Indie horror writer-director Natalie Rodriguez shares news about her upcoming films – Beyond the Moonlight and Inner Child – plus dives deep into sleep paralysis struggles, cats, tattoos, and her creative process.

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LINKS for More Natalie Rodriguez:

• Natalie Rodriguez’s Extraordinary Pictures production company on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/extraordpictures/
  
• Natalie Rodriguez’s Extraordinary Pictures production company on YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/@extraordinarypictures2875
  
• Natalie Rodriguez on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/natchristinerod/
  
• Natalie Rodriguez on Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/natalie.rodriguez.7315/
  
• Natalie Rodriguez on Threads = https://www.threads.com/@natchristinerod
  
• Natalie Rodriguez on Bluesky = https://bsky.app/profile/natchrisrod.bsky.social
  
• Natalie Rodriguez on IMDb = https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6712794/
  
• Beyond the Moonlight werewolf horror short on Instagram = https://instagram.com/beyondmoonlightfilm
  
• Inner Child sleep paralysis feature-length horror film on Instagram = https://instagram.com/innerchildmovie

FULL Written Transcript: HorrorFam.com Podcast Interview with Natalie Rodriguez

*HorrorFam.com Podcast Intro Music*

Lauren Spear: Hi, Everyone! I’m Lauren Spear and you’re watching or listening to the HorrorFam.com Podcast.

Today, my guest is writer-director Natalie Rodriguez. And she’s been working on Beyond the Moonlight. It’s a horror film that’s a cross between Black Swan, the Teen Wolf TV series, a little bit of The Neon Demon…

And she’s also going to give us an update on Inner Child, which you may have seen me talk about in the HorrorFam.com Indie Horror Round-ups a few months back!

Annnnnnnnnnnnd… here she is now. Hi, Natalie!! *waves*

Natalie Rodriguez: Hiiiiiii! Good afternoon. Or, afternoon over this way. Yeah. *chuckles*

Lauren: *confused chuckle since she thought they were both in California, and then figures out Natalie probably meant the out-of-state viewers watching which promptly reminds her brain to get on with the show*

So!!

Beyond the Moonlight! Can you tell us a little more about it?

Lauren Spear (continuing): Like…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yes! I love the films you tied in. It made me like… It made my heart melt! Black Swan, Neon Demon… You know? Love those.  And Teen Wolf… I was a religious watcher of those – with that TV show.

But yeah, no! We just wrapped production. It was a two-day shoot on Beyond the Moonlight and we wrapped about three weeks ago. So we’ve been heavy in post-production.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): And fun little update actually: Yesterday, we just sent over the tracks to our editor for one of my friend’s songs that’s going to be featured in the film. So, we’ll have some of the instrumental part and then the end credits will be the full song.

He was very gracious to lend to the film and, you know, showcase his work. So, we’re definitely really stoked about that.

I was hoping to get an original song because that’s something I’ve been – was aiming for – during the past few weeks with post-production on Beyond the Moonlight.

Lauren: Oh, that’s awesome! And… What was the song called again?

Natalie Rodriguez: It is called “Redial for Remnants” and it’s by Kai Kaldro. K-A-L-D-R-O. Or maybe… He also just goes by “Kai” sometimes. But I’ll definitely be posting more! We’ll be doing like a headshot and a bio for him on the Beyond the Moonlight social pages soon.

Lauren: Oh, very cool. And for those who haven’t read the Inbox Round-up updates or anything:

Can you tell us a little bit more about what the film is about?

Lauren Spear (continuing): And…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah!

Lauren: …how…

Natalie Rodriguez: No, of course!

I think you nailed it perfectly with those two movies – The Neon Demon and Black Swan – and Teen Wolf the TV show.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): Beyond the Moonlight…It’s about two sisters. One of them is going through a brutal transformation on the night of the full moon. And the film also blends in dance! So…

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): Our wonderful talent — Isabella Jaimie, who plays Abigail; and Alexandra Almendarez, who plays Laurie — they’re both trained dancers so they do their own dances. Isabella does her own stunts as well! Some light stunt work.

