INF3RNALS

INF3RNALS is a new psychological horror short written and directed by Austin King of Sun Monkey Productions.

Guy Denham has been released from work and just wants to get home, failing to realize he is about to come face to face with his inner demons.

A Q&A with writer & director Austin King + director of photography & producer Nathan Cornett

Congratulations on the release of INF3RNALS! I watched this film the other night with the volume cranked, and I have to say, I was a bundle of nerves. You did an amazing job creating a tense atmosphere. What was your objective while directing the film?

Austin King: The most important thing for me was to have the audience feel as if they were there themselves. Since it’s a silent film, I really wanted this story to speak for itself through intense and shocking imagery as well as a music score to keep the audience feeling anxious, yet excited. So my main objective I would say, while directing, was perfect storytelling imagery.

“The most important thing for me was to have the audience feel as if they were there themselves.”
—Austin King

The black and white visuals really play up the terror in this short. What was the design process like? Did you have the exact look and feel in mind from its inception?

Nathan Cornett: When going through stylistic choices towards the short, I 100% did not want the short to just be black and white from the flick of a switch; so I used a monochrome look that focuses heavily on the deep blacks and shadows to cause a darker overwhelming look. I also added the ruff symboled film grain to bring more anxiety to the eyes and chest.

INF3RNALS is Sun Monkey Productions second short film; both well-crafted psychological horrors. Will you continue to direct films of this nature or do you plan to delve into other subgenres?

Austin King: The next couple of shorts from Sun Monkey Productions are actually going to be comedies! The first one will be titled Undercover Dad and after that will be Drunk Patrol. We are beyond excited to explore outside of the horror genre!

The film takes place on what seems to be a deserted highway. What locations did you use and how long did it take you to shoot?

Nathan Cornett: During the parts of the short where there is a moving car, we filmed those clips on a local street here in Tucson, Arizona. The other scenes though, I cleared out the back alley of one of my friend’s house and filmed there to try and give a more hellish feel, at least way more hellish than a normal high way. Also a lot of the bushes on the side of the “dirt road” were added in editing.

I hear you’re doing a special drive-in movie premiere with performances. Sounds super fun and I’m a bit jealous as we’re still in lockdown here. What can people look forward to at the premiere?

Austin King: This is our first ever premiere! It’s a free event and right after the screening of INF3RNALS, Sun Monkey the band will close the night out with a full performance! People will be able to see the movie, meet the cast and crew (from a safe distance), and enjoy a rock concert! We feel that this is something important that people could really use during these crazy times.

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