From Screamfest 2021: Craig Low talks about the deceptive simplicity of his short film, MOVIN DAY
A sad face on a box. What could it mean? Trash inside? Upsetting memories? Or something much more sinister? The simple cuteness of the image mixed with the depressed mood it appears to conjure makes the audience want to know more. And like that last box you forget to open until months after moving in, it contains some surprises.
Australian filmmaker Craig Low, who describes himself as having “a very thick Australian accent, so this interview will make more sense if you read it in an overly excited Crocodile Hunter voice,” creates a deceptively happy atmosphere in his short Movin Day before the box makes its entrance. And at first, it doesn’t seem likely to break through the sunshine. But curiosity can be a real killer.
We asked Low for the low-down on his short.
1. The sad face box is so simple, yet so immediately evocative. How many iterations did it take to nail the perfect, basic look?
A) Great Question! The sad box you see in the film was only intended for the camera test, but after our actors used it for rehearsals, I found the wear and tear from all the preparations made it perfect. With Movin Day being a oner, we made the eyes on the sad box large X’s, so we could hide one of the edit points in plain sight using the eyes as marks for a match cut in post. Short story long: One. It took one attempt to make the sad box.
2. Horror is so full of icons, from Freddy’s glove to Frankenstein’s bolts, that some movies try to come up with that iconic thing first, while other times it evolves naturally from the story. Which was it here?
A: I find that people love sad details, whether we want to admit it or not. It’s odd, but everyone always wants to know how it happened when they hear of someone’s death. The opening shot is designed to have the audience asking, “How and why is that box sad?”. Then when they find out, they’re not just hearing exposition but actually listening to it.
3. Did you have a bad experience with Teddy Ruxpin as a child? Or is this a loving tribute to him?
A: HAAAAA! Angelic things being creepy in horror is always a blast. I wanted to make the most brutal Build-A-Bear I could with this film, but while we’re on the subject, yeah, fuck Teddy Ruxpin.
4. How hard was it to find a move-in ready location?
A: I had the script written before we found the perfect location on Giggster (which I highly recommend to any filmmaker). Once we had the site, the film’s DP Blake Gaytan, 1st AC James Grant, and I had to pivot and reconstruct the script to fit within the confines of the home. It was honestly one of my favorite parts of making the film.
5. Was this conceived only as a short? Or is there a larger story potentially to tell if the short catches on?
A: I have expanded ideas for a feature and a series, but I don’t think people should make shorts with the intention of it being something more extensive. Just have fun making the short itself. If you’re focused on what it could be and its bigger story, then you’re not focused on what it already is and needs to be.
6. What was the original inspiration for the short?
A: I was listening to Travelling Wilbury’s “Handle With Care” and found the premise of people as boxes to be fascinating. It’s like we all walk around carrying a box of trauma, shame, and secrets from relationship to relationship.
7. How easy or challenging was the casting process? Did any prospective actors play the reveal too obviously?
A: The most challenging part of casting for a one-shot style film like Movin Day is finding actors who can execute the long choreography of the scene while maintaining their performance. It’s marathon acting. Our leads, Greg Santos and Nathalia Castellon, aren’t just talented actors but dedicated to the work, so we were able to workshop the scene until we were confident in its execution.
8. What’s your next project after this one?
A: I developed an animated horror series with Lin Shaye called Don’t Touch. Having the chance to work with an icon in the genre has been such a unique experience and collaborating with her is an absolute joy.
9. Popcorn or candy?
A: Candy; it’s easier to throw at people checking their phones during the movie.
