First off, the link to the article is here, so go check it out!
http://www.blumhouse.com/2016/10/03/exclusive-check-out-a-clip-from-the-new-horror-anthology-terrortory/
Story time! I'll try not to get too purple with my prose.
Years ago I finished Fear of Clowns 1. I had no inkling to do a second, especially with how disappointed I was with the finished movie. With the exception of the last half hour, it really wasn't the movie I'd set out to make.
But I made a cool teaser, and had a talented graphic designer I'd met online named Erik Ashley do a cool poster. I was looking for a distributor, but hadn't sent out any copies yet.
I woke up one day to find I had a message on my phone from someone who said they were with Lionsgate, and wanted to speak to me about acquiring FOC. I thought--One of my friends is a real asshole, messing with me like that.
But the number was in California, so I called it. I was shocked to find out it was actually Lionsgate. The person I spoke to tells me, "We've seen the poster and the trailer, and we love them. We can't believe nobody's used that title for a movie yet, either."
They tell me--send us a screener, but it probably won't matter--we want the movie. The only rub was, they didn't want to buy it directly from me. They wanted a producer's rep.
(that may sound weird to you, but the bottom line is that many young filmmakers don't understand deliverables and dealing with contracts, so the movie company doesn't want to have to hold your hand through it--if you get a producer's rep, THEY will hold your hand and save the movie company time)
Lionsgate told me, get any rep you want. But here's a list of some of the ones we deal with a lot.
I did my research, talked to some other filmmakers who had used some of the reps, and found one that seemed good. We talked, and they were very cool. But they wanted to stress--there was no deal on the table yet. They would talk first with Lionsgate, but there was no guarantee it would land there.
I told them--and put it in writing in THEIR contract--there are only two companies I am signing this movie to: Lionsgate or Anchor Bay. At this time, those were the places for horror. They were the ones putting out all the best horror. (you gotta remember, this was like 2002 or so)
Anyway, Lionsgate came through right away and the rest is history.
The reason I tell you this story is because Blumhouse is now IT. They are, far and away, creating the best horror movies. Insidious, The Purge flicks, Sinister. Under-appreciate flicks like Creep, Oculus, The Visit and more. These guys appreciate horror, and they take risks. They bankroll a lot of small horror movies to see what works and doesn't work.
http://deadline.com/2015/05/blumhouse-panel-produced-by-conference-1201435034/
Then last year they started the Blumhouse web site, which is the biggest time-suck in history, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. There's a TON of great articles, day after day, that will ensure you don't get all your actual work done.
They've hired some great writers and talent, from my buddy Rob Galluzzo to another guy I've known online for years, Ryan Turek, to others I haven't met but have read many times like Rebekah McKendry, William Bibbiani, John Squires and more.
So to be featured on their web site is a huge honor for me. I think Blumhouse is the present and future of horror, and the good news is that they're not just in it for the money--they all have a sincere love of horror, and that's why they're succeeding.
There you have it! Maybe next time I'll tell you how I met Rob G--it involves a hotel room, an early screener of Feast, and Adam Green. (not joking)
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