INTERVIEW: Brooke Becker and Delaney Sharpe Discuss Their Horror Anthology Series The Veil

Heaven of Horror recently sat down with Brooke Becker and Delaney Sharpe to discuss their new horror anthology series, The Veil, and the launch of their genre-focused production company, Black Ribbon Productions.

With the launch of Black Ribbon Productions, entertainment industry veterans Brooke Becker and Delaney Sharpe are bringing their shared passion for genre storytelling to the forefront. The new production company specializes in horror, sci-fi, and alternative content for both screen and digital platforms, with a focus on unconventional stories and fresh perspectives.

Kicking off the company’s slate is The Veil Chapter One: Roadkill, the first installment in a new horror anthology. In this interview with Heaven of Horror, Becker and Sharpe discuss the inspiration behind the project, what audiences can expect from the upcoming chapters, the challenges of creating tension within a confined setting, and their approach to crafting a genuinely frightening horror experience. They also share their favorite horror films and what they hope to bring to the genre through Black Ribbon Productions.

You all just launched Black Ribbon Productions, which solely focuses on horror, sci-fi, and alternative content for digital platforms. How is your content going to be different from what is already out there now?

Brooke: We launched our channel alongside Roadkill, the first chapter of our horror anthology series. Instead of creating a channel focused on short films, we knew we wanted to tell stories in an original format–The Veil was always created to be distributed on social media, so we decided to make each episode three short, interconnected stories to be released separately.

In addition to over a decade in entertainment, I have extensive experience working in social media and branding. Marrying those two worlds is an exciting challenge, and digital storytelling is only continuing to grow. We’re aiming to create cinematic, story-first branding for horror, sci-fi, and alternative brands and individuals in addition to narrative work (such as our upcoming horror short film Emergence created by and starring Ambar Martinez (The Pitt, 9-1-1) about A.I in healthcare.

What was the initial idea behind the horror short The Veil Chapter One: Roadkill, and what made you want to tell this particular story? And release it first?

Brooke: Our first episode, The Veil, was originally intended to have what is now our second chapter, Ophelia, first in the series. However, Delaney suggested switching the order of the scripts for story flow, and it worked out wonderfully. Our episodes are connected by characters, locations, and plot points–some connections are more obvious, and some are for eagle-eyed viewers. Roadkill introduces our world and sets up our tone for future chapters.

Is there anything you can tell us about the next two installments of the anthology?

Brooke: Our second chapter is titled Ophelia, and is tied to Roadkill despite being a different story. It will have a visual tone shift and bring in some new, darkly whimsical elements. It’s slightly longer than Roadkill and introduces new characters. As for our third chapter, you’ll have to wait and see!

Brooke, what attracted you to directing horror, and what were you most excited to explore visually with this short?

Brooke: I’ve been interested in horror stories for as long as I can remember. I got in trouble on the school playground and at church more than once for telling other kids scary stories that gave them nightmares (my mom received several angry calls from parents). I couldn’t understand why other people didn’t love scary stories as much as I did. Thankfully, as an adult, I’ve been pleased to find that not only do other folks love horror as much as I do, but that there is a huge horror community and countless scary stories still waiting to be told.

Each chapter of The Veil has a different visual style and color palette; we wanted to set our audience up to expect different visual styles and themes throughout our episodes. I’ve always loved the spookiness of a dark, remote road in the middle of the night–you never know what your headlights might catch.

Delaney, what drew you to the role, and what was it about this story that made you want to step into it?

Delaney:  I think we can all relate to being hungry, tired, and completely at the end of your rope. One of those days where it seems like something is going wrong at every turn just to spite you. What made this story so fun was the heightened element that really pushes Lexi over the edge, it wasn’t just a last-straw mild inconvenience, it’s something deeply unsettling and ultimately life-threatening. And I was excited to get to break out my scream… I don’t get to use that much in daily life!

Brooke, how did you approach building tension when you had a confined setting and a limited amount of time to work with?

Brooke: I wrote each chapter by breaking down the story beats into a natural progression of tension. Micros and shorts typically follow the same three-act structure as a feature film, just on a much smaller and nuanced scale. We open with our image of the dead rabbit to set the tone, then we quickly introduce Lexi and what she’s currently going through. The cyclist appears to set the story in motion, our midpoint raises the stakes as Lexi realizes there’s something wrong, and tension continues to rise throughout until the end.

The score and sound design by Sarita Gutierrez quietly builds in the background as we move from simple shots to low angles and handheld shake. I love a confined setting for both story and budget reasons–it automatically increases tension by putting our protagonist in a situation where escape options are limited.

Was there a particular moment in the short that was especially challenging to pull off from a production standpoint?

Delaney: Roadkill takes place on a long back-country dirt road, but we actually filmed the sequence on a dirt driveway in Agua Dulce, California. One of our biggest challenges was making that relatively short location feel like a long, isolated stretch of road. We had to be creative and strategic with how we filmed the driving to convey the proper sense of scale. We opened on a shot of the car “zooming” past a dead rabbit on the side of the road, followed by Lexi driving past a roadside memorial and then a bird’s-eye-view drone shot.

Each element was designed to make it feel like the car was progressing farther down the road. In reality, we were repeatedly driving and reversing over the same driveway, making subtle changes to the set dressing between takes to create the illusion of distance.

Delaney, how did you approach portraying fear and vulnerability in a story where the audience has to experience the tension alongside your character?

Delaney: No matter the emotion, I aim to authentically react to the given circumstances. I spend my prep time focusing on building out the character: who she is, where she comes from, what experiences have shaped her. Then I bring all of that to set and try to live in the world where all that backstory has brought her here to the current situation. The fear and vulnerability become the natural outcome to the reality Brooke has crafted.

What do you all think makes a horror scene genuinely frightening rather than simply shocking?

Brooke: I think catching the audience off guard is always my goal rather than to simply shock. While gore and jumpscares can be effective, I’m more interested in psychological horror and disarming the audience through playful elements before introducing something unexpected that makes their heart beat faster.

Horror can be a great vehicle for exploring deeper fears and anxieties. Is there a larger idea or theme you hope audiences take away from the short?

Brooke: The Veil is about life coming full circle; how one person’s actions can affect the lives and fates of those around them. We’re all tied together in one way or another, even if we don’t realize it. For Roadkill specifically, we wanted to explore the feeling of being trapped and knowing that there is only one way out–but not knowing what you’ll be facing if you take it.

To create a horror-focused production company, you all must be horror fanatics. What are some of your favorite horror films?

Delaney: Some of my long-time favorites are The Shining and 28 Days Later. More contemporary choices would have to be Get Out and Hereditary; those are two films that really jumpstarted my desire to get into work behind the camera.

Brooke: I still remember the first time I saw The Conjuring in theaters. I was struck by the filmmakers’ effective world-building and character development instead of simply relying on jumpscares. I’m a big fan of Trick r’ Treat as a must-watch Halloween classic, The Thing, It, Hokum, Late Night with the Devil, Talk to Me… the list goes on. My must-watch horror TV shows include Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, The Haunting of Hill House, and Midnight Mass.