Starring Kate Soulsby | Producer/Writer/Director: James Mansell | Executive Producer: Rhiannon Price | Director of Photography: Anneka Saunders | Editor/Colourist: Slava Kireyev | Music: Oliver Drake | Sound Design: Anthony Lynch
This halloween, fill your jack-o-lantern with tiny morsels of macabre fun - short horror movies. We’re delighted to return to our Short of the Week series with James Mansell’s Ruptured - a film that screened at our open mic, advanced to our film festival, and won the 2020 award for Best Horror Short and Best Sound Design. As a prize this film was awarded a distribution deal with Fun Size Horror who have just released another terrifying anthology of independent horror shorts - Shocktale Party 2.
If you liked Ruptured, why not check out other great indie horror shorts?
We recently caught up with writer/director James Mansell for an interview to ask about his experience making the film and the journey of success he’s had with it in getting in to audience both in the festival circuit and online distribution.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I'm a British director working across short film and branded content. I started out working as a runner and PA on just about anything I could get to. I was a PA on The Ultimate Fighter for FOX one day, and the next I was a zombie on a short film. Then I worked for 5 years at a camera and lighting rental facilities company and worked up to becoming a camera assistant and operator on UK broadcast television shows such as The Great British Bake Off and Made In Chelsea. I moved from this into directing for brands like HSBC, Levi's and Nissan. I've written and directed a series of short horror films which have played festivals around the world and are available on various streaming platforms.
What was your inspiration behind Ruptured?
I knew I wanted to do something about technology and the evils of it, and landed on the idea of an AI creating something which the human race would willingly endanger themselves with as a result of our unquestionable faith in technology and just about everything. I was walking to work one day and passed a stand outside the underground giving out free snacks. The brand was totally new and I wondered whether anyone checks the validity of said brand and asks whether it's actually safe... and no one does! I took that idea as far as I could go and made it into earbuds instead of snacks, and I had the idea for Ruptured.
Any micro-budget hacks or tips for making a short horror film?
My advice for making a short horror film is to keep it VERY simple and VERY short. I haven't always heeded this advice, but when I have, I've made what I think is my best work. A short horror film completely relies on the audience being on the edge of their seat and totally invested in the film and the world you've created, and to keep that going during a long, complicated idea is difficult. As soon as the audience checks out or gets distracted, the tension is gone. The best horror shorts are a few minutes and revolve around a central idea which is the thing that is scary. They're just like jokes - set up and pay off. No one likes a long, complicated joke!
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
My process for getting Ruptured and any of my films out to audiences is in two parts. Firstly, I push the film to festivals which I think would be interested in featuring the film and those I have a relationship with already, and embark on a festival run. This can open doors, such as The People's Film Festival did, and they sometimes don't, which is totally fine. You have to try and see what's out there. Another really important reason for doing this is you're selling yourself as well as the film, as they come as a package. You get to stand up and promote yourself which is so important. The second part is finding it a home online where it'll pick up as much traffic as possible. I have films on platforms like CryptTV and DUST which have amazing audiences, and other films stay on my own channel which naturally doesn't get as much traffic. Really depends on the quality of the film! I was lucky enough to get Ruptured on DUST who have been brilliant and really helped getting it in front of an audience.
There are numerous festivals which have been great to me. I've been to The British Horror Film Festival many times with my films, as well as the amazing Discover.film who have found opportunities for me beyond the festival. That's what you really want to find, partners who go beyond the actual festival screening and explore distribution with you and your film. I always take my films to Kino London because they're such great people and it's a perfect opportunity to see your film in front of an audience. Ruptured went all the way into The People's Film Festival and won best horror short which was incredible. As result of that, I spoke with the guys at Fun Size Horror who got me involved with their Shocktale Party show on Amazon Prime and featured not only Ruptured, but my earlier films, The Unsettling and NightmARes. That's the best type of festival, where they become a partner with you and together you pursue opportunities.
Congrats on your film being included as part of Fun Size Horror's Shocktale Party! What are your thoughts about the FSH platform?
I've known about Fun Size Horror for a little while and have had my work up on their site in the past. I think they're brilliant and very supportive of filmmakers in the horror genre. I'm very excited to work with them in the future on new projects. Shocktale Party is a lot of fun and I feel very lucky to have been a part of season 2. I encourage all filmmakers and fans of horror to check them out!
Ruptured is just a small (but amazing) taste of what you can expect from the delightfully wicked anthology of independent short horror films - Fun Size Horror’s Shocktale Party. Watch the full collection of mini frights on Amazon Prime.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?