PREPARATION
A young woman watches TV alone in the dark while a mysterious man lurks outside the house.
TRAILER
STILLS
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Preparation is based on a short horror story written by my cousin, David Probert, and published in the early 2000s. David approached me about the possibility of collaborating on a film, so I asked him to send me his favorite story from his catalog. I was immediately drawn to Preparation, particularly the insane twist at the end, and knew there was something there that could translate well to the screen.
After making several films built around extended dialogue scenes, I wanted to challenge myself to tell this story more visually and let the atmosphere and music do much of the work. Cinematographer Dustin Ward and longtime collaborator and composer Peter Lisowsky were more than up for the challenge. I also brought on special effects and makeup artist Rose Ripley, who created an incredibly realistic prosthetic arm and handled the film’s blood effects. As our team’s first real foray into horror, Preparation gave us a chance to experiment with a very different kind of filmmaking, and I was extremely pleased with what we were able to create.