Steve Parker, executive producer of August horror jaunt WTF!, tells us to expect a “humorous and scary romp”!

Steve Parker is the executive producer of WTF! He talks about what it take to take on a project, how he started out, his first feature and more on what we are to expect from his August horror jaunt WTF!

indieactivity: How does one get into producing?
Steve: Primarily you need to have the drive to make a project happen, and the ability to do whatever it takes to make that so. And you need the leadership to show people that is who you are, and that getting it done is inevitable.

indieactivity: When did you form your production company – and what was the original motivation for its Steve: formation?
Jody and I decided to form Cthulhu Crush in the editing room on our feature The Dark Place. We were trading stories about our line producers and realized we were both struggling against them, but rowing in the same direction without knowing it. We decided then that we should team and be our own bosses.

WTF! The Trailer

indieactivity: What was the first film out of the gate?
Steve: Our first feature project was Judas Kiss, a tale of two alternate futures. Once the ill-advised fourth act and musical number were cut from it, it went to a great festival run and indie release.

indieactivity: Do you think each volume has improved as they go on?
Steve: Absolutely. And with each outing we know what we have, and how to make it a success.

indieactivity: What works better in this latest production that mightn’t have worked so well in the last one?
Steve: The director didn’t get ill and have to be replaced on day three of filming!

indieactivity: Is there anything about the independent filmmaking business you still struggle with?
Steve: That’s easy: Money. There isn’t enough of it, and in this new Netflix/online world, there are more movies competing for the same dollars.

indieactivity: Where do you think your strengths lie as a producer?
Steve: My favorite strength is as an editor. That’s the passion for me, and it broadened out into producing because I needed to do the other things to get stuff done. But really as a producer my strength is leadership. For example, on one set I had a lead actor who wanted to walk out—quit—middle of production. I talked him down off that ledge, convincing him the problems we had were being fixed. I convinced him to have faith I’d get the project back on track.

indieactivity: How important is marketing? Do you think a project can make any dent without it these days?
Steve: Marketing is critical. You can have a breathtaking, Oscar-winning calibre movie, but if no one knows about it you have nothing. Ultimately I wish everyone were my friend, and I could just drop them an email and say “Hey, my new movie WTF! goes on sale 8/1, check it out! Boobs and blood this time!” Marketing is the closest approximation I have to that email.

indieactivity: Can you tell us about your marketing activities on the project – and how it’s gone for you?
Steve: We are really just starting—In fact I have a meeting in a couple hours to make a bunch of those decisions! We did hold our first public screening in L.A. two weeks ago, to a couple hundred appreciative moviegoers.

indieactivity: What do you hope audiences get from WTF!?
Steve: I hope that enjoy a humorous and scary romp in the woods!

indieactivity: What else have you got in the works?
Steve: For spring 2018 we’re making a creature/horror called Beverly Hills Lizard People. We humans taste like chicken to them! And any resemblance between Kelly-Ann Conway and a lizard monster is untrue!