PopHorror Let's Get Scared
One thing that I personally love about the indie horror community is the support shown by fans, and the appreciation shown by filmmakers. The inclusivity of the community and the age of social media have inspired young horror fans to create films of their own. One such filmmaker is 21-year-old Tristan Clay. Along with fellow filmmaker Destinie Orndoff, Tristan formed his own production company called Deranged Minds Entertainment and made his first full-feature, Red Eye (read our review here), at the tender young age of 19. Making some noise in the indie world of film, Tristan is currently diving into his next production, a film called Inverted, which has already generated great interest. PopHorror recently had the opportunity to speak with Tristan about his early start in the film industry, his production of Red Eye and his upcoming project, Inverted.
PopHorror: Hi, Tristan! Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.
Tristan Clay: Oh, absolutely!
PopHorror: So, you’re 21-years-old, and you’ve entered the film industry at a pretty young age. Has this come with any challenges?
Tristan Clay: Yes, it has (laughs). We wrote the script for Red Eye right as we were graduating from high school, and we began filming the feature when I was 19 years old. It came with the challenge of being trusted that I know what I’m doing to bring my vision to life. There were some crew members involved with Red Eye who thought that they were more established. They thought they knew what I wanted for my vision. There were actually a couple scenes I had to fight for in my own film. It’s also a challenge to be taken seriously, being so young. When you tell someone you’re a filmmaker who has directed his first feature film, they tend to expect something that was just shot in your backyard with a group of friends (laughs).
PopHorror: I could see how that would add an additional layer of difficulty. Have you studied film anywhere, or are you self-taught?
Tristan Clay: I’m mostly self-taught. When I was graduating from high school, I was debating on whether or not to go to college. At the time, I was reading Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez, who gave himself up to science to fund his first film and never went to school. This was inspiring to me, and it made me realize that this is something you can teach yourself. You can learn so much on your first set and really gain hands-on experience. If you love something so much to put all that money into school, you’re likely passionate enough to take the extra time to read, research, and watch behind-the-scenes in the special features, as well as documentaries. You’re going to go the extra mile if you’re that dedicated and passionate about what you’re doing. So, rather than putting all the money into school, I decided to go the self-taught direction. It may not be the best route for everyone, but it was the best route for me.
PopHorror: That’s understandable and respectable, for sure. How did you first get into film?
Tristan Clay: I was always interested in film from a very young age. I was never allowed to watch horror movies growing up that were rated R. But I would sneak around and watch them anyway. I was never intrigued by the brutality. I was more intrigued by how they pulled off different effects. I would just re-watch the special features over and over. After making my first short film called Karma, which I don’t talk about that much (laughs), I knew that making films was what I wanted to do. It’s a great way of expression. Everything I’ve done has some sort of social commentary, theme and deeper meaning. Karma was a reflection of my experiences with bullying while I was growing up. Red Eye was about passion. Sin was about people shoving religion down your throat. Used was about men using and abusing women. I also made several fan films. It all just took off from there.
PopHorror: That’s incredible that you discovered what you wanted to do so early! How and when did you come up with your production company, Deranged Minds Entertainment?
Tristan Clay: Destinie Orndoff and I came up with the idea. The two of us first met through our excitement of meeting the Soska sisters at a horror convention in 2015. We decided to meet the Soskas together, and it sparked a friendship. Afterwards, we got to talking and decided that if the Soskas could do film, so could we. They inspired us so much that we decided to try our hand at creating a feature film, and we ended up making Red Eye. We decided that if we wanted to produce our own films, we would need a name. I don’t even know where the name came from. It was just one of those ideas that just came to us (laughs). We just thought it up, and here we are (laughs).
PopHorror: That’s great! So, diving into Red Eye, was this made with mostly friends and acquaintances?
Tristan Clay: We all connected and formed friendships before we began shooting the film. Quite a few of us connected through horror conventions and social media. But I also put out a casting call. In the process of casting people, I ask for the person’s social media and headshots. I don’t know if other directors do this, but I think it’s a smart idea. Go on the individual’s social media, and see who they truly are. If you look deep enough, you’re going to see some stuff and get a feel for who they are as a person, and how they might handle various situations. And you have to be careful. With the amount of people we reach, you sometimes receive some questionable stuff. For example, in the process of casting for the new film, I have to ask if they are comfortable with nudity due to the nature of the film. I also ask for headshots. We had someone reach out who took things a little too literally. I expected standard headshots. But no (laughs). I receive completely nude photos. I like the fact that he is comfortable, but he just gave me a huge red flag (laughs). So, you have to be pretty careful as a casting director.
PopHorror: Oh, absolutely (laughs)! You have to keep things professional. So, what inspired Red Eye for your first full-feature?
Tristan Clay: Red Eye actually came from a story that Destinie was told as a young girl by her stepfather. This story was like one of those backwoods slasher films like Wrong Turn. In high school, she wrote an essay based on this story. It was a rip-off of every single horror film (laughs). We took this idea and formed it into Red Eye. I love the fact that she ripped off every horror film that she saw, because it gave us the idea to show that this is what films are. They’re often rip-offs of everything else! People can watch Red Eye, and say it’s a rip-off. But we had intentions of playing with the whole horror formula, and I think we achieved our goal. We took the standard horror formula and broke it. Rather than having the nerd, the slut, the jock and a stoner, we have a horror fan, a film lover and a girl with a lot of dark stuff going on. We wanted to create something revolving around the slasher element of horror, but push the envelope and play with the horror formula.
PopHorror: I think that you succeeded. It begins like a standard, low-budget slasher with subtle horror franchise references, but then it develops into much more. You could tell that this was a horror film made by horror fans for horror fans.
