PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Recently, I had an opportunity to watch and review House by the Lake. You can read my review here. I was then was asked if I’d like to interview the director, Adam Gierasch. I didn’t think twice about it. I definitely wanted to know more about what makes Adam Gierasch tick. He is definitely passionate and delivered rather insightful answers to my questions. Here are the Q & A’s!
PopHorror: How did you get into the film business?
Adam Gierasch: My wife, Jace Anderson, and I have the same agent as Tobe Hooper, and she had us go to lunch together. We really got along, and the next movie he directed, he brought his son to do a rewrite.
PopHorror: Did you go to school or are you self taught?
Adam Gierasch: I have a BA in theater from Bennington College, so I know how to work with actors. However, I am entirely self-taught when it comes to writing and directing movies.
PopHorror: I see you have quite a list of writing credits. Which do you prefer: writing, directing or both?
Adam Gierasch: Writing is our bread and butter – my wife is my writing partner. It pays the bills and I love it. Directing is something I do on special occasions. It’s incredibly tiring and very tense, but I still love it.
PopHorror: What drew you to directing House by the Lake?
Adam Gierasch: Josh (Burnell) wrote a cool story and I was offered the job. I was flattered and super enthusiastic to do it!
PopHorror: How did you approach directing a young girl to be autistic?
Adam Gierasch: That was tricky. Josh did a lot of research into autism and wrote it into the script. I just had to make sure that Amiah (Miller) didn’t make eye contact with anyone and how to approach the physicality of someone that was on the spectrum.
PopHorror: How did your experience directing House by the Lake compare to your past projects?
Adam Gierasch: It was a lot faster. We had to shoot the whole movie in 10 days. We also didn’t have a dolly or crane or any kind of camera gizmo that helped with movement. We shot the whole thing handheld.
PopHorror: Tales of Halloween is such a fun collection of stories. What was it like working on that project?
Adam Gierasch: It was absolutely awesome! I got to shoot my segment in my own house and my own pool. Of course, the cleanup was a bitch. But, we had so many other great directors that stopped by and gave great advice. Getting notes from Neil Marshall and Darren Bosman was fantastic. Mike Mendez and Axelle were really helpful too.
PopHorror: You have worked with veteran actor Michael Bowen twice, I believe. What was it like working with him?
Adam Gierasch: Michael is absolutely awesome, a great person and a great actor and always gives you exactly what you want. I would put him in everything I did if I had the choice.
PopHorror: What are your top 3 scary films?
Adam Gierasch: Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist and Altered States. This is something that changes on a day-to-day basis… except Rosemary’s Baby will always be my favorite.
PopHorror: What are your top 3 scary books/stories?
Adam Gierasch: Stephen King’s The Stand, Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, and World War Z.
PopHorror: What other projects do you have in the works?
Adam Gierasch: We just keep writing. I also sing for a cool doom metal band called Stolen Skull. Our first record comes out next month.
PopHorror: Thank you, Adam Gierasch, for taking time to answer my questions. It was great to get to know you and your works better. I enjoyed House by the Lake and I’m looking forward to future projects from you.
Be sure to check out Adam Gierasch’s band, Stolen Skull. You may purchase the album here.
