Friday The 13th Blog

The Friday the 13th fans who recently picked up the “Deluxe Edition” DVD’s noticed a special feature that may have taken some viewers a tad bit off guard. Included on the part 1 and part 2 discs were two special features entitled “Lost Tales From Camp Blood”. “Lost Tales from Camp Blood” are short films in the vein of the original Friday the 13th series. Love them or hate them, it’s hard to deny that a lot of thought went into them to ensure that, even in the absence of Jason, the feeling and the spirit of Jason was there.

So who was the man behind the camera for “Lost Tales from Camp Blood”? That man was none other than Andrew Ceperley. Andrew drops in to tell us how he landed the gig, what it has meant to him, where part 3 may be, and sheds some light on upcoming installments!

Q: You seem to be a definite fan of the horror/slasher genre. How long have you been a fan?

I’ve been a fan of horror films since as far back as I can remember. I saw Alien when I was 5 or so, and that kinda turned me to the dark side. I was never a big Disney fan.

Q: Where are you from and what films have you enjoyed the most from childhood until today? Both horror and non horror.

I’m from Los Angeles, CA…the South Bay area more specifically.

My absolute favorite film is 2024: A Space Odyssey. I saw it when I was 12 years old and didn’t understand a frame of it (probably still don’t), but good lord…it was easily the best looking movie I’d ever seen.

On a more mainstream note, Alien is practically tied for that top spot on my list. That’s the movie that made me want hold a camera. There are so few films that seem to just get everything right…where the only complaint you have is that it wasn’t longer. Alien is one of those movies.

The rest of my favorite movies make for a real mixed bag. Three Colors Trilogy: Blue, Blade Runner, Marathon Man, Amelie, Star Wars, I’m Not Scared…it’s a real mess.

On the horror side of things, my absolute favorites are John Carpenter’s The Thing, Halloween, Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), The Silence of the Lambs, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), The Descent, The Fly (Does this count?) (1986), A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, The Exorcist, Jacob’s Ladder (again…does this count?)…to name a few. More recently…I really loved The Last Winter (directed by Larry Fessenden). I could go on forever about each of these movies (and more), but I figure the list will suffice. No one wants to hear some random guy’s opinions of movies.

Q: The next three questions are just questions that have to be asked around here. What is your favorite Friday the 13th film and why?

I love Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI. For me it was the most entertaining of the films. It seemed to have more style than the previous films. The cinematography was better, the writing was better, and the directing was better. I liked the portrayal of Tommy in Jason Lives as well. I really enjoyed being taken on a ride with the characters. It was a pleasant surprise for such a late sequel. I think that might be why I like it so much. It’s a ‘Part 6’ in a horror franchise…it shouldn’t be so much fun.

Q: Who gave your favorite portrayal of Jason Voorhees?

I’ll be criticized for saying anyone other than Kane Hodder, but I really like Richard Brooker from Friday the 13th: Part 3.

Richard Brooker had a very human quality in his performance. It was clear that he wasn’t Superman yet…and I always thought that was a little more frightening. The moment when he pulls the mask up briefly in the barn is such a menacing moment. He looks like he’s enjoying it…gets me every time.

Q: Friday the 13th was recently given the “reboot” treatment. Have you seen the new film and if so, what is your opinion on the direction they went with the new movie?

I did see the new film, on Friday the 13th no less. In fact, most of the cast from the movie was in the same theater…so it was quite an interesting night. The actual experience of seeing the movie was a treat. People were cheering during the credits (not to mention each kill), and it really added to the sense of fun. It was an event movie…Friday the 13th on Friday the 13th.

Personally though, I was a little disappointed by the movie. It wasn’t that it was a crappy movie or anything…it was just too modern for me. I was hoping for something a little more retro. I thought Jason’s look was great though…especially the bag over his head. In fact, I thought the bag was so effective that it put the mask to shame! It just comes down to a matter of personal taste. I liked what this particular team did with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre more than Friday the 13th.

Q: Now onto your directing! What types of projects have you worked on both in and out of film directing?

Actually Lost Tales from Camp Blood was my first ‘real’ directing project. Unfortunately, it was so rushed that I couldn’t really plan it as well as it should have been. But that’s the best way to learn…from our mistakes, right? (Say yes) My resume wasn’t too impressive before Camp Blood came along…and some Friday the 13th fans will say, “It’s still not!”

