Filmmaker Srinidhi Bengaluru is not waiting until Video's September 11 release to find out whether its horror works. The director of Blink is planning a “show before the show”, with the film set to be screened for a select audience nearly 20 days ahead of its theatrical release.
Srinidhi says the idea comes from how Hollywood horror films such as The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity used audience response and word of mouth as part of their release strategies. “We are confident about our audience and are happy to show the film 20 days before the release. The primary intention is to capture the audience reaction. In Hollywood, they have followed this format for horror films, and we wanted to bring something similar here,” explains the director.
The special screening will have around 20 audience members selected through a horror-story contest. Participants have to make a three-minute video narrating a horror experience from their own lives and post it on social media. The creators whose videos receive the strongest response in terms of views and engagement will be invited to the special show.
But the screening will not be restricted to these 20 participants. The makers also plan to sell tickets to the general audience for the same show, making it an early public screening. “The idea was to find 20 people who would genuinely enjoy this experience. Instead of simply selecting them, we thought the audience could tell us their own horror stories. The best stories and the creators who get the strongest response will be invited,” he says.
The contest also aligns with what Srinidhi wants Video to achieve as a horror film. The film has received an A certificate, which Srinidhi says is solely due to its horror content. “We have brought a realistic treatment to the horror. There are haunting scenes, and we did not want to dilute the scares. The A certificate is purely for the horror content,” he explains.
Written and directed by Srinidhi Bengaluru, Video is produced by Dheekshith Shetty under Dhee Cinemas. The cast includes Bharatha, Jeevan Shivakumar, Tejesh S M, Priya J Achar, Nalme Nachiyar and Dheekshith Shetty. Avinaasha Shastry is the cinematographer, Sanjeev Jagirdar is the editor and Prasanna Kumar MS is the music director. Bharath Sagar is the executive producer, with Rishith Aradhya, Preethan Kumar M and Yashas Gowda in the direction department.
For Srinidhi, the early screening is less a preview and more a test of the film with the people it was made for. He wants the first screams, reactions, and conversations to come before the September release. “We want to experience that reaction first. We are confident in the film and happy to let the audience see it early. If the audience feels the horror, they will take that experience with them.”
