Horror movies require a special kind of talent — while it might be considered easy to scare someone, it’s not always easy to make an entire movie based on fear. That’s where Jeff Kirkendall comes into the picture. The Capital District-based actor and filmmaker is a veteran in his respective field and the passion is what keeps Kirkendall going.
“I really enjoy the overall creativity of making movies,” Kirkendall said. “I love being behind the scenes and having some creative input into what is made.”
Kirkendall has been in about 40 movies, including “Project D: Classified,” “Sharkenstein,” “Alien Surveillance” and “Frozen Sasquatch.” He’s written, directed and produced seven movies in his 23-year career, according to his IMDb page, including “Halloween Horror Tales.”
Kirkendall has always loved the fantastical elements of horror movies. He found himself befriending local filmmakers and slowly building his portfolio. Even today, the adrenaline rush is what keeps him coming back.
Kirkendall took classes on acting, communications and video production. Now that he’s dipped his toes in many facets of filmmaking, each side of it has a different appeal.
“My main responsibility as an actor is to be convincing and portraying the character,” he said. “When I’m behind the camera, I’m in charge of a lot more and it’s nice to have some of that creative control.”
The key to a good horror flick? A good dramatic core, Kirkendall said. Scares are awesome, but if you’re not invested in the characters and the story, it’s cheap. He recalls being scared by “Jaws” as a kid and later, “The Exorcist.”
“There has to be a lot of story, character and drama for me,” he explained. “I like seeing anything we are not used to seeing.”
Kirkendall doesn’t limit himself to horror, though. His philosophy is ultimately “say yes to everything,” because it’s a new experience.
“I did a light-hearted comedy not too long ago and I had a lot of fun,” he concluded. “Everyone brings their own unique perspectives to these shoots and it’s an amazing thing to work with my colleagues and the camaraderie we’ve created.”
