We Are Still Here was released today to theaters and on VOD services. I'm sure some of you have caught it already and others will be seeing it this weekend, and this second part of my interview with Ted Geoghegan is for you. We dive into discussion of the movie's backstory, practical effects, and what's next for the writer / director: [SPOILER WARNING]
Something that really impressed me was how much thought you put into the backstory, which we get a good glimpse of during the end credits. How detailed did you get when building the history of this town?
Ted Geoghegan: We have a very detailed history of the town and what it did to the Dagmar family. The idea was that we needed to understand the history of the town even if it was never explained in the film. We created this extremely in-depth history about all of the characters over the course of 120 years who have come and gone throughout the town and have satisfied these strange, supernatural cravings that this home has.
There are a lot of hints in the end credits of the film as to what actually happened to the Dagmar family and what the town has been up to all these years. The idea is that it's vague enough that it requires a bit of detective work, much like the film's that I grew up watching. I'm a big fan of films that leave you with more questions than answers. I think it promotes discussion.
I like that the house is basically its own character in this movie. Can you talk about what it took to find the right house and any challenges you had with setting up the home for your big finale?
Ted Geoghegan: We actually got to Rochester to shoot the film, and we still had yet to secure the house, so as you could imagine, I was very concerned because the house is such an integral character to the film. I knew it was going to live or die based on the place. We were very fortunate in that a local pastor, he had reached out to his congregation to assist us with the movie, and a member of his congregation owned the house and was willing to let us use it for over a month. The house was, and still is, very old. It was built in 1859, the same year that the house in the movie is supposed to have been built, which I thought was a sign.
It basically had three wings, and they lived in one wing of the house. We were allowed to do whatever we wanted, not only to the area that they lived in, but to the other wing of the house that had nothing in them. We had a really incredible set design and they were able to just come in and transform the interior of the house into the late 70s because what you see in the film is not what the house was when we first arrived there. The biggest set pieces ... the sitting room where a large majority of the conversations and actions take place was built virtually from the ground up, like every aspect of it from the walls, to the furniture, to the shelving. Everything was constructed for the film.
What really sets this movie apart from newer releases is how much you relied on practical effects. The decision really paid off, especially toward the end. Can you talk about who handled these effects and share a bit of the process of bringing the Dagmar family to life?
Ted Geoghegan: The effects were handled by a Tampa-based effects company called Oddtopsy FX. It's run by my friend Marcus Cook who I've worked with for years on films that I've produced. I think he's one of the finest in the effects biz. I knew I wanted him involved with the film from very early on, and once I'd explained to him what I wanted for the Dagmar family as well as the splatter, he immediately started spit-balling these ideas to me.
The Dagmar family are from the mid-1800s and have been horribly burned to death, and when we see them in the field, there's a certain fantastical aspect to them, in the sense that I didn't want them to look like actual burn victims. I didn't want them to look like Freddy Krueger. I wanted them to have an almost fantasy element to them in that their bodies have been completely burned to ashes, yet they still have hair. Not only that, but their ghosts, but they still have a physical form, which is very reminiscent of Carpenter's The Fog. I've been hearing a lot of people reference The Fog when talking about the Dagmar family.
Of course, in the final act of the film, things get extremely gory, and we wanted to keep all of that practical, while still keeping the Dagmar family front and center throughout the film. Marcus, my effects guy, has a background in gore effects, so he was very excited when he found out that this gets extremely splattery. I had told him upfront that ideally there would be no CGI whatsoever in the film and he was very keen on that as well. As far as the gore goes, there's absolutely no CG used in the gore. The only CG in the film was added to enhance the Dagmar family slightly. Their eyes are whited out, and there are some light embers that kind of float off their charred skin from time to time. Other than that absolutely everything is practical.
I know that it likely depends on how well the movie does, but has sequel discussion come up? Is that something that you're even interested in? I see it as more of a standalone film.
Ted Geoghegan: I have had people ask me that. I think of it as a standalone film. There is a vast history that takes place before the film begins, and there is the potential for things to carry on into the future, but I think the story, while about the house and the people of the town, is ultimately really about Anne and Paul.
These characters have suffered this terrible loss and, when the film begins, their story is just beginning. When the film ends, their story ends. I don't particularly see doing a sequel to the film only because Anne and Paul's story is over, but you know, never say never to anything.
Have you already lined up your next directorial project? Do you know what you want to do next?
Ted Geoghegan: I have several projects that I'd like to do next. I definitely would like to continue writing, whether it's another project for me to direct or another project for someone else. Right now, I have three concepts that I'm really excited about, and I'm really hoping that I can work on one of those next. One is a high-concept science fiction film. Another is kind of a throwback to 80's demon films that's played for lots of fun. The other one is a survival film set in the woods. All three are extremely different, not only from each other, but from We Are Still Here, and I would definitely like to make it a point that everything I do is markedly different than whatever I've done prior.
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