A SAVANNAH HAUNTING PREMIERES IN POOLER A Q&A with the Filmmakers
A
SAVANNAH HAUNTING debuts I was struggling and I really wanted to marketing. I’m attracted to this role of in select theaters nationwide and get into the creative side of filmmaking. I filmmaker because you’re involved in all on all major digital platforms met some folks who were working in very, aspects of the film. October 28th. The film will hold its very low budget films, short films and Alexis: I’ve been doing film art-related worldwide premiere at the Royal Cinema student films and I just started helping content since I was in high school. I went IMAX in Pooler. out and getting involved. to UCLA to study film and I did design A SAVANNAH HAUNTING is a That’s actually where I met Alexis there as well. I just loved it! And any dread-filled, slow burn supernatural Nelson, my business partner! I was opportunity I had, I would go and work drama about a mother grappling with helping out a friend of mine who was with other filmmakers as a production her guilt stemming from the tragic a student at UCLA on his student film, assistant to try to work my way up that drowning of her youngest daughter. A and Alexis volunteered to help out on the way. And then I moved into the visual family moves to Savannah, Ga., to try film as well. We were the “rainmakers” effects and animation world as well, to distance themselves from which I really adore. the brutal memories of their My background comes daughter’s death at their from post-production, but The movie is based on strange events that Californian home. Once in I just always kept being their new home the mother pulled to projects working happened in the actual home my father slowly grows to believe she with Mark and that’s why we is being haunted by her started our own company purchased in the 1970s here in Savannah. dead daughter. The film Fort Argyle Films with “A ties in Savannah’s brutal Savannah Haunting” being slave history and its long our first feature film. connection with voodoo. outside the window of this house they What do you admire about your The film is based on real supernatural were shooting. And so we had a hose and business partner? phenomena writer/director William Mark sprinkler that would shoot the water onto Mark: She really is the force behind so McCullough and his family experienced the window to appear as if it’s raining much of what we do. She got nominated in their home near Savannah for decades. outside. The film was shot on location at the actual At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller. for an Emmy when she was 23 years old which is amazing. She’s tiny in stature haunted house. The filmmakers attempted That’s what I’ve always been drawn to. but not in energy and drive. I just to capture the subtle, creeping fear that And so as an actor, I assist others in remember being so impressed by her afflicted the real residents of the home. telling stories. But as an actor, you’re so from the time I met her at UCLA. I’ve limited in what you’re able to do with a Tell us about yourselves. How did always described her as an iron fist with story and you show up and say the lines you get into the film industry? a velvet glove. She can be extraordinarily and that’s basically it. As a filmmaker, Mark: I started as an actor in Los forceful when she needs to be; however you are responsible for everything from Angeles, and it took me a long time to can be very charming and graceful as the creation of the story to the editing, figure out how to make that happen. So well. She’s a powerhouse. Everyone who color, music, sound, promotion and
“
“
28
www.PoolerMagazine.com | November/December 2022
