Off the Hook

Director: Danile Keeble

Writer: Samantha Anderson

Starring: Neal Ward, Samantha Anderson

Off the Hook is a new short horror which we be available to view online between 6pm and midnight on 31st October for Halloween. I got an opportunity to as director Daniel Keeble a few questions about what we can expect from the film.

Q. Your debut short Off The Hook will be premiering online this Halloween, can you tell us a little bit about what we can expect from the film? 

Off The Hook is a gritty and atmospheric short film, with nods to horror movies from the 1970s and psychological thrillers. Audiences should expect suspense and some realistic tension, without the gore. The story revolves around how a woman’s mundane night-in can take a turn for the worse. Even in the comfort of her own home, she never knew what evil lurked around the corner.

Q. The film will be shown for one night only. Why did you decide to show it online for such a limited time, and do you have any plans to show it again in the future?  

The plan was always to share Off The Hook on Halloween, but then we wanted to submit it to film festivals as well. A lot of the time the stipulation for film festivals is that the film can’t be online for viewing, so we’ll be taking it offline at midnight in a hope that it won’t affect its chances. It’s only viewable for a limited run for now, but I’m sure it’ll be online permanently at some point in 2020. 

Q. You have experience working in film as a cinematographer, but this is your first project as a director. Why did you choose Off The Hook as your directorial debut?

I wanted something simple, as I knew I’d want to handle the cinematography as well. Although I’m writing various scripts of my own at present, when Samantha (the Director and main actress in the film) approached me with this short film I thought it was something where I could roll my sleeves up and get stuck in. I loved the tone of the story so I jumped on board. 

Q. Where there any elements of the original script which were adapted during filming? 

There were a few things I added. Samantha was willing for me to make this film my own, in a way, so I had the freedom to add things here and there. The story plays out quite unambiguously, which is great, but I wanted to add another layer. Hopefully audiences can watch it again and see something else that suggests things aren’t quite as they appear.

Q. Did you experience any issues during filming? 

The most important phase during filmmaking is the pre-production, in my opinion. I already directed the film before we begin rolling (in a way) as everything is planned. We had meetings and talked over how each scene would play out and I directed Samantha alone a fews weeks beforehand. When it comes to the filming on low budget productions, there isn’t time for issues to arise. We had 2 nights and we had a small crew, so I knew we had to plan almost everything ahead of time. 

Q. What were some of your favourite moments whilst making the film? 

On set, I get a buzz when I watch the monitor with the scene being played out, and it looks amazing and the acting is amazing. It’s reassuring watching playback on any film set when it just works. So my favourite moments are always those moments. 

Q. What makes Off The Hook stand out as something different in the horror genre? 

I wanted to make it look real. The story plays out quite real to begin with, then there’s a particular moment when it hits you. The horror of the scenario she finds herself in hits the audience out of the blue. Less is more, so horrific things are suggested to the audience without the audience necessarily seeing anything horrifying.

Q. What do you hope people will take away after watching the film?  

A film written, produced and starring a woman is something we’d like to highlight as it’s so important for emerging talent to be recognised no matter what the sex, and hopefully it’ll pave the way for other young women to be inspired to work in front of and behind the camera. Samantha, as an actor, just wants to act. She loves acting with a passion, so instead of waiting around, she wrote something great and made it happen. 

Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on? 

I’m writing a feature film and working on a couple of other ideas for another short film or two, one with a fantastic screenwriter named Ben Trebilcook. We often meet for coffee and discuss all things film related, and he’s inspired me to keep writing more. I’m also editing a feature film I helped shoot over the summer for director Rick Roberts of Fire In The Hole Productions, shot by the awesome cinematographer Richard Oakes. On top of that, the corporate films I do for my company FLUD. keep me busy. I don’t have much time for anything else, it seems. 

Q. If someone was looking to direct their own film what advice would you give them? 

Say YES to anything and everything that comes your way, to get the experience. That leads to confidence in yourself and your abilities to step forward and take creative control. Plus, watch a LOT of old movies and study a LOT of books and interviews. Be humble, people are more likely to want to work with you if they like you as a person. 

Off the Hook will only be shown for 1 night only, Thur 31st Oct between 6pm – 12pm (UK).

For more information on Ark Indie Productions you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram

For more information on Daniel Keeble you can check out his website  dankeeble.com

You can also find out more about Off The Hook on IMDB

Philip Rogers

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!