"WTF" is a new horror movie about a twenty-two-year-old girl named Rachel who was the sole survivor of a massacre only to find herself in the cross-hairs of another spate of violence three years later. Recently, debut Director Peter Herro discussed the newly-released film titled "WTF" and his other experiences in entertainment via an exclusive Interview.
Writing and other creative inspirations
Meagan Meehan (MM): What initially inspired you to get into movies and why did you decide to focus on directing?
Peter Herro (PH): Creating films has always been a passion of mine.
Since I was in high school I always remember having an overactive and creative imagination. I was always searching for an outlet to express myself. I realized that making movies was the best way to do that.
MM: Which genres do you like working in most?
PH: I have a few favorite genres. Horror is amazing! I love the classics. “Friday the 13th”, “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Halloween,” etc. I plan on making many more horror flicks. I also want to eventually tackle comedy and later down the road adventure/fantasy.
MM: How did you get involved with "WTF" and what most appealed to you about the script?
PH: I actually wrote “WTF!” back in 2009 with my writing partner Christopher Centanni. We are both horror fans and really wanted to make something fun and campy.
He has a really great way of writing comedy and my writing tends to be more serious and dark. So, the two mindsets combined created a very interesting campy horror film with some serious undertones. Later we brought Adam Buchalter to help with the script. He did an amazing job punching the story up with new one-liners, and side stories.
He really helped craft the movie into what it is today. He was even on set rewriting scenes on the fly. I’m really thrilled with the writing team.
MM: How long did the film take to complete and what were some of the challenges of filming it?
PH: We started writing back in 2009 and after years of development we got funded officially in March 2015 and went into production June 2015.
We shot the film in twelve days. Some days were only six-hour days since we shoot in the summer and we couldn't call action until 9 pm when it got dark out. Our permits only went until 3 am. So, it made for a very challenging shoot. Overall making a film for under $100k had a ton of challenges.
Twelve days of shooting a feature with seven people in the main cast was a huge challenge when setting up for blocking. Trying to get the best shots in a small amount of time was only accomplished by a very strong pre-production and amazingly talented cast and crew. Kyle Zingler was also the only producer on the film. If anyone has ever shot a feature film before they would understand how crazy that sounds.
But he managed to make it work and he did an amazing job doing so.
I remember one day on set we decided that we needed to cut six pages of the script due to lack of time. I had to stop directing for an hour, sit with the team and start a rewrite. We did it though. That moment had me wondering if we were actually going to have a full feature! I spent most of my time searching for a cast and crew that was not only talented but shared the same passion that I did. When I hired my cast and crew a lot of thought went into a talent for sure. It was about hiring people who had passion and could nurture each other. I wanted a group of people that could grow as a family. When you work with a low budget, that’s really all you can hope for.
A team of dedicated people that keep smiling every day even when things get super stressful.
Last but not least, post-production! We ran out of money early which is usually the case on ultra-low-budget films so post production was indeed a challenge. But we pulled together and pushed hard. Most of the post team works full time so we made time to edit, color, create VFX shots, mix and create audio only on the weekends. We stayed in post for almost two years because of the budget restrictions but the final product was worth the wait. People worked slow and wanted to do it right. This was a first-time feature for the majority of the cast and crew so we all wanted to make it be the best it possibly could be.
Directing and future projects
MM: What do you consider to be particularly rewarding about being a professional director?
PH: I really enjoy telling a story. There is something magical about seeing your vision go from paper to the big screen. Seeing each cast and crew member you choose to come together to adapt the story while each bringing something unique to the table is a magical experience. From start to finish the process was a rush that I really enjoyed!
MM: Do you have any new projects and/or events are coming up soon?
PH: I am working on a new project right now called the “Locksmyth”. This would be my first film on a much bigger budget that involves some horror icons and a known leading lady.
More to come on that at the end of the year. In ten years from now, I would love to be directing some bigger projects. I wrote a few sci-fi and adventure films that I would love to do once I am more seasoned and have a few more horror films under my belt.
