Half Day Holiday Horror Film Shoot

For a long time, I’ve liked the idea of making Holiday Themed short films. So far, I’ve made four Holiday themed shorts. They don’t have the normal themes associated with Christmas or the Holiday season. The Holidays act as a backdrop for the stories I want to tell. Last December, I got to film a ghostly holiday short.

The script

I wanted to tell a simple story which we could film in half a day. In some ways I see it as a video Christmas card instead of a regular short film. I kept the script to two pages and two main locations. I wrote the script for two main actors and two extras.

Casting

When I wrote the script, I had an actor in mind for the lead character and I was able to cast another actor for the supporting character from a casting call for a different project. Luckily, both actors accepted the roles and I was able to get them signed onto the project.

Pre-Production

I ordered a couple props and gear to for this project. I had a Christmas tree prop which I had used on other Holiday short films. I picked up a set of battery powered Christmas lights, a 9”X9”X9” gift box, wrapping paper, and ribbon. For my iPhone 14 Pro camera set up, I picked up a Zhiyun Smooth 5S Gimbal Stabilizer and an Aputure MC light. Over the past few months…