Natalie Rodriguez: And yeah no. It’s definitely… I would say it’s like Black Swan mixed with An American Werewolf in London. Just we have the female characters in those roles, respectfully.

Lauren: Oh! And you’ve got the American Werewolf in London poster behind you! *giggles*

Natalie Rodriguez: I dooooo! *points to it so the audience doesn’t have to try to find it on their own* I know! It’s this guy right here.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): And that, too… I’ll have to give a shoutout! That was on Etsy. I’ll definitely have to find the name… It was one of those, you know, during COVID-19… It was one of those… I discovered Etsy and then I found this and I thought it was perfect. I think it was a flash sale for a lot of small businesses? But, yeah. That’s one of my favorite posters!

Both: *chuckle*

Lauren: And you said [before the show] that was one of your inspirations for Beyond the Moonlight as well…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yes!

Lauren: …in terms of practical effects?

Natalie Rodriguez: It was! Yes! No. I’m really stoked to talk about that too!

So, I’ve always… My friends and peers who know I love horror films…

Actually, I have a few portrait tats of different characters from movies. Including Ghostface. Dexter! Dexter was my most recent portrait.

Lauren: I…

Natalie Rodriguez: I love Dexter Morgan. 

Lauren: *embarrassed laugh* I’m sorry to interrupt. But I noticed in one of your photos that you had the *rubs her own forearm to indicate tat location* Sam lollipop…

Natalie Rodriguez: I do!!

Lauren: …tattooed…

Natalie Rodriguez: It’s… *looks at both of her own arms to remember where her tat is and then shows the audience*

Lauren: That’s almost the same as my best friend’s tattoo! *giggles*

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeahhh! I’m like, “He’s somewhere here!” *laughs*

Yeah, no. *shows tattoo more clearly for audience* That was… That might have been my first smaller tat! I love Trick ‘r Treat. I mean… *hands on heart* who doesn’t love Sam?? And I was… My tattoo artist was like, “Oh, let’s do a small one.” Because he was doing portraits. So, that was my first smaller tat. *chuckles*

Lauren: *chuckles – she’s heard similar stories from tattooed friends*

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah, no. It’s… they’re definitely booming with tats, I’ll say! With Trick ‘r Treat. Which is fun to see. It’s kinda fun to see, like, the cult films getting more of a bigger following over time. Yeah.

Lauren: It’s one of the best horror anthology films, for sure! *laughs*

Natalie Rodriguez: I think so too! I would have to agree.

And it’s funny because I know… With me, I grew up with horror films. Including An American Werewolf in London. But I wasn’t really used to anthology films. It was pretty standard, like, originals and then direct sequels.

But I think that’s what always drew me to horror films. I wanted to do something that was a little longer. And, as I’m sure many creators know, when you’re in-between the longer projects like feature films… I’m one of those people that gets very anxious to get back on set! *laughs* I’m dunno if it’s a good or a bad thing, but I’m like, “Ooooh. I wanna… Let’s go do something fun!”

And that’s what happened with Beyond the Moonlight! It was… “Hey! Maybe we should film something that’s like under 10 minutes? I think it’s doable. We can film this summer!” And that’s how it started. It was…

One of my lead actors in the film, whose also become a very dear friend of mine too, Alexandra Almendarez… She plays Laurie. And Laurie… She’s named after the Scream Queen – Laurie Strode – from the Halloween movies! *giggles* And she…

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): We worked together multiple times and she was telling me “It’d be cool if we could do, like, a dance sequence for a movie!” And I was like, “I know… Let me think of something.”

