VITAL INSTRUMENTS, 17min., USA
Directed by Greg Kase
In this dark fever dream, a botched pawn shop robbery sends desperate brothers Walter and Pete, and their newly employed getaway driver Cutty, hobbling to a safe house that was supposed to be abandoned. Instead, they find shackled women in critical need of their help. Things complicate after their captor is mortally wounded in a shootout, and the predicament as to why they are prisoners in the first place becomes highly questionable—especially after the first one they reluctantly release immediately (and violently) kills herself, and the rest of them start chanting in ancient tongues.

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Get to know the filmmaking team:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The concept of the crooks vs occult was a marriage of two genres we all deeply enjoyed, Heist and Spooky Occult Horror. As a group of horror film fans, we had never seen a movie do this in the same way this concept was blossoming in our minds. The exploration of a clash between outcasts of society, a sort of stand off on the fringes. Like most filmmakers, we started describing scenes that we would like to see and dialogue we would want to hear until it culminated in the understanding that if we wanted to see it, we had to make it.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

We started writing the script in 2019 in our spare time when we weren't working at our day jobs. Then the world shut down in 2020 and we had all this time on our hands, which we used the time to hone the script in and make it what was ultimately filmed. We got the film through editing in late 2023

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Nightmare Fuel

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Once we had the final script, we started figuring out everything we needed to make this happen. We needed to find a location that we could shoot the entire short at because we didn't have the budget to shoot this in more than one long weekend. Once we found the location, we had to cast the right people to portray the characters we had been building and imagining for the past two years. Once we had the cast chosen, we locked in filming dates. Everything was moving along.

Just when we thought everything was on course for a successful shoot, one of our actors tested positive for COVID on the 2nd day of filming. We had to shut everything down and reschedule for another weekend. It doubled our budget, which we took from the post- production budget adding another obstacle to this whole endeavor. We had to reschedule for November which added its own complications because we were filming in an ragged old barn overnight. The cold was an issue for sure.

Long story long, there were a ton of obstacles.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It's also fun listening to strangers review the film. We're really proud of what we put out there and hearing how well it's being received makes us want to make this into a feature even more.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I think we were all very little experimenting with early home movies in different parts of the country—mainly in the woods, blowing stuff up with fireworks, and covering our friends in latex and fake blood.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Lee Schatzman (Creator/Writer/Producer): "Die Hard"

Greg Kase (Writer/Director/Producer): "Jurassic Park"

Jesse Martin (Writer/Producer): "Office Christmas Party"

Tyreek Walrond (Producer): "Fallen"

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

It's always fun going to a festival with a good audience where we could get some good feedback. Seeing our film being included with other great films has been great too.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

FilmFreeway has made finding and submitting to festivals really smooth and efficient. 100% would recommend.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Lee Schatzman (Creator/Writer/Producer): Whiskey

Greg Kase (Writer/Director/Producer): Baby lamb chops

Tyreek Walrond (Producer): Fish sticks

Jesse Martin (Writer/Producer): Italian combo

11. What is next for you? A new film?

We're always writing and planning on our next production. We're also working out our business plan to turn Vital Instruments into a feature-length film. During our festival run, we would love to find investors and hopefully, distribution to get this story seen by as many people as possible.