This episode, the boys welcome back Ama Lea and introduce her partner, Brandon Scullion. We discuss the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards directed by Ama and edited by Brandon, upcoming projects including Brandon's next feature The New Hands and Ama's shorts, filmmaking as a couple, and what fashion designs from Poltergeists and Paramours go viral.
Don't forget to check out and buy "Fight Like A Final Girl" T-Shirt from Poltergeists and Paramours to support various organizations in response to Roe V. Wade being overturned.
https://poltergeistsandparamours.com/collections/fight-like-a-final-girl
https://linktr.ee/EyeOnHorror
Follow us on the socials: @EyeOnHorror or check out https://linktr.ee/EyeOnHorror
Get more horror movie news at: https://ihorror.com
This episode, the boys welcome back Ama Lea and introduce her partner, Brandon Scullion. We discuss the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards directed by Ama and edited by Brandon, upcoming projects including Brandon's next feature The New Hands and Ama's shorts, filmmaking as a couple, and what fashion designs from Poltergeists and Paramours go viral.
Don't forget to check out and buy "Fight Like A Final Girl" T-Shirt from Poltergeists and Paramours to support various organizations in response to Roe V. Wade being overturned.
https://poltergeistsandparamours.com/collections/fight-like-a-final-girl
https://linktr.ee/EyeOnHorror
Follow us on the socials: @EyeOnHorror or check out https://linktr.ee/EyeOnHorror
Get more horror movie news at: https://ihorror.com
This episode of Eye On Horror was recorded just before the devastating Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade was handed down this week's guest, Ama Lea has created a collection of 13 "Fight Like a Final Girl" shirts with proceeds going to abortion and women's health charities all over the country. If this cause means as much to you as it does to us, head on over to Poltergeist and Paramours's check out the line and pick up a shirt or 13 Okay, enough with the liberal grifting on with the episode hit it Welcome to Eye On Horror the official podcast of ihorror.com This is episode 89 Otherwise known as season five episode 11. I'm your host James Jay Edwards and with me as always is your other host Jacob Davison. How you doing Jacob?
Jacob Davidson:Doing good. A little tired. I was out all night at the Child's Play marathon at the new Beverly
James Jay Edwards:they don't call it a Chucky THON. Or well Chucky THON Child's
Jacob Davidson:Play marathon you know it's weird what the title is kind of like they went from Friday 13th to like Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X
James Jay Edwards:also with us as always is your other other host Jon Correia How you doing Correia?
Jonathan Correia:Dude? All right, you know just tired*mumbles* up late. Like a degen.
James Jay Edwards:and we're recording later today than we usually do. We're just beat.
Jonathan Correia:I know. We were you said we're going to record a little later. So you get some sleep do bright eyed bushy tailed and then we were degenerates and we're up late. Yeah,
Jacob Davidson:party animals. I can't help it.
James Jay Edwards:We can stay up late because we're recording late. Also, we've got with us a special guest more than a guest a friend of the podcast at this point. Welcome back. Ama Lea Hi, Ama.
Ama Lea:Hey Guys, it's good to be back.
James Jay Edwards:And don't answer yet because we also have another special guest Ama's partner Brandon Scullion and other filmmaker and just all around everything person. How are you doing? Brandon?
Brandon Scullion:I'm doing great. A little bit tired like everybody else.
Jacob Davidson:Well, we can be tired together. This is the tire. Now. Yeah,
James Jay Edwards:it's Sunday morning. You're supposed to
Jacob Davidson:be tired. And Father's Day.
James Jay Edwards:And Juneteenth. What are we doing recording today? We're bringing AMA and Brandon in at the beginning here because we've got a lot we want to talk to them about. And also, there's not really that much going on that we have seen. I think Jacob probably did the most with his Chucky THON.
Jacob Davidson:Yep. And I'll also I saw Paddington and Paddington 2.
Jonathan Correia:That's such a great double feature.
Jacob Davidson:It was I cried both times.
James Jay Edwards:They greenlit Paddington three. Yes, they did. Yeah. So very excited for that. They can make as many Paddington movies as they want. Those movies are awesome.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, no, I say keep it going. I love that bear now.
Jonathan Correia:How could you not? I mean, he's just he's so adorable.
Jacob Davidson:He's just a little guy. Just trying to get a roof over his head.
James Jay Edwards:You guys seen the colorization of of The Lighthouse where Robert Pattinson is dressed like. He's like, Oh, this is what it looks like in color. And he's his closure, Paddington. Pretty similar styles.
Jonathan Correia:And then there's that Twitter account where they keep putting Paddington in different movie scenes. Yeah, the
Jacob Davidson:last one was RRR with Paddington and the two leads just hanging out.
James Jay Edwards:Let's start off with a question. I'd like to ask all guests and amaz already taken this so she gets a pass. But Brandon, what attracted you to horror? What was your gateway into horror?
Brandon Scullion:Oh, wow. Well, I mean, it wasn't just one gateway. There were many gateways when I was a kid. I mean, the first thing that popped into my head right now was the movie From Dusk Til Dawn, I saw that when I was in fourth grade. I watched it by myself. My mom, let me watch it by myself. She rented it for me from blockbuster. But um, I mean, it was all kinds of things. It was, you know, The Real Ghostbusters animated show when I was a really young kid, it was reading Goosebumps. Like, I think it's the case for a lot of young people. But there are many gateways, essentially,
Jonathan Correia:From Dusk till Dawn, she must have only watched like the first half.
Brandon Scullion:Once both halves I remember I was in third grade, I had a friend who just he saw this third grader saw it and he told me about it. And I was I was obsessed with this idea of this movie about these vampires in a bar and I I was obsessed with the movie before I even saw it. And it was when I saw it. I was like, I was that was one movie that actually lived up to all of my dreams and ideas, From Dusk Till Dawn. Yeah,
James Jay Edwards:it that's one of those movies If you know nothing about it going in, right about halfway through, it just takes a left turn. You're like, oh, wait, what? Did I walk out? And you know, come back.
Brandon Scullion:Masterpiece,
Ama Lea:From Dusk till Dawn is always like my sick day movie. Like, when I'm not feeling good or I'm in like a bad mood or something. It's always like a comfort movie.
Jonathan Correia:But what about the sequels? Anyone got love for two or three?
