Web Series Title: Bleed
Director: Ben Snyder
Writer: Matt Lawson

ShortFilmTexsas (SFT): What is your web series “Bleed” about?
Ben Snyder (BS): “Bleed” is about pain, mostly. The pain you feel when your best friend starts dating another girl, leaving you alone. The pain that happens when your best friend’s new girlfriend turns out to be a vampire who only wants to use you for her nightly feed. But it’s most in large about how being a vampire is actually very gay.

SFT: Why did you choose to shoot it as a web series versus a short film?
BS: We actually shot the series to be cut as both a short and a webseries. We’ve begun sending out Episode I and II out as a complete short film that stands alone. Having it be a web series allows us to continue on with the crazy stories that Matt has for this world we brush up against in “Bleed;” a world where not only Vampires exist, but so do the harsh realities of coping with being undead and the like.

SFT: What did you shoot and edit on?
BS: DVX100b. It’s what we had access to. The real key was the lighting that our Director of Photography Danny Eckler provided. You can see the difference that the 24P makes but most of all you can see the impact good lighting can have. I edited the series on Sony Vegas, mostly just because I own a PC and not a Mac.

SFT: Tell me a bit about your cast / crew.
BS: First and foremost, “Bleed” is the brainchild of Matt Lawson, a very good friend and fellow English major from North Carolina. Without him, there would be no “Bleed” web series. He’s currently hard at work on the Giant Electric Podcast, an internet radio show he has created with his friends Jonathan and Nathan that will be available for download at his Web site, giantelectricpenguin.com, in August.

I’ve used Eric Morales, who plays Brian, and Alan Seales, who portrays Perry, on a few of my shorts. Incidentally, Alan recently started Tee Shirt company that has really taken off when they came up with the “Obamunism” tee shirt at ConchTees.com. Lucky bastard.

SFT: And what about the film’s leading lady and vampire, Evil Lynn?
BS: Whitney Griffin. She plays a very convincing “Evil Lynn”.  In reality she’s actually not very scary at all, and not very strong—But I think she comes off much more menacing with that wig and the fishnets.

SFT: And your DP? The film has a great look.
BS: Danny Eckler, who has worked with us for years as I said, was very instrumental in nailing the “look” of the series. He’s a god. But he currently lives and works in Atlanta, GA so I’m in need of another good local Director of Photography if you know of any…

SFT: I know quite a few great DP’s who are probably reading this interview right now. How can they contact you?
BS: They can email me at bcsnyder@live.com.

SFT: You recently moved to Austin. Tell me what brought you to Texas?
BS: Mostly the film community. After recently completing my MFA in Film Studies in VA I needed to find a place where I could cultivate my projects. As it turned out, I was very much correct as I found several producers to partner with me to produce my next Feature, Hard Water.

SFT: So you’re next project is a feature your filming here in Austin called Hard Water. What is it about?
BS: “Hard Water” is a film is about an older woman living in western Mexico who hates her new daughter in law, but when a dangerous masked man on the run kills her son and holds the two women hostage in her small two room shack, she must overcome her differences or loose her own life. We are currently casting and slated to begin shooting October 2009.

SFT: So…will there be more episodes of Bleed in the future?
BC: Yes. But we’re fine-tuning the world of “Bleed” in this post-Twilight/True Blood craze. Frankly, I’m getting sick of Vampires. Matt has many more tricks up his sleeves. There’s been talk of a Banshee for our next episode and possibly a Succubus. The people want more succubus, they’re tired of all the vampires.

ShortFilmTexas: The world is hungry for more Succubus.
Ben Snyder: They need Succubus. As of now though we have three wonderful Episodes of Bleed for the world to watch and enjoy.  There really is no telling what the future will bring. We are definitely looking for a good production crew with these future episodes; I’m always looking to meet new people in this talented town.

WATCH EPISODE 1 OF THE WEB SERIES “BLEED”

<Warning: Adult Language and Vampire Violence. Viewer Discretion Advised>

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