And then we talked about doing a horror film because I think we were at, like, some festival together and I think one of the films was like “Creepy Creature” and she was like “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could incorporate a horror film with dance?” And I was like, “Okay. She’s very eager to get to work! Let me go and, like, think of something…”

And I was actually watching, at the time, An American Werewolf in London and… I was watching that film with my boyfriend one night, and I was actually working on the draft for Beyond the Moonlight. And, originally…

Fun Fact: In Beyond the Moonlight, the sisters were originally going to be vampires! And it was during the transformation scene… During the infamous transformation scene in An American Werewolf in London. And I looked up, and I looked at my boyfriend, and I was like, “Hey! What would you prefer to see? Vampires or werewolves in a movie? If it was like a short film that I did.” And he, without a doubt, just said, “Werewolves.” *laughs* And I’m like, “Okay, great. We’ll go with that.”

Lauren: *laughs*

Natalie Rodriguez: And I’m glad I did! I got…

I don’t want to spoil it in case anyone hasn’t seen it! Because I was a little late to the game seeing An American Werewolf in London as well. But that transformation scene that we get with the main character… it was just… “OHHHHH! That would be so cool to do!!” Even if it is on a smaller scale. It’s a short film.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): And that’s what was definitely one of the motivators to like… “Okay, let’s show the script to some friends and peers.” Who eventually came on board for the project! Both as cast and crew.

And that’s kind of, you know, it sounds cliché but I think that’s what it takes — that one person to be like, “Yeah. When are we making it?” *chuckles*

And that was one of… It was both the cast members – both Isabella Jaimie and Alexandra Almendarez – who were like, “Yeah. I’m on board! When are we filming this?” Which was very neat because, you know, again, I get like that until this day.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): Sometimes I’ll write stuff and think, “Oohh… Maybe it’s dumb. Or it’s boring.” But I think people… What’s great is that they just want to be creative. I think that’s what’s the beauty of…

What we had with Beyond the Moonlight was having just everything come together.

And I wanted to mention, too, you know, that I’ve always wanted to work with more neon colors! That’s why it was… It made me smile! When you said “Neon Demon!” Because I love, love, LOVE that movie! With Elle Fanning. And visually stunning… with just the colors. And I think just all the production design.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): But that was the one film I sent to our cinematographer, Johnathan Na. I’ve worked with him multiple times. Very talented guy. Very down-to-earth.

I was like, “Hey! I’m doing this werewolf movie, but I’d like to do something more on the Neon Demon color palette. Is that possible?” And he’s like, “I haven’t seen it.” But when I sent him stills he was very jazzed about it! He was like, “Ohhh. Yeah! Let’s do it. Let’s figure it out! We’ll get it done.”

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): So, that was very cool. Because I’ve always wanted to work in different color schemes when it came to projects and then with shorts.

I think what was fortunate is that we had a little bit of a higher budget from other short films I’ve done. So, that’s why I was, you know… Very grateful for that! Because it definitely allowed to bring on certain people on the team. Where I was like… I’m fans of THEIR work, quite frankly! *laughs* I love their things as well! And I’m like, “Okay. I can finally bring you on for this project.”

So definitely… That’s a little bit with the inspo behind it! And, you know, I’m the biggest horror film fan and – it’s interesting – I’ve only done two sizzle horror films! One I did years ago. We guerilla shot it in Pasadena. And then the other was for a feature film.

So, this one was a fully fleshed-out beginning, middle, end. Which was very neat! So, it was very exciting to do.

Lauren Spear: And…

When will people be able to see Beyond the Moonlight?

Natalie Rodriguez: Yes! So, we’re actually gonna be in post-production at least until mid-August. So, we’re hoping as early as mid-September!

We definitely… We did actually get invited a few weeks ago, but I do need to follow-up with this individual just to confirm, but they do want to host a screening for the film closer to Halloween time. So, it’ll be somewhere in LA County if that does happen.

Definitely I encourage people to follow @BeyondMoonlightFilm on Instagram! You can keep up with updates. See behind-the scenes. Especially if you are curious who the cast and crew is. Or even Kai – the musician whose original song we’re going to feature in the film. Definitely you’ll find their personal Instagram accounts on our page if you want to know what they’re doing or previous work or if you’re looking for other collaborators. Definitely recommend everyone on the team who we worked with on this film.

Lauren: And Beyond the Moonlight is a short horror film…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yes!