I’ve been an editor/graphics artist for the past 3 and 1/2 years. I’ve been cutting bonus features for a bunch of different Paramount titles…most notably their Star Trek titles. I’ve been doing some 3D animation for some of the bonus features as well. It’s a great way to really lean as much as possible.

Q: How and when did you become interested in film directing? Who would you list as your biggest influence or someone you admire as a director?

Like I said before…Alien really did it. In fact, at some point I found myself playing ‘The Making of Alien’ with action figures instead of just Alien. Yeah…good times.

Making movies has been my main goal since I got over that childhood “I wanna be an astronaut!” goal. Now I just want to make a movie in space…actually in space. I guess we never really outgrow those childhood dreams.

Seriously though, Ridley Scott has always been a big influence on me. I admire a director who operates the camera (which I actually don’t know if he does anymore). I’m much more of a visual person, so coming up with the look of a film is what really interests me, and Ridley Scotts films are always so perfectly designed…from production design to lens choice.

Now though, in all honesty, the crew we’ve had on Lost Tales from Camp Blood are the biggest (and best) influences on me. The knowledge some of these people have is just mind-blowing. It sounds completely cheesy, but it’s true.

Q: You were given the opportunity to direct the “Lost Tales from Camp Blood” shorts on the Friday the 13th Deluxe Edition DVD’s. How did that come about?

Well, the company I work for does bonus features for Paramount titles, and ‘Friday the 13’ 1-3 came up. We were told that a lot of the deleted scenes people were asking for didn’t exist anymore, so someone had the idea of shooting new ‘deleted scenes.’ My thought was, instead of trying to match the movies with other actors, why not tell a new side-story. Unfortunately, due to legal reasons, it couldn’t be about Jason Voorhees or Camp Crystal Lake. They still wanted to do the scenes though, so we decided to do something inspired by Friday the 13th, and not actually a part of it. I hope some fans out there are able to appreciate it for what it is. The first three weren’t shot under the most ‘ideal’ circumstances. We had 3 days to shoot 3 short films on a very limited budget. I didn’t actually meet one of the actors until the day we shot. It was tough, but I’m proud of what we pulled together. I didn’t have as much experience as I probably should have, but I think we put something together that’s at least worth a look. They seemed to go over well enough that we got to do even more installments…and trust me…they do get better.

Q: I, personally, have to say that I enjoyed the two segments of “Lost Tales From Camp Blood”. I felt they captured the feel of the early Friday films and other than the obvious absence of Jason (which I’m sure had to be done. We’ll get to that next), I thought they added a very fun and unique addition to the newly released Friday the 13th DVD’s. What has been the overall general reaction to these shorts?

Aaahhh yes. This question. I never really realized just how many people would probably be watching these things, so now that there are dozens of reviews of them, I’m pretty beside myself. I’ve read a handful of pretty decent reviews (yours included). It’s nice to hear people appreciate what’s come out of a lot of hard work. Paramount seemed to like them as well…and that’s a pretty good audience to have behind you.

Aside from the dozen or so good reviews or mentions Camp Blood’s gotten, there’s definitely been some negative response to it as well. A lot of it stems from the fact it features neither Jason nor any other character from the Friday the 13th films, and because of that, some fans are wondering what it’s doing on the DVDs. For me, that just means I didn’t do my job in truly capturing the spirit of Friday the 13th for those specific fans, and I hope to right that wrong in the future. I completely understand their opinion, as it’s quite a valid question. If Jason isn’t in this, why IS it on a Friday the 13th DVD? I actually think it’s similar to the criticism that the TV Show Friday the 13th: The Series came under.

On a more vicious side, someone did refer to them as YouTube quality. In response to that, I have to say that the work our Art Department and Camera Department put in is worthy of far more than YouTube…so I’ll chalk that comment up to my bad direction.

Of course, these people can say what they want…they’ll never be harder on the project than I am. I’m still totally new to the world of production, so I’m hoping as these Camp Blood projects progress that I can get better along with them…maybe appease the fans a little more. They’re the ones we want to make happy. Unfortunately, I’m not in charge of getting deleted scenes and uncut versions of the movie…I know that’d really make the fans happy.

Q: Back to the absence of Jason, one would have to assume that, due to complicated rights issues between Paramount and New Line, you were given some specific guidelines with your characters in these shorts. Primarily, the direct use of Jason Voorhees. What can you tell us about what you were told when it came to using characters, locations, score etc?

