It's Monsaterpalooza time in Pasadena again! Well, it's almost over at this point but the Pasadena Convention Center will always remind me of our chance meeting with a man and his crate covered in warnings. Yes, Scott Frazelle, the father of Moggy Creatures, who is as determined as ever to complete his monster movie and unleash it onto the world. We got the chance to catch up with Scott and see where Moggy Creatures is now and what he plans to do now.
KillDozer: Thank you for following up with us at The Overlook Theatre! What have you been up to since we spoke last?
Scott: As many of you know, the crowdfunding campaign ended and we came up short, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy! I've done a lot of emailing with thanks to people that supported me online, been fielding questions from potential producing partners that began contacting me after campaign, and getting back to the business of working in the entertainment biz. In addition, I've continuing to develop the perks offered in the campaign, the mutant cat head coffee mug, and the action figure. People contributed with different amounts on different perks, but I'm planning on simply giving everybody one of everything. Not to mention the fact that ideas that have been percolating for more horror films and monster movies are pushing to the surface to be explored...
KillDozer: So with the Indiegogo campaign now over and falling short of reaching goal what do you do to keep the dream alive?
Scott: Some of the things I just mentioned keep me thinking about it... but the task is still at hand; I need to make a monster movie! And there are many, many avenues to go down with this; I can continue to pitch the idea in meetings, I can blanket the production world with query letters, I can infiltrate parties where people drink with the pinky up and have homes in the hills... I think the smartest thing to do now is research the production companies that work in the budget range I need, and go direct to them. So, there's plenty to do in keeping the dream alive. I think I'd be crazy to feel like the dream is dead only because I didn't hit the jackpot in crowdfunding.
KillDozer: Was the funding goal mostly going toward practical effects? Do you revamp your project in any way to make it work or keep driving for the budget you want?
Scott: The funding goal was for half the feature budget. I was hoping to bring this to the table with an established production company with ties to distribution, it would have allowed me to be a true partner in the production and keep control of the vision. I don't intend to change a thing about the concept; it's still a Practical FX driven feature in which people get torn apart by mutated cats, their entrails dragged across the floor, screaming and bleeding...
KillDozer: Will you be appearing at any new conventions to spread the word about Moggy Creatures?
Scott: I'd like to hit a couple conventions again, because I love seeing people's reaction to the creatures, but I think I'd like to come up with a whole new gag if I do. I've been hitting up my contacts trying to share a space at Comic-Con this year, but it's tough!
KillDozer: How do you keep morale up amongst the crew when fundraising doesn't come through?
Scott: Everybody involved with filming the Moggy Creatures trailer is a working professional in the entertainment biz, and they all have their own creative projects outside of their paychecks. We keep in touch and they voice their support for me often, so it's really just a matter of me leading the project forward... which is easy, because I love my project. I know it's the kind of movie horror fans and monster kids are going to love when it comes to fruition.
KillDozer: Do you think you will re-visit the crowdfunding approach? If so what would you do differently?
Scott: I think crowdfunding is always there for me. It was my first attempt in working with it, and my first attempt at financing a part of Moggy Creatures. If I were to try again, I would definitely work with professionals with a proven track record. When you make a movie, you find people talented at their professions, and empower them to make it happen, and they usually will. I did a lot of research and spoke to a lot of people, but at the end of the day, I'm a writer/director/monster-maker... I can contribute creatively, but I'd rather have the pros handle this particular aspect. And maybe not start it on essentially the same date as a new president is sworn in and the internet erupts into a massive flaming ball of vitriolic political hate speech.
KillDozer: What's this I hear about a possible new trailer??!! If what I hear is true when can all the monster kids expect to see it?
Scott: There will be an updated trailer coming soon! I did manage to raise a little money with crowdfunding, so with my contributors permission, I used it to create a couple of new shots to pump up the energy. Those are in the can as we speak, but my post-production team are deep in their own projects for a while. I hope to be able to release the new trailer on the website and to horror sites this May.
KillDozer: Where do you store all the amazing practical effects that we see on your Instagram? Where can everyone follow you to see Moggy Creatures come to life?
