Lady Filmmakers Festival / Sitges 2018 - Keep the Gaslight Burning
There is nothing shameful in fear.
Interview with Director Lou Elsey and Producer Anna Bies
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
LOU: Initially when Don, Anna (producers), Dave (co-director) and I, decided to make this, it was to create a calling card for ourselves. But as directors, It really goes back to growing up in the UK and watching scary movies late at night on the BBC, and reading ghost story compilations in books like the famous ‘Pan Books of Horror’. So, when we first started to think about making a short film, our minds went very quickly back to those ideas. We have always felt that these tales lend themselves very well to short form story telling, and of course, they are just so much fun to watch.
You can set up a sense of dread very quickly and have characters with heightened emotions, perilous situations, with unusual lighting, sets, and costumes. We liked the idea of evoking those same feelings we got when we used to sneak down stairs, after the grown ups had gone to bed for our very own appointment with fear on the television.
ANNA: As friends and collaborators (Lou, Dave, Don and I) we had always found that story telling was a collective passion. Whenever we would get together we always discussed the stories that resonated with us, be they ones we had created or ones we had come across throughout our lives. We had discussed making a short film for many years and at dinner one evening Dave brought a brilliant story to the table – we decided there and then that this was the story we were going to explore. Once we set the wheels in motion it just happened.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
LOU: If you love timeless spooky fireside tales, on a cold winter’s evening, with great characters and a deadly twist in the tale, then we made this for you. If horror is not your thing, we hope you will realize that our film is really a drama about choice. What would you do if you were in Mrs. Maxwell’s position? What would you do if you were given Maya’s opportunity?
ANNA: Although many consider Gaslight a “horror” film, I feel it more of a suspenseful drama. We were quite deliberate when making the film that every aspect of the story from the dialogue to the visuals to the music, needed to capture the characters experience, be it sadness, fear, hatred and revenge. Markie and Kate really embody the emotions our their characters of Mrs. Maxwell and Maya and you are totally drawn into their world, which can be claustrophobic and quite frightening.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
LOU: The horror genre is a perfect platform for themes such as: seduction, vengeance, justice, and sacrifice. Indeed, it is rich material to explore all of these ideas, as the stakes are usually high, and the subjects, darkly dramatic. One vital component that we have always enjoyed is the sort of subtle black comedy that permeates through all these themes and is very evident in the period horror dramas from the 1970’s that we loved, and wanted to try to evoke in Keep the Gaslight Burning. In horror, there is often a delicate agreement between the screams and laughter that should never quite explain itself - How many times have you been in a theater, and heard people laugh after they have been shocked into screaming?
ANNA: Fear and revenge are universal themes we explore and both of these resonate with our audience. Our film explores the human frailty and the lengths our characters will go to extricate themselves out of their difficulties. In saying that, we also look at the dire consequences of the decisions the characters have made and how it impacts their future for better or worse. You really feel a gamut of emotions for both her victimization but also her own despotic desperation.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
LOU: Once we had made up our minds to try to adapt one of R. Chetwynd-Hayes’s short stories as the basis for our film, we knew that it would have to be condensed down to its essence. It was a short story, which did help a little. Then it became a matter of selecting the parts that we wanted; however, at a certain point, what comes from that process is something original and new. This ‘new’ story alarmingly then began to take a life of its own.
During this process, we started to realize there were parts of the book that didn’t give us the answers to the questions we wanted to know. One of those questions was why had Mrs. Maxwell come to the point where she felt her only way out was to kill her husband. So we wrote a new scene that shows that exact moment in a way that might allow the audience to find some sympathy for her character, even under such violent circumstances. It seemed, as we wrote it, to be a very timeless situation, and also quite a relevant idea in today’s world.
We always saw this as less of a horror scene, and more of an empowering, heroic moment for Mrs. Maxwell, despite the bloodletting. In her world, it was her only choice. We realized that if we shot it from Maya’s perspective, we could challenge the audience to have both pity and disgust for her. Of course, at the end of the film, Mrs. Maxwell does pay a price, but what happens to Maya after her betrayal of Mrs. Maxwell is left unclear in the original short story. We devised a different resolution that evoked the twist endings we always enjoyed in our favorite tales of terror. In the final scene, karma will always come and get you in the end.
ANNA: Once we had a script, we immediately knew the visual aesthetic we wanted to create. We spent a lot of time discussing the set design and lighting. We wanted to create an experience that was not only believable but also immersive for our audience. Throughout our respective careers we have always worked as creatives in make up, costume design, art direction, visual effects etc. It was really easy to create the visual language for the film. We also brought in wonderful collaborators who brought other aspects of the film together – Joe Kramer who created our amazing soundtrack, Jay who did our sound design etc.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
LOU: We have been really thrilled. Our best hopes for the film’s reception have been realized so far. Most rewarding of all is that many reviews have completely embraced the little nods and winks to the kind of stories we have tried to show our love for.
