Horror Short Film OVERNIGHTS Turns Veterinary Care Into Terror

This week’s FilmQuest short film is Overnights, a horror film that centers on an overworked veterinary technician who picks up a late night shift to make ends meet. She then finds herself tormented by the very thing she's dedicated her life to.

The film was directed by Shannon Brown, who said, “Throughout the short, we see the challenges veterinary staff face - financial issues, exhaustion, compassion fatigue, burnout, and abusive clients - complete with humor and horror. While Overnights was made as a standalone short, I would love to explore a feature-length version if given the opportunity.”

This short film is shared in collaboration with the FilmQuest Film Festival, where we are looking to expose some of the great indie genre films and shorts that filmmakers are creating.

What was the inspiration for your film? How did you come up with the idea?

After working in the veterinary industry for over eight years, starting out as a receptionist myself, I wanted to shed light on what my coworkers and I experienced, and to make a statement about how the current state of the industry affects workers and pet owners.

When I was working late nights as a receptionist at a 24/7 veterinary emergency room, my mind would often conjure up different ideas about who - or what - was lurking in the shadows of the long hospital corridors. That, combined with the desire to talk about what veterinary teams are dealing with helped shape the short.

Tell us about yourself. What is your background? How long have you been a filmmaker?

I had been doing comedy for years and decided I wanted to start filming the sketches that were performing well on stage. Around the same time, I fell in love with the horror genre and decided to start making horror and horror/comedy shorts. Since 2018, I’ve written, directed, and produced seven shorts that have played in dozens of festivals worldwide.

What inspires you to work within genre cinema and tell these kind of stories?

I have a passion for blending scares and belly laughs while bringing fun, relatable characters to life. Horror is such a fun genre, it's so vast! You can have drama, comedy, romance, thrills, chills, and gore along with touching, meaningful stories.

I typically write about women and those affected by capitalism. I find horror to be a great vehicle for these stories because, like comedy, we can blend different ideas and themes together to create something really entertaining.

What was your favorite part of the filmmaking process for this project?

I think my favorite part of any project is working with others to bring the film to life. It's invigorating to work with people who are excited by your ideas and want to help you make it the best possible thing it could be.

What are you most proud of with this film?

Sharing a film that is relevant and meaningful with so many great audiences.

What is a favorite story or moment from the making of the film you'd like to share? 

The moment our FX team walked our monster down a darkened hallway and the cast/crew saw the full creature for the first time will always be a great memory.

What was your most challenging moment or experience you had while making your film?

Self-producing my work means finding cast and crew who are willing to work on a shoestring budget and/or volunteer. This, combined with needing location and equipment, shooting day for night, and needing to feed everyone can be very stressful on top of the attention to detail, care, and creativity needed for shooting the film itself. However, I am very fortunate to have worked with the people I did, they made this process as smooth as possible!

If it did, how did your film change or differ from its original concept during pre-production, production, and/or post-production? How has this changed how you'll approach future projects as a result?

I originally had a completely different, more involved creature idea, but had to change this due to runtime, budget, and location constraints. While this wouldn't change how I approach things in the future, I do go into writing knowing that my ideas may change for a multitude of reasons, including necessity. This can end up being more helpful in forcing creativity!

Who were some of your collaborators and actors on the film? How did you start working with each other?

I was very lucky to work with a ton of fantastic people on Overnights. Little Shop of Gore (Ryan and Salina Ward) is my go-to for all things FX, props, and gore. I started working with them back in 2020 when I needed a logo for a podcast I had started during lockdown.

Since then, we've worked on Demon Juice and Overnights and I look forward to future projects we can collaborate on! I also worked with Ryan Moulton who is a fantastic director and DP. He shot and edited Overnights, which makes the whole process easier since we were able to work together on set and reference specific details in the edit.

I believe we met in 2017 when he was shooting and directing a sketch for our mutual friend and their UCB team. Since then, Ryan has shot and/or edited seven shorts for me. I met Anatasha and Jacob at Screamfest in 2021, where we both had films playing.

After watching their short Inch Thick, Knee Deep (also a FilmQuest Alum!), I knew I wanted to work with them. I've known Maddy Wager through the local comedy scene for years and have been so fortunate to work with them on many shorts.

Maddy, Anatasha, and Jacob are all very talented comedians and performers, so I had no doubt that they would be able to deliver. They all take great interest in their roles and are so great to work with. A lot of my crew comes from the veterinary world, which was so nice to have on set!

While their professional background may be in a hospital setting, a lot of them are also stand ups or filmmakers, which made for a nice blend of experience to have behind the camera.

What is the best advice you've ever received as a filmmaker and what would you like to say to new filmmakers?

The best advice I've received is to ask for help, keep writing, keep making shorts, and wear good sneakers. I would tell new filmmakers the same thing! Being able to tell others what you need and to ask for help is such an important skill. Continuing the writing and directing process is really one of the only ways you're going to improve, and if you're going to be on set for a long time, you need to make sure you're comfortable!

What are your plans for your career and what do you hope this film does for it? What kind of stories would you like to tell moving forward?

My career goal is to make a living on writing and directing. Overnights, like my other shorts, is a portfolio piece and an opportunity to share my work with audiences and industry professionals. I would love to continue working within the comedy and horror genres to bring stories about women and working class people to life.

What is your next project and when can we expect to see it? 

I'm currently working on funding for my next short, Stuck, which is a harrowing comedic thriller based on an urban legend! I'd love to be able to hit production this year, but only time will tell. In the meantime, I'm also working on my first feature script.

Where can we find more of your work and where can interested parties contact you?

My website is shannonebrown.com Instagram is @shannonebrownfilm http://www.youtube.com/@shannonbrown6067

Bonus Question #1: What is your all-time favorite film?

Tommy Boy

Bonus Question #2: What is the film that most inspired you to become a filmmaker and/or had the most influence on your work?

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be an entertainer and had a great passion for comedy. I loved Tommy Boy because it was so funny but had a lot of heart. Arthur was tragic and funny and heartwarming. Shaun of The Dead was kind of explosive to me - I had no idea something could be so funny and scary!

I think I draw on a lot of what appealed to me as a viewer, which crosses many decades and genres. These days, I find myself inspired regularly, whether I'm watching old movies, seeing new shorts at festivals, attending Just Scare Me (a horror filmmaking accountability group in LA), catching new movies, or watching things friends have made.

Enjoy the short!