The scrappy, indie production of Hunting Matthew Nichols

About this episode

The episode discusses the indie horror film 'Hunting Matthew Nichols' and the unique production techniques used by its creators.

Hunting Matthew Nichols is an indie horror film that’s shot as a mockumentary/found-footage movie about a documentary filmmaker investigating her brother's disappearance 20 years earlier on Vancouver Island. Writer/producer Sean Harris Oliver and DP Justin Sebastian shot the horror film in 12 days, then independently released it into theaters. Key Podcast Highlights: -How cinematographer Justin Sebastian used Sony FX9 cameras on autofocus, shot archival footage scenes on period-correct cameras, and then physically digitized the tapes for documentary authenticity. -Keeping the camera crew small and the lighting natural, so that the film’s characters could realistically pull off the documentary. -Detailed scriptwriting by Sean Harris Oliver, such as specifying who holds the camera in each scene. Sean scripted the film with cleaner, more deliberate camerawork that degrades into chaotic, survival-mode footage as events progress. -How the team pushed hard for theatrical release against distributor pressure to go straight to streaming. They self-funded distribution and budgeted for marketing from the very beginning. Find where to watch Hunting Matthew Nichols in theaters and play the…

People in this episode

Host: The Cinematography Podcast

Guests: Sean Harris Oliver, Justin Sebastian

Topics covered

• indie film
• horror
• mockumentary
• cinematography
• film production

Keywords

• indie horror
• mockumentary
• found footage
• cinematography
• film distribution

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sony

Books & works: Hunting Matthew Nichols

Places: Vancouver Island

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