The Story
Mission Statement
Made by a team of students who used the pandemic to create their own opportunities and now work to provide opportunities to those without options. Shock & laughter are visceral reactions that can unite any audience, so what’s a better way to analyze modern community than through a film that encourages both?
About The Project
THE EXORCIST (1973) convinced the world that Ouija Boards are a dangerous tool that shouldn't be considered a game, but THE HAUNTING OF HYPE HOUSE wants to make Ouija Boards fun again. Plus, it'd be cool if we could make you think about death and get sad and stuff (if you got that reference, this is the movie for you). Here's a quick introduction to the world of the story:
The Summary
In 1969, an unspeakable death takes place on a quiet mountainside somewhere around the outskirts of LA. 50 years later, that same mountainside has become part of a new trend of upscale living for the rich, famous, and... influential.
This is where we find JARED ZENITH, a young social-media mogul. Living with his overworked, under-appreciated assistant MIKE, Jared has developed quite a fanbase through bi-weekly vlogs featuring outlandish antics: pranks, stunts, and JUMP SCARES. Today he takes on his most personal victim yet: ERIC, his brother, finally visiting after a long stint abroad. Jared is less concerned about catching up though, and more focused on creating content. Jared might have some issues to work through, but they're hard to notice when he's constantly surrounded by clout-chasers and metaphorical clowns: tonight's companions include AVA, his current flame, and BRITT, Ava's best friend and better half.
It's a regular night in the house of Zenith: drinks, jokes, and debauchery. But when Eric experiences a horror unrelated to Jared's usual shenanigans (a supernatural scare too obvious to ignore), the group decides to make contact through a homemade Ouija Board (there's a DIY Video for just about anything on the internet).
So: the stage is set, the players are in place, and the lights are lowered (but still bright enough so Mike can film everything). Once their seance begins the night kicks into high gear, and when one of their own is possessed, it turns out... it might be for the best?
The Inspiration
"I came up with this idea THREE YEARS AGO when I thought of one simple question: what if a ghost possessed a really unlikeable guy, and his friends realized they liked the ghost more than their buddy?
Thus was born a movie. I put the idea on hold when I realized there was no way I could tell it in any way but a feature-length project, but a few things have changed since then: one, I've gained far more experience and confidence. And two... Tik-Tok. This is not a joke; the advent of Tik-Tok has created the perfect climate for our film; a story about somebody no one likes, obsessed with their own identity above all else. Nowadays, we see this type of person all over the place, and we're just looking to have some fun with it."
- Matt Farren (Writer/Co-Director)
As if the film didn’t already feel timely enough, there’s another big reason we decided to make this movie now: The Pandemic
Without the pandemic we would never have found the boldness to take on such a massive effort. When opportunities dried up, we created our own and found the confidence to keep creating independent projects. Now, as people slowly reconnect in person, it's important to examine practices to ensure healthy relationships grow and thrive. This film exists to encourage that. Our themes directly tie into the state of the world, and was born out of a need to safely create work and opportunities for those who thought they lost-out on their future goals due to the pandemic.
This film largely takes place in a single, spacious location, with a small cast and minimal crew. The majority of our team was vaccinated and had the ability to get tested, and those who were unable to get vaccinated were tested consistently. The health of our team is more important than any project we could ever work on, and our work practices reflected that.
Beyond the timing, The Haunting of Hype House really is the perfect project for us as creatives: a fast-paced horror-comedy with real people rethinking their life choices. It's got a great sense of humor, a riveting story, and we're lucky enough to have been blessed with the perfect circle of friends/collaborators to help bring this story to life. We hope you’ll find we’ve put a fresh spin on familiar tropes: ghostly possessions, near-death experiences, and the horrors of interpersonal relationships, all while examining identity, family, and the effects our actions have on others. This project would be nothing without the incredible community that inspired it, and we hope that this same community embraces this project, laughing, jumping, and being better for seeing it.
