The horror genre is possibly one of the trickiest to approach in filmmaking. Emerging filmmakers looking to make an entry in this genre are often challenged to go beyond just the passion that it requires. And this often includes tackling some very personal stories.

Sarah Young is one emerging talent finding her voice in that space. With her seasoned background in theatre and opera, Young has recently made a striking entry into the genre of horror films with her short “Not Him.”

It’s her first outing as both a writer and director, dealing with the harrowing subject of domestic violence through a riveting narrative inspired by a vivid nightmare. With his own Master’s degree in Directing from The New School for Drama, she presents a fresh perspective and deep sensitivity to a genre often dominated by male filmmakers, offering audiences a deeply resonant and psychologically intense experience.

In this conversation with sceneforscence.com, Sarah Young shares it all about her journey into making ‘Not Him’.

1. Can you tell us briefly about yourself Sarah?

Sarah – Absolutely! I’m Sarah Young and I’m the writer/director of the short horror film “Not Him”. I am primarily a director and this was my first time directing a script that I wrote. My background is in theatre and opera directing and I have a Masters Degree in Directing from The New School for Drama.

2. What was the inspiration behind choosing to make a film like “Not Him”?

Sarah – I love genre storytelling because it’s a great vehicle to explore complicated and difficult subjects in an accessible way. So when I decided it was time to write my own script and make a film that was really me as a filmmaker on a plate, I knew I wanted to work in genre. One night I had a nightmare that is almost shot for shot the opening of the short film. I woke up with a jolt and furiously started writing. It became clear to me as I wrote that this film is tackling domestic violence, which is a subject I am passionate around raising awareness of.

3. From the perspective of a woman, how important do you think it is for there to be films about domestic abuse? 

Sarah – Domestic abuse affects everyone, but as a female filmmaker I do believe I bring a perspective we don’t see as often in the heavily male dominated genre of horror. And I have found in the audience reaction to the film that people are responding strongly to seeing a story about domestic abuse very much from the viewpoint of the wife. I’ve had a lot of people, men and women, tell me they felt seen in the film in a way they hadn’t experienced before.

4. Considering the subject matter of the film and it also being short format, what are some of the challenges you had to face during the writing process? 

Sarah – That’s a great question! Considering its a short I do need to tell a full story with beginning, middle, and end in under 15 mins. But it felt really important to me given the subject matter, that this film didn’t feel tied up with a bow at the end. Domestic abuse is an incredibly hard situation, and I wanted to acknowledge that by leaning into a complicated ending that speaks to the challenges continuing for the characters. But at the same time this is a hopeful film, without giving too much away the crux of the film is the wife seeking to be believed by others, so I ultimately decided to focus on that one key element of surviving a domestic violence situation. Sometimes all it takes to begin the escape process is one person to believe you. So the trick to this short film was in finding an appropriate ending that feels satisfying, but honors the real life subject matter by making it clear these characters aren’t out of the woods yet.

5. The film has an intense psychological atmosphere. Can you share with us what the approach to achieving this was?

Sarah – Thank you. I wanted the audience to drop into the headspace of feeling trapped in this situation and needed to achieve that quickly, again the fun of doing a short film is you don’t have a lot of time to build tension. But I am so proud of what we accomplished in “Not Him”.  From the start the camera movement is key, we do a handheld, voyeuristic style to create that feeling of being watched. Then my actors are incredible. My approach with actors is conversation based and we did a ton of work before we stepped on set creating these people together, so when the cameras rolled we knew exactly the world we were building. I also prefer long, uninterrupted takes, giving my actors the space to thoroughly drop in. And my real secret? On set and in the editing room I am picking my takes off the actors eyes. Truth is always in the eyes.

6. Can you tell us the role of sound design and music in creating the film’s atmosphere and what went into that?

Sarah – Sound design and music is huge, especially in horror! My background in music means I am particularly sensitive to it so we really took our time to develop the soundscape in “Not Him”. Luke Lotardo is our composer and he was incredible to work with. We were looking for an otherworldly vibe for the demon that is actually based on whale sounds. He did amazing work crafting a totally unique score and soundscape for “Not Him”, and we worked together closely to place it at exactly the right moments to accent the film.