Tristan Clay: Oh, absolutely! We made a film that we would want to see. Personally, I love the slasher genre, and I feel like they never push things quite far enough. And I just said, “Let’s do it! Let’s go that far!” When I wrote it, I didn’t think it would get the reaction that it did (laughs). We weren’t pushing the envelope to be edgy. It was because that’s what we want to see.
PopHorror: So, you have a new film in development called Inverted, and it’s been making quite a bit of noise in the indie scene. Can you tell me what this film is about? How did you choose Inverted as the title?
Tristan Clay: Inverted is about a cult known as the Inverts and four individuals who each have what can be considered a sin. These individuals include a lesbian hippie, a man in drag, a prostitute druggie and a pedophile priest. They are thrown into a cult that is recruiting in preparation for a war they believe to be on the horizon. They are put through different initiations that push them past their furthest boundaries. We really go into dark places. And we don’t return. There is a deeper meaning behind this feature. Destinie and I were forced into adulthood, as everyone is, and our country was going through a really tough time with the last presidential election of 2016.
PopHorror: I think that was a pretty rough time for anyone who had access to social media.
Tristan Clay: Absolutely. I mean, you couldn’t escape it. It was in your face, down your throat and everywhere you turned. In some ways, it was terrifying. And this was a huge influence in our script. Personally, when our president took office, it felt like we are being forced to fight someone else’s fight. I mean, we can protest this and that, but in the end, he is still our president. He still makes the decisions. And, for anyone who disagrees enough, it can be a terrifying idea of him running the country. This is one of many references and social commentary throughout the film, but it is subtle. It isn’t shoved down your throat. If I didn’t mention it beforehand, I don’t think anybody would really pick up on it.
When people read the script, they tend to feel like there is more than one meaning. One interpretation could be about how you search to be a part of something your entire life that makes you feel whole. Another aspect of the story is a lot of female empowerment throughout with gender role reversal. However, this wasn’t thrown in just for the sake of having women empowerment. The story took a life of its own throughout the writing process. It’s one of those things happening in our world today, and it bled out onto our pages with how we felt. It’s a way of venting. As a whole, I just think this is a film that needs to be made.
PopHorror: This sounds incredible! How far are you into production?
Tristan Clay: At the moment, we are waiting to see if we are going to have a funded film. We have a strong script, a great director of photography, and an amazing cast and a crew lining up. I don’t think I’ve ever been this confident in the potential of a project. But, before we can really move forward, we have to see what funds we will have to work with so that we can begin filming in June.
PopHorror: How far does the campaign for Inverted have left to go before being 100% funded?
Tristan Clay: May 5th marks the end of the campaign. We are getting close to $3,000 and we are trying to reach $17,000. So, we still have a ways to go. But a lot of people act fast towards the end.
PopHorror: I think you have a great shot, and I know everyone from PopHorror is behind you. Everyone who has seen the teaser trailer is very excited to see the finished project.
Tristan Clay: Thank you! It means a lot.
PopHorror: If I’m not mistaken, there are several perks for those who contribute to the campaign by pre-ordering the film. Can you tell me more about this?
Tristan Clay: Gladly! So, everyone who pre-orders a copy of the film will receive a limited edition copy exclusively for campaign backers and exclusive artwork signed by Destinie and I. Everyone who pre-orders the film will have their name in a graphic on the back cover. This shows that you played a special part in making the film possible because, quite honestly, we can’t do this without the people who support us.
PopHorror: That is actually a great idea!
Tristan Clay: Thank you! It’s a way of showing our gratitude and appreciation. Other perks will include the film on VHS, which will be very limited. We will only order as many VHS tapes as the campaign sells or up to 20. There have already been some that have been claimed. So, this will be a very exclusive item that some people may want to jump on. We also have signed posters, an opportunity for people to become a producer, and an opportunity for people to be on set. For people who are interested, but aren’t in a position to donate at the moment, we have some smaller perks including the soundtrack for donating just $5.00.
PopHorror: If you happen to exceed your goal by a certain amount, will you be adding different perks along the way?
Tristan Clay: Yes! We actually have an extended perk. If we do reach $17,000, we have some things planned that will benefit both the campaign backers and everybody involved. I won’t say too much because we have to get there first, but as a hint, it could be considered a second film. It’s something very minimal, but it is something that is very important to me.
PopHorror: That sounds like a great idea. I’ve been keeping tabs on this project for quite awhile now. How did you go from making your first horror short with friends, to casting names like Maria Olsen, Lynn Lowry and Jenn Nangle?
Tristan Clay: A lot of it has to do with networking. Jennifer did a write-up on Destinie awhile back and that brought her to my attention. I love her presence, and I love Malvolia. Lynn actually contacted me when I was filming Red Eye. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to cast her for that feature, but we connected again when Inverted came around. Maria Olsen actually entered a submission to me, which was very surreal. I mean, I’m a fan myself!
PopHorror: That is crazy! It just shows how connected we are nowadays through social media and networking. So, with all this happening so early, where do you see your career going in the future?
Tristan Clay: First off, I hope for Inverted to become fully funded. I’m very confident in this project, and we already have an interested distribution company that is very well known. If everything comes together, and we are able to announce what distribution company wants the film, I think everyone will be very surprised. As far as filmmaking goes in general, I want to make a career out of it. My life revolves around bringing stories to life. I don’t want to work retail for the rest of my life. I want to make films. So, I really want to push myself, learn and grow, and see how far I can take this.
PopHorror: Being 21-years-old and working on your second full-length feature is very impressive. I’m sure you have a great shot at making this a full-time career and I wish you the best of luck!
Tristan Clay: Thank you so much!
For more information on Inverted, follow the film’s Facebook page. If you would like to donate and help bring Inverted to life, check out their Indiegogo page. And for more developing news, reviews and interviews, be sure to stay tuned to PopHorror!
