The Internet might be the place to go for sprouting independent creators, but for filmmaker Ricky Hess, Marietta, Ga. is just as important. Hess’ horror anthology series “Horror Hotel” will soon begin filming its second season nearby. As a Georgia State University graduate, it is clear that Hess’ time in Atlanta has had a lasting impact on him.
Hess searched all over Atlanta for the perfect creepy hotel to shoot at. Through his process of looking for old, key-locked hotels, he came across multiple unsettling locations that were possibly too dangerous to shoot at. Despite being prohibited from shooting the interior, Hess finally discovered the perfect building. To make up for the interior shots, the team had to build all of the sets on a separate indoor sound stage with the hotel itself only used for exterior establishing shots.
Known as an anthology, the series is a collection of fairly unrelated stories whose only connection is the titular location of the events, Horror Hotel. Each episode focuses on a singular story, which are unique in that they do not rely on overused horror tropes. Sure, there can be aliens and psychos, but the first season of the series proved that Hess is looking to make his series stand out, while still using all the visuals of classic horror.
One of the big draws for “Horror Hotel” is its set design. Ricky and producer Debbie Hess expertly craft the hotel interior using paint blotches and latex, creating an eerie peeling effect on the walls. This, combined with Ricky’s keen eye for horror visuals, allows for each episode to have its own unique atmospheric tone. Season one’s episodes “Bookworm” and “Invader” are prime examples of this. The former is a Hitchcock inspired story that was filmed in what is called living black and white. This means that all of the actors dress in only grey, black and white, with the set designed accordingly. So without simply throwing on a black and white filter to the footage, the Hess’ are able to create a visual callback to classic Hitchcock horror, while remaining visually original.
This is not the modern type of horror rife with jump scares and idiotic protagonists; rather, it uses atmosphere and intriguing storylines to keep the viewer tense and engaged. With a background in award- winning costume design and special effects, Hess knows just how to bring a sense of horrifying reality to the design of his program. This will be the second season of the web series, with the entire first season available to watch on the series’ website or YouTube. The first season has gained much attention from various Atlanta film festivals, so expect the Hesses to keep production of “Horror Hotel” local as long as its native Atlanta fan base continues to grow.
