The Understudy Short Horror FIlm | Screamfest

The Understudy had its world premiere at Screamfest 2022. An aspiring actress has an audition at a prestigious downtown theatre, but underestimates the sacrifice she needs to make to get the role.
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About the Director:
California-born Elizabeth Crummett is an avid filmmaker and genre lover. After finishing a film degree she booked flights to New Zealand to try to get work on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy; it wasn’t long until she found herself on set dressed as an orc. There she met many of the incredible artists, performers, and film technicians she would go on to make her own films with. Elizabeth has lived there ever since, marrying the guy who used to take her orc head on and off, and has had the pleasure of collaborating with and being mentored by various New Zealand heavyweight film and visual FX industry players. Elizabeth was in her third trimester during production of “The Understudy” and gave birth to a ten pound son during post-production. She swears to god that the ghosts of the historic Wellington Opera House are real and tried to push her down the stairs more than once while she was shooting her film. Thankfully she is a hard ass, but would like to take this opportunity to apologize to whatever dead person was offended by her or her film crew. Aside from making movies and raising huge babies, Elizabeth spends her time tutoring film students at Massey University in Wellington and doesn’t plan on resting until her debut feature film is in the can!
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Screamfest Horror Film Festival is America’s largest and longest running horror film festival. The festival runs for 10 days in October in Los Angeles. Screamfest, has launched careers - providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences. We are proud to show you some of the short films that have screened at the festival over the years.
Every week we upload a fantastic short horror film that has premiered in our festival for you. Horror fans please LIKE, SHARE, FAVORITE or EMBED our videos with your friends and support our talented filmmakers.
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Please watch: "Slasher Squad Short Horror FIlm | Screamfest"
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[@screamfestla]

This film was shot in an *actual* haunted opera house. (There have been several horrific deaths in that place during the last century, including a poor actress performing by candlelight -before electricity- and she tragically burned to death on stage after her dress caught fire)

[@jomontanee]

OMG! So tragic!

[@skylion9591]

Could you tell me the name of the haunted opera house? Where is it?

[@elizabethcrummett7432]

@@skylion9591 Wellington opera house, New Zealand

[@tiriqmoss434]

🥺

[@unicornglitzer]

That is both horrifying AND amazing! (That you filmed it there, not the deaths lol)

[@cyberGEK]

I’ve watched many short films on Screamfeat and none have given me the raw fear reactions like chills and goosebumps like this one did. Excellent job, very well done❤

[@TheFireline]

Creepy, sad and excellent acted by the lead actress.

[@screamfestla]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@ishitadey726]

That leads to goosebumps on me... Such a targic and terrific one... Hats off... And the girl playing the lead role is wonderful ❤

[@screamfestla]

Thanks so much for watching! ❤️

[@jeffreyharnden7523]

This was such a brillant brilliant movie plus especially enjoyed it because my father would always take us to see a play at the theater . He is a very big theater fan and i can tell you guys are to . Im a big fan of the horror genre so it was nice to see one that took place at the theater. The cast did an awsome job im sure ashlys mom is wondering where her daughter is so why not a part two bravo to the cast and crew excellent work .

[@rubyhro7440]

Just wow, you guys never disappoint. Great Story (but also very sad), brilliant acting ❤

[@connorclements3067]

Loved it! Lovely to meet the director today too! Well written, acted and directed. Looking forward to the feature film!

[@elizabethcrummett7432]

Haha, so happy you liked it Connor!! And way to deliver ;D

[@deedeegreen8338]

@@elizabethcrummett7432 Fantastic production. You are a very talented director. The lead actress was amazing.

[@KimRe21]

Thank you for having us ❤

[@69KFIZZLE]

That was really good. I hope to see more from you guys. I actually have a few stories I would like to see on here. ❤❤

[@rebeccayood5152]

This was very, very good!! I absolutely loved it!! Great job!!

[@screamfestla]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jomontanee]

The actress is brilliant ❤

[@Deephouse_Gent66]

Excellent! One of the purest illustrations of horror I've ever seen. A complete story arc in just 11 minutes. Very well done!

[@screamfestla]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jarredhooper]

I really enjoyed this. Excellent story and great cast especially the lead, she is going to go far. It really captures the classic NZ short film feel.

[@screamfestla]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@anadebenitomartin4611]

Really good...,from Barcelona Spain 🇪🇦

[@journeymansmitty8283]

Yo this story is amazing they had a splash of everything and very well written thank you for presenting this one scream Fest you know you're the best😁✌❤

[@screamfestla]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@biancajaguer5683]

Excelente!! Gracias por cada vídeo que comparten 😊 Saludos y bendiciones ❤

[@screamfestla]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@JazzMaven]

I'm stunned; that was really well done. Thanks!

[@screamfestla]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@roscluaran]

What a brilliant masterpiece! Thank you so much. 👏💐

[@screamfestla]

Our pleasure!

[@farristolesome4419]

I have 2 words to say about this movie from start to finish. L O V E D I T ! ! !

[@elizabethcrummett7432]

Thank you! Also I love your name.. it’s my son’s name😍

[@farristolesome4419]

@@elizabethcrummett7432 Awesome! If he’s got the same name as I do he can’t be too bad of a kid lol 😂 How old is he?

[@elizabethcrummett7432]

He’s 2, and was the baby I was pregnant with when we shot this film 😊

[@farristolesome4419]

@@elizabethcrummett7432 Is that you in the movie? The credits were very small and hard to read even in slow motion.

