DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Author - Chris Hainsworth interview

We thought you would like to hear from our DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Festival selections authors. Let's talk to Chris Hainsworth, whose piece in the show will be The D'Arque House, directed by Nic Dimond.

CHRIS HAINSWORTH

1) Where horror is concerned, what does radio give us that visual media cannot?

I think it invites itself into your brain because it stimulates the imagination more.  Seeing something can actually make it less frightening.  Jaws comes to mind.  But I think 9 out of 10 times, what you envision is far more terrifying than anything that can be shown to you.

I think seeing something allows you to create a distance from the experience.  Because you can rationalize it.  "Oh that looks fake."  "I can see the wires."  But just listening to something - it causes you to fill in a lot of information - and no one can scare you like yourself.

2) "The D'Arque House" creeped us out. What is it about "The D'Arque House" that creeps you out?

Losing someone you love is the most terrifying thing I can think of.  The overwhelming grief and the feeling of powerlessness can paralyze you.  That was the jumping off point for the D'Arque house.  From there it was a matter of thinking "how can this possibly get worse?"

To me it would be having to stay in that place.  Unable to move on.  And forced to have to deal with that loss on a daily basis.  And worse - having something so horrific become mundane.  The fact that the capacity for human suffering can be boundless.

3) What's the sound cue in your piece that you're excited to hear in foley?

I am excited to hear what the sound of the universe ripping open is like.  You know.  Just for future safety knowledge.

4) What actor, from any time, has the best voice for horror?

I watched a lot of the old American International films this Halloween which may be impacting my decision, but for me it's a toss up between Vincent Price and Boris Karloff.

5) What difficulties does a 10-minute constraint present when writing, especially where horror and/or radio are concerned?

For my tastes, I have to be able to care about the characters in order to be frightened for them.  So developing empathy for folks in ten minutes is tricky.  Also - having time to establish a beginning a middle and an end in ten minutes can de very difficult.

The upside is - it really makes you get down to it.  It makes you evaluate what is really necessary to tell the story.  The first draft of Remembrance from last year was 30 minutes long.  So I cut twenty minutes out of it.  I missed those twenty minutes but I doubt anyone else did.

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The DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Jury will be dining at the Morseland.