Film Comparison by Rob Reilly - "The Strangers" serves as an excellent example of the atmosphere we aim to create. And, I’m a fan of this film! The movie unfolds in a secluded woodland setting where a young couple finds themselves terrorized by mysterious and menacing forces lurking outside, until the terror makes its way inside. Our objective is to craft a low-budget indie film that captures the same nerve-wracking fear, intense moments and ongoing suspense as this $9M production. Is it possible? Of course, it is. And that’s one of the main goals.

In addition to creating an edge-of-your-seat thriller we're all proud of, along with doing everything we can to ensure our Exec. Producers recoup their investment, as well as a profit, we aim for industry people to ask the question, "How did you make this film look and sound like a much bigger budgeted production?"

This would not be the first time producer, Lou Farragher, and I have surprised some in the industry. Our 2003 debut indie feature, "Back To Manhattan," created on a micro budget of just $18,000, attracted considerable attention, and many were particularly curious how we managed to achieve such high-quality sound, especially dialogue, in one of the world's most bustling and noisiest cities, with basically no money.

When it comes to making a strong low-budget indie, it starts with an experienced, great small crew, a kick ass line producer, and strong casting. Pre-production is paramount: storyboards, location scouting, rehearsals, planning your shots, and your lighting. This stage involves meticulous organizing and strategizing to ensure a smooth and creative process, as well as a successful and efficient production. Essentially, pre-production is about preparing everything before the cameras roll. 

Shooting CINEMATICALLY while capturing GREAT SOUND: There’s shooting and then there’s shooting cinematically. Knowing what lens, angles and movement will best tell your story and capture the emotions of the moment. And when it comes to sound, there are people who stand there with a boom pole and then there are Boom Operators, who actually know the script as well as the actors, so they know what’s coming to capture dialogue perfectly. Who’s about to yell, scream, whisper, etc. Boom is an Art Form. Watch “How to be a Boom Operator” to see what a professional boom person does. And of course, like any Hollywood production, ADR (additional dialogue recording) will be expected, planned, and budgeted for.

Thankfully, the 17-year ‘Cicada’ emergence in New York State has concluded for this cycle. “Brood XIV cicadas emerged starting in mid-to-late May 2025 and were active until late June.”

We plan to shoot with 2-3 Sony FX6 Cameras, along with 4k-6k drones. We also plan to call in lots and lots of favors! Our co-producer, Lou Farragher, grew up in the area we are looking to film and Lou knows EVERYONE! You’ll see.

Plus, we’re not paying Liv Tyler $2M to be in the film and we’re not building our own house in SC to film in and around. I’m not saying both wouldn’t be cool, but not needed to tell a great thriller.

Personally, I believe our story, Sean Ryan's screenplay, has more depth than “The Strangers “ because of its backstory of Nicky, Matt and Trevor. Our method of revealing this to the audience will be through flashbacks, cutbacks, and nightmares. This approach aims to engage the audience more deeply in caring about Nicky and Trevor once the madness begins.

When it comes to distribution, we have a connection to hotel chains and their VOD (Video on Demand) distribution. We also plan to control and make our own deals with overseas distribution. Many of the smaller “distributors” offer you a deal and end up keeping most of the profits. That will not be the case here. Let’s go make our money back through these channels, along with a profit, and then we’ll see if one of the popular streaming networks wants us.

So, come join us in making this fun, cool thriller and help us prove that…it doesn’t take millions, it takes knowledge, experience, and bleeding on what you love.”