{"id":3868,"date":"2023-08-11T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehorrorofbeingemily.com\/blog\/?p=3868"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:53:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T22:53:27","slug":"my-history-of-halloween-horror-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehorrorofbeingemily.com\/blog\/my-history-of-halloween-horror-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"My History of Halloween & Horror: Part\u00a0II"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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My History of Halloween & Horror: Part\u00a0II<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In<\/span> My History of Halloween & Horror: Part I<\/a>, I discussed my childhood and the ways my family fostered my love for all things spooky. In Part II I want to give an overview of my professional background. I am more than just an enthusiast – my jobs have given me insight into the inner workings of the film, haunt, and Halloween industries. Amazingly, I have made a living doing what I love. As a result I have acquired a vast knowledge base to help my eerie endeavors. I am a Halloween\/horror professional!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Using that USC Film Degree<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I have always liked the phrase “movie magic”. There is something magical about sitting in a darkened room full of strangers, coming together through a shared experience. Films can transport you into a fantastic world that reflects the best and worst of society. They can help you to look through the eyes of someone whose life is drastically different from your own and grow in understanding. Being on a film set is also magical. A team of highly talented individuals come together for a shared goal of creating a unique world for others.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Both Sides of the Filmmaking Process<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Following film school, I spent a few years dabbling in post-production. I honed my editing skills with the very non-horror “<\/span>Prune Like a Pro<\/a>” Youtube series, editing over 180 plant and nature-related videos. I also worked for two professional post-production\/marketing companies, where I learned about the process of creating trailers and other marketing materials for film & television. My favorite experiences were learning how professional editors created marketing materials for the remake of Carrie<\/em><\/a>, Full Moon Features films, and other scary fare. Although editing felt satisfying – like solving a gigantic jigsaw puzzle – I realized that sitting alone in a dark room staring at a computer for hours upon hours was not the job for someone as social as me.<\/span><\/p>

So, I switched to the opposite side of the filmmaking process. I worked with the BlueCat Screenplay Competition first as a reader, then Competition Coordinator, and finally as their Social Media Coordinator. Spending my days reading hundreds of screenplays and learning from a top-notch mentor gave me new perspectives on crafting a script. There are so many talented horror writers from around the world, and so many amazing horror stories just waiting to be produced! I, however, am decidedly not a writer, and I wanted something more hands-on and collaborative.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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My History of Halloween & Horror: Filmography<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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You can’t get more hands-on and collaborative experience than on a film set. I love to be both in front of and behind the camera. Luckily, I have had ample opportunity for both! Check out some of my works:<\/span><\/p>

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Features<\/strong>:<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Howard the Doc or: How I Learned to Start Quacking and Love the Bomb<\/span><\/a>\u00a0– Self<\/span><\/p>

9 Ways to Hell<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(2022) – Director (“Gluttony”), Actress (“Gluttony”)<\/span><\/p>

Who Was Buffalo Bill?<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(2016) – Director, Actress<\/span><\/p>

Killer Party<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(2014) – Script Supervisor<\/span><\/p>

Fable: Teeth of Beasts<\/strong><\/a> (2010) – Production Assistant<\/span><\/p>

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Shorts<\/strong>:<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Not Pregnant<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(2016) – Actress<\/span><\/p>

Safe & Sound<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(2015) – Actress, Writer, Producer<\/span><\/p>

Under the Bed<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(2015) – Writer, Actress, Producer<\/span><\/p>

Fade to Black<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(2013) – Actress<\/span><\/p>

Goth Girl: Season 2, Episode 11<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(2010) – Actress<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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My History of Halloween & Horror: An \"Event-ful\" Life<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Growing up, my Dad and I drove up to 7 hours away to attend horror movie conventions. From Chiller Theater in New Jersey, to local Buffalo-area cons, we went to every one we could, speaking to filmmakers and celebrities (and collecting autographs for the movie room). Additionally, we attended non-horror fare: toy train shows, air shows, toy collectable conventions, etc. I had a lot of fun attending conventions and always thought of them as nice ways to spend a weekend. They were just fun little diversions, and I never gave them too much consideration outside of that.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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I never thought to volunteer for one until my senior year of college, where I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for Fangoria’s Trinity of Terror convention. I skipped a day of classes and got the cheapest hotel room I could find so I could spend the weekend working the event. The experience was electrifying. During the show I worked with the event videographer and interviewed Malcolm McDowell, John Waters, my childhood idol Kritsy Swanson, George Romero, and more.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the event is known in certain circles as “the best convention no one attended” so I never got the chance to work that event again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ScareLA: SoCal's Premiere Halloween Convention<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Struggling to survive for a few years after college kept me from working for free again, but all that changed in 2013 when I stumbled across a Facebook page for a new upcoming Halloween convention right in LA (so no hotel room required). I sent them a Facebook message and a day later received a response. I didn’t know it then, but this opportunity would change the entire course of my life.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ScareLA<\/span><\/a>\u00a0was the “premiere Halloween convention in SoCal” (a tagline I championed from year-one) from 2013 – 2018.\u00a0I started as an assistant to one of the event’s founders on the show floor. A month before the event I left my job at a post-production house so I had far too much time on my hands to prep for the event. My 50+ page event binder with every single detail about the event impressed management and the next year I was on payroll as the Exhibitor Coordinator. By year three I was a close assistant to both founders of the event – even working with them on projects outside of ScareLA.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Starting in 2016, I became the Exhibition Producer for ScareLA’s final three years. In addition, I coordinated the event’s Screening Room, showcasing filmmakers from around the world.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Lifelong Lessons<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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My co-workers and mentors at ScareLA instilled in me many key lessons that I still hold in my heart:<\/span><\/p>