Unsheltered Film Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the feature film Unsheltered directed by Marcus Small.

What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?

The name of my film is called “Unsheltered.” My producing partner, John Hollaway, actually came up with the name. This is going to answer the next question, but the inspiration of the title actually came from the story. In this story, five college students are evacuating Florida because of hurricane Irma. During their journey to North Carolina, they take a detour to avoid the busy highways. However, they run out of gas…causing them to seek shelter in an abandoned airplane salvage yard. Little do they know, I deranged killer lives on the property. So, even though they think that they find shelter, they’re actually UnSheltered.

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

There were definitely a few films that I watched to give me inspiration. This starts off as a found footage film, so obviously “The Blair Witch Project” was on the list. “The Hills Have Eyes” was another one.

What is the goal of the film for you?

The only true goal of the film, besides the investors getting their money back, is to provide moments of escapism for people that need a break from everyday life. I want people to watch the film and realize that they didn’t waste their time out of their day to be entertained. There are plenty of resources for entertainment out there in this world, so any time that someone chooses to be entertained by my content…I’m grateful.

What has the journey been like getting the film into production?

Oh my God. Where do I start? Our initial investor pulled out days before production. When we got our new investor, we only had a few days to prep for production. Because of the budget constraints, we constantly had to change the script…even during production. The support that we had from a couple of institutions went away after our first investor pulled out. This film relies on art direction, but our art direction team constantly changed because of the scheduling issues. So, producers, grips, and everyone else had to fill in that void. Major props to Dan Springen for creating the front gate and the lair. (No pun intended). A major cast member pulled out a day or two before production. I mean…do I need to keep going?

One thing you learned from this project?

I learned how to be a better director and a better leader overall. Things will always happen when it comes to making a movie. However, if you can ride out the storm and still have fun while doing it, then you’ll evolve to the next level. I also learned more about the value in connecting and having synergy with talent and crew. If everyone is on code, then there’s nothing that you can’t do.

How can folks find you and your film online?

Unsheltered is on Apple TV, VUDU, iTunes, and Amazon Prime Video. You can rent it or buy it. You can also follow the film page on Facebook and on Instagram (@Unsheltered_Film). My personal IG page is @DominoEffectPro

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

I would say to my fellow filmmakers, stay focused on your purpose. Everyone’s journey is different, so don’t get too discouraged when your peers reach another level. Celebrate them because your opened door is right around the corner.

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