There’s nothing revolutionary about the short films-to-features path many filmmakers take to reach the mainstream. Getting your short shown at Sundance or Tribeca has long been a viable method to build the buzz and industry support necessary for a theatrical release. But the world of horror filmmaking has recently seen a seismic shift in how ideas originate and from whom. And as with so many things in entertainment, it’s all coming from YouTube (and TikTok). Over the last two years, up-and-coming horror auteurs have built cult followings on social media and now, thanks to some forward-thinking studios and executives, many of these filmmakers are getting the chance to scare the shit out of us for 90 minutes plus.
Great short films can be made in any genre, but horror is uniquely suited to the format. An effective filmmaker can establish the mood quickly, and there’s often less focus on the slow-burning character development typical of dramas or the pricey setpieces necessitated by action flicks. The lineage of creepy shorts dates back decades, perhaps most notably to Rod Serling’s original Twilight Zone, and horror is arguably tailor made for the way we consume content at home now: alone, in the dark, stressed out, headphones on, face pressed against a small screen. The thrill of seeing a scary movie in a crowded theater is undeniable, but it’s also probably the genre that loses the least in the translation to streaming. It may even gain new meaning from isolated on-demand viewing.
One of the biggest names to emerge from this burgeoning paradigm is the production company and platform Alter. At more than 2.6 million YouTube subscribers, and with a growing presence on Instagram and TikTok, it’s the format’s preeminent home. Plenty of others swim in ,the same waters from Social House Films (Aaron Fradkin and Victoria Fratz), to ACMOfficial (Alex Magaña), and Grimoire Horror (Sam Evenson), but Alter has a rare level of reach and notoriety, in part because it functions as a hub for different filmmakers, rather than serving as the platform of a single creative voice. Its recent releases have starred Georgina Campbell, (who headlined 2022’s breakout horror hit, Barbarian), Marisa Tomei and Minnie Driver in a sci-fi tinged twister, and The Last of Us standout Bella Ramsey in a 1600s period piece akin to The Witch. Yet many Alter projects have racked up millions of views without the benefit of brand-name stars, and even more have done it without known quantities behind the camera. Which is partly why it’s coming to be seen as such an effective springboard. Kelsey Bollig, a horror short staple whose “Kickstart My Heart” is one of Alter’s bendiest and best, is getting her first shot at a feature, working with Olivia Cooke and Adam McKay.
Important context: Alter is the provenance of production company Gunpowder & Sky, the independent studio behind Her Smell, The Little Hours, and Hearts Beat Loud, among others. G&S has produced a number of acclaimed scary movies, several of them billed as “Alter Feature Films” including the teen flick Summer of 84, and the grimly humorous Villains. (They also operate a similar sci-fi shorts umbrella called Dust.) While G&S haven’t had a hand in all of the Alter shorts that became features, like Carlota Pereda’s Piggy or Bollig’s upcoming Breeders, they’ve arguably cultivated favorable relationships with more young filmmakers than any competitors. And because of the success of Alter and Dust, these shorts are actually being seen widely.
Many of the brand name film festivals out there like Sundance, Tribeca, and Cannes have existing rules that limit accepted shorts from having been streamed or broadcast prior to a potential debut on their screens. It makes sense for cache preservation, and, at the moment, there is probably still more value in getting your film shown to the biggest industry decision-makers than debuting it in the YouTube or Vimeo content void. There are iconic horror-centric festivals around the country–Telluride Horror Show, Screamfest, and Fantastic Fest, for example–but these entities don’t have massive social media footprints to get projects shown to fans who don’t attend. (And, frankly, there isn’t a huge financial incentive for them to do so unless they want to build out a paid programming service like the Angelika Film Center did.)
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There’s nothing revolutionary about the short films-to-features path many filmmakers take to reach the mainstream. Getting your short shown at Sundance or Tribeca has long been a viable method to build the buzz and industry support necessary for a theatrical release. But the world of horror filmmaking has recently seen a seismic shift in how ideas originate and from whom. And as with so many things in entertainment, it’s all coming from YouTube (and TikTok). Over the last two years, up-and-coming horror auteurs have built cult followings on social media and now, thanks to some forward-thinking studios and executives, many of these filmmakers are getting the chance to scare the shit out of us for 90 minutes plus.
Great short films can be made in any genre, but horror is uniquely suited to the format. An effective filmmaker can establish the mood quickly, and there’s often less focus on the slow-burning character development typical of dramas or the pricey setpieces necessitated by action flicks. The lineage of creepy shorts dates back decades, perhaps most notably to Rod Serling’s original Twilight Zone, and horror is arguably tailor made for the way we consume content at home now: alone, in the dark, stressed out, headphones on, face pressed against a small screen. The thrill of seeing a scary movie in a crowded theater is undeniable, but it’s also probably the genre that loses the least in the translation to streaming. It may even gain new meaning from isolated on-demand viewing.
One of the biggest names to emerge from this burgeoning paradigm is the production company and platform Alter. At more than 2.6 million YouTube subscribers, and with a growing presence on Instagram and TikTok, it’s the format’s preeminent home. Plenty of others swim in ,the same waters from Social House Films (Aaron Fradkin and Victoria Fratz), to ACMOfficial (Alex Magaña), and Grimoire Horror (Sam Evenson), but Alter has a rare level of reach and notoriety, in part because it functions as a hub for different filmmakers, rather than serving as the platform of a single creative voice. Its recent releases have starred Georgina Campbell, (who headlined 2022’s breakout horror hit, Barbarian), Marisa Tomei and Minnie Driver in a sci-fi tinged twister, and The Last of Us standout Bella Ramsey in a 1600s period piece akin to The Witch. Yet many Alter projects have racked up millions of views without the benefit of brand-name stars, and even more have done it without known quantities behind the camera. Which is partly why it’s coming to be seen as such an effective springboard. Kelsey Bollig, a horror short staple whose “Kickstart My Heart” is one of Alter’s bendiest and best, is getting her first shot at a feature, working with Olivia Cooke and Adam McKay.
Important context: Alter is the provenance of production company Gunpowder & Sky, the independent studio behind Her Smell, The Little Hours, and Hearts Beat Loud, among others. G&S has produced a number of acclaimed scary movies, several of them billed as “Alter Feature Films” including the teen flick Summer of 84, and the grimly humorous Villains. (They also operate a similar sci-fi shorts umbrella called Dust.) While G&S haven’t had a hand in all of the Alter shorts that became features, like Carlota Pereda’s Piggy or Bollig’s upcoming Breeders, they’ve arguably cultivated favorable relationships with more young filmmakers than any competitors. And because of the success of Alter and Dust, these shorts are actually being seen widely.
Many of the brand name film festivals out there like Sundance, Tribeca, and Cannes have existing rules that limit accepted shorts from having been streamed or broadcast prior to a potential debut on their screens. It makes sense for cache preservation, and, at the moment, there is probably still more value in getting your film shown to the biggest industry decision-makers than debuting it in the YouTube or Vimeo content void. There are iconic horror-centric festivals around the country–Telluride Horror Show, Screamfest, and Fantastic Fest, for example–but these entities don’t have massive social media footprints to get projects shown to fans who don’t attend. (And, frankly, there isn’t a huge financial incentive for them to do so unless they want to build out a paid programming service like the Angelika Film Center did.)