We've covered a lot of amazing screenwriters in our talent to watch series. This time, we sit down with a young filmmaker who discusses his inspirations to produce quality content. This is apparent with his quality of work for companies like Disney Parks, TEDx and other brands that he has been putting out since he turned 13 years old.
What was your first introduction to horror?
I don’t remember ever not loving horror. At a young age after watching The Nightmare Before Christmas I became obsessed with halloween which led to my passion for the horror genre. I would spend hours at my local Blockbuster wandering up and down the aisles mesmerized by all the DVD covers in the horror movie section. But there was one in particular that always stood out and scared me the most: The image of a grungy rotting hand and foot laying on a white backdrop for the movie SAW. It took weeks and weeks of me begging to see it, but somehow I eventually convinced my parents to let me watch SAW when I was five years old. Needless to say it terrified and traumatized me. That was when my passion for horror really sparked. How did you get started in the industry? I started making movies when I was five years old. My first short was a stop motion animation using my Lego figures. I spent my childhood making YouTube videos starring my friends, family, and whoever I could convince to be a part of it. Then at age thirteen I became a signed commercial director making short films and spots for TEDx, Yowie Candy and other brands. My first professional job was writing and directing my short film Rocket Boy for Disney Parks which was screened in over 1,500 theaters nationwide before Disney major motion pictures. 
Wow. Congratulations. Thati s inspiring. How did you get noticed at that young of an age to be doing Rocket Boy for Disney Parks, spots for TEDx and the other brands?
I submitted my work to a production company that specialized in directors making commercials & content for teens, by teens. That is interesting. I didn't know that was even a thing. What keeps you interested in the genre? I love the horror genre and everything about it so much. Watching a horror film can be such a visceral and exciting experience. The genre is always reinventing itself and there are so many different talented filmmakers working hard to produce new stories and scares. What is it about the screenwriting and directing process that you enjoy most? I’ve always had a burning passion for films and filmmaking. I love the process of coming up with an idea on pen and paper and translating it to the screen, bringing my vision to life. Sometimes I’ll just get an image or an aesthetic for a film in my head before anything else. 
That is very exciting as a filmmaker. The opportunity to share an image that originated in your mind and place it on screen is a huge accomplishment. You're proving yourself to be able to make outstanding horror shorts. Can you give us an example of your initial idea with one of your films?
For Kissed, it was the image of a water logged rotting corpse laying on a grimey silver platter, as a hand slowly enters frame carefully applying a deep red lipstick to her lips. Then I went with it from there figuring out what the story would be leading up to that and the events taking place after. Writing and directing can be a very long and tedious process. It can also be a very magical and rewarding experience at the end of the day. That is why I love it so much. As a director what does your process look like when working on a project? I like to oversee every aspect of a project I’m working on. Meaning I usually not only write and direct the project, but I also am the producer and production designer. This is so I can do everything I can to articulate and execute my vision. It all starts with an idea and writing the script. Then I go with it from there breaking down and marking up the script with notes for direction. I figure out what needs to be done logistically in order to make the film happen and design the look and feel of the film. What are some of the most challenging things you typically have to face as a screenwriter, director and producer? The most challenging thing for me is time management and trying to outdo myself with each film. Since I like to be in so many different roles, there is so much work to be done both on set and leading up to a shoot. It's a challenge, but I’m always up for it. 
You had two shorts Kissed and Trick that were screened at HorrOrigins 2019. Why do you think it is important to filmmakers to screen at festivals?