Jacob Davidson:I mean, Hankgman's Daughter's has his moments. Don't remember too much about two. What was it Texas Blood Money.
Brandon Scullion:Yeah, that wouldn't had Robert Patrick and right. He was Yeah.
Jacob Davidson:And Bruce Campbell.
Brandon Scullion:Yes. For one scene one.
Ama Lea:I love Scott Spiegel. I think he's a wonderful human. And that's all I have to say about those movies.
Jonathan Correia:I remember having a lot of fun with three because it played out very similarly. Only it wasn't Western for like it
Jacob Davidson:was a period film for demos like the 1800s.
Brandon Scullion:Yeah, if you guys haven't checked it out, there's also a really amazing documentary about the the original film the production article, Full Tilt Boogie, feature length documentary, super awesome. All kinds of cool BTS.
Jacob Davidson:And so Brandon, what? How did you start making your own horror like to do? Did you make short films? Or Did did you? What did you do?
Brandon Scullion:Yeah, you know, I think, which is the case for a lot of people. I my mom had a camcorder when I was a kid and I, I fell in love with hits in third grade again, I remember, our teacher made a class movie with all the students. And it took place in space, it was like Apollo 11 and a half or something. And we shot it all to class, I have the VHS tape somewhere, but I remember it was then I sort of fell in love with like storytelling and, and filming. And I remember from a very early age, you know, setting up my action figures and making little plays and videos with my action figures. And that basically evolved into you know, high school actually making or attempting to make films, they're really terrible. But um, you know, making lots of films in high school and, of course, going to film school, and it just sort of spiraled and grew from there. And now I'm the best filmmaker ever.
James Jay Edwards:That's actually a really cool teacher that to do that project. That's like, I mean, that's like a actual practical pride. That's not just teaching you math that you're never going to know again. I mean, you're, you're opening minds. That's a cool feature we had when I was in elementary school, we had a program called video. And that's what it's called video. And basically, there was like a little TV station in the school. And you could go there, and you would always do a newscast. And there and you would draw what you wanted to be like talent camera. And I always was the Technical Director, the guy who did all the switching and cutting and stuff. So when I finally did get to to film school, and sat down at one of those consoles, I was like, I know how to do this. You're, it's it's like so weird, because that's, it doesn't really change, the technology changes. But you're like, I know how to do this. You know, it's funny what sticks with you from elementary school, because like you said, you know, this was probably a throwaway project for a lot of kids, but you're like, Oh, this is it!
Brandon Scullion:Oh, it was it was yeah, I remember. Like, I remember when we had this, like little premiere in the classroom and every, you know, seeing everything come together, it just blew my mind. and I are, you know, the teacher and he used an old school filmmaker, he did you know, he would edit through two VCRs. And I was just blown away by what he could do. We built all these sets, we built like little spaceships in the classroom that the students sat in. And it was really amazing. You know, what a bunch of third graders would pull off
James Jay Edwards:was the teacher, a filmmaker himself, you know, I
Brandon Scullion:really don't know. I know that he that wasn't his first, you know, that. That wasn't the first class project they had done. So I don't know if it was some sort of, like passion he had when he was younger. And, you know, he had to settle for being a teacher and, you know, live vicariously through students or whatever. But um, I was definitely a, there was a great love of cinema in third grade, that's for sure.
James Jay Edwards:It sounds like one of those School of Rock deals where like, you know, he wants to make movies so he uses his students so he
Brandon Scullion:gets I think that was exactly it.
James Jay Edwards:Hey, you get your crews where you can find him.
Brandon Scullion:His name was Mike Smith. Doris Fringe Elementary in Las Vegas, Nevada. I don't know where he is no idea. Mike Smith. Good luck finding that guy.
James Jay Edwards:I think he's playing goalie for the Edmonton Oilers now. I mean, because there's probably only one Mike Smith. Right.
Brandon Scullion:Right. Exactly. Not super generic name at all.
Jonathan Correia:And now you have I'm looking over your guys's IMDb so in third grade you made this little short with your class and now you have 45 directed titles across from like features and shorts and you got a new one coming out called New Hands. You want to tell us a little bit about that
Brandon Scullion:movie. Sure. New hands is a feature film that's coming out later this year through Indican Releasing. It's a story of a guy who gets in an accident at work, basically, where his hands get damaged in some sort of freak accident, but in his life, his hands are everything. It's, it's everything to him. So when he loses his hands, you know, he's sort of having to go through a great life change. And, you know, that just happens to include a little bit of murder. Why not? But yeah, The New Hands. It started as a short film, actually, that I shot with Liesl Hanson, back in 2017, I think. And it sort of grew from there. And yes, it's a, it's been a long journey, but super excited for people to see it's my fun little horror films. Excited to start on a new one after that,
Jacob Davidson:and you said it was going to get a physical media release?
Brandon Scullion:Right. I don't have too much too many details on that right now. It's all still being worked on. And we're still sort of in the middle of delivering the film. But yeah, it's gonna have a physical release and streaming release sometime later this year, or early next year.
Jacob Davidson:Cool. Cool. And the especially because, you know, just it feels like it's harder these days for movies to get physical releases. Especially Yeah, streaming too.
Brandon Scullion:Well, that was one of the big things for me. I you know, I I have a love and hate relationship between physical media. I love having everything catalog, but I hate things that take up space. So I think when it comes to my own stuff, I always, you know, of course, I want a DVD or a Blu ray release. It's such a magical feeling. And I'll never forget my going to Dark Dells in Burbank to buy my first movie, he stalked it. I don't know, Dell, I don't know him at all. Really. I'm just Rihanna. But I buy my first movie had come out on DVD and I was calling around LA just like to see if anybody had stocked it. And I called Dark Dell. And he was like, Yeah, we thought it come on down. So I, I got my roommate, Cory and my or my camcorder, and I made him film me buying my own movie at Dark Dells. But that's there's there was nothing like that. It was a really cool feeling. So yeah, it's a it's a blessing and an honor to get another one.
Jacob Davidson:Nice. So that was a great Dark Dell impression. Was it accurate?
James Jay Edwards:My issue with physical media is you have to get up off the couch to change it or put it in my I mean, if I own a Blu Ray, but it's still streaming somewhere, I just pick up the remote and find it.
Brandon Scullion:We're always like, we don't want to go get the blu ray, this is this was find it on HBO or something?
