Interview with ‘The Crescent’ Director, Seth A. Smith

If you love films that are visually stunning and take you a emotional journey, The Crescent is for you. I was lucky enough to review the film last year and now I finally had a chance to talk with the director, Seth A. Smith, for the upcoming VOD release on September 4.

Learn more about his career, his inspiration for the film, his favorite scenes, and more.

Thanks for talking with me, Seth! How long have you wanted to direct?

Seth A. Smith – I’ve been making little skits and movies since I was 12. I think I decided to take it seriously after I did a handful of music videos for my band Dog Day and I wanted to do something bigger.

What was the first film you ever directed?

Seth A. Smith – My first film was a 5K feature called LOWLIFE. It was shot on weekends with friends. It’s about a couple who are addicted to licking starfish for their psychotropic effects.

I saw that on IMDB – it looks good! Where did you come up with the idea for The Crescent?

Seth A. Smith – I had moved back to the ocean and noticed it gets creepy here at night. I liked the idea of making a film about a haunted beach. There are some Maritime ghost stories and folklore about shipwrecks and the sea that I drew from. I also had been wanting to do a film that starred a two-year-old as a lead. You very rarely see it.

Is this film at all relatable to you?

Seth A. Smith – Yes. I’m a first-time parent. There are new fears and anxieties to deal with when you have a kid. You have to become this protector. So yeah, the stuff in the film is definitely a brand of horror that I can relate to. I also grew up as a child in a seaside community. So making it was a little nostalgic too.

What was your favorite scene to shoot?

Seth A. Smith – The Marbling tub stuff was fun. We booked a weekend after the main shoot was finished. It was pretty relaxed and we got to really try a few things out. BL Visuals, some artist from Michigan, came to do the painting. I was told after, Andrew Gillis set a body-marbling world record in the film. The session was truly a memorable experience.

I can tell. It was such a beautiful film. Were there any scenes in particular that were hard to do?

Seth A. Smith – Anything with a two-year-old is going to be difficult. We designed the whole production with him in mind, though. We hired a crew of friends and family and rented a nice place we could all live in while filming. We only really shot his scenes when he was in the mood for it. But we learned quickly that we’d only get one take a scene, so we had to be ready for it. Mostly the difficulty was in editing. Still amazed about some of those first takes though.

That makes since. Danika Vandersteen plays Beth perfectly. How did the cast come about and what were you looking for?

Seth A. Smith – For Beth, aside from acting skills, I wanted someone who would be a friendly and fun companion for Woody. Also with the doc-like approach for capturing his scenes, I was looking for more of a natural, unrehearsed performance than a traditional, scripted one. There was chemistry for sure, and they looked great together.

What do you want the audience to take away from this film?

Seth A. Smith – I’ve come to learn that people see the film very differently, which I like. I think parents will have a specific understanding. But it’s kind of an existential film at heart. I hope it makes you think about yourself.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

Yes. Next up is an ultra-dark, gothic sci-fi. We can’t wait to get absorbed!