Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- Tim Schwagel’s film explores the often-overlooked aftermath of horror heroes’ battles, blending satire and social commentary with genre thrills.
- The production embraced the challenges of action filmmaking on an indie scale, emphasizing collaboration and practical effects over glossy gear.
- Blossom Needs A Ride Home serves as a proof of concept for a feature film, marking a crucial step in Schwagel’s evolving storytelling journey.
Tim Schwagel, a self-taught filmmaker from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, brings a fresh and irreverent voice to the horror-comedy genre with his short film Blossom Needs A Ride Home.
Centered on a heroine fresh from a bloody confrontation, the film stars Reanna Madson as Blossom and features the talents of Dana Strothenke and Zach Staads producing, Nick Houchin as director of photography, and music by Jasmine Janaé Charleston.
Selected for the prestigious FilmQuest festival, Schwagel’s work invites audiences to revisit genre conventions with a wink and a nod, while grounding the story in relatable character dynamics.
What drew you to make Blossom Needs A Ride Home? Why this story, and why now?
The concept for Blossom came from one simple question. After the horror movie ends, how does our hero get home? I mean seriously. She’s in the middle of nowhere, beaten to hell and back, and now she has to get home? How does she do that? Does anything else happen? Blossom Needs A Ride Home seeks to answer that question while having fun along the way. Many of my ideas come from “What if” questions like that and I thought that this one was ripe with potential for satire, a hint of social commentary, and an excuse to mix up some more fake blood.
“The concept for Blossom came from one simple question. After the horror movie ends, how does our hero get home?”
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment on set or in post that completely changed how you saw the story?
It seems obvious, but I was a bit surprised at how long even a simple action scene takes to shoot. For example, our film opens up with a fight that took an entire day to shoot. That’s a whole day for what is roughly a minute and a half of the film. To contrast, the final 5 minutes of the film also was a full day of filming. With action you need to take the time to make sure that you not only get it right, but that nobody gets hurt along the way. I wouldn’t say that there was a moment either on set or in post that changed how I saw the film. We had this thing very well planned out and it just came down to executing the plan.
Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?
I love dumb jokes. The bottle gag in the opening fight comes to mind for me, which I won’t spoil, but it may be the best example. In Blossom, I tried to tow the line between a grounded world and absolutely ridiculous over the top characters. Blossom is a bit of a straight man in a world full of madmen.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?
Blossom Needs A Ride Home is a proof of concept for a feature starring the same character. While none of the events of this film take place in the feature, we had to decide what Blossom’s demeanor would be like throughout. Where is she on her personal journey? How would she react to these things based on that journey? How would she handle herself? Without spoiling things, this isn’t and will not be Blossom’s first rodeo. But what will work in the feature length film wasn’t necessarily going to work here. At the end of the day, it all comes down to character.
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
I hope they have a fantastic popcorn munchin' time. It's up to the individual what else they'd like to take away from the experience.
“My greatest resource is my friends and collaborators. Without them, I simply could not make movies.”
How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?
The next thing on my docket is a feature length version of a Blossom story, so working on this really informed what will and won't work on that project. As well as what kind of vibe I like. I highly recommend anyone working on a feature to produce a proof of concept to help cement their ideas.
What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?
My greatest resource is my friends and collaborators. Without them, I simply could not make movies. If you have an option between shiny gear or working with a team of like minded pals, take the pals every time.
Independent filmmakers often rewrite the rules out of necessity. What do you think is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into that on this project?
Full creative independence has to be the greatest benefit. There's no board room telling us what to do. Our only limitations are that of our budget, and those limitations can be eroded with a bit of elbow grease. Film is a collaborative medium, so the best thing you can do is trust the people you brought on board and let them bring their own ideas to the table. I'd be shocked if a lot of their ideas aren't better than yours, trust me.
What does it mean to you to have your film selected for FilmQuest, one of the world’s top reviewed genre film festivals?
I'm over the moon! Every filmmaker who I've talked to who has attended has had nothing but amazing things to say, so I'm stoked to be able to join the party this year. And of course it's always amazing to have your work shown next to other incredible films.
“Blossom Needs A Ride Home is firmly in the horror comedy category, and I believe that we managed to find an angle of satire and fun that hasn't yet been explored.”
FilmQuest celebrates the majesty and might of genre filmmaking across fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action, thriller, western, kung-fu, and beyond. How does your film fit within—or push the boundaries of—genre storytelling?
Blossom Needs A Ride Home is firmly in the horror comedy category, and I believe that we managed to find an angle of satire and fun that hasn't yet been explored. Familiar but new.
Where do you see this film going next?
We just premiered at “Screamfest” to a very excited audience that seemed to love our movie, so I’ve never been more excited to continue showing Blossom to more festival audiences around the world. After that, we hope to find a good online home while continuing to develop the feature.
“At the core of all my work is a desire to provide the kind of theatrical experience that I loved as a kid, and have never lost sight of."
For more on Blossom Needs A Ride Home, visit the film's website.