James Jay Edwards:How did you go about fleshing out a short film to a feature? I mean, what's environment? Obviously, you don't want to just pad the running time. What was that experience like?
Brandon Scullion:Well, it was it was easy. I remember at the time, you know, it was a story that had been with me for a very long time. I had made the short film and I was sort of in the lurch of where I wanted to go with my next thing. And I was like, Well, you've got this kind of cool idea with The New Hands. So I remember sitting down over weekend and putting on a bunch of old silent horror films. And that's I, I sat down and I was watching those and I, I plotted out the whole thing over one or two weekends. And yeah, it was sort of like finding little nuggets of ideas from the short film and, and seeing what was what could be expanded upon what was worth expanding on what was interesting. Which, you know, it's tricky, you know, you're like you said, you don't want to just pat out the time, you want to keep the audience interested. So hopefully, I was able to do that. But it was really, you know, it was, for me, it was a quick process quicker than it normally goes. I, I spent about two weekends. You know, I work during the week. So I usually save all the cool, fun work for the weekend. So I wrote it over two weekends. And then I'm sorry, I beat it out over two weakends the story. And then over the next couple of weekends, I ended up writing the whole script. And it really didn't evolve once I made that whole version. The script didn't really change that much. I think I ironed out all the kinks in the sort of planning stages for it, which which really helped because it was a project that I wanted to get into quickly. I didn't want to rush into it. But I needed I needed something. And that was what was sort of driving me at the time.
James Jay Edwards:What's the runtime on the feature?
Brandon Scullion:I think the final runtime is around 84-85 minutes.
James Jay Edwards:How long was the was the short that you fleshed out?
Brandon Scullion:Oh, gosh. Shorter than 10 minutes, much shorter than 10 minutes. I think it was around seven or eight minutes. Maybe less than that.
James Jay Edwards:I was just wondering how you know what, how long? I mean? 84 minutes? 85 minutes? That is the sweet spot for me. Yeah, I mean, I there's nothing I love more than seeing a sub 90 minute movie. I'm like, yes.
Jacob Davidson:That's a rarity these days. And Brandon. I did also want to ask in regards to the story. Because there have been a lot of horror movies revolving around, particularly hands and limbs over the years. And why do you think That is and what was your own approach to the subject?
Brandon Scullion:Wow. Well, I think you know, it hands I think I kind of go into in the film if you guys haven't seen it, obviously, but the hand our hands are what make us different from pretty much every animal on the planet, we were the only ones who have opposable thumbs, they make us basically the apex predator, and we can create art because of our hands. We, we create everything because of our hands. So that was sort of the the approach that I took a sort of reverence and respect for hands if, if you can imagine, and trying to find the horror of, you know, the horror in having, you know, these things that are, you know, quote, unquote, a perfect creation for man, having this thing be spoiled and having to replace them or, you know, this thing that you thought was once pure and perfect, and now it's decaying. That sort of appealed to me that was sort of the horror aspect of it. For me the sort of awfulness of having something you love destroyed?
Jacob Davidson:It makes sense. And who knows, it could be the biggest hand movie since Manos The Hands Of Fate.
James Jay Edwards:let you forget about Idle Hands. Oh, no.
Jacob Davidson:Can't forget about idle hands.
Brandon Scullion:Are you not a fan?
Jonathan Correia:No, I love idle hands.
James Jay Edwards:Huge fan.
Jonathan Correia:It's it's one of those. I don't smoke weed, but I love stoner comedies and idle hands. It's like one of my all time favorites.
Brandon Scullion:So yeah, hell yeah.
Jonathan Correia:How could you not now um, you guys. Ama you directed and branding you edited on the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, which, you know, was few weeks ago, but we wanted to talk about that again, because you guys did a fucking awesome job with
Ama Lea:Thank you.
Jonathan Correia:Not only was a great seeing, you know, great pieces of work get recognized. But you guys really win at the heart of, you know, monster kids and the origins of everyone's love for horror. Tell us a little bit about that. What was what was the process of a getting this all together? Because, you know, still pandemic and getting everyone in and stuff? What were some of the big challenges with getting so many people on?
Ama Lea:Um, it was, it was crazy. It was so fast. When Vainglory asked me if I would direct it, they, they initially really wanted to do like a live event show. But then with COVID, and all of the things surrounding that it just logistically wasn't possible. But we built a set on a soundstage here in Burbank at Wolfpack Studios. And I sort of like coordinated all of the presenters for all one day, we just shot them back to back. And as you and Jacob were actually there for one day of shooting, and, you know, we shot the the audience separately. So we try to keep people, you know, as safe and separate as possible COVID tests everywhere. It was it was a lot for a short amount of time.
Brandon Scullion:It really cannot be understated the amount of work that Ama Lea Did she just as somebody who was like observing what the role I had to play in the Fangoria awards was, like 5% compared to Ama's, like 95%, I, I was only serving a vision here watching ama plan and coordinate everything, it made my head spin and it was, it was so much to take on and I as always, I'm in awe of Ama, you know, watching what she can do and how she can make things happen. It's incredible. And I can't even just begin to tell you how, how much of that show was her and how much of it how much heart you know, she put into it. I'm, I'm not trying to talk for you. But just just as a person who was you know, the person who was serving the her vision it was it was incredible to watch. She had such a strong vision and such a strong idea of what she wanted. It was to edit the show, it was easy on my part. It was it was it was like a dream because she assembled such a great show.
James Jay Edwards:What was it like trying to schedule all the presenters for it? You said you did that on a different day? Was that a challenge? Because everybody's so busy or Yeah,
Ama Lea:it was I mean, the amount of time so like the Mize had we had in general was so short because we had to wait for the winners to be announced. Will or like tallied up the voting to close. So I had to make sure that I was hopefully not scheduling anyone who was going to win an award as a presenter. And there's a lot of people that I had asked that couldn't do it and like you know, it was it was a lot of like, you know, begging and asking for favorites. Like, can you just come for like 10 minutes? We'll get you in and out. I promise.
Jonathan Correia:Some of the presenters, they definitely did not just do 10 minutes because some of the makeup was incredible. The Boulets and Darcy were just like, on point, Darcy's eye makeup
Ama Lea:was so cool.
Jonathan Correia:Get outta here. That was incredible. What about all the web interviews? Did you schedule those in one day as well? Or
Ama Lea:the all the like the winners?
