Pop-Culturalist.com

Writer-director Frank Sabatella is the creative mastermind behind the new movie The Shed. In The Shed, Stan (Jay Jay Warren) and his best friend, Dommer (Cody Kostro), have put up with bullies their entire life. All of that changes after Stan discovers a murderous vampire living in his shed. Seeing the chaos the monster is capable of, Stan knows he has to find a way to destroy it, but Dommer has a different plan in mind. Pop Culturalist spoke with Frank about the inspiration behind The Shed and the timely themes that the film sheds light on.

PC: Tell us the inspiration behind The Shed.
Frank: The inspiration came from a short story that a film school friend of mine, Jason Rice, wrote about a vampire trapped in a tool shed. I took the core of his story and I expanded it into this world of these neglected teenagers. I brought in themes of neglect and abuse to bring more heightened elements to go with these characters and the horror.

PC: The Shed has been a few years in the making. How has the script and story changed since its initial draft? What was the collaboration like, working with your producer, Peter?
Frank: Whenever you’re working on a script for a long time, it evolves itself. What really started to become more pronounced in the script was the bullying element and the reaction of these neglected characters. When Peter came on, he really grabbed onto that aspect of the story. He was like, “Let’s really pull that forward and make it a more featured element of the story.” The vampires and the horror are there for the characters to react off of. But the core of our story is these relationships between the characters and what happens when someone is pushed too far.

PC: This is your second time directing a feature film. What was the biggest lesson you learned from your first experience that you brought over to The Shed?
Frank: I would say that the biggest lesson was maintaining your vision through the chaos of production. A lot of times, production is very chaotic. There’s a lot going on, and you’re dealing with a lot of different artists and elements you can’t control. What I learned is that it’s very important to stick to your plan, but be flexible if things don’t go your way. You have to have a clear, strong vision. Everyone is counting on you.

PC: You co-wrote and directed this film. How early on in the process did you know you wanted to wear all these different hats? Is one more challenging than the other?
Frank: They are two distinct hats. After writing The Shed, I knew I wanted to direct it. I prefer to direct anything that I write. And I write things that I want to direct. Having the idea that I’m going to direct what I write helps me write it better. Being a writer presents its own set of challenges. I think in many ways writing can be more challenging than directing because you’re dealing with the abstract. You’re building concepts and ideas in your mind. You’re creating characters and putting them on paper and making them something solid. Once you have the script and you’re going to direct that script, you have something to lean on. You have the script. You can revert back to the script. When you’re writing—especially a first draft—you can go in any direction. All possibilities exist for you. That’s a big challenge for me. You hope you’re creating something that will entertain others.

PC: How did you discover your passion for writing and directing?
Frank: It naturally grew out of me. I was writing scary stories ever since I was a child. Once I knew how to write, I would always write these little monster stories and scary tales. I’ve always had a passion for writing throughout my life. It naturally evolved into directing. I like leading, creating, and drawing varying disciplines of art to tell a story. Directing puts you in such a great position to collaborate with other artists.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Frank: That’s a tough one. I’ve very influenced by Stephen King’s writing. As far as directors, Brian De Palma, Spielberg, especially his horror offerings like Jaws and Poltergeist. Those have been influential in what I do. Any classic film, one way or another, has influenced me. You absorb things from everything you watch, read, or listen to. I tend to take something away from everything that I experience. You’re not always aware of what’s influencing you until you look back at the work afterwards.

PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audiences takeaway?
Frank: I hope they look at the film and think it’s cool, fun, and scary. I want them to feel like there’s a message. I’m not trying to be preachy to anyone, but I want people to recognize the metaphor of the story and see the result of bullying, neglect, and abuse and how those dark actions can lead to even darker ones. Hopefully, it’ll make people think about how they treat one another.

Check out The Shed on VOD today.