If a Tree Falls in a Parking Lot…
It’s sort of funny, I have said countless times over the years how much I dislike Christmas. And yet, some of my favourite movies are Christmas movies. GREMLINS, KISS KISS BANG BANG, and Kyle Kuchta’s short film, THE WOODSMAN. And then of course, there was that one time I wrote a Hallmark Christmas screenplay for fun… (Shhh, don’t tell anyone. Unless you want to option it?) Huh. Upon reflection, maybe I don’t hate Christmas as much as I thought? On that note, let’s dive into my conversation with Kyle!
Photo by Luna McCullough
Thank you for taking the time to let Haus of Fog interview you. You and I (Ashley Good) met through the Foggy Isle Film Festival, which screened your dark Christmas short, THE WOODSMAN, back in 2022. The Woodsman is genuinely one of the most unique shorts that I have watched. The entire film focuses on only the protagonist using extreme close-up POV shots. The way that it was shot added to the claustrophobia of the character's living quarters, but also the pressure that he was putting on himself to live up to his father's legacy. Was this filming decision a deliberate choice, or a "happy accident" (a la Bob Ross) that you stumbled upon when you realized how squishy it was going to be to film in a camper?
Thank you, Ashley! Foggy Isle really championed THE WOODSMAN and I so appreciate that. It’s something we’re really proud of and probably only exists because of an “happy accident.” And by “happy accident,” I mean the pandemic. The Woodsman was originally written as an episode for a TV series my friend and I were developing back in college. It was probably destined to sit on a hard drive forever except the pandemic hit and we were itching to shoot something. But we needed something that could be shot safely and with minimal cast/crew. I don’t quite remember where the POV-concept came from but there were themes from the script that lent itself to that approach, as you mentioned. It was just a strategy, a risk, that made sense. It has been the aspect that people like most about the film, and that’s really rewarding.
Photo by Luna McCullough
What inspired you to write about a Christmas tree salesman?
It was a few days after Christmas, 2012. I was driving through a large town in my home state of Connecticut, and I passed a Christmas tree stand that was between a gas station and a McDonald’s. The sign had blown over, the string lights strung all out of shape, and three trees remained lying haphazardly in the lot. I was kind of struck by the scene. Like, was someone gonna come get these three trees? What happened, why was it in disarray? And I just came up with an anxious character having to deal with what’s left after his holiday season.
As a viewer, I appreciated how the story was about a working class person in an atypical job that is often overlooked. Before watching The Woodsman, I had never thought about the lives of the people who sell Christmas trees in parking lots, but now I think of your film and the lives that those people must lead every time I see a Christmas tree lot. Anyway, not a question, I just wanted to give you kudos!
Thank you! Super specific seasonal work like that made for a fun sandbox.
The protagonist in The Woodsman um... struggles a bit with reality. A similar thing appears to be happening in your follow-up film, OUCHIE. What draws you to stories about individuals who are on the cusp of full-on psychotic breaks? (I am really not sure how to describe Ouchie without any spoilers).
The characters that I’m drawn to (or have been drawn to thus far) are all characters that have a history or some sort of build up that gets them to that breaking point. In The Woodsman, Bernie is navigating generational pressures combined with almost urban legend level folklore that torment his like a frightening campfire story, is it real is not real sort of thing. In Ouchie, writer Jeanette Wall approached Mona’s “break” with an "is it a gift [or] is it a curse" mentality. It’s a way of knowing what is true despite the obliviousness of those around her. I think for me it’s an empathy thing? There’s a lot that has to happen when people, characters, hit their lowest. And one of the many joys of filmmaking is trying to condense and share that history even if we only experience these characters for 9, 12, 90, 120 minutes.
Photo by Joey Avena
Ouchie features some really great looking body horror. Was that done through practical effects or CGI? As an aside, the wounds in Ouchie reminded me a bit of Ariel Hansen's short film CLOUT (another film that screened at Foggy Isle).
Lily Parfitt did the effects, all done practically. She is a super talented makeup artist, now based in London.
Horror filmmakers seem to be the only people still using practical effects in their movies. As both a fan of practical effects, and someone who also uses them in my work, I tend to prefer them to CGI. Do you have any advice to filmmakers who want to get gory but are nervous to try?
I think the best thing you can do, and this is with most aspects of filmmaking, is to do the research. Look at what other filmmakers have done, how they’ve done it, and then ask the questions! Chat with FX and makeup artists on what is possible and how you can make it [happen]. It’s just about being [well planned] and informed, factor it into your pre-production. It’ll go a long way.
Is there anything else that you would like to add and/or any other filmmakers or YouTube channels that you would like to give a shout out to?
“The Woodsman” is currently streaming via Dark Matters on YouTube, and they’ve got a ton of other great shorts on there. Also, the Haus Of Fog lineup is great, too, stoked to be featured there among some other fantastic films!