Brandon Scullion:acceptance speeches,
Jonathan Correia:acceptance speeches, in the Zoom interviews?
Ama Lea:Yeah. So I, as I said, we had such a short amount of time with the winners that we had, like a day's notice of like, who was willing to actually filming the show. And so, you know, me and Phil Noble got on the horn is we're anyone local, we're just like, hey, can you come in and, you know, accept your award? A few people could, most people couldn't. So then it was just making sure like, we can logistically get the trophies there in time. And then, you know, get people to film something. And nobody knew how to put them together, right? Because the chainsaws come in pieces.
Brandon Scullion:And just just to piggyback off that there was a really funny one where Edgar Wright made a really funny acceptance speech he won for Last Night in SoHo he put together a really funny acceptance speech, but he didn't assemble the trophy right. So Fangoria and AMA, they went out and they're like, Hey, can you guys make another acceptance video? And put it together? Right? And and Edgar Wright, like, so cool. He actually made another acceptance video. And then I don't know, somebody had decided it was funny, or, you know, a symbol incorrectly. So we got Edgar Wright fucking cool guy had the right to make us another video. We ended up going with the first one.
Jacob Davidson:I was gonna ask, like, for the writing of the show you, you done shorts and movies. But what was it like to write an award show?
Ama Lea:Michael Michael Verratti wrote the show. Oh. But I think I guess my involvement on that was, I knew I didn't want to just give famous people shiny things. And I really wanted like, a thematic element. And I was like, I really wanted it to be about like, everyone's horror origins, like, the things that drew us all to horror as kids like, and then from that, what jobs we all worked as, you know, teenagers, and now even, that took us from like, I love watching movies that my parents don't know, I'm watching to, I worked at a video store or a movie theater, just so I could get free movies. And then to like, you know, people working in an industry and making their own movies now. I really wanted it to be a celebration of that more than just, this is the best movie of the year best this or is that so?
Jacob Davidson:Oh, yeah. No, I love the opening montage with everybody talking about kind of their Kinder trauma. Yeah. It's very relatable in this community.
James Jay Edwards:When it comes to presenters and you know, guests and stuff like that, how did you decide who to approach or did Fangoria help you out with that? I mean, were the people that you know and you've worked with before, or did you just cold call people?
Ama Lea:I think I think that's one of the reasons why ping Borja hired me is to say I worked with most of these people like as a photographer over the years. Because, you know, I've been a photographer for Fangoria for I don't know my God 12 years now. So I've I've worked with a lot of those people. I think the only the ones that I didn't know that I was like really nervous about was Joe Dante. I was like, emailing him. I was like Mr. Dante, I would very much like you to come be part of this. I was so nervous. He's like, Yeah, sure. I'm there.
Brandon Scullion:He was super cool. Joe on set.
Ama Lea:I was he was the one I was most nervous for.
James Jay Edwards:That's funny, because you would think that you would drop Fangoria his name to get people to come. But it turns out they're using you because of the people you it's the opposite of
Unknown:you know, since since I started it Fangoria has had like three or four different owners. So ah, and the people running it now are awesome, but they're still you know, it's still new. It's in their first or second year of of ownership. And I think they're still you know, getting those that Rolodex filled up again.
James Jay Edwards:Are you the senior employee out there now?
Ama Lea:No, no. I feel like there's a lot of writers and contributors that could say that at this point, but no, I'm still I still freelance for them. But I think I love the people that work there. I love Fail. I love Angel. They're awesome.
Jonathan Correia:Then your covers are always really great. I still got the subscriber variant for the werewolf issue. Oh, it was in the dark. Yeah, that was such a cool cover and how you guys had the American Werewolf from London. Werewolf on it too. So cool.
Ama Lea:We actually tried to get some some gnarly Gore from the from the movie, but we couldn't get it out here in time. So Phil was like, well, it's going to be a werewolf issue anyway. And we went to Magnus effects McGee effects, I guess was called. Anyway, it's it's the guy who does a lot of the effects work for universal for horror nights. And his shop is like, literally like this amazing museum to like creatures. And he just like had the full size werewolf and brought it out for us to shoot with. was so cool.
Jonathan Correia:I always love the stories of Yeah, and they just had this whole you know, the full on werewolf just in the back, you know, and
Ama Lea:they have they have like, everything like full monsters, like tons of them in the shop. Like it was a way. I'm sure you know, everyone here has been to an effects shop and can tell you usually they're like, dusty and messy and full of plaster and this and this and this. This one was like, nice. Like, you know, it was, it was so cool to be there. It really felt like going out to like a horror museum or something that set up for like Monster palooza.
Jonathan Correia:Oh, that's awesome.
Ama Lea:It was awesome.
Jacob Davidson:And in terms of projects, I also, were in the same film collective Just Scare Me. I've mentioned on the show before, you know, filmmakers have a couple of months to make a short and bofi. Both of you have submitted some very interesting projects over the past several months. So I wanted to ask you a bit more about that. And kind of what goes into your process. And I also want to say looking forward to next week.
Brandon Scullion:Oh, yeah, must do. Definitely.
Ama Lea:New shorts for everybody
Brandon Scullion:Well, I mean, the group for me is has been super incredible. I don't know if you want me to just talk about a little bit. But yeah, ama had known buzz Wallach, and several of these filmmakers, and they started this group Just Scare Me. And it's been for me a really, I wouldn't say I wouldn't say life changing, but it's definitely something that reinvigorated my love of being creative and storytelling.
Ama Lea:Yeah, for me, it's sort of it's been, it's been really instrumental in me as a filmmaker, sort of, when I started with a group and Buzz started it in like 2019. And it asked me to do it, I had never shot anything without the crew, I'd never, you know, been my own camera person or my own, you know, DP or had, you know, really, I'd really dependent on other people. And I felt my worth as a filmmaker was only in the crew that I could get. And so it's really taught me how to do not only like learn how to do everything myself, but also given me the confidence to know that I can. And I think that's been huge in my career and moving forward. You know, it's made me feel like a way better filmmaker.
James Jay Edwards:It also helps you communicate better when you are working with a crew. That's one thing in film school, I tried to get my hands on as many different jobs as possible, because it always helps to be able to talk to a DP, like a DP, you know, as a director or something. Yeah, so that it's good stuff to know.
