WonderCon 2016: Lights Out Discussion With Dynamic Duo David F. Sandberg and Lotta Losten
Ted Hentschke
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If the name “Lights Out” sounds familiar, it’s probably because you remember it as the title of that popular little YouTube video from a couple years ago. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and watch it right now.
Go ahead, it’s right here. I’ll wait.
While you’re at it, you should take some time browsing the rest of his channel. You can tell quickly that creators David F. Sandberg and Lotta Losten have an incredible knack for the short horror film format. They manage to craft in just a few minutes and with a single room what most films take hours to achieve. It’s some badass stuff.
Their short film pedigree is enough for an article all its own, but we’re not here to talk about that today. It seems that with Lights Out, we have another Hollywood horror success story on our hands. That two-and-a-half-minute short above didn’t just catch the eye of over 10 million YouTube viewers, but the folks over at Warner Bros. Pictures as well. Not only did they love it enough to turn it into a feature length film, but saw the potential in their filmmaking. Premiering on July 22nd, Lights Out will be David F. Sandberg’s directorial debut and Lotta Losten’s first major film role.
It’s a heartwarming story with a wonderfully terrifying film at its core, which as a member of the Dread Central family gives me strange stirrings in the area where my heart used to be. So when I had the chance to interview the duo at WonderCon 2016, I leaped at the opportunity like a specter from the shadow. Here’s what they had to say:
Ted: I’m gonna start off by asking you the question I’m sure everyone else does when they hear about your film. A two-and-a-half-minute short film, and now you’re being asked to direct a major Hollywood production? How the hell does that feel?
David: Well obviously it’s a dream come true for us. It’s still a bit surreal if I’m honest. I remember walking onto the set, seeing all the people painting it, and thinking, “Wow, all of these people are working because we made a short film two years ago.” I still am wrapping my head around that.
Lotta: It’s just such a big change from what we are used to. We were struggling to get a few thousand dollars to budget a short film in Sweden. They just don’t take risks. And one day, Hollywood calls, and suddenly we’re offered these millions of dollars to make a full movie. It’s a completely different mindset and creative culture. They’re taking a chance on us that would never have happened in Sweden.
Ted: To not only just want the rights to your movie, but to have you two involved? That must be unreal! What do you think that it says about the state of the horror industry?
David: I’m just glad they have so much faith in me. Like Lotta said, they took a risk hiring me on. I’m coming onto this production, the least experienced guy in the room, and I’m supposed to be in charge. It really does show that dreams can happen here. I was just talking to a DP I know here from Spain (Eduard Grau), and no one wanted to hire him in Spain because he was just 23 years old. But he comes here and they gave him films to shoot like A Single Man. They took a chance on him, and it worked out.
Lotta: It says a lot about the democratization of film. You don’t have to wait until someone lets you do something. You can just do it at home with your phone, put it online, and if it’s good, people will see it.
Ted: So why did you guys make the original Lights Out? What inspired you?
David: Well I’ve always been a big horror fan. If I had to pick favorites, it would be old 80s sci-fi stuff like Alien, The Thing, and The Terminator. I take influence from all sorts of genres though.
Lotta: I’m less of a horror fan, but I almost don’t want to say that. I love characters. For me, it’s about bringing ideas to life and seeing how people react, not what makes people jump. I like the slower, more psychological stuff. It’s key for a horror movie to have characters you care about to make the tension matter. As an actor, it’s even more important that I know where I’m getting my motivation from. I make sure we answer questions like that. I think the reason our films come out so well is we both bring our own style and focus to the table.
Ted: So what do you think it is that makes Lights Out so scary? Why is this a movie horror fans have to see?
David: Well, people have been afraid of the dark since the dawn of time. We went into it with a simple premise: You were right to be. We’re building a monster out of this fear that we all share to different degrees. From a filmmaking perspective, there’s a lot you can do with light to make the shots more interesting. When the entire film revolves around lighting, you have a lot of creative freedom to make your visuals compelling. As a director, it was both challenging and rewarding. I think audiences will like what they see.
Lotta: The characterization is also very well done. There’s the typical family in peril structure, but it’s more than that. We hit on issues like mental illness, who will believe you when everyone thinks you’re crazy, and things like that to really make you feel for the characters beyond just fearing for them.
Ted: Last question, do you have any words of encouragement to horror fans who are passionate about their own project they want to get off of the ground?
Lotta: Just do it. Make it and put it out there. Just keep doing it until you come out with something really good. Don’t wait for someone to back you. You learn from every project you do. This project has been a huge learning experience for us. David and I are always planning what our next project is. If we hadn’t made Lights Out into a feature, we’d still be planning what short film to do next. We love what we do and are driven by that.
David: I get asked a lot by people, “Should I submit to this film festival, or put it online?” My reaction is always to put it online, get it out there for as many people to see. It’s that feedback that is going to make you better. I started out as an animator, made a short that went viral, and got my start there. But what I really wanted to do was genre work making films, so I kept working and evolving. Keep working towards what you really want to do.
Sadly, they had to move down the press line at that point, and my magical journalism powers have not yet evolved to the point where I can bend time and tell you how the movie turned out. You can bet your ass that mine will be in a seat on July 22nd.
If you are hungry for more Lights Out info, check out our coverage of the WB WonderCon 2016 reveal event here. You can also get more details on the production with our trailer premiere coverage here. Let me know if you’re as excited as I am in the comments below!
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