Fiendish Friday Interview :: Javier C. Rivera Filmmaker

:: Editor's Note: This part of a weekly series where we interview people that are changing the face of Horror/Haunted Houses. This week we talk to Javier Rivera who wrote and shot the Haunted Attraction Documentary "The Scare". If you haven't seen the trailer yet go check it out here. It looks amazing and provides a real sneak peek behind the curtain of Haunted Attractions ::.

Why/how did you first become interested in Horror?
Oddly enough I became interested in horror because of comedy. I grew up in Wisconsin watching Son of Svengoolie, a TV show based out of Chicago. It’s basically a guy in costume presenting horror movies. He’s still a hero of mine and I’m fortunate enough to have an autographed rubber chicken.

What previous jobs have you had?
My first job in this profession was as an editor for Owen May of Metro Video Services in Milwaukee, WI. It was a great match because he taught me a lot of the old school equipment and I taught him the new. I’m happy to say we still keep in touch.

How long have you been a filmmaker?
I produced my first piece my junior year in high school (around 1992). If that counts then I suppose I’ve been a filmmaker for almost 15 years. Personally, I only count 10 years because I began to write, edit and direct films in college. I graduated from Columbia College in Chicago where students start making films within their first semester. It was a great place to grow as a filmmaker.

How did you get your start?
There are two versions of this story. The first is that I’ve always liked to write and create “movies” with my toys. I didn’t play with my G.I. Joe’s following the cartoon’s storylines. I made up my own – sometimes bringing different toys into the mix. My favorite was He-Man versus Duke Hauser.

The second version of how I got started was when I was in my second year at UW-Parkside; I met a guy at my job and he told me about Columbia College. Until then, I was an English major with no idea of my future. He opened my eyes to the possibility of having a career as a filmmaker. I transferred to Columbia the following year.

What’s your film about?

The Scare is a documentary that follows The Mansion of Terror cast and crew through their third haunt season. It explores the reasons for their success as one of Austin’s best haunted houses.

What inspired you to create this film?
Originally, it started because I didn’t want to act for the 2006 season. I had acted the year before around the time I first moved to Austin. It was a great experience but I’m not an actor. I told the owner that I’d be happy to volunteer again but more in the audio/visual aspect. We came up with the idea to film behind-the-scenes during the season. That grew into wanting to discover their success. And although I went into it with the mind-set of documenting their business plan, I got so much more. It’s not about money – it’s about family.