This week in Interviews From The Crypt we jump in the way back machine and rerun a piece that was originally on From Dusk Till Con in 2016.

Check out our chat with the co-writer and director of Lake Runs Red, Jason Riesgraf.

By Adam Holtzapfel

Adam Holtzapfel-How did being based in Minnesota influence Lake Runs Red?

Jason Riesgraf-First off, thanks so much for this interview opportunity. It’s a real pleasure to speak with a publication of your remarkable caliber. Minnesota, as a concept and a setting, is a huge influence on “Lake Runs Red.” This story has been percolating in my brain as far back as 2010. Originally, the narrative mainly took place in a few discrete locations. I always wanted to set the story in Minnesota, where I grew up and where I’m based, but the specificity of the locations came later. While scouting locations in early 2014 (with my cinematographer Mike Ascher) I discovered that not only did I want to expand my location list, but I also found that the north woods of northern Minnesota was going to play a significant role in the film. For those not familiar with Minnesota, these north woods are very secluded and hidden away from highly populated areas. From a horror perspective, this haunted seclusion is eerie and intimidating. Trapped alone in a cabin in the woods… no one is going to hear you scream. At least that’s what I was thinking as we were doing pre-production.

AH–This is your directorial debut, how has the process been?

JR-Well, first and foremost, the experience has been absolutely amazing. My professional background includes various television, production, editing, and camera operator roles. So while this is the first film that I’ve directed, it never felt like I was a fish out of water so to speak. That’s not to say that it wasn’t without its ups and downs. I have learned that filmmaking is exhausting at best, but also amazingly rewarding. No matter how prepared you are… and we were very prepared… there will always be the unexpected. Obviously, film is a collaborative medium, and without an amazing and DEDICATED cast and crew, you can only get so far. Luckily, I had both of those and feel very fortunate for everyone’s contributions. I’m confident that we’ve got something special with this film… and it’s because of the team we had.

AH–Do you view crowdfunding sites as a help or hindrance to independent filmmakers?

JR-Well, full disclosure we did do a small crowdfunding campaign for “Lake Runs Red” prior to pre-production. While I’m sincerely thankful for the generous support from my friends and family who contributed, it was limited in its broader scope. Looking backward, I feel a bit silly. Originally, I felt like if I could just put the campaign out there then it would go viral and my film would get funded beyond my wildest dreams. Unfortunately, the reality of internet crowdfunding doesn’t work that way. I have learned, maybe the hard way, that you likely cannot create a film career through crowdfunding alone. You need financing, marketing, publicity, goodwill, and maybe even a little luck to truly do it right. My advice to other indie filmmakers looking to do crowdfunding: If you believe that crowdfunding is the magic key to an illustrious Hollywood career or to an instant movie classic… then you may very well be disappointed. I don’t see how crowdfunding could be a hindrance to indie filmmakers, as it’s just another tool to help you get your films made. That said, I also don’t think you can use crowdfunding on every single movie or project you make. There’s an “asking for money” fatigue or threshold that we as filmmakers should be respectful of. You must be very strategic in that aspect. Sure there are always exceptions to the rule. But I think you’re better off saving your money, partnering with established film financiers, making meaningful industry connections, and especially building up your marketing capabilities. That way, when you do decide to crowdfund, then you’ve got a megaphone to get the word out. No doubt about it, you need to be very judicious on when you crowdfund, because you can’t do it every time.

AH–Leading up to the release of the film, there have been 5 trailers released, each one focusing on a different character. Was that the plan going into promoting the film or did it just come together to try that?

JR-In terms of plot and editing, the film also holds a few big surprises. “Lake Runs Red” is character driven by design, so initially the trailer editing process presented a few narrative challenges. In the beginning, I put together a standard run-of-the-mill two and half minute trailer, but it became immediately clear that we were giving WAY TOO MUCH of the plot away! It was like a mini-movie. I hate how studio trailers are these days… they show too much! When you’re done watching, it feels like you just saw the whole movie and you know what’s going to happen. I kind of feel that way with the upcoming “Batman v Superman” movie. I feel like I’ve already seen everything there is to see in the trailers. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case, but  yeah, we didn’t want people to feel that way. We wanted to make sure the story’s surprises and sense of crime mystery stayed a secret. After the first standard trailer didn’t work, I sat down with my producer/marketing director, and he suggested that we try to do something a little different with our trailer marketing strategy. We came up with the 5 character trailer idea. It felt natural, it felt right because we were so character driven. Each character trailer would take a different perspective from one of the principal characters. That way we preserve the actual story, whet the audience’s appetites, get you to fall in love with the characters, and then play with the context in a fun interesting way. Not to be coy… but there may be a few red herrings in our trailers.  I’m sure others may have done similar concepts before, but I’d like to think we were thinking outside of the box. And I gotta say, the 5 trailers have received a lot positive feedback. We feel great about them. They’re a terrific introduction to “Lake Runs Red” without ruining the movie for you.

