(Photo courtesy of Level 33 Entertainment)
Written by Colleen Bement, Editor.
New Horror/Thriller Film “The Shade” by Tyler Chipman Terrifies audiences through a family’s struggle against an ancient darkness.
Filmmaker Tyler Chipman’s highly anticipated horror/thriller film “The Shade” hit on-demand platforms on Nov. 22nd, and it’s already creating a buzz. With multi-award nominations and wins under its belt, this film promises to deliver a gripping narrative and edge-of-your-seat suspense. The trailer alone sparks fear! The film was directed by Tyler Chipman and written by Chipman and David Purdy. This talented filmmaker is a lifelong creative and storyteller. As a Writer/Director, he has worked in commercial, documentary, and narrative film producing an impressive array of content. He has this passion for bringing moving images to life, and a wealth of knowledge as an author.
An award-winning screenwriter at the New England Institute of Art, he quickly made a name for himself in the world of commercial filmmaking by freelancing before joining the team at Gradient Films as a copywriter and director. He has produced web content, corporate videos, and commercials for such companies as Thermo Fisher Scientific, HP Hood and, most recently, was tapped to write and direct three spots for Harpoon Brewery. Nerd Alert News was lucky to get to chat with Chipman to find out more about this amazing new movie.
Colleen Bement: The storyline of “The Shade” is realistic and so scary. I can see people catching their breath even after the film was over! Are you excited or nervous about audiences getting their chance to see it?
Tyler Chipman: Thank you so much for the kind words! Most of the nerves have (thankfully) gone away at this point. I’d be lying if I said the festival and limited theatrical openings didn’t cause me a fair bit of anxiety, but now I’m just really looking forward to having the film go out to a much broader audience. Ultimately, you make a film for other people to see, so this feels like a huge opportunity. I couldn’t be happier about it.
CB: Walk me through the film’s creation. Where did the idea for the story come from?
TC: All of the stories I write are an amalgamation of a whole host of ideas I get from my own life experiences, things I’ve seen other people experience, and inspiration I get from reading and watching other films (as well as inexplicable little bursts of imagination that seem to happen at the most random times). As far as “The Shade” is concerned, a lot of it is based on my knowledge of and experience with anxiety and panic disorders, as well as the hardship I watched a very good friend of mine endure after losing his father in the same way that Ryan (the main character in the movie) loses his.
I also thought some of the heavier themes regarding ailing mental health and the struggle to process trauma are ofttimes touched on in genre movies, but never quite really honestly explored. I wanted to make a movie in a hyper-naturalistic way to be respectful of those things, but also one that included surrealistic horror elements to help tangibly portray some of these struggles that are otherwise wholly internal.
CB: What was life on the set like?
TC: This may sound strange, but I feel more at home on a film set than I do anywhere else. There’s a very special creative energy, an electricity in the air every day when you get to work. It exhilarates me, but it also relaxes me somehow. Which is strange for a guy with an anxiety disorder! I can’t explain it. As far as the cast and crew goes, people like to talk about how you sort of become a big family during the production of a feature film, and that was absolutely true in this case. It might be a cliché, but that’s how it turned out for us. Our production “home base” was in Devens, MA near New England Studios where we built our set, and we all had a blast living right next to each other in the hotels. Building that closeness, that sense of community can really pay huge dividends on set when you’re creating together.
CB: The award wins and noms are well-deserved. How does it feel to get the recognition?
TC: Thank you! I’d be lying (again) if I said that the recognition isn’t gratifying, but I try to remind myself not to pay too much attention to those kinds of things. I think it’s important for any artist to constantly strive to learn from and build upon their previous work, and that takes some measure of humility. Accolades can be dangerous! It would be just as damaging to internalize a bunch of negative feedback as well, so I do my best to avoid falling into either of those traps (…it’s really hard. Especially the latter one.)
CB: I have anxiety and panic attacks are scary. Watching the trailer in itself definitely touched a nerve. Have people had similar reactions after watching the movie?
TC: Panic attacks are terrifying on a level that most people who’ve never had one would struggle to understand. I’m sorry you have to deal with that! You’re not alone! Right after the film premiered at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, a really nice guy approached me and said that he was a therapist and had really enjoyed the movie. In part because of the authenticity of the CBT scenes, and also because of the thoughtful way that mental health issues were handled. That was about the best compliment I could have hoped for. At each screening I’ve been present for and/or done a Q&A at, someone has mentioned their own struggles with one or more of the myriad issues examined in the film and that they were able to really relate to the characters. I’m not sure you can ask for a better outcome. My love for narrative cinema has always revolved around well-drawn characters, so if people are feeling for the characters that I’ve written and identifying with them, then that’s something I’m very proud of having achieved.
CB: What is the toughest thing about getting a project done?
TC: This is a difficult one to answer… I’m not sure there’s anything even remotely easy about getting an independent film made! I suppose if I had to point to the toughest thing about seeing a project across the finish line, it would probably be the near-impossible-to-sustain energy and tenacity it takes to keep moving forward no matter what. I can tell you that anyone who has ever made an indie will probably know what I’m talking about when I say that it’s like running into a brick wall over and over again until you manage to break it down – and see another brick wall 10 yards ahead. You can’t quit, no matter how many setbacks you suffer, no matter how many “no’s” you hear, no matter how many times things fall apart, whether big or small. You just have to keep doing the work. You have to love it.
Stream “The Shade” on VOD platforms. Watch the trailer and don’t miss out on this release from Level 33 Entertainment.
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