Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- A fresh take on horror-comedy that balances genuine scares with a unique, unselfconscious humor.
- Collaborative casting reshaped the story, deepening character arcs and enriching performances.
- Independent filmmaking’s greatest strength is creative freedom, allowing personal, specific stories to flourish.
Director, co-writer, and producer Sam Schlenker returns to FilmQuest with Seance for the 'Gram, a genre-bending short that follows three wannabe influencers who unwittingly summon a real ghost during a staged Instagram Live séance.
Featuring a talented cast led by Michelle Torian (Madison Mason), Kov Zelonky (Braeden Chambers), and Ecksley Smith (Denver Bailey), the film blends horror with a fresh comedic tone that defies typical genre expectations.
Schlenker’s background in editing and art direction for major features informs his meticulous visual storytelling, while his collaboration with co-writer Will Levinger and producer Mackenzie Marlowe brings a dynamic edge to the project.
What drew you to make Seance for the 'Gram? Why this story, and why now?
My friend and co-writer, Will Levinger, and I had been working on a feature-length horror script when I had an unexpected three-month gap in employment, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to make a short film with him and producer MacKenzie Marlowe. We had a couple other potential ideas, but on a whim I asked Will, “hypothetically, if we were to make a proof-of-concept short for our script, what would it be?” And this is what we came up with. It’s not exactly the same story as our feature, but it involves wannabe influencers and a ghost, plus one specific gag we thought was very funny, and we just built from there, trying to come up with a fun short film that felt like a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically?
The first time seeing the cast read for the roles totally re-framed the movie for me. Jacob’s portrayal of Braeden was far more sympathetic than the version of the character we had initially imagined, and it played great against the borderline-evil performances that Michelle and Ecksley were bringing. After casting them, we actually re-wrote the script to give Braeden a bit more of a character arc and gave him a totally different ending.
Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?
I think it’s gotta be the “tripod scene” – I grew up making stop-motion videos with clay and legos, and then as a teenager I got into photography, so using stop-motion animation to make a photography tripod “attack” someone… that makes me happy.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?
Late on the final night of shooting we got this beautiful shot that was supposed to end the film. We worked really hard to get it just right… and then in editing, we realized the film was simply better without it. It was a little painful to cut it out, but it was the right call.
"The first time seeing the cast read for the roles totally re-framed the movie for me."
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
Maybe this sounds overly-simplistic, but I hope audiences have a really fun time watching this in a theater with other people. It’s definitely meant to be fun. I also hope people recognize just how good the cast and crew are at what they do – I’d love for everyone who worked on this to be able to use it as a “calling card” to showcase their skills and do bigger projects.
How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?
In the past, I’ve mostly done comedies, and this was by far the most “horror” thing I’ve ever directed. But I had such a great experience working with the actors and shaping the script around them that now I want to try something that’s more personal and performance-driven. So in addition to the feature-length version of this short, I’m also writing another film that’s more of a drama. It might sound odd, but doing my first horror project really made me want to make a drama.
What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?
I think having collaborators you trust is by far the most important resource. With this film, I really tried to open myself up to other people’s input and ideas, and lucky for me, the team was especially awesome and creative, and everyone’s ideas really elevated it.
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?
I think the strength of independent filmmaking is that there’s no one who can tell you what story you should or shouldn’t tell. You can legitimately make the thing that you personally would like to see, and my only advice would be not to hamstring yourself by trying to chase whatever sells or what you think other people want – this is your chance to make something specific to you.
"Using stop-motion animation to make a photography tripod ‘attack’ someone… that makes me happy."
What does it mean to you to have your film selected for FilmQuest, one of the world’s top reviewed genre film festivals?
It’s huge to be playing at FilmQuest. I was actually here last year with a short comedy called Framed – I saw lots of great films and met awesome filmmakers whom I’ve since kept in touch with. After last year, I remember thinking, “that was probably the most fun film festival I’ve ever been to.” So I’m thrilled to be back.
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?
Whenever people ask me to describe the genre of Seance for the 'Gram, I hesitate to say “horror comedy” because when I personally hear “horror comedy,” I think of films where the characters are aware they’re in a horror movie. But we’re trying to do the opposite: a film where the horror is played relatively straight, and what’s funny is that the characters aren’t self-aware at all. So there aren’t really any “jokes,” per se. It’s a unique tone, and I think FilmQuest is a great venue for it because they’re so genre-inclusive and program films with such a vast variety of tones.
Where do you see this film going next?
I hope this film continues screening to more audiences. We’re still pretty early in our festival run, and I genuinely think a theater full of people laughing and screaming is the right venue for this film.
"This is your chance to make something specific to you."
Cast & Crew
- Michelle Torian as Madison Mason: Known for Teacher’s Pet and praised for her versatility and screen presence.
- Kov Zelonky as Braeden Chambers: Actor with a rich background in TV, theater, and comedy training.
- Ecksley Smith as Denver Bailey: Emerging actor with diverse TV and film credits.
- Cassandra Crotzer as Emma Mobley: A versatile actress with a military upbringing and Meisner training.
- Daniel Figueroa as Jericho Potts: Puerto Rican actor bringing authentic connection to his roles.
- Sam Schlenker – Director, Co-Writer, Producer: Film editor and director with a strong background in genre and art direction.
- Mackenzie Marlowe – Producer: Experienced producer focused on socially impactful genre projects.
- Will Levinger – Co-Writer, Producer.
- Wojciech Kielar – Director of Photography: Skilled visual storyteller with 17 years’ experience.
- Grant Meuers – Sound Designer: Award-winning sound professional with diverse genre credits.
- Asher Pink – Editor: Veteran editor and VFX specialist with extensive industry work.
