Film Name: Behind You!
Director: Justin Carter
Writer: Justin Carter
Starring: Jay Dylan Carter
There’s something in the house and it’s…BEHIND YOU!
In a new interview leading up to the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival, I got a chance to ask writer-director Justin Carter a few questions about what we can expect from his film Behind You!.
Q. Your film Behind You has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell
us what we can expect from the film?
A. It’s a short, sharp, shock of a film. It has a very traditional feel to the way that its crafted, but I can’t imagine anything else playing at the festival will look or be anything like it. It’s creepy, rather than bloody, and it’s only two and a half minutes long, so you certainly won’t get bored watching it.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script for Behind You?
A. There’s a writing credit on the film but there was never a hard copy document. It was literally a tiny idea my 10-year-old Son and I had, and we just executed it one evening. We had a brief discussion about what would happen, and I immediately knew what every shot would look like to tell that story. COVID had trapped us in the house, and that’s what the germ of the idea was. A young boy is trapped all alone in his house and he’s powerless to do anything against a force that corners him there. I find characters experiencing fear on film to be much more engaging than watching characters being injured on film. And that’s what we went with. That’s why films like JAWS, THE EXORCIST and THE SHINING are so effective. It’s the sequences where characters fear for their lives that impress me, not the moments in lesser films where conveyor belt loads of disposable characters get hacked up left, right and centre.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. Well, it’s monochrome photography that’s framed in the Academy aspect ratio and relies on the use of light and shadows, so maybe…Citizen Kane? I never gave it much thought. I just chose the look that best suited the story we were telling. Audiences are so used to widescreen now that squarer framed photography can create a sense of claustrophobia, especially with close ups, and monochrome photography works wonders with shadow detail, so that was a no brainer for me.
Come to think of it, I was going through a bit of a German Expressionist viewing phase just a couple of months before the COVID lockdown, so maybe that’s the influence here.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. None whatsoever. As I said, there wasn’t a script, just an idea. And it was just a case of constructing the event in the film one shot at a time. It’s such a short piece of cinema that there weren’t opportunities for the thing to change or go off on tangents anyway. And I like it that way. It’s lean and mean. We get in, we get out, the audience gets to enjoy it. Simple.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. It was a joy to make from start to finish. Filmmaking brings me such pleasure. I enjoyed drawing a convincing performance out of my son. That might be the highlight of the shoot, as brief as it was. I thought he did a wonderful job. I wish he’d join a performing arts group or take up drama classes or something. He has potential.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. We knocked it up early in the first COVID lockdown and I didn’t have access to anything other than consumer grade equipment. I had to make do with an old crop sensor DSLR and that thing struggles to produce a decent image unless the ISO values are one or two hundred. The film takes place at night, inside a house and it relies on shadow detail, so I had my work cut out for me. Luckily, I relish a challenge, so the lack of decent kit gave me the opportunity to hone my lighting skills with torches, portable work lamps and practical light fixtures.
Q. What makes Behind You stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. The protagonist is a 10-year-old boy and he’s the only character in the film. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. There was a period about 15 to 20 years ago when horror movies featured creepy child figures, like in THE RING, THE SIXTH SENSE and HIDE & SEEK, but they were always surrounded by a cast of adults. Child actors are very hit and miss; usually miss, but my son did rather well consider he had zero experience of performing in anything other than school plays.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. As with every film I make, I hope that audiences walk away entertained, and I hope that my work resonates with them. Media has become so disposable these days, but I strive to create content that haunts my audiences long after they leave the theatre.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I’m constantly at work. If I’m not writing and directing shorts, or working on a corporate promo, I’m probably operating as a lighting cameraman for a friend or sitting on the English Riviera Film Festival judging panel. I’ve focussed a lot of my energy on screenwriting this past couple of years and I recently sold two feature screenplays to studios. One was a fresh take on the slasher sub-genre and the other is a contained survival horror titled WOLF WHISTLE. That one is being filmed in the new year with Darrell Roodt (writer/director of the Academy Award nominated feature film, YESTERDAY) directing. That seems to be shaping up rather nicely and my latest film, SUNSHINE SMILES ON “SOPHIES SERENITY” also shoots in the Spring. SUNSHINE SMILES… is the tale of mother and daughter continuous cruisers whose relationship turns volatile when the YouTube star daughter announces that she’s leaving their narrowboat home to go to university. It’s a change of pace from my usual horror/thriller output, but I’m really looking forward to shooting that. I’ve been assured from a number of sources that the script is heart-breaking, so that’s been great to hear.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. I’m asked this quite often in interviews and my answer is always the same; don’t be afraid to fail. You’ll learn more from your mistakes than from your successes. One day you’ll have had enough practice that it’ll all be second nature. Things can go wrong and if and when they do, you’ll be able to roll with the punches. Filmmaking is very rewarding, so stick with it and best of luck to you.
Justin Carter is an Exeter based Writer, Director and Cinematographer of short and feature films. His directorial debut feature, the No Budget (less than £1.5K) ‘TORN: a SHOCK YOUmentary’, is ranked among the “10 Best Supernatural Horror Movies Of The Last Decade” (Screen Rant Sep 15, 2020).
He followed ‘TORN’ with a number of acclaimed short film productions that have picked up Best Film awards around the world and he currently sits on the judging panel of the English Riviera Film Festival.
You can follow Justin Carter on Facebook here
You can find out more about the film Sunshine Smiles On “Sophie’s Serenity” on Facebook here
Behind You! will be showing at Horror-on-Sea at 10am on Saturday 14th 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!
