PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Pophorror.com recently got a chance to sit down and chat with Tommy Stovall, the director of one of the most talked about new vampire movies, Aaron’s Blood! Check out what he had to say about the film and his upcoming projects!
PopHorror: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! Let’s get right to it. How did you get into filmmaking?
Tommy Stovall: As a teenager, I would make movies for fun with a VHS camcorder. I recruited friends to be the actors and we made mostly horror movies, basically just making up stuff as we went along. Later on, I had a video production company for several years with the goal of getting into indie filmmaking, which I eventually did.
PopHorror: That is really cool! Who are some of your favorite directors?
Tommy Stovall: Jonathan Demme would be one just because Silence of the Lambs has always been my favorite movie. Also, Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and Ridley Scott are some favorites.
PopHorror: Those are some amazing directors! Now let’s talk about your latest film. Aaron’s Blood is a unique story and intriguing play on the vampire genre. How did you come up with the story?
Tommy Stovall: I was trying to come up with a movie I could do with my son, Trevor, that wouldn’t cost a lot of money. I remembered him at 5 years old telling me he would want to play a vampire, which I didn’t take seriously at the time. But then I started wondering whether or not there was an interesting story we could do with him as a child vampire. The first idea I had was a timid kid who’s able to get revenge on his bullies after becoming a vampire. But to me, the more interesting part of that story was how a parent would react in that situation. So the story became a father dealing with a child with a disease. It just happens that the disease is vampirism.
PopHorror: Aw, I love the story behind that! Super cool. What was your favorite scene to film?
Tommy Stovall: There’s a scene we filmed in a park where Aaron digs a hole to bury a body. It’s a heavy, emotional scene but shooting it was a lot of fun, a lot of creativity and a lot of laughing. I also like the way the scene turned out once it all came together with the music.
PopHorror: The score to this film is so great The casting of father and son, Aaron and Tate, is so spot on it felt natural. What was it like directing them?
Tommy Stovall: So glad to hear that! James and Trevor really clicked off camera and hung out a lot, which helped when it came time to shoot the scenes. I think we got lucky in that way. It really was a natural thing, how their relationship comes off on screen. That part didn’t need a lot of direction. And Trevor was able to learn so much just be watching James’ work.
PopHorror: Aw, it really did come off so well! How long did it take to shoot Aaron’s Blood and what was the most challenging aspect of getting to the final product?
Tommy Stovall: We had 21 days of shooting. The most challenging thing throughout was figuring out how to get things done within our limited budget and resources. That’s always the recurring question for an indie project. How can we do this or that for less, but make it look like we spent more?
PopHorror: Well, it turned out great! The movie has such a fresh spin on vampire films. I have to ask – what is your favorite vampire movie?
Tommy Stovall: Near Dark.
PopHorror: Great choice! Without spoiling the film for others, would you say that there is really a cure for vampires in the movie?
Tommy Stovall: Well, I think it’s an open-ended question. Things may seem one way, but there could be something else going on.
PopHorror: Fair enough. What upcoming films or passion projects are you working on next?
Tommy Stovall: We’re getting ready to shoot a movie called Room for Rent. It’s about a widow who rents out a room in her house and stalks her guests.
PopHorror: I will be on the lookout for it! Final question: What advice do you have for future film directors?
Tommy Stovall: The easiest thing about making a movie is finding reasons not to make it. So, I guess my advice would be “just do it,” treat the word “no” as a motivator, grow a thick skin, and don’t forget to have fun.
Be sure to check out Tommy Stovall’s latest film, Aaron’s Blood, now available to rent or buy on VOD or Amazon!
