P.J. Starks is a busy guy. Juggling multiple projects at any given time, Starks multi-hyphenate workload keeps him writing, directing, producing, and developing on projects constantly. Such is the life of an indie filmmaker. We recently had a chance to chat with Starks about his various projects, the ebb and flow of the indie film scene and what keeps him going.

HorrorBuzz: So, P.J. how many projects are you working on right this second and what are the stages of production that an indie movie has to go through?

P.J. Starks: The stages are pre-production, production, and post-production. Of course, each of those break down into varied categories from script writing, location scouting, auditioning, casting, scheduling, financing, and then actual production which entails all the shooting and post with editing, sound design, color correcting, scoring. Making a film is highly involved with many moving parts and at times is a logistical nightmare.

Right now I’m producing nine films in various stages of production. Five of them I’m actively working on. The films are The Barn Part III, the slasher films The Last Sleepover and The Boy from Below, we’re in serious talks about distribution on New Fears Eve, and the newly announced Half-O-Ween, which is a dark comedy slasher.

HB: What is The Last Sleepover?

P.J. It’s a fun revenge thriller in the vein of Urban Legend or Valentine. Gregory W. Brock is directing and reached out to me early on. I read the script, written by Greg and his partner Austin Rutherford, and liked the vibe. It felt very 90s. Simple in its approach with likable characters. Nothing was forced and I appreciated that. They were also very open to collaboration so when I came onto the project I gave the kills an overhaul. I made them more brutal, elaborate and mean spirited in nature. It has an incredibly talented cast and crew that includes horror icons Felissa Rose and Lisa Wilcox. I’m headed to set at the end of May. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

HB: Can you tell us about The Barn Part III?

P.J. If you’re already a fan of the franchise then you’re going to absolutely cream over this third and final installment. If you’ve never experienced Justin’s holiday based horror universe then definitely check it out. Part III goes a bit more serious with the story because he had a much larger story to tell and there’s questions that needed to be answered, but it still has all the batshit crazy blood-soaked monster mayhem you’d expect from The Barn. My Blood Moon Pictures cohort, Eric Huskisson, and I went to Pennsylvania to be on set and spent a week getting our hands dirty. If the final cut is indicative of what we experienced this movie is going to be a horror hayride worth checking out.

We had just missed Kelli Maroney (Chopping Mall), but were lucky to spend a few days on set with Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn) who gave a solid performance. We met a few new faces in the cast with Tristan and Amanda who play the leads Kyle and Megan. They do an awesome job. I can tell you that Tristan has one hell of a kick. I was lying on the ground, outside a barn door holding it closed. They were trying to break free. Well a part of the barn door broke loose, fell and crushed my junk. That was a first. I also have to give a shout out to Cody Ruch and his special effects. I’ve been singing his praises lately. He does some incredible work.

HB: Let’s talk about New Fears Eve. Tell me how amazing it was to work with Felissa Rose.

P.J.: Felissa is a total sweetheart. Very easy to work with, full of gusto and her enthusiasm for the material is unmatched. She’s great to work with and just as cool to hang with off set. I’ll see her when I go to set on The Last Sleepover and I’m pretty excited about it. She had told me I better be there when I saw her at Horror Con. I’d hate to disappoint her.

New Fears Eve is a holiday comedy slasher. It’s a fun, gory, nuanced slice and dice flick full of dicks and farts. Kevin Smith is very much an influence of mine. You can especially see it in my writing style. The film is also incredibly personal. I wrote a ton of myself into the narrative. It finished its festival run back in March in Wisconsin. It traveled all over from Houston to Cincinnati to Manhattan and even over in the UK. It garnered two dozen nominations including a Fangoria Chainsaw Award and won fifteen awards including four Best Horror Comedy accolades. It really seemed to resonate with audiences, which is what you hope when you put yourself out there. Overall I’m very proud of this film. A lot of talented creatives worked tirelessly to breathe life into it.

I do need to take a moment to talk about Jeffrey Reddick. It was cool getting him to do a cameo in 13 Slays Till X-Mas but he wanted us to be on set together and New Fears Eve became the excuse we were looking for. He’s incredibly kind and generous. Working with him on set was definitely the highlight. Prior to our latest production, we would talk off and on throughout the years but with him being a producer on NFE, we talk almost weekly. Jeffrey is a wealth of knowledge and has been doing all he can to help Eric and I traverse the waters of larger distribution options. It’s not every day you have a friend who has truly impacted popular culture the way Jeffrey has by creating the Final Destination franchise. Then again Eric invented anal fissures so there’s that.

