Ghost Wars!
Halloween may be over, but there is plenty to keep me (and you!) scared out of our minds. The spine tingling new show Ghost Wars debuted a few weeks ago on SYFY, and quickly became a new favorite of mine, even though it’s super creepy and definitely keeps me up at night. More than just a scary story, Ghost Wars has a lot of twists and turns and tells a tale of more than just ghosts. I was super excited to be able to ask Simon Barry, the creator and showrunner of Ghost Wars, some hauntingly fun questions.
Inspiration comes from everywhere. The news, people I meet, other shows and movies, even music. I’m fascinated with extreme situations and how people handle themselves for better or for worse under stress. I like that Science Fiction can be used to talk about specific subjects without making it obvious or blatant. It’s a subversive way of talking about politics and social issues without being on the nose or preachy.
Yes, since I saw Star Wars at the age of 10, I’ve been obsessed with the making of movies and television. The art, craft and technology of cinema is fascinating and constantly changing. I wanted to go to Film School as a result of this interest and it helped me discover the different layers of creativity that go into production. I hadn’t written until Film School so I’m grateful that I was challenged to do something there that helped build my career.
As a showrunner/creator of a show, tell us how it feels to see your concept come to life on the screen.
It’s a wonderful blend of seeing things turn out exactly like you imagined and completely different than you imagined and better! The best part of the job is handing responsibility over to a great team of talented artists who only want to make the show better. The best show runners are those that select the best people to collaborate with.
I love that you showcase the writers of Ghost Wars with their own Twitter account. Do you think that writers should get more credit for their work on shows?
I think they should and I’m happy to see that with social media, writers are now given a platform to connect with the audience and this allows the viewers an insight into just how vital writers are to the process. TV, in particular, is a writers medium and TV writers are the lifeblood of any series.
Port Moore: tell us who we should be more afraid of – the spirits, or the residents? (why?)
The spirits for sure and certain residents. I think as the series gets closer to the season finale the escalation of stakes and fear drive both sides to even more extreme tactics.
The special effects on the show are fabulous. What are some of your favorites?
That’s a credit to Artifex Studios who have some amazing artists. I’m really happy with the way the ghosts turned out from an aesthetic point of view. It’s very challenging to make something ghostly, scary, recognizable and also new to the audience. I’m also happy with a lot of the effects that the audience might not realize are digital effects. These are happening more and more as we combine practical and digital effects together for more impact.
Do you believe in ghosts? And if you were to run into a ghost in real life, what would you do?
I’ve heard other people’s ghost stories and they are so vivid that I want to believe, but I’m such a skeptic that I don’t think I can believe in anything unless I have first hand experience or real scientific data. Now that I’ve said that of course, I’m probably going to have a poltergeist problem…
What is the overall vibe on set, while filming?
We have a great balance of professionalism and good times. People have fun and we keep things light, but never at the expense of what’s being shot, or making our day. Our actors have really bonded and get along great.
We did a scene with Vincent, Avan and Kandyse from episode 7 and Vincent screwed up a line and started laughing at his flub. Then Kandyse starting laughing and then Avan and then the entire crew. This resulted in an attack of the giggles that lasted about 15 minutes.
What do you hope that Ghost Wars viewers take away from the show each week? {Excluding nightmares, of course!)
I hope they are entertained in the fullest sense. I hope they are scared, they laugh and they share the emotional ups and downs with our characters. I also hope they love the larger story of the season and the twists and turns we have in store for them.
For any of my readers that haven’t yet checked out the show – What do you want to say to them? (And what’s your # 1 reason they should watch?)
I think the best reason to watch the show is that they will not get the show they expect. This is the feedback I’ve been getting from the fans. That the show is much more complex and weird in an entertaining way than they expected.