Ama Lea:It is it's, uh, you know, I went to I have a master's degree in photography, not film. So it's always sort of felt like a learning curve to me in some way. But I think that it's something that I'm so thankful for the experience of doing it and you know, moving forward I feel like Brandon and I have really become this like two man band where we do everything on each other's projects, and it's made us both a lot stronger as filmmakers
Jacob Davidson:I can definitely see that especially having watched your collective works the past several months. Well, thank you.
Jonathan Correia:It's always great having a go to partner in crime especially one who can kind of take up the reins on ask different aspects they you know, you might not be so great at like, my team. We're very much so that I'm a terrible editor. I don't know computers. Well, Jay can attest to this every time we record an episode. I'm usually the one that messes up my settings.
Ama Lea:I'm the same I'm the same i Anything, anything with a computer forget about it. I hate it. I suck at it I had a temper tantrum about my headphones this morning.
Jonathan Correia:If we need to print something No, no.
Brandon Scullion:No you know an AMA does she does have the printer actually she she did she did set up the printer.
Jonathan Correia:Ah, see you got me super beat there. I'm the one who's cursing like why are we making 3d printers when we can't even get 2d printers? Right?
Ama Lea:I sympathize with that. 100% Like, I am not a technical wizard by any means.
James Jay Edwards:Correia once sent me an audio file and it was blank. And then he sent me a screenshot of what it was so what am I doing wrong? Oh my god. Well, the volume was down when you saved it because I'm actually a sound guy. That's what I do mostly. So I mean it. I mean, I guess if there's one thing for him to mess up with us, it's going to be something like that. Because I can tell right away I'm like, Oh, here's your issue.
Brandon Scullion:Sound is so critical man. God bless you sound is in my opinion, the most important job on site is getting good sound. Everything else is easy. As far as I concerned.
James Jay Edwards:We had a saying in film school sound is half your movie. Completely agree.
Ama Lea:Yep. In just scared me. We have a saying called Fuck sound. Not all of us Believe that
James Jay Edwards:Just ADR it all? Yeah.
Ama Lea:We have
Brandon Scullion:some time. We have done that. And it works. So it worked for Anna's last film that was sort of the silent.
Ama Lea:Oh, no. Remember our first short film we ever directed together and the sound didn't work at all.
Brandon Scullion:Which one? That Oh, fun size Treat. Yes. Okay. Yeah.
Ama Lea:Oh we had to ADR the whole thing
Brandon Scullion:Like 10 months into our relationship we'd already like started directing stuff together and we did like this Halloween film together. A totally guerilla style. We shot in front of some randos house in Burbank, like they have no idea will short film was shot in front of their house because of their Halloween lights. But anyways, so it was just a it wasn't a catastrophe. The shooting the film came out really good, I think but sound it just didn't work out that night, I think because we were planning on me operating camera, but Ama had to operate and I had to end up sitting in the backseat with sound. The next day, we were like, Oh, this all sounds terrible. So yeah, we had we ended up doing ADR for the whole film. But it in a weird way it and it all came together really well.
James Jay Edwards:Yeah, it probably sounded better with ADR. Well, it
Brandon Scullion:was good. We just did it. We did all the ADR in the car. So you couldn't tell the difference. Like okay, we literally just had the guy and we just to get the most authentic recreation of what we did. We hadn't both come into the car. And we I am and I am I sat in the backseat, I was in the driver's seat. And we just recorded ADR in the car and it worked out perfect,
Jonathan Correia:man. You know, a lot of people say, you know, don't go to Ikea to test your relationship early. You guys are directing movies within a year together. Thats a relationship test right there.
Brandon Scullion:Surprisingly, of all the films we've worked on together, those are the least stressful parts of our relationship.
Ama Lea:Yeah, filmmaking. So if we don't really we don't really bicker fight too much. I think we're both sort of have the mindset of like, get it done.
Brandon Scullion:We are also very respectful of each other's ideas as well. Like if, you know, if I if I'm working on one of amas projects, I want to you know, it's it's just as you know, as a man, there's a tendency to want to just take over things. And I really have to stop myself and catch myself from doing that. And I, I want to make sure I'm being as respectful to her and her process as I can be. So, you know, if somebody, you know, I don't know if there's info you're looking for, but if somebody like for instance, if we're on the Fangoria set, it was my responsibility to be as respectful to her as possible. So everybody else could see me being respectful. And I think that's one of the things you sort of have to combat with a female filmmaker right? Am I mean, I don't mean to speak out of respect is a huge issue on set. So you know, having that foundation of being on set with Ama and knowing how strong her vision is, that's something I don't want to mess with. That's, that's why we watch Animalia films, because they're an Malia films, you know, so, working relationship has always been sort of off the table, in my opinion, in terms of arguments and stuff. coworkers are where my work is my work. We don't fuck with each other's work, basically.
James Jay Edwards:That's what I was gonna say. It's probably all about recognizing whose vision you're working on, and, you know, not getting in the way. Yeah, yeah. And like,
Ama Lea:you know, we, we try to not give each other notes unless they're asked for I mean, there's times like, you know, the other day, he's editing something. I was like, I wish I could see that a little bit better. And he's like, How dare you and I look at He's like, he's over there editing it. So
Brandon Scullion:you know, that's the thing like AMA has, you know, pretty much every idea AMA has is great and I'm just too like,
Ama Lea:okay, okay,
Brandon Scullion:I'm wasn't that great of an idea.
Jonathan Correia:Let me try that out a little bit.
Ama Lea:Oh my god, she's fucking brilliant.
Jonathan Correia:No and you can definitely see how great you guys are as a team and with your crew because like you said earlier Jacob and I were there to be a part of the monster audience for the chainsaw awards and I had an absolute blast got to bring my skeleton out. Which fun.
Brandon Scullion:Oh my god. Was that you?
Jonathan Correia:Yeah. All right, cool. Yeah, that's a it's a Bones McCoy is my is my non binary Skeleton
Brandon Scullion:sure we cut to you several times. I was like, Hey, we gotta get this guy on the show.
Ama Lea:She thought you were hilarious. He was just
Jonathan Correia:oh, man, I spent so much time on her wig. It just like was all mad because she hangs out on our porch all the time we used to when we lived in the front of the building. We used to dress her up with each holiday for people walking by and whatnot. But now we're kind of in the back now so she just enjoys sitting in the sun in the shade you know from the trees, but
Brandon Scullion:she had her time to shine bones as
James Jay Edwards:an Instagram doesn't she
Jonathan Correia:have but she's not active. We like we'd like to joke around that she parties too much and keeps forgetting she has an Insta following.