HB: How can people see New Fears Eve?

P.J.: This was our first project where we had a myriad of distributors knocking on our door. Right now we’re in serious talks with a more reputable company regarding distribution. Our hope is we’ll have a major announcement in the coming months so the film can be out by Christmas.

HB: Do you have any other projects coming soon?

P.J.: Ricky Glore’s horror musical comedy Sweet Meats was picked up by Troma and is on a screening tour called Hands Across TROMerica. If you go to their website you can see if it’ll be screening at a venue near you. Shawn Burkett is working on two new features that I’m executive producing called Project: Mothman and The Devil You Know. They’re both totally different types of genre pictures and aren’t the usual fare you’re used to seeing from Shawn so make sure you keep an eye out for those as they develop. Jacob Ennis’ 80s throwback horror flick The Art of Killing is in post-production and should be available soon. I’m a glutton for punishment, therefore, I’m positive there will be more projects coming down the pike.

HB: You do Holiday Horror. Is that a choice or coincidence?

P.J.: It was never by design. I used Halloween as a backdrop for Hallows Eve and later Volumes of Blood. We kept that motif going with VOB: Horror Stories but expanded to other holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and even a birthday – which is sort of a personal holiday. During the Christmas segment in Horror Stories I conceived 13 Slays Till X-Mas, which we ended up making because we were unable to get the financing needed for Devil’s Knight. Then during 13 Slays I came up with New Fears Eve, but the concept was shelved. Eric and I were planning to produce another project entirely called DiaboliKILL. I also have a script I wrote called The To Die List, which Eric’s been wanting us to make for years, but when 13 Slays did well for us after its release he thought going with New Fears Eve was a better direction. The rest is history.

HB: There is a lot of speculation and concern about the film industry, streaming, movie theaters, and where it is all headed. What do you see happening? 

P.J.: In the 20 years I’ve been making independent films the landscape has changed dramatically. While technology has gotten better and more accessible, opportunities have lessened due to an oversaturation of content mixed with a fragile digital infrastructure to handle said content. It’s no secret that even big studios are struggling to finance intellectual properties and financially sustain a return due to over inflated budgets. Of course there are those breaking out, especially in the indie sector, which is exciting in a lot of ways. Streaming is the new VOD, but it’s still so new that how it’s going to work for productions big and small is uncertain in the long run. Everything moves at such a rapid pace anymore it’s hard to keep up. Especially with trends and markets shifting from day to day. This is why I hate the business part of the movie business. I wish I had a better idea as to where things are headed but I do know that independent cinema is more prevalent than it’s ever been at almost all levels.

HB: How can fans support indie filmmakers right now?

P.J.: The best way is always sharing their projects on social media. That’s free and brings attention to what we’re doing. Getting eyes on our films is crucial. It’s why we put ourselves out there, we want people to experience what we’ve created and hopefully enjoy the journey. If you have some expendable income then financial support is the next best thing. Especially through crowd funding as it’s a way to get in on a film at the ground level. With The Barn Part III we’re aiming to hit some stretch goals, so if you’re interested in helping out and getting some cool and unique merch then check out https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-barn-part-iii#/.

The Last Sleepover is another project still looking to raise funds. If you like slasher films, especially ones with cool kills and a unique masked psychopath it’s definitely a project to get behind. Anyone interested in supporting can visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-last-sleepover#/ to get your hands on some one of a kind items.

HB: Do you have any words of advice for other indie filmmakers right now?

P.J.: Passion is first and foremost. Without it you’ll never succeed. Filmmaking or art in any form has to be more than a paycheck. Networking is key because you cannot and will not be able to do it on your own. Understand you have an ego and don’t let it get in your way. I’ve never met a creative that doesn’t have one but I have met artists who were incapable of keeping it in check. And if you ever meet a creative that says they don’t have an ego they’re full of shit. Accept compromise because it comes with the territory and be ready to trouble shoot. Most importantly recognize at some point you’re going to fail and don’t be afraid of doing so. I’ve failed plenty of times. It just means you keep trying but maybe in a different way. Most walls or hurdles lead to bigger and better opportunities so embrace them when you can.