When I was just twelve years old, my family and I received safety training from the Disney Channel, my employers at the time. They educated us about privacy settings and geotagging, aiming to protect us in the online world. Sadly, despite our efforts to stay safe, our precautions proved insufficient. With a simple search of our family name, an individual managed to locate the bungalow where I had spent my childhood.
How This Former Child Actor Turned Director Brings Her Own Horrors to the Screenlife Genre
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What’s it like living out your dreams on screen?
This post has been authored by Allisyn Snyder.
My relationship with the internet and my cell phone is complex and intertwined.
When I was just twelve years old, my family and I received safety training from the Disney Channel, my employers at the time. They educated us about privacy settings and geotagging, aiming to protect us in the online world. Sadly, despite our efforts to stay safe, our precautions proved insufficient. With a simple search of our family name, an individual managed to locate the bungalow where I had spent my childhood.
This stranger unexpectedly appeared at our doorstep, claiming to be my guardian angel. He proceeded to inform my anxious father that he had a van loaded with barrels of gasoline, ready to help our family escape the impending apocalypse. Since he hadn’t technically broken any laws, the police were unable to intervene. In response, I temporarily moved in with a friend while my parents hastily packed our belongings and we fled under the cover of night.
When my former Disney cast mate, Matthew Scott Montgomery, pitched the idea for Howdy, Neighbor! to me, it wasn’t difficult to imagine how a story about childhood fame could transform into a horror film.
“Howdy, Neighbor!” features Matthew Scott in the role of Ben, a renowned actor known for his work on a children’s sitcom. When his new neighbor unexpectedly reveals himself as an ardent fan, Ben finds himself feeling uneasy no matter where he goes. The film adopts a screenlife format, capturing conversations through FaceTime calls presented in uninterrupted single takes.
In crafting this film, my aim was to infuse the screenlife genre, popularized by innovative movies like “Unfriended” and “Searching,” with my own creative touch. It was crucial to me that the video calls felt authentic, and I wanted to avoid cutting between shots. To accomplish this, I recorded rehearsals with the cast and subsequently created audio tracks for each actor, including their scene partner’s dialogue. During the filming of the call scenes, the actors performed to these tracks, akin to a musical, ensuring consistent timing across multiple takes.
The cast and crew of “Howdy, Neighbor!” boast a notable presence of former child actors, including Dylan Snyder, my husband, who serves as the cinematographer for the film. During the production, we conducted test shots using various cameras and phones, ultimately opting for the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera.
To mimic a phone screen, we affixed an Aputure MC light, along with a lav microphone, to the camera. Additionally, we attached a handle to ensure the lightest possible build. However, the setup still proved too cumbersome to comfortably hold with one hand, similar to an iPhone. As a result, Dylan positioned himself off-camera to assist in supporting the weight. In specific scenes involving actors entering and exiting cars or elevators, Dylan collaborated with the actors to create natural blocking, allowing him to discreetly walk alongside them and avoid being visible on screen.
Collaborating with a small VFX team, we embarked on reimagining the digital realm of Ben, the protagonist in the film.
Our aim was to create a digital environment that retained the familiarity of modern iOS but also seamlessly integrated all the necessary information within the cinematic landscape, rather than being vertically cropped. Even before filming commenced, we made a conscious decision that in this world, FaceTime conversations and typing on phones would be done horizontally. This consistent approach adds to the cohesion of the film and enhances the overall viewing experience.
I’m absolutely thrilled with the visual aesthetics of the film, and I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our editor, Bryan Morrison. Bryan skillfully crafted the film using an editing timeline composed entirely of After Effects compositions.
For me, this project marks an ideal directorial debut, and I’m eagerly looking forward to audiences experiencing a mix of laughter, suspense, and gaining insights into the invasion of privacy both in person and online. It’s a peek behind the curtain that I believe will captivate viewers.
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