Well, right off the bat the use of the name ‘Jason Voorhees’ or the infamous hokey mask was not an option. Neither was ‘Camp Crystal Lake.’ I then decided to be ‘cheat’ the system a bit. I had the initial draft take place between Friday the 13th Part 2 and 3. Jason would never be called by his name, but he would have the bag on his head. Perfect, right? Wrong. We found out the bag might become a legal issue down the line, so we were asked to shoot two versions of every shot with Jason. One would have the bag, and one would be a deformed head.

Seeing how we only had one day to shoot each segment, we knew that shooting two versions of everything wasn’t possible. So that’s when it was decided, much to my dismay, that our Killer would be just that, ‘Killer.’

The music is another story. From the get-go, I was going to write an original score for each Camp Blood. It seemed like a good idea. A score that would be custom tailored to each moment, and one that didn’t present ANY rights/legal issues. Well…half of that was true. After I’d scored parts 1 and 2, we discovered that using original music could potentially open up a huge can of worms. I can’t really go into the specifics (mainly because I don’t understand all of it), but in the end we dumped the original scores to go with music lifted directly from the first three films. I was pretty heartbroken to be honest. I was quite fond of the music I’d written for Part 2. In fact, the version of Part 2 on my demo reel still has my music intact. I’d asked our sound mixer to make me a version with no music so I could lay mine into it at a later date. On a lighter note, most of reviews I’ve seen for Lost Tales from Camp Blood site the use of the Friday the 13th music as one of the better aspects. I can’t help but wonder if the original music would have been better or worse now.

Q: Are you a long time Friday the 13th fan? If so, how did it feel to be behind the camera directing a very Friday-like short?

I’m actually not a long-time Friday fan. It’s the one major horror franchise I hadn’t seen any of…until a couple years ago that is. It’s only in the past year that I’ve caught up and watched all of them (from both Paramount and New Line). Before Camp Blood though, I made a point of watching the first three films very closely, and the more I watched them, the more they fascinated me. It actually made me quite disappointed that I hadn’t been a bigger fan of the series beforehand.

To be totally honest, I found the entire series (Paramount and New Line) to be hit or miss. One thing that was consistent though, was the work that went into them. They were not expensive movies…not at all, so I have to respect the filmmakers for getting what they did in the can. I still remember watching the bonus features on the Jason X DVD and being mesmerized by the film to HD process they did. At the time, that was a pretty big deal…and for a film-geek kid in high school, it was an even bigger deal.

Being behind the camera of any Paramount-funded short is a weird feeling…especially in a genre I’ve always wanted to work in. It really was a dream come true. I mean, standing on stage, in a set designed specifically for my script, watching a fake head spewing blood out of its eye socket is a surreal experience.

Q: Some of those girls in your short films can wail out a scream with the best of them! What went into the casting process for these shorts?

Well, the majority of the actors were found through casting networks like NowCasting.com and LACasting.com. That’s how we got Lori Caulfield (Sarah from Part 2). She was one hell of a hell of a find. She’s so good and so great to work with that we’re bringing her back for Parts 7 and 8. I can’t say how…we just are. Dan Sykes (Eric from Part 2 and 3) is an actor that I met about a year and a half ago on another project. There was no question whether we’d use him or not. Dan’s great at what he does, and he’s a joy to work with. I’ve never met anyone else so ready to improvise. We brought his character back for Part 4, 5 and 6. The funny thing about Dan is he’s becoming the king of short horror films. He’s been in 5 of these Lost Tales from Camp Blood shorts, and he starred in the opening segment of Tales of the Grudge on The Grudge 2 DVD. And no, we didn’t get the name Tales from that!

Matt Hiscox, who plays the Killer, is actually one of my best friends. He was brought in as a last minute request (I was ready to beg him, but he eagerly agreed). The rule to never work with friends or family doesn’t apply here. Matt’s fantastic. I honestly don’t think we’d ever find anyone more dedicated or prepared to play such a role under these circumstances. There’s really nothing he won’t do. He’s just as much a crewmember as part of the cast. He’ll stay for hours after he’s wrapped just to help move lights or other gear around.

Q: The first two Deluxe Edition discs contained the first two editions of “Lost Tales From Camp Blood”. But the third installment, initially thought to have been included on barebones 3D “Deluxe Edition” of part 3, was nowhere to be found. Where you ever given a reason as to why it didn’t make the disc or was it a disc space issue since the release contained two full versions of the film?

