Q&A: Filmmakers Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing Discuss Bringing The Hangman into the Online Realm for THE GALLOWS ACT II

After haunting Beatrice High School drama students in The Gallows, The Hangman returns with a vengeance this Halloween season in The Gallows Act II, and with the film now in theaters and on VOD and Digital from Lionsgate, we caught up with co-writers/directors Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing to discuss expanding the mythology of The Hangman, reteaming with Blumhouse, and how the marketing campaign for The Gallows impacted their story idea for the sequel.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up with us, Travis and Chris, and congratulations on The Gallows Act II! Did you always envision doing a sequel to The Gallows? How did the idea for the follow-up film come about?

You know when you set out to make a movie, you really just focus on making the best singular story as possible, and being indie guys, filming outside the system, we had no idea how much visibility The Gallows would eventually get. So we weren’t prepared for a sequel, but when the opportunity came to make one, we quickly went to work and began thinking of ideas. While our initial thoughts went towards a prequel, exploring The Hangman’s origins, we eventually decided to break out of that box and try something totally different. We wanted to make a film that gave the audience something new and visually exciting, but carry enough ties to the original to satisfy the fans and make it feel part of the same universe.

In the sequel, you bring the curse of The Hangman into the online world. Did adding an online viral element make The Hangman even more omnipresent and deadly this time around?

Yes, we think so. We were excited to show The Hangman in a more cinematic style—try new scares and lighting styles and simply have more options outside of the found footage realm. But his online presence helped maintain the vibe we set out to create in the first film.

Did the online aspect of The Gallows Act II allow you to play around with more found footage camera viewpoints?

The Gallows Act II gave us a lot of room to play visually. Alongside the found footage elements peppered throughout, we also got to immerse ourselves in a more traditional cinematic format. Both were fun to bounce back and forth between and we think allowed for some unique sequences and scares.

How important was it for you to expand The Hangman’s mythology while also introducing new characters for viewers to invest in?

We always hoped to see more Charlie, to see the Hangman wreak more havoc. When creating the first Gallows as just two indie guys making a movie in their backyard, we even dreamt of The Hangman one day rising through the ranks and becoming a horror icon. While he is far from Michael Myers status, we’re excited and grateful to be bringing him back for the sequel. The most important thing for us was to maintain the fine line of “too much” and “too little.” We wanted to show MORE of The Hangman because we saw so little of him in the first, but we also didn’t want to show so much that he was no longer a mystery. Things seem to be far more sinister when you see less of them.

The Gallows is one of the great horror movie stories of the 2010s, as you made the movie on a $100,000 budget and it grossed $43 million at the box office. What types of resources did you have to work with while making the sequel, and how many days were in your shooting schedule?

Thank you! Love hearing that! Our resources for the first were very small, yes, but honestly for the sequel… it was not much different! The movie was still made on a very tight budget, far less than it looks. We still made it outside the system, very independently and with a tight crew filmed in roughly 36 days. It is still to us a “small movie,” but it looks and feels a lot bigger!

Were you influenced or inspired by any other movies or urban legends while making The Gallows Act II?

The Gallows Act II certainly drew inspiration from online presences. During The Gallows marketing campaign back in 2015, there was a viral online challenge going around called “The Charlie Challenge” in which you stack two pencils on top of each other and supposedly summon a dark spirit. We decided to take that challenge and kung-fu it into summoning our dark spirit. The Charlie Challenge is a huge part of the sequel. We also drew heavy inspiration from Slenderman’s online presence and specifically the effect this fictional character has had on some young people and the dark things they’ve done because of it. There are actually two characters in Act II that are directly inspired by Anissa E. Weier and Morgan E. Geyser, the girls who lured their friend into the woods and nearly killed her in the name of an online folk tale. Scary stuff.

In addition to The Hangman, can we expect to see any other familiar faces from The Gallows in the sequel?

Maaaybeee! Haha! Viewers will have to watch and see.

Looking back at your time on set, is there a favorite or memorable moment that stands out?

There were honestly a lot of great moments on set. Through all the stress and hurdles, our cast and crew were really one big family. The entire experience will always stand out in our minds as a memorable and meaningful adventure in our careers and lives.

What was it like to re-team with Blumhouse for The Gallows Act II?

The folks at Blumhouse are our friends and they are always so supportive of our creativity and independence. Every film has its challenges, but it’s always great to have strong producers by your side to help face those challenges.

You’ve both been making movies together for years. How do you approach writing and directing as a team? Do you each have an area of preference when it comes to filmmaking?

We make a good team. Chris will often bring a more technical approach to a scene—understanding the where and when, how the edit will flow and communicating to those on set the technical and organizational aspects. Travis is endlessly creative and really brings the heart and soul to a scene. He’ll get the actors to those deep, dark places and is always careful to spot small details on camera. We both love to direct, produce, and also really enjoy the post-production process.

Ultimately, what do you hope viewers take away from The Gallows Act II?

We hope they are impacted to consider the dangers of social media and viral online games and re-evaluate their trust in the cyber-world. We hope they really feel the love and care we poured into this film, for fans of the first and for new fans. We hope any indie filmmaker or dreamer out there is inspired by the story of how this small underdog movie has now become a franchise. And of course we hope they get scared and are afraid to turn the lights down this Halloween :)

With The Gallows Act II now in theaters and On Demand and Digital, what other projects do you have coming up that you’re excited about, and where can our readers follow your work online?

“Tremendum” means a feeling of awe associated with an overwhelming experience. That’s what this all has been for us. We strive to have that awesome feeling in our work and we want life to be a #Tremendum. If anyone wishes to participate in that mantra they can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @tremendumpics and @chrisandtravis.