I believe it's important for filmmakers to screen at film festivals for a number of reasons. It gives filmmakers the chance to have a theatrical experience screening their film on the big screen with an audience. Festivals are a great way to meet other collaborators, make connections, gain some traction and attention for your short film before publishing it online. Kissed was just released on Alter. It is a well-executed, great production value short with a very uncomfortable but satisfying ending. Can you tell us more about that and how it can be seen? Thank you! Kissed is about a coroner fixing up the new body in the morgue, but when he adds a few touches of his own, he suffers grave consequences. Kissed was the first short I made at film school when I was 18. My school has a morgue set, and I'd been dying to shoot on it ever since I started. I really just wanted to make something suspenseful and scary, utilizing what I had access to and the idea evolved from there. Since then, it has gone onto have a successful year long run on the festival circuit screening around the world at HorrOrigins, Shriekfest, Cine Gear, Salem Horror Fest, and many more. Almost two years after we made it, I'm so excited for Kissed to be having it's online premiere on Gunpowder & Sky's online horror platform ALTER. It released yesterday, July 6th! Check it out!
Kissed - Horror Short from Elwood Walker Presented by Alter.
What other projects are you currently working on? I recently finished up post-production on my newest short film The Rule Of Three, starring Hannah Barefoot from Shudder’s Creepshow series, which will be premiering on the festival circuit later this year. The short follows a woman haunted by her OCD and intrusive thoughts who must overcome herself and face her inner demons to survive the night in the event of a terrifying home invasion by three masked slashers. Congratulations! It sounds like an amazing short with amazing talent. What has been your favorite project to work on and why? Every short film I’ve made has been its own amazing experience. Shooting TRICK was so much fun because it really felt like it was Halloween for three days straight in the middle of March. My friends built a spectacular haunted house set all in their garage. My makeup fx team made these fantastic Ben Cooper vintage style masks for the trick or treaters, and we shot in a dark soundstage running around using a lit jack-o-lantern as our main source of light. If I had to choose one, my favorite project that I’ve worked on would have to be Kissed. It was one of those rare experiences that everything seemed to fall into place perfectly and I loved shooting on the morgue set, it was awesome. That short is so special to me because it was the one that really formed the relationship with my extraordinary crew of friends that I work with now. That is awesome. It sounds like the sets are a blast to be on. What are some other ways you are involved in the film community? I’m really involved in the community, I love attending all the different horror conventions and events in Los Angeles! Aside from filmmaking, I do photography in horror themed art shows at The Mystic Museum. I also work closely with a number of small horror businesses all run by my friends like Little Shop Of Gore, Murder House Productions, and most recently Slashback Video, creating teasers and short films for them.
That is great. It really sounds like you do the networking and collaborating piece very well. What is your favorite classic horror movie?
This is always such a tough question for me since I have so many! But I’m gonna have to go with John Carpenter’s Halloween. Everything from the amazing poster design, the incredible synth score and the nail biting tension throughout the film is, and will forever be, so iconic. What movies & filmmakers give you the most inspiration? I’m a huge horror fan, I could go on and on. I’m inspired by filmmakers like Leigh Whannell, Wes Craven, Mike Flanagan, John Carpenter, and many more. I really love anything that puts you on the edge of your seat. I’m very inspired by both 80’s and modern horror. I try to keep a foot in both of those directions when making a film. I love wildly stylistic characters, makeup fx that still deliver tension and scares working together, sort of like a haunted house attraction. Those are all masters of the craft. What is something in everyday life that scares you? Social interactions---like ordering food at a restaurant. Or even worse: having to speak up if they get it wrong. Oh and the CATS movie. Haha. I can understand all of that, although I haven’t watched nor do I want to watch CATS. What is your dream project? Right now my dream project is to make my first feature film. I have a couple different ideas. I’d love to make a full feature length version of Trick, expanding the story as we follow the group of teenagers on Halloween summoning the spirits of the dead trick or treaters in their small amblinesque town. Or the feature version of The Rule Of Three as we follow Aly in her fight for survival against her mental illness and the three malevolent forces that terrorize her in the night.
We’d love to see those come true. We know you have the talent to do it also and we’ll be watching your journey as you continue in the film world. Would you want to share any social media or website plugs?
You can follow me on Instagram: @elwoodw or my website: https://www.elwoodqwalker.com. Follow HorrOrigins Social Media Pages
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