James Wan Tips YouTube as Horror's Next Talent Pool
James Wan is looking to YouTube for horror's next wave of directors. He made the pitch during Variety's Entertainment & Technology Summit presented by EY, where he argued that low-cost tools have opened the door to newcomers, Variety.
Make something great and people will find it, he said. That openness keeps established directors on their toes and guards against complacency. He said easy access to cameras and editing tools has lowered the barrier to shooting something.
Wan knows the route well. He started with a short film that grew into 'Saw'. The first film made at his company Atomic Monster was 'Lights Out', from internet creator David Sandberg whose short of the same name went viral on YouTube.
His advice to newcomers was practical. Build small, intimate films around a high concept, a simple idea that can be explained in one line. He said that access gives newcomers a real chance. Keep costs low and let the idea do the work.
He also described his own job in those partnerships. His experience lets him connect with directors at a filmmaker's level, which he called his secret sauce at the company. He said he leaves most financing decisions to Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions.
Wan linked horror's current strength to a generation that grew up on the genre. Younger viewers who watched horror as children have now become filmmakers and critics, he said. He saw 'Poltergeist' himself at age 7 or 8. Almost all of his own work, he added, includes at least one creepy doll figure.
He outlined a busy slate. He is developing three films and is set to direct a remake of the South Korean crime film 'The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil'. Atomic Monster's 'The Last Kiss' arrived on digital platforms on Sept. 15, while 'Other Mommy' is set for a theatrical release — cinemas in the United States and Canada and beyond — on Oct. 9.
The YouTube theme is not new for Wan and Blum. The pair discussed the impact of horror filmmakers emerging from the online video space during a Produced By panel in May, Deadline. That earlier discussion also centred on online creators moving into features.
For fans, this means the next scare may not come from a studio shortlist. It may already be online, waiting to be spotted. What makes this stand out is the loop Wan described. A clip uploaded for fun can become a feature made for cinemas.
