Indie Spotlight: An Interview with Maude Michaud

Maude Michaud at All Things Horror Presents

About a year ago I came across a review for Izabel Grondin's short film Fantasy on what was then the  Pretty/Scary website (now FanGirltastic). I was impressed with the review and  discovered the author, Maude Michaud had her own short film Snuff screening at various festivals. The film was available on her site. Told from the first person, it's a low budget Super 8 short that turned the stalking motif on its ear and had a great kiss off at its climax. We were fortunate enough to not only screen Snuff alongside her short Hollywood Skin at our June event, but also had Ms. Michaud in attendance for a Q&A. 

In the past year we've gotten to know and become friendly with a number of directors. Amongst them, Maude stands out as one of the most articulate and genuinely passionate people we've been lucky enough to come across. Aside from her creative pursuits, she joined the volunteer team for Montreal's Fantasia film festival in 2010. As she wraps up the editing on her latest short Red, the work has begun on her first feature, and continues on her academic documentary Bloody Breasts, which examines and defends the profile of the female horror fan. BleedFest also plans on showcasing her short film as part of its April lineup. 

Despite cramming twenty five hours of work in a twenty four hour day, Maude graciously answered a few questions for us recently.   

 I’m really digging the trailer for your latest short (Red) (in case you forgot the name of your own short, I put it in the italics next to these italics. Aren’t I clever?)   What can you tell us about the short? How did the idea come about for it?

I can’t say too much about it without spoiling the whole thing except that it’s a thriller that tackles the themes of voyeurism, fetishism and snuff films. It is also a sort of love letter to the fetishism associated with cinema; the scopophilia that some cinephiles (myself included) experience, the love of film grain and texture, the obsession with certain images and aesthetics, certain formats, etc… In a strange way, it is a very personal film because it encompasses so many things that define who I am and what I love (be it aesthetic, colors, textures, shots, etc).

As for where the idea comes from, I started out with a few key elements and scenes I wanted to incorporate as part of the story, but I was lacking something that could hold everything together and take it to another level. At the time, I was also toying with the idea of taking a classic fairy tale and stripping it down to its core to the point where all the key elements are still there, but you barely recognize it. Then, I realized that the tale I had in mind and the scenes I had written fitted together perfectly and complemented one another. That is how the story came together and became what it is.

 When we were lucky enough to have you come down for our Boston screening, you’d mentioned during the Q&A you had a bit of an obsession with slasher and snuff films. How did that come to be? Have you done a straight up slasher film at all

I want to start by clarifying that my obsession with snuff films has to do with the whole myth/urban legend surrounding them (i.e. that films where people are killed for real are made for the enjoyment of an individual or a select few) and not with actual snuff films!

What fascinates me is also what sickens me: the idea that people would derive pleasure from watching someone die on screen and know what they’re watching happened for real (as opposed to horror films which are made using special f/x and actors). It forces me to reflect on my own enjoyment of horror, especially with the growing trend of special effects that are more and more realistic… Personally, I have no problem watching a fictional murder on screen (as part of a horror film) no matter how gruesome is it, but I couldn’t stand watching a real murder. However, I’m sure there are some people out there who would get a kick out of watching real murders, and this is really terrifying to me… I think this is why I find the theme of snuff films so inspiring as far as my fictional work is concerned.

As for slasher films, no, I’ve never done a straight up slasher! I’m tempted to say that it’s one of my favorite subgenres of horror. When I started watching horror films, I would always beeline for slasher films at the video store, so I’ve seen a lot of them growing up. I don’t really know why I enjoyed them so much; I think it was because they were so ubiquitous in video stores during the 80’s and 90’s, so watching the popular slasher franchises seemed an obvious choice. However, I’m not really interested in making one. Despite my love for it, it is a subgenre for which I feel pretty much everything has been done. So, unless I find a great and clever way to address it, I don’t really feel the need to add yet another title that repeats the same formula without bringing anything new to the table.

Your lead in Red looks a bit like the Canadian answer to Michelle Williams. How did you find her-has she been in any other genre work before?

