AMANDA DYAR: Creating a documentary that follows the creation and preparation of a haunted attraction is something that has likely never been done before. How did you originally come up with the idea for the film and then find the team that would tell their story in Monsters Wanted?
BRIAN CUNNINGHAM: We came across the idea completely by accident. I had just started dating Kaley Roberts (who co-produced the movie), and she told me she was going to stage manage a haunted house "because she was bored." She asked if I wanted to some meet Rich, one of the owners. We went to a Denny's at 10pm and Rich was sitting at a booth downing cup after cup of coffee and typing furiously on his laptop. He'd been there for hours taking meetings…this was his office. Within five minutes of meeting him, he told me he was going to quit his job that week and put his entire life savings into making a haunted house. I knew this story was too interesting to pass up, so I called Joe Laughrey up and asked "are you ready to give up six months of your life to make a documentary." We were shooting by the end of the week. So I never really set out to find a story or make a documentary…I kind of just felt compelled to learn more about this guy Rich and where his story would go.
BRIAN: One of the things that really got me excited about making "Monsters Wanted" was the fact that I didn't know what would happen. Overtime was very carefully planned and designed. Everything from the tone to the genre to the character dynamics was thought out before we ever started shooting. With "Monsters Wanted," I knew absolutely nothing about where the story would go, what the themes of the movie would be, or which characters would be interesting. It was an exercise in letting go of all preconceived notions of what this story would be and allowing "real life" to run its course. That challenge of finding a good movie…of trying to comb through all the extraneous moments and footage to really get to the core of what the story was about…was extremely freeing and challenging. But you have to roll with the punches and stop trying to control things.
AMANDA: It would have been very simple to give a documentary such as Monsters Wanted a very serious tone that focuses primarily on the horror aspects of the industry, but instead, the film offers a very humorous take on the field. How did you choose which scenes would make it into the final version of the film and were you able to influence the way the team reacted to the camera during recording sessions?
BRIAN: I had two criteria for the scenes that made it into the final movie. First, it had to be relevant to the core story we were telling. And second, it had to be truthful to "what it really felt like" to be there. I think a lot of the comedy came out of the second requirement. This kind of creative endeavor, filled with interesting characters and relationships, is always going to be filled with people making jokes and being playful. Luckily, nobody at the Asylum took themselves to seriously that they wouldn't be a little self-deprecating and have some fun with it. I wanted "Monsters Wanted" to be a fun movie, and I don't know if I would have signed on to make a movie about a bunch of dour, negative people. I found a cast that I wanted to spend time with, so hopefully the audience would want to as well. And they happened to be hilarious.
As for influencing the way the team reacted to the camera, I really didn't have to worry about that too much. We kept our crew extremely small (no more than 2 people at any one time…usually both operating cameras) and I tried to just become a normal part of the routine. While I made friends with everyone and shot on-the-fly interviews (where I'm pretty sure nobody knew I was even rolling), Joe was the fly-on-the-wall camera capturing b-roll and interactions between characters. It worked out really well and allowed us to get very intimate with these characters without ever staging anything. I'm really proud that we never staged a single line or scene or shot…it's 100% what really happened and our cameras were rolling. AMANDA: Rich, Monsters Wanted follows you on a journey that takes you from a very lucrative profession to creating your very own scream park. When did you finally decide this was the route you wanted to take for you life and from where does your love for the horror genre and haunted attractions originate?
RICH TEACHOUT: Janel (my partner) and I decided we wanted to do something together and we were trying to figure out what that would be – it just sort of happened that we had this idea for many years, and were really envisioning it happening one day, so we said, why not! We both love the horror genre, and have just grown up to be the “odd kids” who like the scary and weird, so it really was a natural fit.
AMANDA: Scream parks and horror have some strange origins and some of the most unique fans around. What were some things you learned about your business and the horror industry you never knew before you started your business and would you do anything different with the knowledge you have now?
RICH: Well, we really learned it is more about family and friends, then it is about “making scary stuff” and it really ended up just giving us an avenue to create our own reality-and be able to share it with the world. The only thing I would do different is plan a bit better, in particular when it comes to budgeting. AMANDA: An individual only agrees to do a documentary if they want fans to learn more about what they do and to deliver a message they truly believe in. At the end of the day, what do you hope fans take away from watching Monsters Wanted?
RICH: In the beginning, we agreed to do it having NO idea how it would end up. We just hoped it would give us some exposure. The end result of the film that Brian created is so much more. I hope that all the fans of haunted houses that really aren’t into the “horror” industry, but ask themselves “who comes up with this kind of place” when they visit a haunted house gets a chance to watch the movie and see for themselves. In addition, I hope that many of the other cast of haunted houses who just “show up and scare” get a chance to watch it and see what really goes on behind the scenes. I also think it will end up being absolutely fantastic for those thinking about starting a haunted house, or going from home-haunter to pro, so they realize they too can do it – if they have “HAUNT” in their blood. ~ Home is where the Haunt is.
To learn more, visit the official Monsters Wanted website.
Monsters Wanted Synopsis
In early 2011, Rich Teachout quit his lucrative job to focus on creating a one-of-a-kind haunted attraction. He and his partner Janel dedicated every moment, ounce of energy, and dollar to making their “Scream Park” a reality. “Monsters Wanted” is the story of their self-proclaimed madness and the industry, culture, and people who share it. We followed Rich and Janel’s efforts from the first day of building beyond the last day of the season. The result is a one-of-a-kind peek into an industry known for its macabre antics and well guarded secrets. Monsters Wanted: There’s nothing more terrifying than following your dreams.