PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The creature feature slasher horror comedy The Barn has been being talked about in the horror community for awhile now, and the time has finally come to release the farm-dwelling kraken. Justin Seaman, the creator, director and monster from The Barn took a few minutes out of his day to talk to PopHorror about what’s in The Barn, his idea behind the film and what he has coming up that horror fans will be ready to slurp up next.
PopHorror – Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us and answer some questions. I just watched The Barn and I thought it was fantastic! I absolutely loved the retro feel of it – right down to the costumes, language, lighting and storyline. I grew up in the ‘80s so I can totally relate. Where did you get the idea for the movie?
Justin Seaman – It came from an over active imagination! I wrote The Barn when I was 8 years old. For nearly 20 years, I’ve wanted to make it into a feature length film, but life and money got in the way. I went to college, got married, bought a house, remodeled the house and, before I knew it, another 5 years had gone by and I got to thinking, “Someone is going to come along and make this film and I’m gonna hate myself if I don’t finally turn this project into a reality.” Doing the updated script, I tried to keep the spirit of the original story alive in the content while making it more adult themed. I never wanted to stray away completely from overall story tone that I created as a child.
PopHorror – You did a fantastic job walking that narrow path. Can you tell our readers a bit about the story of The Barn?
Justin Seaman – To keep it simple – it’s the story of a Halloween obsessed teenager and his best bud who unwillingly unleash a trio of barn dwelling monsters on their friends and helpless town folk. The original story was way more aimed towards the kid audience. You have to remember, this was written back in the hay day of Goosebumps, so I was heavily influenced by those and The Monster Squad, as well as my favorite Halloween film, Night of the Demons.
PopHorror – Where did you get the idea for the three demons – Hallowed Jack, the Candy Corn Scarecrow and the Boogeyman?
Justin Seaman – I spent many hours trying to entertain myself at my grandparents property during my childhood while my mother was at work. This one particular autumn, I remember the leaves falling off the trees and exposing and old barn standing far off in the distance that I had never seen before. I began to think about what would live in that barn or on that farm property. I imagined a pumpkin man would oversee the pumpkin patch and all his pumpkins, a scarecrow would protect the cornfield, and some kind of creature dressed as a miner in a jumpsuit and mining hat that would be the one in charge of guarding the barn…thus Hallowed Jack, The Candycorn Scarecrow and The Boogeyman came to life!
PopHorror – There are a lot of religious references in The Barn. Does religion hold any significance in the film?
Justin Seaman – It absolutely does! Sam and Josh wouldn’t exist without the monsters- just like good doesn’t exist without evil. It’s a story as old as time. I wanted the film to have layers to it. On the surface, it’s an ’80s homage horror film. Beneath that, it’s a celebration of all things Halloween and beneath that, it’s a coming-of-age story of two teen characters.
PopHorror – Like I mentioned before, I love the ‘80s feel of the film – how hard was that to pull off in an age of HD and digital enhancements?
Justin Seaman – Super difficult. I actually wish we could have done some things better, but I’m happy with what we did accomplish. Locations and lighting were key to helping disguise the digital look. But the feel comes from a bunch of things, including tricks we did in post production – grain, film burns and reel damage. One of the things I feel helps sell that ’80s look is that the clothing was just on the edge of what most people associate with the early ’90s… I call it the Saved By The Bell look. I like that look – fun, playful colors that can really help you add a visually appealing pallet for the movie. The clothing was hard to do without being Halloween ’80s costumes. All of Sam’s, Josh’s, and Chris’ clothing were designed and screen printed by myself as well as a few things on Nikki, Michelle and Russell. It was easier that way so I could get the exact look I wanted.
PopHorror – I actually noticed the cigarette burns! Nice touch! I also noticed you used a lot of practical effects. Who was the mastermind behind all of those gloriously bloody kills?
Justin Seaman – There were a few people who took on the daunting task of SFX. Dakota Corwin, Robert Kuhn and Sara Kuhn are the individuals who championed all that glorious gore in the film. We spent countless days shooting all those kills.
PopHorror – You stepped in front of the camera to play the part of The Boogeyman in The Barn. Was it hard to direct and act at the same time?
Justin Seaman – Extremely, and I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone (laughs).
PopHorror – What was the time in the makeup chair like? What was your reaction the first time you saw yourself in the mirror as The Boogeyman?
Justin Seaman – It varied, about an hour or so. The first time I saw myself in the mirror I actually thought, “Man, how long is this going to take to get off!?!”
PopHorror – Before The Barn, you worked with PJ Starks on Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories, a movie of which we are very big fans of here at PopHorror. What was it like, working with so many other directors on an anthology? Would you do it again if Volumes of Horror was made into a trilogy?
Justin Seaman – I actually shot The Barn before PJ involved me in VOB2. He heard about the film and approached me to be a segment director for his film. It was a great experience meeting/working with people I didn’t know. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
PopHorror – Do you have anything coming up in the near future that you can talk about?
Justin Seaman – Yes, I recently just shot my segment for Cryptids (2017) which was penned by The Barn’s DP, Zane Hershberger. Cryptids is a good, old fashioned creature feature anthology surrounding legends like Bigfoot, the Dover Demon and the Mothman. It also includes a fun group of upcoming directors who are currently in the horror movie scene.
PopHorror – The Barn is the first horror movie through your company, Nevermore Production Films. Do you lean toward horror movies creatively? Or was this more of a one off?
Justin Seaman – I’ve always wanted to do a horror film, I just never had the time or money. I am also a lover of dramas. Those two are my favorite types of films. Although, I will probably stick with horror for the time being.
PopHorror – Lucky for us! If you are a fan of horror movies, what are your favorites and why?
Justin Seaman – Night of the Demons, Return of the Living Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Monster Squad, Ghoulies, Lost Boys…the list could go on. As a child, those films fed that fear of the dark – always afraid a monster was in my closet but secretly hoping there was a monster in my closet… like Maurice in Little Monsters. My mother would not allow me to watch R rated horror films when I was young, but would let me watch the more tame PG-13 ones. That was a huge factor because it made me more curious as to why I wasn’t allowed to watch the other R rated horror films…so I would find ways to sneak a peek.
PopHorror – What are you actually afraid of? Sharks, spiders, snakes… or something more sinister.
Justin Seaman – Snakes! Hands down, snakes. No arms or legs and can move really fast … that’s creepy.
PopHorror – Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions, Justin! I know The Barn is going to be a favorite among horror fans and we’re chomping at the bit to find out what else you have up your sleeve.
Be sure to follow The Barn on Facebook and at www.nevermoreproductionfilms.com!
