A young woman is forced into a doomed field trip in this campy horror-comedy tribute to 80's cinema.

Interview with Co-writer/producer/actress Heidi Ervin

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Image: Betty Williams

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Black Holler is the product of an amazing group effort from a bunch of talented people who love movies. In the beginning, Rachel Ward Heggen & I wanted to make a horror movie. We're big fans of the genre, especially 80's slasher flicks. We'd been working together in a small theatre troupe called "Storybook Heroin(e)" and many of the people from that group are in Black Holler including Tamiko Robinson Steele (Laquita Johnson). We were very lucky to have had a lot of people believe in us and fund our $6,000 Kickstarter campaign in 2014 (as well as our $2,000 2015 Indiegogo campaign). We were even luckier to have Jason Berg sign on as our director, co-writer and director of photography. We're all silly, fun-loving people, so making the "horror" movie a "horror-comedy" movie made a lot of sense. It also allowed us to have fun with our low-budget special effects and action sequences.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Black Holler is FUN! To quote actor and film critic Jesse Perry (Professor Thompson), "Black Holler is a fun horror-comedy featuring 80s references, lots of laughs, occasional violence, a killer original soundtrack, an excellent cast and tons of cheese (literally and figuratively). Micro-budget movies are rarely this entertaining."

Black Holler - Nicholas Hadden and Tamiko Robinson Steele

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Black Holler is a very silly movie, but there are messages of the importance of tolerance, diversity and acceptance in the film. I'm very proud that Black Holler's lead is a beautiful, African-American female (very rare for a horror movie!) and that we feature actors and actresses of all shapes and sizes along with several LGBTQ+ characters and actors.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The script was originally a 40-minute short, but when we raised $6,000 via Kickstarter, we decided to expand the script and shoot it as a feature. The story was originally crafted by Heggen and myself, but when Berg signed on as director, he also contributed to the script. We had a long rehearsal process and re-wrote the script until it was time for production. Then, we re-wrote the script during production and allowed the cast to improvise on set as well. So, the script changed quite a bit from its original state!

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We haven't had too many screenings. Aside from Women Texas Film Festival in Dallas, TX 2018, we have only had local screenings in Nashville, TN, but our feedback has been very positive! People are impressed that we were able to make a feature film for $15,000. We have a great cast and soundtrack, and the movie is shot very well. Every time we've screened the film, people have laughed a lot, and at the end of the day, that's the goal! We would love to have more screenings all over the world, and hopefully, we'll hear back from some film festivals soon and make that happen.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I've been preparing myself for harsher feedback, and so far, it has not happened. I think people have been forgiving of some of the flaws on account of our micro budget, and I think people understand that we are promoting a positive, progressive message in the film, but that we're doing it in a lighthearted, unconventional way.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I would love for more people to see it! Please contact us at blackhollerfilm@gmail.com if you would like to see the film, host a screening, assist us with distribution, etc.

Who do you need to come on board to amplify this film’s message?All of the above: producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists, bloggers, managers, and more!

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

"This film deserves to be a cult classic," a local blogger attending our Women Texas Film Festival screening said this, and we agree!

What's a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Would you like cheese on that?

Would you like to add anything else?

Black Holler should have been impossible. To make a feature film for the budget we did looks crazy on paper, and the only way we were able to pull it off was through a lot of hard work from some incredibly talented people. We cannot thank our amazing cast and crew enough, without them, this would be nothing.

Black Holler - From L to R: Jon D. Bumpus, Sarah VanArsdal, Nicholas Hadden, Tamiko Robinson Steele, Stacy Gazenski, CJ Stanley, Heidi Ervin, Betty Williams, Bruce Ervin and Rachel Ward Heggen

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Of the writing team, I am the only one still residing in Nashville, TN, and I’m currently pursuing my MBA. Heggen moved to Raleigh, NC and is currently the new communications manager for the town of Carrboro. She and I have written a new feature-length film set during the holiday season. We would love to gain representation who could connect us to a production company or a cable television network. Berg is now based in Tacoma, WA and has been working as creative director for a journalistic media startup, serving as editor for two documentaries, and was recently given a grant to produce a new short film he wrote.

You can watch our lead actress, Tamiko Robinson Steele, in the television series Smoketown on TBN, and you MUST do yourself a favor and listen to Bruce Ervin's Black Holler original soundtrack on Spotify (link below).

Interview: September 2018

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Black Holler

A young woman is forced into a doomed field trip in this campy horror-comedy tribute to 80's cinema.

Length: 93 minutes

Director: Jason Berg

Producer: Heidi Ervin

Writer: Heidi Ervin, Rachel Ward Heggen and Jason Berg

About the writer, director and producer:

Heidi Ervin is a Nashville-based comedy writer, producer & performer. Before Black Holler, she co-authored Underwear: a Space Musical! with Brandon James Gwinn.

Rachel Ward Heggen is a writer, performer and PR rep from Tennessee currently residing just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jason Berg is a Tacoma, WA based videographer and filmmaker from Tennessee who has been shooting and producing content professionally since 2011.

Key cast: Tamiko Robinson Steele, Jesse Perry, Brian Russell, Rachel Ward Heggen, Sarah VanArsdal, and Nicholas Hadden

Looking for: sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackHoller

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackHollerFilm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackhollermovie

Website: www.blackholler.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7bkhPeEWvK9E47wnbSxFc2?si=q0huUfr0TdyoM36ad3iXGw

Where was this filmed? Produced in Nashville, Filmed all over Tennessee

Funders: Nashville Fringe Festival, Wesley Rutledge, Phyllis & Jim Casebolt

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1947486487/black-holler-a-horror-comedy

Indiegogo: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/black-holler-a-horror-comedy-feature-film#/

Made in association with: Grand Prize Studios and Heidi the 13th Productions

Where can I watch it in the next coming month? Although our time-slot has not been finalized, we have been rumored to be appearing at the 2018 Full Moon Tattoo and Horror Festival October 19-21st in Nashville, TN https://fullmooninc.net/nashville-full-moon-tattoo-festival