UTRGV’s Theatre/Television/Film Department screened their 21st feature-length film this past Friday night at the Black Box Theater in the Edinburg Campus.
Made by students, faculty, and staff in the department, 13 Terrors: An Omnibus Horror Film was shot over the summer of 2016. Comprised of 13 short horror films written by students, this production is similar to other omnibus films such as 2012’s V/H/S.
Shot over a 14-day period (reshoots aside), the shorts include various influences from all kinds of horror, slasher, and psychological thriller films. Overseen and produced by Associate Professor David Carren, who teaches several film classes at UTRGV.
Carren, who wrote for film and television in Los Angeles, Houston, and the Rio Grande Valley, expressed his pride in the effort that the students put forth in 13 Terrors.
“They did some really great work last summer,” Carren said before the preview screening began. “These are some really talented students, and it shows.”
13 Terrors is set to run the festival circuit, and is being submitted to several film festivals. While not fully complete, the screening packed a large crowd that filled the Black Box Theater. Some viewers even had to stand. Still, the film was not without a few faults.
“Some of the audio is still a little messed up at the beginning, and we have a temporary music track until we finalize the soundtrack in editing,” Carren said. “We’re working on getting the levels fixed and corrected soon so we can submit 13 Terrors to some film contests and festival.”
Each short film was packed with quite eerie and cinematic shots. The actors, cinematographers, directors, producers, and editors all dedicated plenty of time and energy to getting what they wanted, and getting it done right. It shows.
Horror is tricky to accomplish. Sprinkled throughout several films were moments of humor, recognition of genre clichés, and awareness of budget restriction. There was also a healthy use of blood and special effect makeup.
The film was shot entirely on the UTRGV Edinburg campus. Some stories were tied to university living, and some involved being on-campus during a zombie apocalypse. Some were less about horror, and remained on the psychological side. Tricks of the mind always have resonated and stayed with me.
All of the stories were told from the perspective of a seemingly innocent Latina who appears to be from another time to a man who has captured her and her sister. She tells him several tales, 13, to be exact, in order to save both herself and her sister. Bookended with this overarching plot, these shorts are stories within the story.
“This was an opportunity for students, as part of a class, to gain the experience of working on a feature film schedule while also earning credits that will be listed on the Internet Movie Data Base, the bible of the industry,” Carren said on the Facebook event page. “We are the only university in the country that offers the experience of producing a feature film as part of its theatre/film curriculum. It’s a rare and exciting opportunity, and the students had a great time besides.”
Many people in attendance, myself included, were thoroughly entertained by 13 Terrors. Personally, I’m eager to see how far this one goes in festivals, and where these students end up in the future.