them from a place of compassion and understanding. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to fail. Kick open doors and when you are in a position to do so, make sure you reach one hand back to the generation below you and bring them with you. Create what you want to create and listen to your gut, chances are you are right.
Last piece of advice, for anyone, passionate about anything is FUCK THE GATEKEEPERS. They aren’t real, we are waiting for you regardless of the amount of knowledge you have, your passion is enough. Come join us.
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:
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