ANNA: The feedback has been amazing – very, very positive. Audiences from both independent and genre film worlds have embraced the film wholeheartedly. It’s been so exciting to share the film with audiences of all ages and hear their comments. As filmmakers I feel we achieved what we set out to do – create a believable world.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
LOU: Without a shadow of a doubt! All feedback is useful, and welcome. When it is good, as it has been, its very satisfying to realize that everything we have tried to accomplish has struck some sort of chord with people. We know from first hand, that the horror movie community, is extremely knowledgeable, and smart. They know very well when something works, and when it doesn’t, and they know why. One thing that has been so surprising is that many people who have watched the film have shared their memories of enjoying exactly the sort of things that influenced Keep the Gaslight Burning after they watched the film.
Watching horror can be very personal, and most fans of the genre have fond memories of the thrill they experienced when they watched their favorite films in that genre. As a team, that is more than we imagined, and it has been a great side effect to be able to share more widely in that experience.
ANNA: From the outset we LOVED the story. We set out to make the film that we wanted to see. It has been gratifying to find that it is a story that also resonates with our audiences. More than anything the feedback has made us much more determined to follow our passion in creating a larger, intricate tale. Like many filmmakers, our biggest challenge is making this our full time gig!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
LOU: Every filmmaker wants their films to have an understanding between itself and its audience. To create discussion and interest in the stories that we as film makers have such an irresistible urge to tell. We want to continue to make films, and generate an audience for them, and that is what wearemovingstories, is all about.
ANNA: We would love to see our film find a wider audience. Whether through indie channels and mainstream broadcast – we just want to continue sharing it with a global audience.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
LOU: Despite the fact that we have already enjoyed long careers in the film industry in Makeup FX, this is the first movie we have made as storytellers, directors and producers, and we have so many stories we want to tell. In order to continue along this journey, and keep expanding the tools at our disposal, we need to attract all of the above (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists). In fact, we want to attract as many new collaborators who might wish to become part of this journey with us.
ANNA: All of the above! We would love to speak further to distributors and producers/broadcast commissioning editors. Gaslight is one story within a bigger anthology – without disclosing too much, we want to bring a larger creepier story to life. Our hope is that this film gives these folks a good sense of our artistic and creative abilities as visual storytellers but also as a dynamic producing team.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
LOU: We hope that people will see that we are filmmakers with a compulsive, heartfelt, love and passion for the whole creative process of making films and telling stories in a way consistent to our creative vision. More than that, we want the audience to leave the theater chatting excitedly about our film. Maybe one day, we would love it if a kid sneaks out of bed one night after their parents have gone to sleep, to watch our little ghost story.
ANNA: On seeing our film we would like our audiences to want to see more. A positive reception from a wider audience would allow us a platform from which we can create the other stories in the larger anthology.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
LOU: Great question! A key question would be, did Maya make up her mind to not ‘feed the Meter’ to kill the old lady and inherit the house, or was she just forgetful, and just decided to do nothing to help in the spur of the moment?
Would you like to add anything else?
LOU: We would just like to say that if you see our short film and enjoy what you saw, please spread the word about it any way you can. If you are an investor and want to see more - If you provide the pennies, we will keep the Gaslight Burning!
What other projects are the key creative’s developing or working on now?
LOU: Since completing KTGB, we have been working on our next short film, which will be a ‘thrill ride’ of, murder, magic, revenge, and illusion. It is called ‘Lucifer Dark’. Also, we have developed an idea to expand Keep the Gaslight Burning for television that will reveal secret histories that have been buried for generations. Dave and I are also excited to be writing and developing two full length feature film scripts that we intend to direct and co-produce. One explores the notion of mythology, and the other explores a famous local legend. Aside from that, Dave and I have been designing creatures for some high profile movies, and are currently working on a TV show that will showcase some amazing transformations.
ANNA: We have so many projects leaping around in the hopper! As individual filmmakers we all have our own personal projects we are exploring. For me, I am developing a historical TV drama set in Australia and Britain at the turn of the century. In addition to this, I have also been working on a fashion documentary about iconic Fashion editor Isabella Blow.
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
Keep the Gaslight Burning
There is nothing shameful in fear.
Length: 18 Minutes 35 Seconds
Director: Lou Elsey & Dave Elsey
Producer: Don Bies & Anna Bies
Writer: Dave Elsey
About the writer, director and producer:
LOU ELSEY is a special fx costume & hair designer who has worked for 28 years in the film industry. Now expanding upon those experiences by writing and directing.
DAVE ELSEY, an Oscar winning makeup fx designer, with over 30 years experience in the film industry working on many genre classics. He now writes and directs.
ANNA BIES began her career in Australian TV, then moved to the US working for Lucasfilm. She is currently working as a development producer.
DON BIES is a film industry veteran, working on some of the biggest blockbusters of the last thirty years, including the Star Wars prequels.
Key cast: Markie Post, Kate Armstrong Ross, Rick Baker
Looking for: producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Facebook: Keep the Gaslight Burning
Twitter: @GaslightGhost
Instagram: @KeeptheGaslightBurning
Made in association with: Igor Studios and White Room Entertainment
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
We will be showing at Lady Filmmakers Festival, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival and Women in Horror Film Festival.