London’s MetFilm School ‘Horror Boffin’ shares his love of the genre this autumn.
Pete Appleyard, 38, lives in West London but he grew up in Sidcup, Kent. He has been a tutor at London’s prestigious MetFilm School for 10 years, He’s also a professional film editor whose recent work Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares – The Robert Englund Story premiered at the Sitges Film Festival this October.
Pete said: “I developed a love for horror very young, probably too young! ‘Kid friendly’ films like Gremlins and Ghostbusters helped my interest grow, but I had an older cousin who had a big collection of VHS tapes which included films like Dawn of the Dead and Videodrome, and before I even was able to watch those films, I was fascinated by the cover art.”
“I saw Nightmare on Elm Street part 6 when I was about 9 or 10 years old, at a sleepover, it massively captured my imagination. It was full of such wild and over-the-top moments, almost like a living Loonytoons. After that I tried to see everything, I could.”
As a genre, Pete believes that horror is often misunderstood and dismissed as a poor relation. He explained: “What I think people don’t realise is how diverse the genre is. You can tell both realistic stories and fantasy-based stories, you can fuse with other genres and make horror-comedies or horror-westerns, you can tell political stories and shine a spotlight on social issues. It’s a genre with something for everyone.”
But, ask him the question, ‘what is the best horror film ever?’ And he struggles, he said: “I change my mind about the best horror movie every day, but I usually come back to John Carpenter’s The Thing. I think it’s just a perfect remake of the original and one of the most atmospheric and haunting stories ever filmed. It also has the most incredible special effects by Rob Bottin.”
Horror may be a thing of nightmares for some, but Pete’s day job as a tutor at MetFilm School could well be his dream role. He said: “I love being a tutor because first of all, I love talking about film and editing.”
“Secondly, I love being able to work with new filmmakers and guide their work, it keeps me engaged and refreshes my creativity. I often learn as much from the students as they do from me.
“Our industry, the screen industry is constantly evolving and expanding so there is no end to the opportunities for new filmmakers. People are becoming experts in roles that didn’t exist a few years ago, which is exciting.”
Pete’s advice for anyone considering a career in the film industry:
“Work on your professionalism, as well as your craft. Being talented, creative and passionate are all important and should be developed, but nobody wants to work with somebody who’s always late or a poor communicator”.
Featured Photo by Myke Simon on Unsplash
