Here are  a few questions and answers pulled from some of the Q&As from various film festivals, with Director Benjamin Dynice.

1. What made you decide to make this movie and why horror?

I was itching to make another project and so I put the word out to my colleagues that I was looking for short scripts. A phenomenal writer and fellow Chapman Alumni Ryan Parrott, with whom I had worked with before on the low-budget action feature film “Loaded,” sent me a few scripts and this one just jumped out at me. I knew I could tell this story, and fortunately, I knew I could make it on a budget, which was somewhat necessary.

I think horror is one of those genres where the story and concept are still king. You can have a great horror film with no names or stars and still manage to get people to see it. Ultimately, I think it’s because people like to be scared, to go outside of their comfort zone.

2. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced making Nowhere Road?

The challenge we faced was the same as most short films…not enough money. The budget is always something that you have to fight against. We ended up pulling in a ton of favors to get this film made and it still cost money. However, I believe the production value of this film far exceeds the budget and for that, I have to thank our amazing cast, crew, and creative team who gave 110% to help make this movie what it is.

During production, we ran up against a multitude of challenges. The first day of shooting was scripted to be our three college kids baking in the sun, but on the day the weather was actually quite overcast with a slight drizzle. We ended up having to cut that setup short and move on to prepare for the rest of the night rather than fighting the weather. We had to come back to that scene three weeks later to do it right in order to capture the feeling of the kids melting in the sun.

3.  How was the casting process? How did you get your cast and crew?

Casting is always the most challenging and rewarding. It is like you are having your characters try on different clothes and see them walk around in them, which is great! And can be very satisfying. On the flip side, it can also be like watching really a bad version of your cast as well. It all depends on what type of casting process you get to do. The other thing with casting shorts is that you will likely use certain scenes for the auditions that are part of your movie and I think you have to try and not have those scenes become stale. Sometimes, I have the writer or myself write a scene that would happen in the story but isn’t in our script so that it doesn’t lose its freshness.

4. Are there any plans for this story beyond the short?

Generally speaking, I think that short films that are successful should not be manipulated into a feature, unless that feature version can surpass the short. By that, I mean that it is extremely difficult to take the conflict from a 15 minute film and still make that the central conflict for a 90 minute film. You have to find a way to best it. Well, I think we have done exactly that with our plans for the feature version of the film and we are currently pursuing partners to help bring this film to the big screen.

Have a question of your own? Email us at contact @ nowhereroadthemovie.com  and we will send it on to the filmmakers.

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