Mike Has A Visitor – a horror short tackling sleep paralysis

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Mike Has A Visitor is a new psychological horror short written and directed by Marco Saikaley.

Teaser here

Full Film here

A man suffering from sleep paralysis begins to spiral downward when his haunting nightmares start to seep into his real life. 

A Q&A with Writer/Director Marco Saikaley

Welcome, Marco! Thanks for joining us to discuss your new horror short Mike Has A Visitor. What drew you to this project, and what inspired the story?

Thanks for having me! I had originally thought of the idea to make a film about sleep paralysis when I was in high school. I was always so fascinated by the topic, and just like everything I am scared of, I developed a hyperfixation on it. I would watch tons of YouTube videos about it. I’ve always had a cinema-driven mindset, so I just thought it would be cool to be in a film about sleep paralysis. Last year, when I finally started writing it in the dead of winter, I wanted to explore the idea of using sleep paralysis demons as a metaphor for one’s own personal demons that they deal with, how it could keep you up at night, and ultimately “kill you”. It’s an exploration of mental health and trauma.

When I finally started writing it in the dead of winter, I wanted to explore the idea of using sleep paralysis demons as a metaphor for one’s own personal demons, how it could keep you up at night, and ultimately kill you.

How did you approach capturing the psychological horror elements of sleep paralysis on screen?

Since I had never experienced sleep paralysis myself, I wanted to make sure I was depicting it as authentically as possible. I did extensive research throughout the whole process. Google, books, YouTube videos, and speaking with people who have experienced sleep paralysis. In fact, the actress who plays the therapist in the film has had multiple episodes of sleep paralysis. I hopped on a long call with her to discuss how she felt, what she saw/heard, which was really helpful to get the physicality and emotional state as real as possible. Of course the film goes beyond reality, but I had fun going mad. I actually had my first experience with sleep paralysis last month, but it was a mild case. It was definitely not as intense as other stories, nor did I have a sleep paralysis demon.

You wore multiple hats on this project: acting, writing, and directing. What benefits or drawbacks do you think came from this, and would you do it again in the future?

Being hands-on with all aspects of the film was insanely challenging, but also a great learning experience. Since it was my first experience with filmmaking, every move was like guesswork. Learning as I go. I had such a clear vision on how I wanted the film to look, which is why I only trusted myself to direct it, and act in it at the same time. Being an actor is about being submissive, and being a director is about being assertive, so to juggle between the two was very interesting. A challenge for sure, but rewarding. I would absolutely do it again. In fact, I’m planning on doing the same thing with another film which I’m working on at the moment, except my new film is larger in every aspect, so I’m going to use everything I’ve learned from this film and apply it to my next project.

I had such a clear vision on how I wanted the film to look, which is why I only trusted myself to direct it, and act in it at the same time.

Can you walk us through your process for developing the protagonist’s character and his downward spiral?

With short films, you have a limited amount of time to develop a rich backstory for the character, so most of that is left to the viewer’s imagination. But with the small glimpse you can see, is that Mike is a very simple guy, who goes to work, eats, reads, and sleeps. Repeat. I liked the idea of this sort of mundane guy whose life is turned upside down by these nightmares. I wanted the nightmares to act as a disruption to his daily routine. Once the nightmares start seeping into his real life, is when there’s a shift between fantasy and reality, where Mike doesn’t really know what to believe, which is where his therapist comes in. I think it’s scary to see someone so helpless. There’s something so frightening about the demon being at his workspace because being at work should be somewhere that feels safe, almost like an escape back to his drab lifestyle, and the idea that this “thing” is now following him outside of his home, is unnerving. It’s like if an ex boyfriend/girlfriend shows up at your work. Scary, right? The most fun characters to play are the ones where I lose my marbles. There’s a lot to play with.

What was the most challenging aspect of bringing this story to life, and how did you overcome it?

Since it was my first experience with filmmaking, every aspect was a challenge! Working with no budget and filming in my small studio apartment was the biggest challenge. The space got pretty cramped with the crew, and their gear. The crew is so busy with other projects so getting everybody’s schedules to align is one of the toughest parts of indie filmmaking. When it’s your film, you’re in charge of every aspect, so it’s a lot of pressure not to disappoint everyone involved in making the film. Filming had many ups and downs, and at times, I wasn’t even sure if the film was going to get finished. It’s a miracle the film is actually out. I think it’s all about trusting yourself and your intuition, and not compromising for anybody no matter how much pressure you’re feeling. Trusting my vision right from the start has helped me push through and get the film done, because if there wasn’t any passion for the project, I would have given up at the first sign of a bump in the road. It’s incredibly rewarding.

What do you hope horror fans take away from the film?

I’m a horror nerd myself, so I hope that the horror community welcomes the film with open arms. I submitted the film to various film festivals, so seeing the film on a large screen would be a surreal experience for me, and I hope that I hear some audible gasps in the audience. I know the horror community is so desensitized, but if you’re just an average Joe, and happen to come across the film on YouTube, I hope it gives you nightmares. That would be dope.

Learn more about Mike Has A Story on IMDb, Instagram and YouTube.

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