Exclusive: Dan Myrick Talks Skyman!
We recently had the chance to speak with Daniel Myrick, one half of the creative team that brought us The Blair Witch Project in 1999; and now he’s back, using Indiegogo as a financial platform for his latest creation: a sci-fi docu-drama called Skyman.
He was gracious enough to give us a few moments of his time to talk about this new project as well as what he’s got up his sleeve next, so settle in, read on, and enjoy!
DC: What can you tell us about the project Skyman? Give us the lowdown on its inception, the crowdfunding, all the details.
DM: Skyman has been an idea of mine for quite some time, no doubt inspired by my experiences as a kid growing up in Florida during the 70’s when UFO phenomena, Bigfoot, and the paranormal were all the rage. I’ve always felt that the kinds of shows in those days that covered these subjects, “In Search Of,” “Ancient Astronauts,” etc., helped to influence The Blair Witch Project, and you’ll find their DNA in Skyman as well. With regard to crowdfunding, I’ve been wanting to try it for some time now but haven’t had the right project to do so. After having just finished my last film, Under the Bed, I felt that Skyman would be the perfect project for such a platform. It’s contained, smaller budget, and the kind of film that would never get funded by a studio. In addition, I love the idea of going back to my Blair roots, if you will, with early audience engagement, thus making them an integral part of the process.
DC: Eduardo Sanchez and you were responsible for bringing The Blair Witch to life; we have ask you… were you happy with the latest film? Were you contacted for some input regarding that project? Was it something you would have liked to have continued yourself?
DM: We were “consulted” but not really involved. We received an EP credit on the film, read an early draft of the script, but didn’t see the film itself until it was done. I felt both Simon and Adam did a good job and brought a lot of cool scares to the screen, and generally it was well received by the Blair fans. Ed and I have had ideas for other Blair installments, but they don’t use the found footage format. It’s more about mining stories from the Blair mythology and bringing them to life. I’d love to see an Elly Kedward origin story or a Rustin Parr horror film… in black and white!
DC: You’ve done a little bit of everything, both in front of and behind the camera (acting, writing, producing, directing) – what do you feel is your strongest passion?
DM: Definitely directing. Second to that is writing. I have plenty of head space for both and really enjoy what these disciplines allow me to do when creating stories and characters. I do plenty of editing too, which is where everything ultimately comes together.
https://vimeo.com/185524208
DC: Aside from Skyman, which I’m sure will take up a great chunk of your time, any other projects to look towards down the road?
DM: There’s a some talk about a sequel to Under the Bed (which just sold to A&E/Lifetime and premieres January 7th), and I’m now developing a narrative VR project with a company in the UK that could be really cool. I love pushing boundaries, challenging myself, and exploring new platforms and ways to tell stories.
DC: Dan – thanks very much for your time – it’s greatly appreciated. Best of luck with Skyman, and we’ll keep an eye out for you!
DM: Thank you! Be sure to check us out at skymanthemovie.com.
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