HORROR IN DAYLIGHT: INTERVIEW WITH “IT IS CLEAN” CREATOR PAUL CARTWRIGHT

It is no small task creating a short horror film that not only draws you in immediately - but also creates a sense of immediate intrigue and suspense. It is even more unique to create a film that captures the feeling of dread in bright daylight. Screen and voice actor/musician Paul Cartwright discusses the making of “It is Clean,” which is his directorial debut. It is Clean won Best Actor (Ethan Kartchner), Best Music Score (Adrian Miller), Best Sound Design (Paul Cartwright), and Best Drone Cinematography (Paul Cartwright) in the October/November edition of ZFA.

ZFA: How were you able to film such a mysterious and horrifying topic during the day/light? What inspired you to do so?

Paul: Part of the interesting challenge I wanted to create with this film was how to make a thriller/suspense film that would be suitable for all ages. Knowing most children (and some adults) are scared of the dark, I wanted to create a scenario that was more unsettling using light in the opposite way--more bright and somewhat over-exposed. Then, by writing a script that focused on what was being said, the suspense and thrill came from not knowing what was going to happen next, and by not showing anything explicitly, the audience gets to choose what frightens them most.

ZFA: How long did the project take to complete? Where was it filmed?

Paul: Since I was the editor and sound designer, I wanted to complete the film as quickly as possible for the Halloween crowd. From conception, writing, shooting, and editing, the entire project was completed in 32 days. We shot in Toole, UT, and up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

ZFA: That score though and the tension it brings! What inspired the musical score for the film?

Paul: I am a musician, and some of the most memorable moments in all of film are either lead by, or walk hand-in-hand with, music. I knew from the very start I needed to have an original composition that carried the story, and boy did Adrian Miller deliver! His score was everything I could have ever hoped for. I sent Adrian an email with links to two specific tracks: One from Batman Begins (Hans Zimmer), and the other from one of the greatest video games ever made, Bioshock (Gary Schyman). I wanted suspense and tension to be the pulling thread leading the story along.  

ZFA: Were there any lessons you learned? What would you have changed if anything?

Paul: There are way too many lessons I learned to write them all down. I feel like the entire project was just one giant lesson on how to make movies. The number of mistakes I made are countless, but I also consider them necessary. If you want to learn to do something, you just do it and figure it out. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, but I learned incalculable lessons from immeasurable experiences. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

ZFA: What are your plans for the future with the project, and what other projects are you working on in the future?

Paul: I think IT IS CLEAN was a boxed project from the beginning--meaning we would make it, show it, and that's it. I don't have any plans to expand or do anything else with it, unless someone approaches me about a feature. Otherwise, it was a fun learning experience meant for festivals. I'm currently in the script phase of several feature films that I hope to have completed by the end of next year. There will undoubtedly be more shorts along the way, too.

ZFA: How can we find you and follow your work?

Paul: @PaulTCartwright is my handle for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also visit my voiceover website.