SXSW 2018: Day 2 and a New Generation of Horror
Josh Millican
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It’s Day 2 of the South by Southwest Convention, and as Dread Central continues covering horror events with reviews and interviews, I’m still documenting my experiences, both as a record of SXSW 2018 and a potential resource for future first-timers like myself.
Jonathan Barkan, Dread Central (L) with John Krasinski
It was pushing 90° in Austin today, so I’m glad I went to yesterday’s The Beginner’s Guide to SXSW Film panel, where I was advised to stay hydrated, remember to eat, and pace myself. There’s a natural tendency to want to pack as much excitement into every hour of every day, but SXSW is a marathon, not a sprint. There’s so much stimulation, so many sights and sounds to delight the senses, it can be hard to pull back to relax, but it’s necessary. Sleep when you can!
As Jonathan Barkan interviewed the cast and crew of Blood Fest, I queued up for my first Keynote Event, one I wouldn’t have missed for the world: The Bleeding Edge: A New Generation of Horror. It was an unprecedented opportunity to learn from trendsetters on the spearhead’s tip; the speakers were Jason Blum, Leigh Whannell, Stephen Susco (whose film Unfriended: Dark Web premiered last night) and Vera Miao of “Two Sentence Horror Stories.”
They offered invaluable insights for aspiring filmmakers and writers, with specific advice and concrete examples. While there were no illusions that making it in Hollywood is easy, there was still the assurance that those with both talent and perseverance will (eventually) succeed.
The afternoon gave us the opportunity to interview John Krasinski, whose feature film A Quiet Place kicked off the opening night festivities to a tremendous response. The guy was absolutely glowing with excitement over the praises his film is receiving, and we were honored to have had an extended conversation. Look for the video to be published on YouTube at 4pm PT on Monday, March 12th!
When you pay for SXSW, you get a lot more than just seats in a theater or standing room in a club; attendance comes with a bevy of amenities. You’ll get your first free-drink tickets when you pick up your badge and you might need a second suitcase to take home all your swag. You also get free shuttle service to most of the festival’s venues; the air conditioning was a blessing on a day like this one!
We happened to cross the Congress Bridge at sunset, just in time to see thousands of bats take to the sky for a feeding frenzy. This fortuitously allowed us to check off a planned side-trip to one of Austin’s local attractions.
Tonight, half of Team Dread Central heads out to network at some of SXSW’s many industry mixers while I’ll head over to The Alamo Drafthouse to enjoy Unfriended: Dark Web at a Midnight screening.
It’s been another long day with no rest for the wicked, but I definitely feel myself getting into the swing of things and finding my groove. If you missed yesterday’s SXSW 2018 write up, you can catch up on Day 1 HERE; and don’t forget to check back tomorrow for my Day 3 wrap-up.
If you’re in town too, and you see me sporting my Dread Central t-shirt, come on over and say what’s up!
Categorized:News