Jacob Davidson:She's too big of an influencer.
Jonathan Correia:Ya know, it was so much fun to see. I will admit I was working when it first premiered. So I was like running in and out of the room to catch things and the first time I caught myself in there I was like I guid I just
Brandon Scullion:you know, we had several of our friends in the audience and it was as the you know, as the editor. It was my priority to make sure they were featured multiple times. Like Mark, Mark and Amber. Mark look like Jacob you know, Mark, I don't know if anybody else knows mark, but he looked like a cross between like, What did he look like? Baiba like less? Mixed in with the guys in the room?
Jacob Davidson:Those Dracula's
Brandon Scullion:that. Yeah, it was I mean, that was again that was all Ama I it was just fun for me to just observe. Like, it's always fun to me. Observe what Ama can just like, create and assemble. She has this ability to get people to gather. And it's something I've never been able to do that nobody fucking likes me. So I can't get anybody to show up anywhere. But Amma has this ability to just get people to show up. And you know, when when you're there, and you're looking at the wide shot you've seen all these people like wow, this is fucking cool, man. So kudos damn on that.
Jonathan Correia:Oh, it was it was great. Pulling up. I think it was like 11am on a Sunday or something. And like going is this the right place? And then just seeing a bunch of people and random like Monster. You guys encouraged like people to do their own look and stuff. So everyone was different and unique. And like various levels of like, you know, just ingenuity and there was so cool to it was like, oh, yeah, no, this is definitely a spot look at all these monster kids running around.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, and actually, John and I have a story. I'm not sure we told you. But after the shoot. Yeah. So I was dressed up as Jason Vorhees in a suit with holding a fake machete and Jonathan, like you, you were dressed as a skeleton, right?
Jonathan Correia:Yeah. And I had a top hat thing.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah. And he had the skeleton and I was with my buddy Jared, who was the Invisible Man. So we were hanging out outside after the shoot and a cop car pulled up right in front of us like that, you know, they did like a up to pull into the into the street and and they pulled down there was like, Hey, did somebody call the cops and we kind of freaked out because we were dressed up as monsters and stuff. And oh, you're just like, No. And they just kind of looked at us for a sec. I was like, Yeah, okay, and that drove off.
Ama Lea:Oh my god.
Jonathan Correia:You would have thought that machete was real with how quickly Jacob threw that away from himself. Just gonna get rid of the weapons. Weapon. We're standing here with a skeleton I think we're good
Jacob Davidson:I was surprised
James Jay Edwards:skeletons not a threat a machete might get your shot.
Jacob Davidson:Even if it's a plastic one. Yeah, yeah.
James Jay Edwards:Well, there you go. Shoot first and then investigate? Yeah.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, so yeah, no, it's just it was. It was a weird moment.
Ama Lea:That's crazy. Wow.
Jacob Davidson:But still, it was it was fun to hang out with. Everybody has a real monster mash.
Brandon Scullion:That was the Monster Mash man.
Ama Lea:Yeah, at that point. That was like our last full day of shooting. We were you know, the whole crew was exhausted. So we're just like, you know, holy, I was like holy sides are like clap
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, it felt like being on an old timey game show.
Ama Lea:Right?
Jonathan Correia:Well, you guys still had great high energy going I can say you guys definitely did not look like oh, this is it. This is the last bit let's just get through this. You guys were very enthusiastic and it was it was very easy to feed off of that, you know?
Ama Lea:Awesome. We were we're so excited to be done that we like got really started went to Chili's to celebrate after.
Brandon Scullion:That's what we do every time we celebrate. Every time we get stoned. We go to
Ama Lea:Chili's like white trash. We are
Jacob Davidson:I got the baby back ribs
Jonathan Correia:after shoot ceremony used to be going to Tommy's to just getting like all the chili slap chili on everything burgers, fries. I don't care. No, I don't need a drink. We're just here for chili covered stuff. Oh,
Jacob Davidson:sir. I think you've had enough chili.
Jonathan Correia:Never see
Brandon Scullion:This is a family restaurant. You can't do that.
Jonathan Correia:So what do you guys, what do you guys have coming up? Soon as well. I know. Ama You have a couple of shorts that you're in post and have ready to go soon. You want to let us know about a couple of those.
Ama Lea:Ah, yeah, for me coming up. I did just shoot a short film called Beatrice and Dante, which is like, sort of a weird cross between to meet her at Persephone, the Greek mythology of like, trying to bring her out of hell, and also Dante's Inferno, and it's all shot in like blacklight. So it's, it's basically just like a stoner metal video. Today, very visual. I did that. I have a fashion show coming up for Midsummer Scream. That's like a 60s beach party, but horror, and I am trying to get a couple features made. And so I think that's probably all I'm doing. What are you doing, Brandon?
James Jay Edwards:If anybody out there is rich and wants to invest and needs money to make your features? Yes,
Jacob Davidson:give Ama money.
Brandon Scullion:Give her money.
Jacob Davidson:Hashtag give Ama money.
Ama Lea:I am toying with the idea of, of doing like a Kickstarter. Um, I don't know if people would give me money.
Jacob Davidson:Oh, they would? I don't.
Ama Lea:I don't know. It's one of those things. Like how much can you realistically raise from that? Unless you're like a cool person?
Jacob Davidson:Cool.
James Jay Edwards:I mean, I know a guy in Texas, he's producing a feature and he made his goal of 10,000 which, you know, in the grand scheme of things isn't that much, but, you know, it's 10,000 more than he had before.
Ama Lea:Exactly. My goal is like 50, which feels like so much.
James Jay Edwards:That might be a little out of Kickstarter range. Yeah, it's investor range.
Brandon Scullion:Yeah, that's why you run two Kickstarter campaign.
Jacob Davidson:To do a Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
James Jay Edwards:Yeah, the Go Fund Me.
Jacob Davidson:trifecta. If it's good enough for healthcare, it's good enough for moviemaking, right for this country.
Jonathan Correia:Oh, yeah. GoFundMe
James Jay Edwards:is that bother me other ones are like all helped me fix the air conditioning on my car. Yeah. That's that's not what GoFundMe as far
Jacob Davidson:as GoFundMe is healthcare. Okay, well, that's a whole that's a whole conversation.
