Oh! Susanna
Based on the traditional song "Oh, Susanna," this film explores the story of three teenagers and their confrontation with an angry spirit. Being my second horror film following "Hide and Seek", I wanted to raise the bar and push myself to actually convey a more horrific storyline and editorial aesthetic.
For this project, I was given a song ("Oh, Susanna"), and I had to take an aspect from that song and apply it to a film. The true story of the song is haunting as it tells the story of a female slave who committed suicide. By using the lyrical theme of tears that is consistently presented in the song and by taking the suicide aspect of the story, I created a haunting plotline surrounding a young girl who committed suicide because of the guilt she had for her mother's death. I really wanted to find a way to incorporate the song, and other horror-like soundtracks, to inflict a certain mood at certain parts of the film. That is why when you watch the more intense scenes, there is a more intense score. I also worked on using camera angles to increase the dramatic effect of "jump-scares".
Written, Edited, and Directed by Thomas Edwards