Nevermore Horror recently had the chance to talk to the rising face of Aussie horror, the provocative and entertaining Mr David Black. Clearly driven and gifted with a talent for the arts, a penchant for the macabre, and an eye for gore, Mr Black is tackling numerous projects and has recently managed to get a handful of media on US networks. We asked him a number of questions about a few upcoming projects, where we can see his latest works, and his future goals.
Nevermore Horror: Mr. Black, thank you kindly for taking the time to talk to us. We’ve covered a few of your projects here at Nevermore Horror before: A music video for Darkness Visible, your gothic rock band, as well as one of your indie films, Badass Bunyip—which I believe is now in post-production. Your biography states that you are a “Musician, cartoonist, scriptwriter, blogger, actor, producer, director, connector, and influencer.” What other pies do you have your fingers in at the moment?
David Black: Hi Ray, thanks for having me back on Nevermore Horror. I’ve stripped back most of my other activities due to the films doing well and taking up more of my time. My only other activity is running “The Australian Short Film Network” facebook group, which is at over 7,300 members and is the most active and fast growing of all the Australian facebook film networking groups.
Most of my other skills aren’t going to waste though. As a DIY filmmaker, you end up doing anything and everything that is needed to get the movie finished. My skills in art, music, writing and networking come into play all the time.
Nevermore Horror: Your latest short film, Precinct 13 Has Fallen, is going to making its television debut soon, correct? Is that in Aus or the US?
David Black: Correct. That’s on USA TV on “Lord Blood-Rah’s Nerve Wrackin’ Theatre”, which is shown on Friday Nights at 10:30pm on KCTH Comcast 27, Saturday Nights on My59 Peoria, Il at Midnight, and Saturday Nights on MyTV Fort Wayne. I haven’t managed to get onto TV in Australia yet. There are programs that could show them and I’ve asked, but so far I’ve very little luck here.
BTS pic on the set of Precinct 13 Has Fallen, by Josie Criddle
Nevermore Horror: You had a recent interview with Search My Trash where you noted that a number of other short films that you have done are going to be airing in the US, no small feat for an Aussie filmmaker. How did you manage to wrangle that?
David Black: It was a process where I’ve built up to it. One of the shows, Sinema Obscura that airs on CANTV in Chicago started by showing my short films before the main features at the Logan Theatre. My shorts were already starting to be shown before cult movies at theatres such as The Roxy in Santa Monica and Film Scene in Iowa, so getting onto the big screen at the Logan was part of that, which in turn, led to the TV. From having my films accepted by Sinema Obscura on CANTV, I then got films accepted onto Dr San Guinary’s Creature Feature, which airs on Fox KPTM 42.2 in Omaha.
Life Love and Death showing before the main feature at Late Shift at the Grindhouse in Iowa.
Nevermore Horror: Before you jumped headfirst into horror, your passions were animation and comics. Do you plan on perhaps returning to that medium and combining it with horror? Perhaps some animated short films?
David Black: My passion for animation means that I often get animators to contribute to my films, but I wouldn’t be doing any animations or drawing any comics myself. I lost that skill years ago after a traumatic event. I don’t discuss it much but on the way home from a client one night, I was attacked in the street by thugs. Something broke in my mind and soon afterward, I just couldn’t draw. This happened 20 years ago. I’ve drawn the odd piece since, but never hopped back on the horse properly to draw full comic books. I won’t even storyboard for my films. I hope that some of those that I work with read this and will understand why I can end up getting very upset when pushed to do a storyboard. This is a rare mention of that incident. Aside from mentioning this now and discussing it in the documentary, In The Dark, that will be coming out via bodybag pictures,I have very rarely spoken about it.
A page from the “Punkz In Space” comic book by David Black
Nevermore Horror: I know that you were also doing an Australian hosted horror show with Tritia DeViSha entitled Horror House. Is this show related to what was picked up in the US or is this one Australian only?
David Black: Horror House is a schlocky, gory, hosted horror show. We were originally going to put it onto Australian TV. We finished filming over a year ago and the editing is almost complete. This project was shot before I produced most of the short movies that are now getting onto USA TV, being shown at cinemas in the USA and UK and being released on anthology DVDs. I can’t see it being released in Australia when it is finished. I’m having more success overseas and that is where most things I’m doing are headed. I will offer it to TV stations in Australia though.
Count Funghoula from Horror House
Nevermore Horror: Are there any new or upcoming projects for Darkness Visible?
David Black: There is. One of the songs that was recorded in 1996, “Forbidden Knowledge” is going to have a video clip made by Vixey Teh. The song was released in 1998 by Heartland Records on “Dark Eyed and Starry They Were – Vol 2”. It’s going to be more of a short movie than a music video because the song goes for 7 minutes and 14 seconds. I’ve worked with Vixey before on films. She’s shot a couple that I was in, she’s acted in some of mine and I was thrilled when she said that she wanted to make the video clip. I’ve got an animation from Jarrod Elvin, who did animations in the Darkness Visible music videos for Flesh, Darkness Visible and Breaking Point. This one was made over ten years ago and wasn’t used at the time. It will be great to have it finally see the light of day in the upcoming video.
Credit: Jarrod Elvin
Nevermore Horror: What are the future goals? More feature films, shorts, and television shows? Which side of the camera do you see yourself on in the future?
David Black: I see myself on the acting side. Everything that I’ve done with writing, directing and producing was so that I could get into films. Local directors just weren’t putting me in their movies often, so if I wanted to have a chance to act and show my skills, I had to do it myself.
At this stage, I’m not 100% sure what direction things will take. You’re seeing a lot of short movies because they can be done quickly. I have the Horror House tv series to come out, a feature movie, Badass Bunyip and a documentary called “A Night at the Movies…Indie Style.” When all of these are out, I’ll be able to see what the feedback is and will have a better idea of where I should steer things.
Check out these links to some of David’s projects:
The Australian Short Film Network