Brandon Scullion:Yeah, Jacob. You're not wrong, though. That's you're not wrong.
Jonathan Correia:I've always wanted to do a GoFundMe to buy me a pair of pants.
Jacob Davidson:A pair of pants. Yeah,
Jonathan Correia:I just thought that that would be because I'm terrible at buying pants for myself shirts. I have so many shirts but pants like I it's a struggle and I feel like that would be a good motivator just like you know $50 And if someone donates like 100 Then I'll get a pair Jencos and do a photo shoot or something that was that was always please
Ama Lea:Oh my god. Like some of those the Jenkos with like flames at the bottom or something
Brandon Scullion:big flared out legs.
Jonathan Correia:Yeah, maybe coming to GoFundMe soon by Correia some parents
James Jay Edwards:throw in by Correia some sleeves. Oh yeah, no.
Jonathan Correia:Never that would make negative money people would be requesting money from me if I started wearing sleeves
Ama Lea:I haven't seen no sleeves to like I cut the sleeves off like every shirt that I own. So
James Jay Edwards:Brandon, we cut you off on what you're working on. Now we know about The New Hands what else is going on?
Brandon Scullion:Yeah, I'm in post production right now on my just scare me, which is called cruise control. Which stars Amber Closs and my buddy Tom Jones, who was also The New Hands it's something that's definitely a little out of the wheelhouse for me. I'm super, super stoked for people to see it. And outside of that, I think after this just scare me, the plans are to shift to a bigger project. Like another feature film or something, which is something I've been working on in the background for a while now. There are several projects I I'm, I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do. But it's kind of between two things right now. And I'm just super excited for that. I also have this project with Amber Kloss. And Galen Howard, which is a band called dynamic Phantom. And we just played our second show ever. Last Saturday, I think. But that was super fun. We played that at the LeSean in Echo Park. And that's like our German synth pop band, which is just pure fun and pure silliness. And I would be on the lookout for some more music and for some more live dates in the future for that
Jacob Davidson:cool. Yeah. And I've loved their shorts, the shorts you've done with them for just scare me, which I think is kind of the origin story for the that band.
Brandon Scullion:Exactly. Yeah, they started out as just my, you know, my entries into just scare me there was, you know, just something I did just for fun. And that's how I basically approach everything. If I'm not having fun, and I'm not enjoying it, there's zero reason for me to do it. If I'm not making money off of it. It needs to be fun, you know. So that's sort of where that project is right now. It's not, it's not at the center of my attention. But when there are things in the work, I have another song coming and we're going to do another video. And then eventually, hopefully, we're going to release a full record and do a little tour and, you know, have just, again, just have as much fun as possible. But cool.
James Jay Edwards:Before we get out of here. Let's let's hear from Ama Lea about Poltergeists and Paramours. What's new with that? Designed to Freddy's Revenge button up?
Ama Lea:Oh, yeah. I I've been unfortunately, I finally got bit by the COVID Bug this past week. And so I've sort of just been stuck in the house and Ben, I was like, watching the the it movies. And I saw you know Ritchie's buttoned up and I said, Why have I never made those I make that style of shirt. I have the ability to make my own fabric so that I just sat there and started designing those. And
Brandon Scullion:well, ama you discovered that right? You discovered that that shirt in It Chapter 2 was a reference to Nightmare 2. Oh
Ama Lea:yeah. Back in the day when the movie first came out. I posted it and then it ended up everywhere. I was like, I feel like that's like what am I weird gifts is knowing when wardrobe is like an homage to something else? Like I have an eye for that for some reason. Oh, totally got it. I useless talent.
James Jay Edwards:Minus detecting Wilhelm screams in movies. I can hear him a mile away.
Jacob Davidson:So Lightyear yesterday, they used one there. Oh, really?
Ama Lea:Yeah. I made a Hausu bathing suit.
James Jay Edwards:I saw that. That's great.
Ama Lea:The internet seems to be like really stoked about it.
Jacob Davidson:Sure. It's gonna be the look of the season. Apparently I
Ama Lea:you know, sometimes I'll make stuff and I'll be so excited and nobody will give a fuck. And then I'll make something because I think it's funny and I don't think anyone will care. And that's the thing that sells. I really see a Manhunter shirt on Monday that I really like. Personally, I'm excited about that. I don't know if anyone else likes that movie, but it's one of my favorites. So
Jonathan Correia:hell yeah,
Jacob Davidson:there's fans out there.
Ama Lea:Yeah,
Jonathan Correia:that's my favorite Hannibal Lecter movie I mean don't get me wrong Silence is a very close second but yeah, Manhunter just visually is just delicious. just handing
Jacob Davidson:Tom Noonan
Ama Lea:Tom Noonan is one of my favorite actors of all time.
James Jay Edwards:Have you seen Anomalisa Yeah, he's everything and that is
Jacob Davidson:so good. Tom Noonan world.
Jonathan Correia:Come on Last Action Hero and Monster Squad. Yeah.
Brandon Scullion:Oh man. One
Jacob Davidson:of the best Frankenstein's monsters
Ama Lea:we have. We have this like tradition of like every Christmas Brandon will get me an action figure of somebody who should not have an action figure if that makes sense.
Brandon Scullion:But it's an actor. It's an actor that Ama loves. So yeah, guys, look
Ama Lea:up. Vincent dynochem to one I have a Ving Rames action figure and I have a Tom Newton last last year. I was so I was so fucking stoked to get that it was the coolest.
Jonathan Correia:That's incredible.
Ama Lea:Yeah, so
Brandon Scullion:there's also going to be a Poltergeists and Paramours fashion show. Poltergeist and Paramore is booth and midsummer scream this year. All kinds of poltergeist and Paramore stuff happening so much
Jacob Davidson:cool. Yeah, and you know I wear my vest at work at the Aero, almost every day and I get so many compliments on the defaults record Phantom of the Paradise vest. And I and people ask me, where did you get that vest and I always point them to both you guys compare.
Ama Lea:Thank you. I got a whole stack of stuff to give you this week, but I see you
Jacob Davidson:very excited for getting my backorder.
Ama Lea:Yeah, it's like a stack like I have a Jacob's stack,
Jacob Davidson:because I have fine taste and fashion.