Scott: The moggy's hibernate in my basement, along with a bunch molds, specific hardware, and reference material; it's like a nest of moggy creatures waiting for their moment to reawaken and take the world by storm. My 3D printer is down there, too, always prototyping future bits and pieces, but a lot of stuff you see online gets broken down and used again, or reabsorbed by the prop shop I do most of my work with, a powerhouse of creativity known as Tom Talmon Studio, which fans of Practical FX should go see just for the amazing breadth of projects we do there. As for keeping up with the Moggy's, there's MoggyCreatures.com, where you can sign up for the newsletter and get email from me directly, moggycreatures on Twitter, and moggycreatures on Instagram.
KillDozer: You seem to have an extremely positive attitude through all the ups and downs of the Moggy Creatures journey so far. What advice can you give to any aspiring film making going through the same things you are?
Scott: This business is not for the humble; and what I mean by that is you can not be afraid to talk about your project. And you have to love your own project, and be ready to tell people why it's great. Often times you hear venture capitalists say they invested in a company or idea not so much because the idea sold them, but the person behind it inspired them. The same is often true when you're a first-time director and trying to get your own project off the ground, if you're into it and excited about it, people who can potentially help you will see it.
The other thing you have to have is a script that's ready to shoot. Ideas are great, but if you find the right person and they get really excited and they ask that big question "Can I read the script?" nothing will kill that opportunity faster than responding with "I just need a few more weeks to work on it." That doesn't mean you can't change your script later, and you probably will have to regardless, but you need to have your script ready to put in that person's hands. Otherwise, you're just another dreamer walking around with good intentions.
KillDozer: Who wins in a battle to the death??!!..... Garfield, Heathcliff, or the twin cats from Lady and the Tramp?
Scott: The Evil Siamese twins from Lady and The Tramp, without question. They're the exact same characters as the ghost twins in The Shining. Garfield is a fuzzy tumor and Heathcliff is lame. I'm kind of disappointed you didn't bring Bill the Cat from Bloom County into the mix; he not only ran for president and fronted a death metal band, but he was brought back to life via cloning and did more drugs and booze than all of us put together.
KillDozer: Do people own cats or do cats own people?
Scott: I think it's a roommate situation, and the cat is the roommate that thinks his poop don't stink.
KillDozer: The musical Cats, is it a guilty pleasure or pure torture?
Scott: Clearly, you have not watched Cats. Go on YouTube and watch "Old Dueteronomy." Pure torture.
Scott: This business is not for the humble; and what I mean by that is you can not be afraid to talk about your project. And you have to love your own project, and be ready to tell people why it's great. Often times you hear venture capitalists say they invested in a company or idea not so much because the idea sold them, but the person behind it inspired them. The same is often true when you're a first-time director and trying to get your own project off the ground, if you're into it and excited about it, people who can potentially help you will see it.
The other thing you have to have is a script that's ready to shoot. Ideas are great, but if you find the right person and they get really excited and they ask that big question "Can I read the script?" nothing will kill that opportunity faster than responding with "I just need a few more weeks to work on it." That doesn't mean you can't change your script later, and you probably will have to regardless, but you need to have your script ready to put in that person's hands. Otherwise, you're just another dreamer walking around with good intentions.
KillDozer: Who wins in a battle to the death??!!..... Garfield, Heathcliff, or the twin cats from Lady and the Tramp?
Scott: The Evil Siamese twins from Lady and The Tramp, without question. They're the exact same characters as the ghost twins in The Shining. Garfield is a fuzzy tumor and Heathcliff is lame. I'm kind of disappointed you didn't bring Bill the Cat from Bloom County into the mix; he not only ran for president and fronted a death metal band, but he was brought back to life via cloning and did more drugs and booze than all of us put together.
KillDozer: Do people own cats or do cats own people?
Scott: I think it's a roommate situation, and the cat is the roommate that thinks his poop don't stink.
KillDozer: The musical Cats, is it a guilty pleasure or pure torture?
Scott: Clearly, you have not watched Cats. Go on YouTube and watch "Old Dueteronomy." Pure torture.
You can also get more updates, photos and info by signing up for the moggy newsletter at MoggyCreatures.com ❤
-KillDozer
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