Interview: Director Blake Simon (Red Velvet) Panic Fest 2023

Please tell us about RED VELVET and how the idea manifested?

Blake- RED VELVET developed after a few years of my working on other people’s projects and my unbearable itch to direct again had hit a fever pitch. I sat down and looked over some old writing and came across this scene about a man afraid of going outside and this woman in a red dress showing up at his door. The scene was part of a larger story I had written, but I was captivated by this idea which was written years before the pandemic. Now in a post-pandemic world, it only felt all the more relevant to explore. I decided to revamp the story to center around this concept of an airborne illness and how we balance our safety against our deepest desires.

Blake- As it had been a few years since I had filmed something, I needed a team. The first thing I did was approach the films producers, Jared Selcer & Liz Holland, who loved the concept and were immediately onboard. We assembled the rest of the crew, many first time collaborators as well as a few of my past department heads and immediately began casting. Casting was probably the biggest variable. There are only 2 on screen roles in the film (3 including the news coverage) and we knew from day 1 that the movie would live or die on the cast. We spent countless weeks on zoom auditions and in the end were unbelievably lucky to find Austin and Alisha.

Blake- Panic Fest was a dream. RED VELVET was my first horror film so Panic was really my introduction into the genre space and I absolutely fell in love with this community and these fans. You know in A New Hope when Obi-Wan describes Mos Eisley by saying “you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy”? Well, Panic Fest is where you will never find a more absolutely insane, wild, and dedicated hive of genre fans.

Blake- We’ve already shot the next film and are deep in post. After RED VELVET I may have slightly fallen in love with horror and the whole genre community, so we’re diving deep into that world again. This time we’re exploring an artsy modern take on the 80’s slasher horror. It’s been absolutely wonderful getting to explore further in the sandbox that we started playing in with RED VELVET.

Blake- Oh man. If you’ve seen the film, a BIG THANK YOU and tell your friends about it as we’re coming to more cities and genre festivals all over the world! (Not hyperbole, we’re scheduled in 3 countries at the moment). We know it’s a striking movie and it’s really for the genre enthusiasts. Also, I’d like to say Shoot Your Shot! (You’ll have to stay through the credits to get that one).