No, she hasn’t been in any other genre film before; actually Red will be her film debut! Olga has been a friend of mine for a few years, and I had always wanted to work with her. I knew she did a bit of theatre growing up, so when I finished writing the script, I auditioned her and she was great! She understood the role perfectly and embodied the character just the way I imagined before I even gave her directions! In addition to being extremely photogenic, she has a very interesting and uncommon beauty which was just perfect for the role, and let’s not forget her cute Russian accent which I feel adds so much to the character.  

How do you keep your actors/crew comfortable on the set when it’s edging towards uncomfortable terrain-whether it’s sex, violence or whatever?

That is a very good question; I’d say it depends on many different factors (the shoot, the actors, the situation…)  Although, I must say right away that the cast and crew always seem to be more comfortable with violence than sex… I’ve worked with a lot of actors/actresses who were totally cool with having blood splashed on them, had to wear prosthetics, be slashed/stabbed, etc… However, when it comes to making out or simulating sex, it’s always a tricky process and it involves some negotiating. That’s why I always address whatever potentially uncomfortable situations the film presents during the audition; the actors’ reaction will guide my choice. Then, it’s all a question of making the set feel safe for them when we’re about to shoot the scene: only keep the essential crew members, help the actors be comfortable with each other, etc. I must say though that when you shoot this kind of scene, you feel a change in the vibe; everyone is quiet on set and avoids looking directly at the action (except for the director and camera operator, of course!).

For Red, the hardest part to shoot was the opening sex-murder scene (aka the snuff tape) which is one long continuous take. I was lucky to work with Isabelle Stephen for this scene as she was totally comfortable with the content and really managed to make everyone feel at ease. I had previously worked with Isabelle, so there was already a certain level of trust; she knows the kind of work I do and she knows I won’t do anything that is too exploitative, so this really helped too.

I guess my advice would be to talk things through and not to hide anything from the actors. It’s all a question of being professional and 100% honest about your intentions/expected outcomes.

You recently made a pair of announcements-one that you’re going to be releasing a DVD comp of your shorts and two that you’re starting work on a feature. When will we see the comp, and what shorts/bonus features will it have? Has the work begun on your feature-can you share any story details or are things still percolating?   

These two announcements are actually inter-connected as the DVD compilation is the first step I’m taking toward funding my first feature!  Over the years, I’ve always wanted to compile my shorts so I could share my work more easily, so after years of seeing it on my list of “things and projects I have no time to do because I prioritize other bigger/more fun/urgent projects” I finally gave it the attention it deserved. The timing couldn’t be better as I figured it’d be a good way to get the fundraising started for the feature!

My compilation, titled Strange and Macabre Tales, is now available through my blog (http://maudemichaud.blogspot.com) and will be on my brand new website (www.quirkfilms.ca) that I’ll be launching next week. It includes three of my shorts: Recessed, Snuff, and The Portrait (which I shot a while ago, but only recently completed) as well as two of my first short films (which I’ve never shown before), and the trailers for Reflection (from Frankenstein Unlimited) and the upcoming Red. What I find really cool is that the shorts included have been made over a period of 6 years, so you can see an evolution and an exploration of different themes. However, I must admit that they are not all horror, hence the title!

As for the feature, sadly my lips are sealed for now as the project is still in the development stage, so a lot of key things haven’t been confirmed yet.  However, what I can say is that it will be a drama-horror hybrid, and that I will push further an idea I started exploring with Red. Be assured that I’ll give you more details as soon as I can (which will be very soon as I want to get the ball rolling with different fundraising initiatives.)

How is working coming along on the Bloody Breasts web documentary you’d started?What's the reaction been like in the horror community (from male and female counterparts alike)?

It’s coming along great!  I’m currently in the editing stage, so I’m hoping to release the first “webisode” very soon (in the next few months or so)!  So far, the reaction has been very positive in the horror community, especially with the Women in Horror Recognition month helping to generate some interest in the work of female horror filmmakers.  I wish I could have released it sooner, but I think the timing is great now as it gave me more time to pre-promote it, and get a clearer idea of what I want the project to become down the line.  



RED - trailer from Maude Michaud on Vimeo.