Film Look: A Serial Killer's Guide to Life + Q&A

Film Overview

Recently I had the chance to watch a screening of ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life’ at the wonderful Lewes Depot Cinema, where Director, Staten Cousins-Roe and star, Poppy Roe were on the scene to provide in insightful Q&A session.

‘A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life’ Poster - IMDb

‘A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life’ pokes a finger at modern self obsession, and the lengths many people go-to to find meaning in their lives. Combine that with the abnormalities of a serial killer’s outlook on life and you have a very fun concept. The style of the film has a very jovial feel throughout, which is very much needed for a film that could be mistaken for offensive satire on lifestyle choices. But I feel that the tone of the film allowed it to be played off as a laugh.

If you went in ready to watch an indie feature, made on a relatively small budget, it’s a great accomplishment that can be thoroughly enjoyed.

The film’s quirky pacing, situational humour and non-linear plot are a fun time, if that’s what you’re ready for.

Q&A Session, for FIlm Makers

Being a filmmaker myself, also based in the South-East of the UK, and in the process of making my own first feature film. I saw it as a great opportunity to get some insight into how you can go from a finished project, to the public!

The usual collection of Indie Film Hustle Podcasts and YouTube videos will often tell you about the use of distributors and sales agents, and that the place to find those is at a film market, such as the American Film Market (AFM) or European Film Market (EFM). At these events, you are to bring a short pitch to pitch your film/idea to an industry professional. However, further readings showed me that it is more of a true “market place” where people go around looking to pick up collections of films, not the individual.

So, I was wondering how a filmmaker is to get the attention of a distributor, without the need of a film market. ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life’ was picked up by Arrow Films, a distributor that specializes in films that have a “cult” feel to them. ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life’ definitely fitted into that category, due to its stand out character designs and imagery. The red lipstick and glaring eyes of Poppy Roe made for a very memorable character, along with the fun innocence of her co star Katie Brayden. I would expect to find it as its own graphic novel.

Hence, I asked Staten Cousins-Roe how they were able to get it in front of Arrow Films. Cousins-Roe replied that they had previous success with their 2013 short film ‘This Way Out’. That along with Emails out to distributors using IMDbPro to find contact details, gave them the opportunity to book out a cinema in London where they invited distributors to send a representative to come watch the film and hopefully make a sale, which they did.

It was great hearing positive news, an independent film made for £60,000 from the South East had made it to semi-main stream… now just for us to finish up our £1,000 film and hope for our own form of success.

Thanks again to the ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life’ team and Lewes Depot for the lovely evening.