Here’s a great horror short film to watch called The Night CourierIn the film, “a single night offers a suffocating glimpse into the life of a woman whose occupation is feeding people to monsters. When one of her victims escapes, the story degenerates into a hellish cat-and-mouse chase.”
This short film is shared in partnership with the FilmQuest Film Festival, where we seek to showcase some of the amazing independent shorts and genre films created by filmmakers.
This film was directed and produced by Tabitha AND Mason McDonaldand we’ve also included an interview that you can read, to get to know them a little better.
Without spoilers, tell us what your film is about, what its characters and themes are. Is it a proof of concept or a standalone story?
A blood courier’s night turns into a harrowing cat-and-mouse chase after one of his victims manages to escape. This short film is a proof of concept for a series of the same name, as well as a feature film script called “Never See the Sun Again.”
What was the inspiration for your film? How did you get the idea?
Originally just an idea born out of COVID isolation to create an experimental short film based on some interesting and creative footage, it continued to grow into a larger story. Also inspired by stories like “Only Lovers Left Alive” and iconic films like “You Were Never Really Here,” the depiction of vampirism in “The Night Courier” takes a less fantastical and more down-to-earth approach.
Although they are immortal, sensitive to sunlight, and sustain themselves solely on blood, the more fantastical traits such as transforming into bats, being vulnerable to garlic, and sleeping in coffins are omitted. The goal is to create a race distinct from humans but very similar to them.
This deliberate choice mirrors real-world prejudice, where even when someone is very much like us, we still find reasons to distrust or oppress them. This theme is a significant aspect of “The Night Courier,” as vampires face discrimination despite legal protections.
The short film draws comparisons between the Courier and her prey, as she realizes that vampires aren’t the only ones who suffer discrimination, leading her to reconsider her future path.
Tell us about yourself. What is your background? How long have you been a director?
We’ve been making films and commercials together for over a decade: Mason writes and directs, Tabitha produces and edits.
What drives you to work in genre cinema and tell these kinds of stories?
Horror allows us to open doors, explore, and ask questions that no other genre does as well. Horror can be dark or funny. It can be social commentary or it can explore our worst fears. It is the most malleable genre with an incredibly supportive audience and fan base. What’s not to love?
What was the part of the process of making this project that you enjoyed the most?
Our favorite part was the worldbuilding! The world of The Night Courier was incredibly collaborative and took on a life of its own. The lore is deep.
What are you most proud of about this film?
We are very proud of the visual language of the film. Before this film we didn’t have a clear style, but when we made it we knew what we wanted and that makes us feel really good. We are also proud of the stories this world influenced us to create after the fact.
What is your favorite anecdote or moment from the making of the film that you would like to share?
On the last day of the final scene of our short film The Night Courier, we were in a parking lot in the middle of the night, about to call for action when suddenly, our lead, Regina, who was standing next to a glowing Aputure lantern, said “Guys…” We all looked at her and saw a huge luna moth flying around the lantern.
Everything stopped and everyone surrounded her and watched this luna moth dance around this glowing orb of light in silence. It was surreal and to this day, one of our all-time favorite experiences. We later learned about luna moths. They only have a lifespan of 1 week. We felt so grateful that the luna moth had given us some time in her short, but beautiful life.
What was the most challenging moment or experience you had while making your film?
On the second day, production was delayed several hours due to torrential rains, as happens in North Carolina in the spring. We decided to wait and see if things would clear up, and they did, with a double rainbow.
From there we continued with a night of shooting the cop scenes. While it wasn’t fun to work there, the rain left us with a thick fog that stayed ALL night, which made the lighting absolutely beautiful. It didn’t lift until we were done!
If so, how did your film change or diverge from its original concept during pre-production, production, and/or post-production? How did this change the way you approach future projects as a result?
The characters evolved significantly based on the actors’ input in developing the characters and their interactions. We have since made character development with the actors a key part of the process and have been very pleased with the results.
Who were some of your collaborators and actors in the film? How did you start working together?
Emily, The Courier, and Drez, The Man, have been part of the story since the beginning. We had worked together on other projects and bringing them together on this was an absolute dream.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a director, and what would you say to new directors?
Make films for one audience member: yourself. — Denis Villeneuve Be prolific. Don’t try to do just one thing, work on many things, in many roles. The more you create, whether you’re in your ideal role or not, and the more you collaborate and work with others, the more doors will open for you.
What are your career plans and what do you hope this film will do for your career? What kind of stories do you want to tell moving forward?
We are constantly developing new stories. Mason has since written five feature film scripts, as well as the pilot for the series The Night Courier. We are working on bringing that series to life, as well as our eco-horror feature, Decomposer, and Jennifer Trudrung’s script The Biting Time. We want to continue using horror as a means to explore humanity, and we’ll see where that takes us!
What is your next project and when can we expect to see it?
We have two more short films coming to festivals later this year: The Biting Time and I Carry Them Wherever I Go.
Where can we find more of your work and where can interested parties contact you? Do you have a website or YouTube/Vimeo channel? Do you have any social media profiles?
darkredhorror.com is where our work lives (as well as our horror film festival Dark Red Film Fest). You can find us on Instagram @darkredhorror, @tabby.makes.movies and @mason.makes.movies. And our email is darkredhorror@gmail.com
Bonus Question #1: What is your all-time favorite movie?
No Country for Old Men
Bonus Question #2: What film most inspired you to become a filmmaker and/or had the greatest influence on your work?
No Country for Old Men and Under the Skin.
Enjoy the short film!
by Joey Fear
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