I can only assume that Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 3, as well as the other bonus features we cut, was not included because there wasn’t enough room left on the disc. I believe Part 3 was originally going to be just like the other two releases. It would have the 2D version of the film and the bonus features we produced. Instead, Paramount (rightfully) decided to release the 3D version as well. However, putting the movie on the DVD twice probably ate up most, if not all the disc space. I’m sure Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 3 and the other features will be released in the future, but I don’t know how or when.

Q: “Lost Tales from Camp Blood” part 3 has been released on the UK edition of Friday the 13th part 3 on Blu Ray (Though the 3D aspect of the feature film is absent). Can you shed any light on when US audiences may be able to see it without buying the import Blu disc

I really can’t say. Hopefully soon. My only guess is that it will be on some kind of box set when all the deluxe editions have been released…or perhaps if Paramount decided to release the film in Blu Ray here in the US. But those are just wild guesses; I haven’t heard anything.

I’m hoping it gets released soon, or on Friday the 13th Part IV’s Deluxe DVD. Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Parts 4-6 won’t make any sense if no one has seen Part 3!

Q: You are currently working on even more installments for future Paramount “Friday the 13th” DVD releases. What can you tell us about those projects and how are things going thus far?

We finished shooting Lost Tales from Camp Blood 4-6 a few weeks ago and are going into the final stages of post-production right now. We shot for five days (4PM to 4AM). Four days were spent in the forest, and boy was it cold. Our ‘set’ was covered in ice on the first night. Day five was spent at a parking garage under our local police station and in our own offices. We used the Red One camera this time, shooting in 4k…so that was a huge step up from what we had on the first three. The crew did such an amazing job that it looks more like a feature film than a DVD bonus feature. It’s borderline ridiculous actually.

There are some major stories to be told about the production of Parts 4-6, but I’ll save them for a later date. I can’t spoil too much before they come out!

We’re also planning Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 7 and 8 right now. Our production on Part 4/5/6 worked out so well that we’re changing very little behind the scenes. We’re using the Red One again, with almost entirely the same crew. This time we’re taking the story to an abandoned hospital. It’ll be nice to change the scenery a bit, and what better location to have a Killer…well, do his thing? We’re actually preparing to shoot 7 and 8 in true anamorphic widescreen. The frame and artifacts associated with these lenses will really give us room to play visually. I think people will really be surprised when they see it…it’s going to be completely different from what we’ve done before. The story is far more important this time around (in response to some of the criticism we’d received on the first three), so giving the project the best look we can is really important to me. It’s not just about the kills anymore! Of course, shooting anamorphic is nothing new…they shot the new Friday the 13th in that format…but I think, and I may be wrong, but I think it’s safe to say we’ll be the first anamorphic DVD bonus feature ever produced. Small potatoes…but kinda neat for techno-geeks like me!

Q: If given the opportunity to work on any film project that you so desired, what would it be and why?

I’d prefer to create something completely original, but of any project I’d love to be offered…I would love to work on the remake of The Thing. Now, I’m not a huge remake fan, but considering John Carpenter’s The Thing was a remake, there’s still hope. Stories can be told in so many ways, and it would be amazing to try and do something with that. I’ve always loved the short story ‘Who Goes There,’ and John Carpenters version of it. The atmosphere in that movie is so incredible. I can’t watch it without feeling cold, completely isolated, and terrified. Dean Cundy’s cinematography is actually the look I want all my movies to have. I just love his use of anamorphic in that film. It would be really interesting to see what a person goes through after they’ve been ‘imitated.’ Do they know? Do they still think like themselves, or is it 100% the alien. In Carpenter’s version, as with the character of Norris, we’re lead to believe they still think they’re themselves…but know something is not quite right. That, to me, is completely terrifying. I’m a hypochondriac, and in that situation, I can’t even imagine the thoughts running through one’s mind. That’s a situation I’d like to explore…if only. Haha. That said, I am looking forward to the remake that’s going into production now. I’ll be first in line at the theater.

I’d also love to work on the film version of the videogame Cold Fear. I hear it’s in the works, and if done right, that could be a fantastic horror/sci-fi film.

Another movie I would kill to make is a film version of the David Morrell book Creepers. If you haven’t read it, please do so! It’s thrilling book and could make a great horror film. The production design alone would be worth it. It’s not an FX story, so the real weight would be put on the characters and the actors that fill their shoes.

