Director James Klass on making his indie horror ‘House on Elm Lake’

James Klass is a British film director writer, and editor. James studied at Bournemouth University, and he runs Klass film from Glastonbury, Somerset, United Kingdom. James is known for Mandy the Doll (2018), 12 Deaths of Christmas (2017), and House on Elm Lake (2017).

 James Klass takes time of his busy schedule to talk to us on his work and experience making the House on Elm Lake, and his future aspirations for working as a filmmaker

indieactivity: When did your filmmaking career kick off??
James: Left school with no qualifications so joined the Army for a few years in the 90’s until digital video became wide spread so left. Got into university on a great film-making course, made one short horror film when I finished then left for London. Was a production runner on a TV show and worked my way up to 2nd assistant director. Then left London and became a freelance filmmaker working in online news, then making corporate’s and media training. Then 2016 Proportion Productions gave me the opportunity to make these films so very grateful as I wanted to make a horror film before I was 40 which I achieved with the first on ’12 Deaths of Christmas’.

indieactivity: What was it about movies that had you fixed on building a career around making them?
James: It all started when I was a kid in the early 1980’s with ‘Jaws’ and ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ which I watched many times and loved the roller coaster ride of emotions watching horror films. I always wanted to be a part of it somehow.

indieactivity: Most cite “Star Wars” as the film that spurred them to be filmmakers. What film was it for you?
James: Has to be ‘Jaws’, my first memory when I was on TV in the early 1980’s, what a rush that was. When I was 5 wanted to be a shark catcher, then a stuntman, then a special effects designer after watching ‘The Thing’. Then to directing them which came when I started to believe.

indieactivity: What was the first thing you shot?
James: That would have been when I bought a camcorder in the early 1990’s and shot my some of my Army service. Unfortunately couldn’t edit it so that is where the kit had not evolved and was waiting for digital video to happen for the masses.

indieactivity: How do you think you’ve improved as a filmmaker since then?
James: You never stop improving and making a feature film is where you learn the most. Using the time you have is where you shine the most, not over shooting and understanding how it will be edited where lighting correctly helps with grading which I taught myself while editing ‘Elm Lake’.

indieactivity: Is there a sequence in the latest movie that you’re truly proud of, one you can genuinely step back from and say ‘wow, that looks great’!?
James: The final act of the film is what i love the most from the moment Hayley visits the church

indieactivity: How did you pull the cast together?
James: Casting was all in place except for Eric which were taped additions emailed in and was his first film I believe and he was a joy to work with helping out when ever he could have came up with ideas all the time.

indieactivity: Did they have much time to get to know each other before the shoot began?
James: None of us the crew or actors had met until the first day on set, we didn’t even have a read through which was hard as time was short. But we did the best we what we had and everyone went beyond the call of duty within these conditions, we shot in the first three weeks of Jan in Essex, it was freezing! That lake was frozen you could walk on it, the crew all lived in that house you see for three weeks. It was a challenge for everyone but we did it and made two films, the making would have made quite a film in itself.

indieactivity: Did the house play out as a character in the movie as the actors?
James: The movie was shot in was Essex and the producers found a real gem there, it certainly is one of the stars and was our home for three weeks where we worked and slept, will never forget that and anyone can rent that place if they want to relive the nightmare.

indieactivity: What do you hope audiences get from the movie?
James: I just hope they are entertained and give it a chance as we all through ourselves in and did the best with 8 days and £3000. Also that life is full of darkness and light and one cannot exist with out the other.

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