Exclusive Horror-on-Sea interview with ‘The Pey’ Writer-director Ramone Menon
Film Name: The Pey
Director: Ramone Menon
Writer: Ramone Menon
Starring: Katie Leszynski, Noelle Miller, Daniele Manzin
After sharing a mysterious GIF online, a social media obsessed Teenager is hunted by a terrifying monster known as The Pey
In a new interview leading up to the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival I got a chance to ask writer-director Ramone Menon a few questions about what we can expect from his film The Pey.
The Pey will be showing at Horror-on-Sea at 5.30pm on Friday 13th January
Q. Your film The Pey has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. The Pey is a social media monster film. In our culture today, we are obsessed with the idea of connecting with strangers online and having our 15 minutes of fame whether it is food selfies, Tik Tok videos or posts about our mental state. The Pey examines the pitfalls of falling prey to the social media phenomenon and uses an allegory (the monster movie) to explore the dangers of becoming too obsessed with online fame.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script for The Pey?
A. I wanted to make a movie where the villain (The Pey) keeps growing the same way followers do. My main influences were monster movies where the monster is constantly growing or shapeshifting like Alien and The Thing. In regards to the ‘cursed chain’ subgenre of horror, I love films like The Ring and It Follows. For the design of the monster I was influenced by The Babadook and a Disney film called Basil The Great Mouse Detective. For the social media angle that plays heavily in the film, I was highly inspired by the ‘screenlife’ film Searching.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. Comic Books, The French New Wave and the design and look of notifications on our phones and how those notifications tell a story were key inspirations for the style of the film and play a massive part in how the story unfolds.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. We had to stick very closely to the script and original storyboards, as this was a very precisely designed film in terms of the look, framing and timing in order for the social media and interactive notifications aspect to work. There was very little room for improvising in terms of the look, story and framing as that would derail the timing of the events that should unfold in the story.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. I loved filming the suspense sequences. Building the tension through the use of particular shots and learning the pacing of these sequences while filming was really fun. I also thoroughly enjoyed filming the jump scare moments and the monster in the dark. These moments taught me how important it was to know how much of the monster is going to be seen and how much is kept in the dark. Suspense and horror is always a blast for me to figure out and film.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. We had issues with the mobility of the monster as the actor wearing the monster suit couldn’t really see out of it. He was as blind as a bat literally. We had to choose frames that would make the monster look imposing and not have him/it move too much in a way that would require the actor playing The Pey to make any sudden moves that would jeopardise his safety, which would also cause us to damage the suit (we only had one suit to work with and had to be extremely careful with it).
Q. What makes The Pey stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. The combination of the old fashioned monster movie with modern social media technology and how that plays together is what makes the film stand out. There are plenty of social media horror movies but I wanted to use social media as the vehicle for this monster to grow and get more terrifying with each passing moment as it stalks the lead character. The Pey also allows the monster movie to be a social commentary on today’s youth culture and the obsession of online fame.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. Don’t share unknown GIFs for one. Be careful what you say and do online. Once you put something out there into the online world, it is permanent no matter how much you try to delete or destroy it. Also, know that there is a price you pay for being constantly addicted to this little machine in our palms. You may forget to stop and smell the roses in real life while chasing the dopamine that is secreted every time you earn a ‘like’ or a ‘follow’ in the online world.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
I am currently working on an Indian themed horror movie (as I am originally from Bangalore, India) and I am also working on a new non-horror project that is still in early development. I am also developing The Pey into a feature film, which should begin filming in 2024.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
Keep making movies with the limited resources you have. Each film teaches you your own strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what works for you and your environment is key to making something original that could work as a stick of dynamite in cinema. Take some risks but know how to balance it with something palatable for the audience. Whatever you make should work for you (the first audience member). You will know in your heart when something works or it doesn’t and you must be honest with yourself about it otherwise you may not learn and grow. Also, keep watching other movies, short films, and absorb art (music, painting, etc.) Learn to use your real life stories into your films even if they fit in some small way. Also, make friends with people wanting to make movies and find yourself a good crew that is capable of turning your dreams into a reality. It does take a village to make a movie and it is a miracle every time one of them gets made so increase your chances by having the best team you can in your corner.
You can follow writer director Ramone Menon on Instagram here
You can find out more about The Pey by following on Instagram here
The Pey will be showing at Horror-on-Sea at 5.30pm on Friday 13th January. You can purchase tickets and merchandise for the festival on the website 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!