Last but not least, there’s a book totally outside the horror genre that I’d love to make into a movie. It’s called Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You. It’s a fantastic coming of age story for this generation. I read it in a day, just couldn’t put it down.

Q: What are your aspirations when it comes to directing? Any “ideal” projects that you would like to try your hand at?

I just want to learn. I want to learn how to affect an audience. I want to learn how to get what’s in my head onto the screen. My main aspiration, I suppose, is to get better.

There are so many different things floating in my head that I’d love to work on. I’d actually love to something on the water. It’d be fun to do a whodunit on a cruise ship. Though, my dream is to do something in a setting similar to Alien. Not story-wise, but to tell a story in that kind of environment opens up a world of possibilities…all of which could be visually stunning.

Q: You also work in orchestral music and film score. How did that come about and give us some insight on what exactly you do?

Haha, that’s just a hobby of mine. I’ve only taken one music class…simple music theory. I write everything on the computer with different samplers.

I’ve always loved film scores and classical music (all I really listen to actually), so I suppose it makes sense that I got into writing a little music. I really only write music for myself…as a hobby or a way to pass the time. Occasionally I write a tiny but of music for a friend’s project.

I do score the occasional episode of Star Trek: Hidden Frontier’s spin off shows. They’re a web-based Star Trek fan series. It’s a great way to practice…and they’re well written stories with good characters. Not to mention the occasional space battle…and come on, who doesn’t want to write music for that!?

Seriously though, there are much more talented people out there who should be answering this question!

Q: The score on “Lost Tales from Camp Blood” really captured the feel of the Manfredini score in the Friday the 13th series. Have you ever personally met Harry and if so how did that go?

The scores in the release versions are actually from Manfredini’s scores to Friday the 13th Part 1, 2, and 3. I had written original music for them, but we couldn’t use it for various legal issues.

The Camp Blood music on my myspace is actually demo music for Lost Tales from Camp Blood Part 7 and 8. I always try to write music before I write the script. It helps me nail the mood I’m looking for. It’s nice that I have some time for 7 & 8 to do that. It’s just an exercise that helps me. The music could be awful for all I know.

I have not met Harry Manfredini, but I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. Before I’d ever heard music from Friday the 13th, I was a fan of his score to Deepstar Six…also directed by Sean Cunningham. I really love Harry’s score to Jason Lives. He had some nice thematic material in A New Beginning as well, but Jason Lives was a great score. I wish I could get my hands on it!

Q: Who are your influences musically

I’m obsessed with Jerry Goldsmith. He was a genius. Goldsmith could do no wrong in my opinion. Under Fire is one of my favorite soundtracks…hell, pieces of music. He deserved an Oscar for just about every piece of music he made.

I’m also a huge fan of Elliot Goldenthal. His scores for Alien3, Sphere, and Final Fantasy are at the top of my list…just genius work.

I recently became aware of Jeff Grace. I designed and authored the DVD for The Roost, and immediately bought the soundtrack when I saw that it was available on iTunes. That guy is amazing. I’d ask him to score a movie in a second. His music for The Last Winter is nothing short of perfect. I bought the score before I’d even heard of the movie. It was just so beautiful. In fact, his music was why I bought the film. I saw that Larry Fessenden had directed it and said…well, great score, great director…I’m in! The music is really amazing. I hope I see his name a lot in the future.

Q: When you aren’t composing or directing what would someone likely find you doing in your spare time

Hmmm, recently that seems like it’s all I do. Occasionally I’ll play videogames. I’m a Silent Hill and Resident Evil fan…so, I’ve definitely preordered my copy of Resident Evil 5 on Xbox360. But that isn’t really a big chunk of my time. I’m not a huge gamer. I play games for the story. I’m not an online player.

Q: Take the floor! Tell our readers anything you would want them to know!

I’m at a complete loss. I will say that Lost Tales from Camp Blood is easily the best thing that’s happened to me. It’s gotten me out of the office and into production, where I want to be. It’s given me the opportunity to meet and work with some of the best crew I cold ask for. The fact that they’re standing out in the cold night to begin with is amazing…then, on top of that, they’re working their asses off. You could make a damn good feature film with that group of people. Wow, I talk to much about nothing. I hope I haven’t bored anyone to tears…I can’t imagine anyone caring enough to read what I have to say.