“The Woods” is both a standalone short, and a proof-of-concept/teaser for a feature film, which is currently in development.

In this short horror film, a mother is thrust into a nightmare scenario after witnessing her daughter wander off into the forest with a strange man. The film takes place during the day, intentionally. There’s no stylized lighting or creepy locations. Through the cinematography and design, the space was made to feel familiar and peaceful, and my hope was that this false sense of security would make the horror that ensues all the more terrifying.

The short film borrows thematic and stylistic ideas from the feature film, which is more character-driven and focuses on a divorced couple who — while vacationing at an isolated cabin retreat — struggle to save their children from an unknown fate after an inexplicable evil lures them into the woods. It’s a film about how fear can bring out the worst in people, specifically the fear of the unknown — the sort of fear that comes from seeing a loved one wander into the woods toward and unknown fate, and not understanding why they did it, what’s out there, or why you’ve been left behind.