Shudderbugs
Shudderbugs (2023 Waco Indie Best Performance in a Feature). A woman unravels in the wake of her mother’s mysterious death, following her suspicions to dangerous ends.
Brennan Brooks, Johanna Putnam, and Jamie Unruh at the 2023 fest
We’re reconnecting with Johanna Putnam, Brennan Brooks, Jamie Unruhm the filmmakers who created Shudderbugs. What might be most notable about Shudderbugs - these three did everything! Writing, directing, acting, filming, editing - the whole film created by a remarkable trio. Guys, congrats on the digital release!
JP: Thank you! And thank you for helping us find our wings on this journey, and for your continued, magnificent support.
What inspired you to make your film?
JP: Quarantined in my childhood farmhouse with my parents and best friends, it seemed about time to put our voices to our passion and make a first film together. It was crafted with nostalgia, cinephelia and heaps of care. And it was a necessary attempt to wrangle our emotions and imaginations into a portrait of isolation, grief, and the tricky ways our minds may handle the scariest, most difficult of moments.
What’s something you wish you knew when you started out?
JP: I’m definitely still starting out, but I wish I’d started it all sooner! It didn’t need an earth-shattering idea, or industry approval, or to make my dream film, or even money, to make something that has expanded my knowledge, my opportunity, and my utter devotion and passion for this medium and craft. It’s been revelatory and transformative, and I’ve learned to trust my instincts and imagination to the core.
How do you stay creative and motivated between projects?
JP: Watch movies, read movies, imagine movies, and try to stay observant, sincere, and connected to those around me
What was your favorite part of Waco Indie?
JP: An opening gala for the ages, exquisite curations, midnight mechanical bull-riding, red carpet cowboy hats, my uncle rolling up to our screening in a limo from Dallas, the loveliest staff and moderators, whiskey tastings in the home of the world’s best scotch, game night devastation, new filmmaker friends from near, far and for life.
Love it! Now, where can folks watch Shudderbugs?
JP: We are now available on Amazon and Apple.
Johanna, thank you so much for chatting with us, and everyone, catch Shudderbugs at the links below.
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