Film: Arson
Director: Erin Broussard
Writers: Donny Broussard, Erin Broussard
Synopsis – Ageing boy band, Actual Size, can’t seem to reach the level of stardom they think they deserve. After biding their time playing run-down pizza joints and dive bars, they decide to do what many bands of legend had done to achieve fame. They decided to sell their souls. Unfortunately for them, not reading the fine print could prove disastrous.
Arson will be playing at Dead and Sudburied on Saturday, 18th October at 9:25 pm.
Q. Your film Arson has been selected for Dead and Sudburied. Can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from the film?
A. A tiny dose of boy band nostalgia and a lot of 80s makeup FX throwbacks!
Q. You share the co-writing credits for the film with Donny Broussard. How did the original idea for the film come about, and what was the process for collaborating on the script?
A. Donny actually created “Arson” at seven years old as a comic book that followed a death metal band that were actual zombies who eat their fans. He also sculpted a zombie head that he called Arson to scare his parents with. Donny approached me a few years ago with the idea to turn his comic into a short film.
The only major change I implemented was, instead of starting out as a metal band, why not a failing boy
band desperate enough to sell their souls? From there, we got into writing mode, which is always a fun experience. It’s like a slumber party for our brains!
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. I tend to wear my influences on my sleeve in most of the work I do, but there are some nods to movies like Weird Science (1985) and Trick or Treat (1982) (80’s one with Gene Simmons). One of my favourite scenes in Arson is at the end, where Arson is full-on Arsoning. If you look close enough, it’s a shot-for-shot recreation of Sami Curr performing at the Halloween dance!
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Originally, the boyband “reveal” at the very beginning of the short was supposed to take place at a grody dive bar, but after talking things out with my DP and struggling to land a suitable location, we changed it to a Chuck E. Cheese knock-off. Honestly, I couldn’t be more pleased with the change, because it totally captures the comedy I wanted Arson to exude.
Q. What were some of your favourite memories of making the Film?
A. Oh gosh, I have so many. If I had to pick just one, though, it would probably be the summoning scene with the Ken dolls. It was hard to keep the set quiet with the boys singing and jamming through their summoning.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Makeup. We had one of the most talented FX artists, Kaleb Lewis from the makeup reality competition Face Off (2011 – 2018), and his assistant Isa Salazar working overtime bringing my zombie boy band and she-demon to life. Because Arson was such a heavy makeup FX shoot, we spent a lot of time waiting rather than shooting. The real troopers are the actors, though, because each person took anywhere between 5-8 hours in the chair for makeup application. And that does not count removal.
Q. What makes Arson stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I don’t know if it stands out as much as it fits in perfectly on the shelves of your favourite video store. It’s a love letter to the movies I love and the genre that I hold close to my heart. If it stands out, it’s because horror fans will recognise that another horror fan made it.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope they have a blast while watching it and get swept into the world Donny and I crafted with the help of some very talented musicians who created original songs for Arson. Shout out to Mike Trebilcock, Golgathon, and The Bad Dreamers!
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I am currently working on getting my first feature off the ground! I’m super stoked. It’s a love letter to 80’s splatter!
Q. If someone was looking to get into filmmaking film what advice would you give them?
A. Follow your heart and don’t let anyone tell you how to make your movie. Make what the art that keeps the creative fire burning inside of you.
Arson will be playing at Dead and Sudburied on Saturday, 18th October at 9:25 pm.
You can find out more and keep up to date about Arson follow Erin Broussard on Instagram and Mallow Entertainment on Instagram and Website
Find out more about the festival and purchase tickets for Arson here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
