very filmmaker dreams of a sold-out world premiere.

Then the lights come up.

Now what?

In this episode of Directing Dread, Justin Harding and Jacob Phair unpack Jacob's world premiere of his debut feature film, Chimera, and the reality of what happens after you've achieved the milestone you've been chasing for years.

We dive into the highs, the surprises, and the hard truths of the festival experience. Is a world premiere really a career-changing moment? What should filmmakers actually expect from a festival run? And what lessons only become obvious once you're sitting in the audience watching your own film for the very first time?

From Q&As and networking to managing expectations and figuring out what comes next, this is an honest conversation about one of the biggest moments in a filmmaker's career.

Because getting your film into a festival isn't the finish line.

It's just the opening scene.

Something is stalking Hollywood.

For years, studios searched film festivals, film schools, and agency rosters looking for the next generation of directors. Now they're lurking somewhere else entirely.

YouTube.

The breakout success of The Backrooms and Obsession has sent a shockwave through the industry and proven that a filmmaker with a killer idea and an internet connection can compete with the traditional system.

In this episode of Directing Dread, Justin Harding and Jacob Phair dissect the horror gold rush currently unfolding in Hollywood. Why are studios suddenly obsessed with indie horror? Why are executives spending more time watching YouTube than festival screeners? And what does this mean for aspiring filmmakers trying to break into the genre?

We explore how horror continues to be the proving ground for new talent, why the rules of breaking in are changing, and how today's unknown creators are becoming tomorrow's studio directors.

The call is coming from YouTube. And Hollywood is finally picking up.

After our deep dive into short films in Episode 4, things get real.

In this episode of Directing Dread, Jacob and Justin discuss Jacob’s horror short screenplay and his idea of turning it into an actual project for the podcast. What follows is an honest breakdown of the script, the good, the bad, the problems, the potential, and the reality of developing a film as a team.

Working director Justin Harding gives raw feedback on what is working, what is not, and how filmmakers should think when developing a short film that can actually stand out.

This episode is less about theory and more about process. Collaboration, criticism, rewriting, strategy, and the uncomfortable but necessary conversations that happen when trying to make something great.

If you have ever written a short film or wondered what development actually sounds like behind closed doors, this episode pulls back the curtain.