We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Drew Wayne Roberts. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Drew Wayne below.
Drew Wayne, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I found my purpose through the horror community here in Denver. Hosting trivia at various bars exposed me to many creatives who are passionate about the genre and eager to create. They all helped to inspire and influence me to make my own movies and be a part of the local, fast-growing community. With every project I am a part of, I learn more about the filmmaking process and, in turn, more about myself.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In short, I am an entertainment producer. Myself, Bertknee Sharklover, and Elise Sjostedt run Ghoul’s Night Out Trivia; horror movie trivia take place at both The Electric Cure and Honor Farm. Occasionally, we incorporate live drag and burlesque shows into our shows. We like to separate ourselves from other trivia events by combing trivia with live entertainment and comedy. On December 14th, we are collaborating with Fright or Wrong, another Denver horror trivia team, for Merry Creepmas; a fundraising trivia event for the opening of a new horror concept bar opening on South Broadway in the same building as Horrid.
We have hosted trivia at Fan Expo 2 years in a row with not a single empty seat in the room! Last year, Rocky Mountain Nightmares had us thanks to our friends at Horrible Things Film Club! On December 6th we are doing a live podcast with Colorado Festival of Horror! We hope to continue to grow and host trivia at big events.
The other side of my entertainment business makes horror films. We made our first short, Tunnels in 2021 and have since helped produce an episode of Andi Darko’s Monster Smash as well as Carmen Semenik’s Gorehouse. All of which have had successful live premieres that have incorporated live Burlesque.
My short, Hermit, is in post production at the moment and will be edited by Denver’s Wolf Luv Films. It is the first episode of my Mythos series, which will feature folklore creatures in a contemporary setting. Every episode will take place in Colorado. I aim to work with Colorado film makers who are itching to see their microbudget horror visions come to life. I strive to collaborate and be a part of the growing Colorado horror film community.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Number one is definitely networking. Film is near impossible to make by alone. You need to form lasting friendships with people who love the horror genre as much as you do. I have had a lot of help and met many filmmakers through our trivia nights. A lot of people just want to be involved. Let them!
The second is passion. You have to truly love horror to stay driven. My trivia team writes between 3-5 trivias a week and we do it because we love it. Low-budget filmmaking is a lot of work and very time consuming. You have to care enough to stay with it all the way to the end. Stick with it. There’s no greater feeling than watching your imagination come to life in front of your eyes.
Lastly, you need a good work ethic. There is hardly a day that goes by that I am not writing trivia questions, working on a screenplay, helping on a friend’s set, or learning something new. Work hard and let your enthusiasm drive you. The results will surprise you.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Always! I love collaboration! The best art comes from collaboration with good artists and letting them show off their skills! I’m looking to collaborate with Colorado filmmakers who want to see their passion projects come to life. If you’re in Colorado and you want your vision come to life send me an e-mail at ghoulsnightproductions@gmail.com. Attach your screen play and after we talk and if we’re a good fit then lets go for it!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ghoulsnightproductions.com
- Instagram: @ghoulsnightouttrivia @ghoulsnightproductions @hermitmythos
- Facebook: /ghoulsnightproductions
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMAH9D7xOhAhwcV2d5KYxRA
Image Credits
Bertknee Sharklover Elise Sjostedt Asa Queen Arachnophobia the Spider Queen Bailey Tapert All logos and Hermit Poster by Matthew McCaulley