James Jay Edwards:One of our guests a few weeks back, we had Kevin Vaughn Esper, who's making a movie about Haunted Garage. And we were talking with him about, you know about fashions and stuff, and we directed him to to poltergeists impair Morris. I don't know if he's, I don't know if he's ordered anything or if he you know, but he was loving it when we showed it to him where he was all about it. So I don't know if that went anywhere. But we tried.
Jonathan Correia:Yeah. I mean, I saw I saw photos of the house bikini set pop up in random groups, you know,
Ama Lea:crazy. Yeah, I like I just posted a picture of one that I had finished. And like, every time that I do that, it's like, like, I think right now it's up to like, six or 7000 retweets. And I'm like, really, of everything I've made. This is the one thing that in the Scream skirts that I make the Tatum ones. I can't, like
Brandon Scullion:amaz got some cool news about that. I don't know if she can say, I don't know if she can say there is definitely a cool thing. I know that you guys don't know what is super fucking cool about that Scream skirt. That's all we can say. Well, I'll
James Jay Edwards:cut this part out so that no one gets teased. Okay. Is it okay? Sure. Well, the
Brandon Scullion:cool thing is, is like ama made these skirts that are based off of the skirt from the first movie, it's super popular skirt, and was the only person on the internet who has them and was the only person in the world who has these skirts. They don't make them anymore. She it's just a testament to why Ama Lea is so badass, you know?
Ama Lea:No, I did. I hired an artist to like painstakingly recreate that fabric. And that was not easy. Because it's if you guys don't start I'm talking about it's like, a sort of Digi, like 90s type? Yeah, yeah. And it's just like it was I tried for years to find fabric that looks similar and nothing existed. So I eventually hired someone who does those kind of like fabric manufacturing designs to make it for me. And, you know, I thought it was just gonna be for a few friends who really wanted it. And it's definitely like, one of the I can't keep them in stock. And, you know, it's like, it's convention season. So every girl ever is like, I want it right now.
James Jay Edwards:Well, how many runs of the Black Christmas sweater? Have you done? Are you done two of them?
Ama Lea:I have on my second one. If you're listening and you want one, please order it because it costs me more than a car to get them.
Brandon Scullion:It did.
Ama Lea:Oh, yeah. It's they're very, it's it's a whole thing to get those made. But yeah, we're on our second run. And I don't know if I'll do it again after this, because it's a lot of work. It's a lot of money. But they're there. In my personal opinion, they're like the perfect recreation of that sweater.
James Jay Edwards:They go and this may be the last run. So if you want one Poltergeists and Paramours.
Ama Lea:Yes, order preorder a ship in November. There you go.
James Jay Edwards:Just in time for Christmas just in time. Yeah.
Jonathan Correia:Yeah. The perfect sweater for you know, sitting by the fire about to get slayed by Bill.
Ama Lea:It's one of those things like every time I watch that movie over the years, so man, I wish I could get that sweater. Why is nobody ever made that sweater? Why don't I make that sweater?
James Jay Edwards:Over you do a designer who could
Jonathan Correia:fully knew someone who would who would put the massive amounts of time into recreating this.
Ama Lea:I can't I can't take all the credit. Rosie Keller. Jared rivet? I'm sure you all know him. His his partner is uh, she designed sweaters for like mod cloth. And like, you know, she's a sweater designer. She does knits. And so I was like, Can you help? And she's like, Fuck, yeah, I can help. So it's really she did the hardest stuff. I just paid all the money.
James Jay Edwards:Some would say that is the hardest part. Coming up with a buddy but okay, well, thank you guys for joining us.
Brandon Scullion:Thank you so much for having us.
Ama Lea:Yeah.
James Jay Edwards:Great to hear about all your projects, and always a pleasure. So come on back anytime. Now. Now. You're a friend of the podcast to Brandon. So
Brandon Scullion:yeah. Oh, man. It was so much fun. Thank you guys. So yeah, thanks, James.
Ama Lea:What are we gonna get an N Eye On Horror slushie machine
Jacob Davidson:dream of the day
Jonathan Correia:we're still working on and we're trying to get the you know the actual Icee out here which is hard to get one of those from the East Coast out to California
Jacob Davidson:our signature flavor will be eyeball orange
Ama Lea:yeah
Jonathan Correia:we won't settle for a 711 one that's
Ama Lea:bullshit
James Jay Edwards:I cool so um we're gonna call this an episode so our theme song is by Restless Spirits so go give them a listen and our artwork is by Chris Fisher so go give him a like Where can people find you to Brandon and Ama? We know Poltergeists and Paramours for AMA but
Brandon Scullion:yeah, I made it really easy for people in my production company is burning Cinema Club. Anything you want to know about me? Type in Burbank cinema club.com that will link you right to my Instagram that's got basically any any project I'm working on, or have coming in the pipeline I'm always talking about on Instagram so that's where I would find any of my up to date news of course, you know, be on the lookout for Thew New Hands later this year. I'll be posting about it but um, that's about it for me, Burbank cinema. club.com
James Jay Edwards:cool, ama.
Ama Lea:You can find me on pretty much all social media as Missamalea and I post a lot of political stuff and really bad jokes. So you feel I feel like dad jokes and democratic politics hit me up.
James Jay Edwards:You know, we've we got a podcast review that called us liberal left Grifters.
Ama Lea:Oh, wow,
James Jay Edwards:you fit right in.
Jonathan Correia:You know, agendas, the liberal
James Jay Edwards:left, I will wear that with pride but I don't know where they get Grifters. It's not like we're
Jacob Davidson:not asking for money. Yeah, I
James Jay Edwards:don't know. We're not
Jacob Davidson:telling them to try and buy brain pills. Wait,
Jonathan Correia:we get money for this. I've just been paying you guys in spare digital codes that I get from blu ray.
Brandon Scullion:Me paid an NFTs.
James Jay Edwards:You can find us at Eye On Horror on any of the socials or@ihorror.com which is the site we all call home. So that's it. So yeah, let's get the hell out of here. We will see you all in a couple of weeks. So thank you again, Brandon AMA. So for me James Jay Edwards.
Jacob Davidson:I'm Jacob Davison.
Jonathan Correia:I'm Jonathan Correia.
Brandon Scullion:I am Brandon.
Ama Lea:I am Ama Lea.
James Jay Edwards:Keep your Eye On Horror.