Stop-Motion Horror Short Film DEMONS IN THE CLOSET and Interview with Director James Smith

This week, our short film from FilmQuest Film Festival and GeekTyrant is a stop-motion horror film. Demons in the Cloestwhich comes from writer and director James Smith.

Demons in the closet tells the bloody and violent story of a “resident who encounters frightening demons from another realm in his closet.”

We share these short films with you to promote the officially selected films of FilmQuest filmmakers and their work.

Check out the interview and the short film and tell us what you think!

Without spoiling, tell us what your film is about, its characters and its themes. Is this a proof of concept or a standalone story?

The film is a stop-motion animated short about a resident challenged by demons from another realm in his closet. It’s a horror film with lots of action sequences.

What was the inspiration for your film? How did you come up with the idea?

I was inspired by body horror cinema from the 80s. I really love all the practical effects used in that era and the aesthetic of those effects. I wanted to make a horror film about the body, but doing it like a stop-motion plasticine. The idea came to me a bit randomly, basically I wanted to focus on the bond between a human and his faithful dog but in a horror setting where the protagonists face demons in his closet.

Tell us about you. What is your background ? How long have you been a filmmaker?

I am a self-taught filmmaker from Germany. I started working in cinema at a very young age, for over a decade now. I am now 28 years old and have always been passionate about stop-motion animated films. Stop-motion and narrative films are my passion and I plan to create more!

What inspires you to work in genre cinema and tell these kinds of stories?

I was especially inspired by body horror cinema from the 80s. It was especially films like John Carpenters the Thing or Videodrome that inspired me as a filmmaker. I also draw inspiration from everyday life and try to use horror to construct a stop motion narrative story.

What was your favorite part of the filmmaking process for this project?

My favorite part is always the writing process as well as finding a way to make that story happen within the confines of stop motion.

What are you most proud of about this film?

I’m really proud of the action effects and happy that the story with the dog and the human fits into this story. Ask the dog to help the human get out of the demon realm.

What is a favorite story or moment from the making of the film that you would like to share?

What was the most difficult moment or experience you had while filming your film?

The hardest part was working with clay and not damaging the figures because clay can easily take different shapes. I had to be very careful to animate the scenes as cleanly as possible despite the fact that there were a lot of practical and complicated scenes. Telling this story in about a minute is also a real challenge, making it compelling and cool.

If so, how did your film change or differ from its original concept during pre-production, production and/or post-production? How has this changed the way you approach future projects?

Who were your collaborators and actors on the film? How did you start working together?

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a filmmaker and what would you like to say to new filmmakers?

The best advice I received was to find a creative way around any obstacles a film production might encounter.

What are your plans for your career and what do you hope this film brings to your career? What kind of stories would you like to tell in the future?

I would love to finally direct my own live-action feature film, although it would be a big challenge in terms of planning and financing, but we’ll see what happens. I also want to create more stop motion short films, as I really enjoy making animated short films.

What is your next project and when can we expect to see it?

My next project would be another stop-motion short film. I have the basic idea ready but I need to refine it a little more and plan the scenes. I hope to achieve this soon. The feature film would also be on my list, but I can’t really put a date because it’s quite complicated to organize, I hope it works.

Where can we find more of your work and where can interested people contact you?

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SplitterShot/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/splittershot/

What is your favorite movie of all time?

Wow, that’s tough, there are so many good movies. I think of Princess Mononoke and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. But I also consider Edgar Wright’s No Country for Old Men and Hot Fuzz to be some of my favorite films.