We’re Not Safe Here Film Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short film We’re Not Safe Here directed by Christopher Cox.

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

“We’re Not Safe Here” are the words spoken by Ian, who tells the unnerving ghost story that will soon appear to come to life.

Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.

PARANOIA. That’s the entire basis of this horror film. I jokingly refer to it as “Gaslighting the Film” because that’s the entire source of conflict for Alex and his friends. Is the threat real? Or is it all in his head? With a limited budget, I needed the writing and characters to sell the fear above all. Less is more. In this case, it’s the question of fear that brings about the whole story.

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

“The Thing (1982)” is the main inspiration for this one. Distrust and paranoia fuel the fear in that film as well. Where is the threat? Who can you trust? As well, Ari Aster and his terrifying “Hereditary” are always an inspiration for me in horror. A funny little bit of inspiration actually comes from “The Revenant”, specifically the campfire scene where Tom Hardy tells the story of his father and how he found god. The look of that scene inspired a lot of the first half of this film.

What is the goal of the film for you?

After “Sweet Dreams” I wanted to tell a more clear story with dialogue and characters. The relationships between them, their distinct personalities, creating realistic dialogue. I pushed myself to be as detailed as possible and it was awesome working with actors who shared my passion for fleshing out their characters. My other goal was to create fear based on as little as possible. I hope the questioning of what to fear is just as scary as any flashy bloody monster.

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

This was the most challenging film I’ve done. It grew and grew in budget and length constantly. I ran into so many roadblocks, specifically with location scouting. Turns out Southern California is sensitive with shooting scene with live fire in the forest. Who knew! But I’m so happy I got to do a real campfire that was believable for the characters. Casting was also extremely challenging because I needed 3 guys who could all connect well and be believable. And I’m confident we managed to pull it off.

One thing you learned from this project?

Fire is rough haha. Aside from getting the location, handling the actual flames was difficult. It constantly ran out. Wood wouldn’t burn. Lighter fluid sucked, etc. I brought so many backups and ended up using most of them. However, the biggest takeaway I learned was BLOCKING. With so little time and lots of dialogue, the blocking of the characters and scene ended up being more intense than I prepped for.

How can folks find you and your film online?

YouTube: CACox97. I also have it on Facebook, Instagram TV, Twitter, etc. Film festival circuit will begin soon too! I’m blasting this thing everywhere haha.

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

Have a million backup plans. It may seem extraneous before the shoot but when you run into your 50th obstacle and your backup plan works out, you’ll thank yourself. Next, accept that you probably won’t get everything you want on the day of the shoot. You have to be adaptable to the situation and find the best path with what you have. And finally, surround yourself with people who share your passion. The cast and crew were all well informed on the film and the plans we had. Everything had a reason and everyone was on the same page. They wanted to make a great film just as much as I did. That helps immensely when the going gets rough.

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