[@elizabethcrummett7432]

Haha, understandable! No, I’m the director. ;)

[@tiriqmoss434]

That was excellent❤👏🏼

[@screamfestla]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@jacliveshere]

This was amazing! 😍

[@farristolesome4419]

Yes 👏🏻 🎉

[@screamfestla]

Really glad you enjoyed it!

[@jacliveshere]

@@screamfestla I loved it!! So creatively done. This was atypical for horror movies. More please! 🖤

[@LET_US_TALK_OPENLY]

Brilliant movie thank you

[@screamfestla]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TessaLCastro1216]

🫣That was extremely creepy...Well Done.

[@screamfestla]

Really glad you liked it! ❤️

[@MisterG2323]

A happy ending! A nice change of pace!

[@iks9120]

I am not sure that it was happy ending. It seems more to me that she died on that stage (she came to the wrong place, it was the haunted theatre and everybody inside were ghosts of actors and staff tragically died of fire years ago)..and then, after dying, she joined to the crew of died actors.

[@dpurves28]

@@iks9120 Right. I'm not seeing how this is a happy ending. Seems like she's trapped there for all eternity, along with all those other actors who perished. Perhaps it was sarcasm.

[@MisterG2323]

Certainly a possibility. Or perhaps she was a lost ghost (for whatever reason) returning to the scene of her death, compelled to audition to return to her proper place with her company. A fine short either way.

[@paullevine1813]

Yes & she got the part so as far as horror goes it was a happy ending .

[@Terri_MacKay]

I'm also saw this as a happy ending.

[@DethronerX]

Very cool!

[@connorjohnston8356]

Watching this tonight with the flat mates wish me luck

[@genocidemoose9293]

This is definitely a Christmas special. 😈🔥🎁

[@johnmanno2052]

I liked her Hermione! I would have liked to see her perform the whole part. I like The Winter's Tale"

[@screamfestla]

Thanks for watching!

[@catherineg9943]

Very original and creepy!! 👏🏻👏🏻❤️❤️

[@screamfestla]

So glad you enjoyed it! 👏👏

[@joeyj6808]

Didn't make a bit of sense, but it was atmospheric as hell. I give it a Scary/10

[@screamfestla]

Thanks for watching!

[@nahomiebruna4105]

Good film 👏👏👏

[@screamfestla]

❤️❤️❤️

[@sujatadas4962]

Gave me anxiety

[@jeremiahlarkin1134]

BRAVO 👏🏻 BRAVO 👏🏻 BRAVO 🎉

[@screamfestla]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@timmotel5804]

WoW. Thank you

[@screamfestla]

Thanks for watching!

[@Lilith7887]

i love it thx❤

[@screamfestla]

No problem 😊

[@JOHNWLOUCKS]

Bravissimo to all involved !

[@screamfestla]

❤❤❤❤

[@robertjudy9135]

Very creepy. Nice job.

[@screamfestla]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@shelleypenn7577]

Oh snap @ the last second 😮 👏 🍿

[@metalnytmaresht]

Favourite💗🤘

[@serhankapucu5885]

The movie 's end aswell that figures with the mask was perfect . The woman has seen while jumping someone from up .

[@screamfestla]

Thanks for watching!

[@verwolf3D]

Nice horror!!!

[@screamfestla]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@frankwafer6919]

😮👏👍!

[@screamfestla]

❤️❤️❤️

[@durasaxon5131]

Incedible 'Time Jump' Sci-fi Horror. _____ ✝️ _____

[@yawarsorani2241]

😮😮😮

[@timmotel5804]

Is that Lloyd from "The Shining"??

[@screamfestla]

Thanks for watching!

[@rivacambarah]

Shakreepseare

[@ludoviclaviolette4217]

Silencio …Silencio

[@floralhour3730]

The last smile of the girl.....shes happy?? Very happy? Is she alive or not?

[@tomwitherby4348]

She's happy, she got the part 😊

[@debindralimbu381]

Good acting but the story doesn’t add up and make sense.

[@trianaimmaculata4494]

Gaje!!! 😡😠

[@Tammy2Tone]

So wait, what was the moral of this? Entitled, MINOR influence "gets what she has coming to her"? &Why call it "The Understudy", when it SEEMS like she got what was essentially the main role??🤔 *No Hate, just genuinely curious*

[@cynthianaylor9514]

It's a movie. Not all movies are made to teach a lesson but to entertain. I thought it was well done.

[@chrisrudolf9839]

Being an understudy doesn't mean you get a minor role, it means you are an replacement actor who also rehearses the role and is ready to take over the role on short notice in case the actor who was primarily cast for the role should be indisposed for the theatre performance. I think it is pretty clear from the ending why she is the understudy here: SPOILER ... ... The ghosts of the actors and staff who all died when the theatre burned down - probably during a performance, because the memorial plate speaks of more than 300 who died - keep performing the play they performed when they died and they casted her to fill in for the original actress who played the lead role back then, who apparently isn't a ghost like the rest of the cast. We don't know why that actress isn't present as a ghost, maybe she was one of the few survivors, maybe she just found peace unlike the others. In any case, the main character in this movie is cast to replace her.

[@Tammy2Tone]

@@chrisrudolf9839 - No, I know what an understudy is. I only meant SHE got the role. She was in the MAIN cast, so where's the understudy part? She wasn't waiting in the wings for another actor to get sick, or wiped out to where she needed to take the role over for that night. SHE was IT! That's what I meant. I think I just worded it wrong.✌️

[@chrisrudolf9839]

@@Tammy2Tone Well, she is at least not part of the original actor ensemble, they certainly had someone else to play the part when the theatre burnt down decades ago. The ghosts might not be aware that they are ghosts and that they've been performing the play for decades now, so they still regard her as the temporary stand-in until the primary actress comes back.