Film: Undertone
Director: Shaun Munro
Writer: Shaun Munro
Starring: Shaun Munro, Toby Norton, Eliza Chadwick
Synopsis – A sound recordist captures strange sonic phenomena underneath their house, and things escalate from there.
Undertone will be playing at Dead and Sudburied on Friday, 17th October at 9:10 pm.
Q. Your film Undertone has been selected for Dead and Sudburied, can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from the film?
A. Undertone is a film about the forces of isolation and sound, so you can expect a claustrophobic horror experience with a heavy emphasis on the tactile qualities of sound. It also has an underlying cosmic horror element which will hopefully amplify the unease.
Q. How did the idea for the film come about and what were your inspirations when writing the script?
A. During post-production of my first short Breakfast, I noticed that my microphone could pick up sounds through walls, such as my neighbours talking etc, and I quickly realised that this had a ton of potential for a horror short.
Some of the specific films I was thinking about while writing and conceiving the short were Color Out of Space (2019), Evil Dead (1981), and Kill List (2011), to name just a few.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. Aesthetically I was very interested in films that made sound a character both in terms of the audio and visuals. Coppola’s The Conversation (1974) and Berberian Sound Studio (2012) were on my mind all the time. I was also interested in films which used a lot of close-ups and macro shots, so I found myself coming back to The First Omen (2024) quite a bit, which I think is one of the more visually interesting horror films of the last few years.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Honestly I stuck pretty close to the script throughout the process. One action beat near the end had to be changed for logistical reasons, and because all the dialogue spoken by other off-screen characters was only recorded in post, I had the luxury of being able to re-write it a few times before bringing in actors to record it.
Q. What were some of your favourite memories of making the Film?
A. To shoot the film I was lucky enough to have access to my in-laws’ lovely house while they were away on holiday for a week, so the entire experience of isolating myself there for 7 days and just being fully immersed in this project the entire time was incredibly special.
Also pulling off the climactic shot of the film, which required considerable VFX work, was immensely satisfying after many months of wondering whether I’d actually be able to make it work.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Absolutely – like any indie film it’s always a work of compromise. The biggest hurdle was the weather, as a decent chunk of the film takes place outside and it wasn’t co-operating much at all.
The week I was filming the weather shifted from bright and sunny to torrential rain at a moment’s notice, and strong wind made it incredibly difficult to pull off some of the trickier elements in the finale.
Thankfully I managed to build a makeshift windbreaker to ensure that I could complete the final sequence on the very last day I had full access to the house.
Everything worked out in the end, basically.
Q. What makes Undertone stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. On my festival run so far I’ve had so many lovely compliments about the sound design, which is great to hear. I worked incredibly hard to give the sound a distinct identity to compliment the subject matter.
Also because I couldn’t afford big expensive lights, I opted to cut wide shots out of the film almost entirely and focus on medium and close-ups, which I think serves a claustrophobic story well.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope that they enjoy a bite-sized slice of cosmic horror and reflect that filmmakers without money or crew can still deliver something interesting and weird and (hopefully) worthwhile.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. Yes! My third horror short has been written and is currently in the prep stages. Unlike my first two films this one will have actual on-screen actors (rather than just me) and is far more dialogue-driven.
Though I was tempted to shoot it this year, I’m currently in the middle of buying a house and so decided not to over-burden myself. Instead I’m hoping to shoot by next summer, which means I’ll have a ton of time to prep and then get the film ready for the 2027 festival season.
Q. If someone was looking to get into filmmaking what advice would you give them?
A. Just do it! It’s a cliché to say “just pick up your phone and start filming” but it’s true. I didn’t begin my filmmaking journey until I was 35 and I wish I started sooner.
Young filmmakers have so many amazing resources available to them today, and decent gear is more affordable than it’s ever been.
I’d also suggest starting off with something small-scale – gather some friends if you’re able and just play around and experiment. Put the work in and you can make something cool even if you’re not flush with cash.
Undertone will be playing at Dead and Sudburied on Friday 17th October at 9:10pm.
You can find out more and follow Writer-Director Shaun Munro on the following – X (Twitter) – Instagram – YouTube
Find out more about the festival and purchase tickets for Undertone 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!