AH–The trailers give the feeling that everyone has a secret, also mixed with a home invasion/slasher movie. What can fans expect?

JR-To be clear, we’re a small, entry level budget film made with indie passion, conviction, and hard work. That passion is going to be immediately evident onscreen. Horror is where my heart is. Especially home-invasion horror. Home is where you should feel safest… and there’s just something terrifying about someone or something breaking the sanctity of that covenant. The audience can expect an engaging and universal story told through the format of a home-invasion slasher film, but with heavy crime thriller elements. I’ve done my best to marry disparate genres, so when you view the film you may not be able to immediately classify it into just one label. Some might see it as a thriller, others might see it as a slasher, or perhaps even a hardcore horror episode. Even people who are not necessarily fans of horror, can enjoy the film from an existential and character perspective. Ultimately, the themes of “Lake Runs Red” are centered around rejection and choices, and the consequences related to them. We’ve actually decided to employ a unique, episodic editing concept to the film’s narrative. My co-editor and I are actually in the middle of breaking that construct right now. We learned from our trailers that people really enjoy these character perspective vehicles and the conceptual originality connected with them. Audiences can expect time juggling, use of flashback, and some creative playfulness. The story really centers on three main characters: Melissa (Lauren Morris), Bruce (CJ DeVaan), and Lauren (Kaci Wegleitner). Horror fans can expect practical special effects, some over-the-top violence, and hopefully if I did my job right… tension and panic. Visually, we’re dark, gritty, and gross. At the end of the day, I’m confident people will be entertained.

AH–Has a release date been set?

JR-I am on schedule to finish the film by this fall. However, the initial release date will depend on film festival acceptance. We are very confident in our potential to debut at the festival of our preference, but we’ll have to wait and see. As a smaller independent film, our distribution plans may be conditional to those festival circumstances.

AH–Last but not least, what’s your favorite movie of all time?

JR-I’m a huge movie aficionado. Horror is my favorite genre, but I also love thrillers, action films, and comedies. But without a doubt, my favorite movie of all time is David Fincher’s “Se7en.” I swear I have it memorized. The thing I love the most is how dark and dreary it is. It gives the viewers a very uncomfortable feeling when watching the story unfold. There’s an intricacy and a subtle message of desperation, that I was moved by. My favorite HORROR film of all time is Rob Zombie’s “The Devil’s Rejects.” I LOVE Rob Zombie’s work. He’s been an inspiration. His brutality, originality, and demented POV is just tremendous. I actually really wanted to travel to Sundance this year to see Rob Zombie’s new film “31,” but was unable. I absolutely can’t wait to see that one. For “Lake Runs Red” I was influenced by some home-invasion classics like Alexandre Aja’s “High Tension” and Bryan Bertino’s “The Strangers.” I could talk about movies and horror all day. As you can tell I’m passionate about film and the horror community. I look forward to releasing “Lake Runs Red” and becoming a part of that myself.

Jason Riesgraf Bio:
Jason Riesgraf is an American television producer, cinematographer, post production specialist, and independent filmmaker. Jason attended the Minnesota School of Business and has a degree in film production. After seeing his first slasher film (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”) at age nine, Jason began his lifelong obsession with the horror genre. Years later, Jason was inspired to pursue an elusive career in the independent film industry after reading Robert Rodriguez’s seminal book “Rebel without a Crew.” Directly influenced by extreme splatter horror filmmakers Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, and James Wan among others; Jason has burgeoned into a passionate representative for the horror community at large. In the Twin Cities, Jason has been recognized as an up and coming visionary filmmaker willing to take cinematic risks and push the artistic boundaries of independent films produced in Minnesota. “Lake Runs Red” marks Jason’s directorial debut as a feature filmmaker. Jason is the primary story creator for “Lake Runs Red” and the originator of the production. He is also co-writer of the final screenplay with his writing partner J. Dan Moores. On “Lake Runs Red” Jason serves as the film’s director, writer, and producer.  He holds primary responsibility for the overall production, story development, cinematography, editing, and ultimate cinematic vision for the film. Jason is married to Stephanie Riesgraf, one of the film’s producers and principal financier.