Lauren: …but…

You’re also working on a feature-length horror film…

Natalie Rodriguez: I am!

Lauren Spear: …Inner Child.

Natalie Rodriguez: I am. Yes. No. That’s definitely been quite a journey working on Inner Child.

And – Fun Fact: I’m actually working on – per the request of one of our financers – I’m actually working on, for the past 24 hours, a script update. So, I actually got through 62 pages yesterday and I was like, “I’ll get it done by tomorrow.” And that didn’t happen. So, I’ll be working on it for another day or so…?

But, yes! Inner Child. It’s a film…

Initially, little Fun Fact: We pursued that as a short film. It was a short film I wrote… Oh, gosh. I think it was… I wrote it about 10 years ago now! OVER 10 years ago! Excuse me. Back in 2014.

And it was like – I’m not kidding – it was January 2020 and we did a table read and we were like, “We’re gonna film in May!” And, of course, we all know what happened. It was inevitable.

So, during the COVID-19 downtime, I wanted to go back to the first draft of the feature script that I wrote for Inner Child because I just… It was more instinct. More of a creator choice. I just felt this need like… I felt like I needed to explore the longer length for the character’s story and dive deeper.

Because, you know, I had more time on my hands. And I think with COVID-19, it also, you know… I think writing it was also my own, you know, coping with what was going on in the world. It was like a good distraction, too.

But that one, yes, we are… That’s where I’m at with Inner Child. I’m actually doing a script update and hopefully, if not done today, then sometime tomorrow. Because I am on page 72? 73? right now…

So, it’s definitely getting to a painful scene! *laughs* My… Our financer’s like – when I pitched it to them in one of our last calls a few days ago – where a character, unfortunately, does not have a great ending. And I got to that scene this morning and I was like, “Let me come back to this.” *laughs* Like… you know? Let me get emotionally prepared!

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): But it is SO, like, psychological horror! It’s about a college student that’s encountering with multiple night terrors and sleep paralysis and she learns, throughout this journey, if these sleep paralysis and night terrors are connected to something that she went through during her childhood.

So, we also see how it has an impact on her relationships from family members such as her mother, to her loving boyfriend who she’s known for years…

And we do have, which is great, we do have people attached to the cast! So, it’s interesting this time around, doing a script update, and literally their faces are in my head when I’m coming to these characters. *laughs* Which is neat! Because I feel like we don’t always get to do that with writing. It’s usually you’re writing it and then, you know, if you write it for your own portfolio to come back to before any funding’s attached…

It’s pretty neat to have a main character already attached to the role! Excuse me. A talent already attached to the main character role. And writing this.

Isabella Jaimie – who I worked with on Beyond the Moonlight – she’s actually playing the main character Cassie in Inner Child. So, I’ve worked with her multiple times and it’s very neat to go, “Oh, okay. I know how she works” or “I know she can tackle these beats with this character for the film.”

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): And we’re aiming to film, you know, early next year! I did ask our financer a few days ago like, “We really want to film this in January – is that possible?” And they went, “Yeah. No. That’s possible.” *chuckles* They were like, “That’s really up to you and how long you want to take on the script update.” Which… It’s very rare to hear that! In this world. Definitely very grateful. Very relieved.

I got that email a few days ago this week. And it was just like, “Okay. These are, I think, people to keep working with.” If they’re that… you know? They just want to make sure that, like… If you’re the writer, that you feel happy with the script! Or, if you don’t, you tell them. And it’s just, I think, communicating and just making sure everyone’s on that same page.

Which is a beautiful thing, you know? Getting films made, in general. No matter how long or how short that product is. I think it’s just amazing to see all the work that goes in!

Lauren: Yeah.

Natalie Rodriguez: Behind both something like Beyond the Moonlight and Inner Child. I feel it pays off at the end. I think it’s just…

When you get to create I think that’s honestly just the BEST feeling in the world. No matter what it is. Writing, directing, or if you’re an actor, or behind-the-scenes make-up… Or even if you’re just starting out – you’re a production assistant – I’m always just like, “Every role DOES contribute to bringing it off the ground!”

