Film Name: Mr. Average
Director: Steven Lancefield
Writer: Steven Lancefield
Starring: Sarah Coombes, Neil James
Carly and Tony embark upon the internet date from hell….
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got a chance to ask Writer-Director Steven Lancefield a few questions about the film ‘Mr. Average’ which will have its UK Premiere at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 17th January at 12:30hrs.
Q. Your film Mr. Average has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect?
A. “Mr. Average” is a psychological chiller about the internet date from hell. Expect twists, turns and plenty of snow!
Q. What were your inspirations when writing the script?
A. I have been on several dates which have been unusual, and sometimes there has been an unsettling sense of déjà vu. Have I dated that person before? This was the inspiration for Carly returning to the home of her date to find that things are eerily familiar.
Q. Did you have any of the cast in mind for the characters when writing the script?
A. I wrote the script last October when I was stuck in a hotel room in Florida when the film festival I had flown out for was cancelled due to Hurricane Milton. To pass the time I wrote the script for “Mr. Average” there with the main actors Sarah Coombes and Neil James in mind, and I cast them in the middle of the hurricane! I knew that they would both bring the nuance and skill required for both their roles.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. I love the work of Peter Weir, and brushed up on his films before production started to try and bring a romantic yet chilly and removed aesthetic.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Yes, out main actor Neil suggested changing Sarah’s character’s name from “Karen” to “Carly” on the day of the filming. Also the snow scenes were not part of the original script, it just happened to snow the week before, so I took advantage of this.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Filming was fast paced but fun. We shot it mostly at the home of our lead axtress Sarah Coombes, and the entire family including Sarah’s husband Kevin made us feel very welcome, even when we filled their living room with dead men! Kevin even joined the cast at the end and was a really natural actor.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Only really with time – we started to run out of time at the end, so there was a very rapid turn around to get the supporting artists into make up. Also one of our lights blew in the very first scene in the pub, but luckily I had brought spares.
Q. What makes Mr. Average stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I’m hoping the fact it doesn’t rely on blood and guts, and instead involves psychological scares and a commentary on the recent true crime craze makes it a slightly different prospect to what is out there already!
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope that people are entertained, surprised and possibly disturbed!
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I am starting pre production on a new chiller called “Home Help” which is due to shoot in January. I have also written and produced a short science fiction drama called “Futuregaze”, directed by Freddie Hill from Graded Films and starring Lena Richardson, which has started doing the film festival rounds and has been nominated for Best Cinematography at the Birmingham Film Festival.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. I would say not to be fazed by a lack of budget, some of the best ideas and work around a come with a limited budget. I would also advise test screening the film before the final edit and listen to sensible advice that could improve the film before it is released to the world!
Mr. Average will be playing at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 17th January at 12:30hrs.
You can find out more about Steven Lancefield on Instagram and YouTube
You can find out more about Horror-on-Sea and purchase tickets for the Mr. Average 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!