7. Which would you say was the most challenging scene to shoot for you or the cast?

Sarah – You would think it would be the sequence with physical violence between the husband John and the wife Michelle, and that was technically challenging of course and we approached it very carefully to ensure everyone’s safety. But emotionally I think the hardest scene was the “dinner scene”. There’s a dinner scene after the sequence with physical abuse where Michelle and John are entertaining their best friends for a night of pizza and beer, but at this point Michelle knows that her husband John is “possessed” by a demon and she’s been threatened that the demon will kill her husband if she doesn’t stay. So Michelle is using this moment to try and trick the demon into revealing himself to their friends. It’s a super intense game of cat and mouse between them as he fights back by gaslighting her hardcore, subtly managing to create doubt in their friends about her state of mind. Gaslighting and isolating the victim is such a horrible part of domestic violence and is truly an insidious thing to combat. It was hard to experience even second hand on set for the crew. We took a lot of care around the actors’ mental health coming down from that scene.

8. If given the chance, what would you do differently in this film?

Sarah – There’s always details you see in the editing room, moments you wish you had more coverage of, that sort of thing. It’s one of the unique things about directing film vs directing theatre, you create this piece of art that is fixed. It’s you at that particular moment of your development as an artist and of course we are always striving to improve. But aside from some technical things and moments I wish I had covered differently, I am pretty darn happy with “Not Him” as it stands! We’ve been having an incredible run on the independent film circuit and I am so grateful that this film is resonating with audiences. I am excited for its continuing journey.

9. Your cast certainly did bring life to this story. What was the process for casting like, especially for the main antagonist John?

Sarah – Yes, I am so grateful to have had this cast. The lead character Michelle is played by Tori Ernst and I had her in mind when I wrote the part. We had really fantastic conversations around it as the script was coming together and she is a huge part of why this film feels as true to life as it does. Tori, and Katharine Chin who plays Kim, and Ryan Nicholas Cooper who plays Joe, were actors in my graduate class at The New School for Drama. They were also on board very early in the script development and were invaluable in making these characters the rich people that they are. Charlie McElveen who plays the husband/demon John was cast cold off of Backstage! We put out the casting call and he absolutely nailed his audition. He is a fantastic actor and a wonderful person which was super important when casting this character. We needed someone who could nail this threatening force while at the same time, being a joy to work with.

10. Obviously, budgeting and financing are always a challenge for any production regardless of the scale. Can you share with us any other challenges you and your team were faced with in the actual making of this film?

Sarah – All films, but especially films with intense subject matter like this should always be approached with crew and actor mental health in mind. So we were mindful about creating an environment for the full team to have what they needed to tackle this story empowered and taken care of. And then of course we shot it during Covid so that added a degree of difficulty around following all the safety protocols. But in general it was a smooth shoot and you might be surprised to hear we actually had a lot of fun on set. It’s important to allow for the joy of filmmaking even and especially when telling hard stories.

11. How have audiences responded to the film so far and what are you expecting that they take away from this film?

Sarah –  I have had amazing conversations with audiences around this film. Sadly there are very few people who don’t have some kind of personal connection to domestic violence either themselves or from people close to them. So I’ve had people let me know they see themselves represented, I’ve had people tell me they felt they understood people in their lives better after watching the film. A man told me he realized he should have had more compassion for an ex girlfriend who is a domestic violence survivor. A son told me his mom watched the film with him and was inspired to share  details about her life that she had never shared. I am honored to be a part of sparking these conversations. And a lot of folks want to know what happens next to the characters and are hungry for the story to continue.

12. What would you say has been the most rewarding aspect of your filmmaking journey so far?

Sarah – The audience reaction is really powerful and I am so grateful to everyone who takes the time to tell me that the film is meaningful to them. And its always a thrill to see it on the big screen.

13. Can you tell us a bit about your future projects?

Sarah – My team and I are working to make “Not Him” the feature expanding the story. And I have other horror feature ideas in development as well as a horror comedy pilot. The best way to follow my journey is on my Instagram @sarahyoungsf 

14. Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers who want to tackle difficult and personal subjects?

Sarah – Yes. It’s very important to have your support system developed, and to be at a place in your own mental health that you feel you can work on these subjects safely, before you take on a project that is personal to you. Once the script is written and the project is with other people, it becomes a story to tell, like any other, and you need to be able to approach it as a professional in order to serve the story. Focus on what you need to be the best storyteller possible, that will allow you to bring your full self to your work

In Conversation With Reina K., brings to you the kind of scoop that gives you a real insight into the mind, drive and craft of filmmakers from across the world.