Lauren: Yeah.

And it sounds like Inner Child will be a bit cathartic as well…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah.

Lauren: …because I know that it’s based on some personal…

Natalie Rodriguez: Uh-huh.

Lauren: …stories of your own.

I saw what you were doing and was like, “Oh, well, as someone who also…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah.

Lauren: …”suffers from PTSD-related night terrors…”

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah.

Lauren: *laughs* I’ll be sleeping peacefully and then suddenly start screaming and my husband’s like, “*surprised flailing* Oh!!”

Natalie Rodriguez: Oh no…

Lauren: Not again! *laughs* But it’s…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah. No. It’s…

Lauren: *forgot what she was originally going to ask/say* Yeah. *gestures for Natalie to continue with her thought instead*

Natalie Rodriguez: That’s the cathartic part with Inner Child. I honestly didn’t know what sleep paralysis was until I started. I Googled it. I was like, “wait, there’s a thing called this.” And it was like… Oh, gosh. Maybe like 10 years ago?

And I myself asked “What is sleep paralysis connected to?” I was trying to see for Inner Child if sleep paralysis is connected to something trauma[tic]. Like our bodies trying to process something. No matter what it is! Like if it’s something traumatic. Or if it’s something… Like, I even consider car accidents traumatic. You know? So, is it just our bodies letting us know, like, “Hey, this is heavy on your mind”? Like it’s just trying to process?

Or, I used to think too, is it related to something more on the supernatural or paranormal side?

Lauren: Yeah.

Natalie Rodriguez: That’s definitely what served as the inspiration behind the story.

Lauren: Right. Like the…

Natalie Rodriguez: It was like I knew what it was and…

Lauren: …sleep paralysis demons sitting on people’s chests.

Natalie Rodriguez: The worst feeling in the world! And I’m always like – knock on wood! – I don’t want to speak too soon, but I haven’t had one in I think about, I wanna say, at least like seeeeeven years…? But it’s so scary!

I even brought it up to my mom not too long ago. I was like, “Yeah. When I used to get in the house, when I lived at home, I’m wondering like… Was the house haunted?” Or was it because there was, like, a lot of stuff going on in my personal life? Me AND my mom too. Because she lost her second husband – my step-dad. Or was that just kind of the way our bodies were trying to process something like grief…? At the time.

Lauren: Yeah.

Natalie Rodriguez: But definitely yeah. It’s… The chest! I used to get that *presses hand on chest* Whew! Severely too. Like someone sitting on your chest.

Or, what used to scare the HECK out of me was actually… I have two clear memories of sleep paralysis. And it was like seeing the silhouette apparition.

Lauren: *nods vigorously enough in agreement that it accidentally triggers the camera to snap to her for a second*

Natalie Rodriguez: And I used to think, “What the heck is this?!”

Lauren: Mmhmm. Yeah. *laughs*

Natalie Rodriguez: And I Googled it and it was like, “Yeah. A lot of people do.” And yeah, unfortunately, they have similar experiences with chest heaviness or they’ll see like a shadow or that apparition/silhouette. You know? However they want to interpret that.

Lauren: Yeah.

Natalie Rodriguez: And nights when… That scared the heck out of me! I was like, “Maybe I’m watching too many scary movies?!”

Or, I used to be, like, nervous! To go back to bed. I used to be up for a while too.

And I can imagine, anyone who goes through that would do the same thing too. You’d be kind of freaked out to go back to bed after that.

Lauren: *knowing nod with small sigh* Yeah.

Natalie Rodriguez: That’s always like the most… Yeah. Terrifying! I would never wish anyone to go through that! It’s the most bizarre and, like…

At least, for me, I knew I was asleep. But, when I’d wake up, it was still like… “Am I still…?” Like, for some reason, I’d question like, “Is this still a part of the dream, or…?” *laughs*

Lauren: Yeah!

Natalie Rodriguez: It felt like A Nightmare on Elm Street!

