Isaac Gabaeff Interview
One of the films we loved most at this year’s Frightfest was The Sand. On paper it sounds exactly like the sort of thing you find on the SyFy channel in the middle of the night – man-eating sand attacks group of teenagers – yet the reality is something rather special. The Sand is a high concept horror that whilst never taking itself too seriously also manages to remain grounded in reality.
We’ve already brought you an interview with one of the films co-writers Alex Greenfield (if you missed it give it a read now) and now we can exclusively share an interview with the film’s director Isaac Gabaeff. Isaac has worked within the film industry for a number of years and has been a vital part of the set team for several high profile productions including The Following, Mr Robot and Men in Black 3.
We chatted about how his experience on different sets over the years gave him an insight into how to be a good director, how The Sand came to life and the challenge that the sun plays on a production.
Isaac Gabaeff Interview
You have an extensive career as a set dresser – what made you switch to directing?
I got a degree in Animation and spent three years making a documentary after college, which led me to New York where I landed a job as a creative consultant and treatment writer for commercials and music videos. That was my entry into working in production, so I sort of fell into working in the Art Department doing Props, Set Dressing and Greens. All of those job proved valuable in both spending time on set, learning elements of overall production and allowing me to see how different sets are run as well as how different directors work. So directing was always the goal, with a very extended and ongoing experience in production.
How did you come to be involved with The Sand?
The producers and I had a few projects in development and we were set to make a completely different film which collapsed before we were about to shoot. The decision to make something else was immediate, with Alex and Ben’s script emerging above the others. So, The Sand materialized, very quickly from that point on.
Isaac Gabaeff Interview
What was the hardest element of the shoot?
The hardest element was the fast and furious shooting schedule weighed against the short amount of daylight we had each day. That problem did allow the actors and crew to have more turnaround time each night, thus more rest and shorter days, which was a benefit, but also created a time pressure without much wiggling room for unexpected problems like weather, which thankfully cooperated with us. We got very lucky in that sense that only part of one day was ruined by extreme wind.
How important was it to try and keep the idea grounded?
The producers and I had a discussion about the directions this movie could take based on the script. One was to go full camp and have the actors in on the joke and just really go for the ridiculousness of the “A monster is killing us one by one scenario” The other was the direction we went – To play it straight with the drama and let the comedy play through without being intentionally expositional. Alex and Ben did such a smart job of weaving the humour into the fabric of the script, so landing on that choice seemed both logical and natural.
How did you get the cast together?
We auditioned almost everyone, with the exception of a few cast members coming from a recommendation. It just became like assembling a puzzle, as one piece fit in, the next cast member would be sized against them for the right fit.
Isaac Gabaeff Interview
The Sand features some strong female characters, this is a trend of recent horror films, why do you think we’re suddenly getting better portrayals of females in horror scenarios?
Women are half of the human equation, so it’s right that they get represented properly. Alex and Ben made those choices and that change to convention made it a better story to tell and really fun to shoot. I hope the trend for better roles for women continues to the point of not necessarily being a trend, and they just have better roles in films of any genre.
Let’s play pretend, you wake up on a beach and discover there is something not right with the sand, what would your survival strategy be?
I might have set the surfboard on the ground behind the car and opened the trunk to get phone before attempting the journey to the picnic bench. But then again, I’m working off an advantage.
With Halloween on the way and The Sand being a horror film, what’s your favourite scary movie and why?
The list is long for this question. There’s too many scary movies to name, but the most recently freakiest movies that might fall into that category would either be Under The Skin or The Babadook.
What can you tell us about your next project Gullible Bitch?
Isaac Gabaeff Interview
Gullible Bitch is a noire-ish love story, about two very unlikely people who are forced into dealing with their fears, phobias and addictions when their lives collide. It’s a very different story from The Sand, except in the sense that has a very strong female lead. We have the incredibly talented Kyle Gallner attached as our male lead and we are currently casting our female lead now.
Halloween is coming up, why should people pick The Sand for their Halloween scare?
It’s an homage to 80’s classic B- Horror films that tweaks the traditional conventions and gives it some contemporary twists. It’s got some nudity, plenty of gore, and unlike most horror movies, it takes place during a beautiful California day, so if it’s fall right now and the weather is colder than you’d like, take trip to the beach with The Sand.
The Sand arrives for digital download over at Frightfest Presents on 19th October.