Lauren: Yeah! It…

Natalie Rodriguez: When one of those characters wakes up. You’re like, “Are they…?”

Lauren: *chuckles*

Natalie Rodriguez: So it feels like, omigod, like there’s some truth behind… Almost like a Freddy Kreuger. Probably. In a way.

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Yeah. And you’ve been working on this for so long! You’ve been writing to HorrorFam.com – to me – about this in…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah.

Lauren: …like 2022? 2023? So, I’m…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah. A long time.

Lauren: …very happy that you’re getting that done.

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah. No. And thank you, too. We really are…

Definitely learned patience with Inner Child. And I think, knowing that… As hard as it may be to say, because I can be impatient – as I know so many people are too *laughs* – but I’m like, “I want it happen now!” But, you know what? I’m like, “There’s a reason…” I’m trying to tell myself more that there’s a reason why it wasn’t filmed like a year or two ago. And…

Unfortunately, you know, we did have some producers leave the project. Whether they were fired or whether they voluntarily left. And I think, where we’re at now, we do have the team where I’m like, “Ah, no. This is who I was meant to be with the entire time.”

Like, we’re behind. But to THEM, they’re like, “No, this is great! This is new.” And they’re like I think no more than six months in. But, for us, we’re like “AHHHHHH!! We feel like we’ve been banging on every door!” *chuckles*

But I think definitely that’s been the learning curve with Inner Child. I think, in today’s world, you have to be very transparent.

I think, with today’s world, with people with financial crisis… Or even on a lot of peers’… Like in entertainment. Whether they’re in front of the camera or behind the scenes, I see more and more leaving California and… Nothing wrong with that. But, you know, they’re going…

Mostly I’ll see on Facebook. Or Instagram. They’ll be open and go, “Hey. I left LA because I couldn’t afford housing.” Or it was just… “The prices are ridiculous!”

That’s why, with Inner Child, since we last talked – which was like 2022 – our budget skyrocketed!

When initially we were pursuing it as like a… They always call it the “credit card” film. Very low budget. I don’t think, even early on, that I was going to get paid anything! But, over time, and I think also getting a wonderful producer on board…

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): His name’s Kevin! Kevin actually produced Beyond the Moonlight with me as well. I remember he sat me down and said, “Okay.” With Inner Child, he’s like, “I know there’s certain cast members you have in mind and…” When some of these cast members started saying yes and we like “Great. When can we film?” He’s like… I’m gonna be honest with you. He’s like, “What kind of film do you want to make? Because if you want to get up and just make it now, I’ll support that.” But he’s like… “BUT, I know you want to do practical effects with Inner Child.”

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): Or, he was like, “I know because your film does deal with a lot of important social issues subjects…” We have a main character that comes from a dysfunctional home where there’s been a lot of…history…with relatives that’ve gone on. So, you know, I was very glad I had a producing partner who was like, “Hey. I just want to make sure we have the appropriate people on that production.” To… you know…

Films, you have fun, but you also want to make sure people are okay and that they’re feeling safe when they’re dealing with those kinds of subject materials.

Lauren: Yeah. Yeah… That’s some…

Natalie Rodriguez: And that was a hard decision to make!

Lauren: …some rough stuff.

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah! And even if…

And I’ve been on sets like that too! Where a character – excuse me! – an actor has an experience that a character’s gone through. Especially when it comes to certain scenes, they can feel pressure and it’s just… you know. I’ve seen talent freeze. Or they’re like, “Oh. I need a minute.” Like… “I actually need to kinda talk to you.” Or “I just need a minute to decompress.”

So, that was a hard choice to make! To be like “Yes. Let’s not go with the ‘credit card’ budget route. Let’s go with something where we do have a higher budget.” Because it is to… you know. Let’s take care of ourselves and the team! And let’s just make sure we keep certain cast members. Even certain crew, too.

I think, in today’s world, it’s… I [commend] people who get features done on a low-scale budget because I did that for my first two features and it’s hard. *laughs* It’s definitely hard. But I also think it’s okay for a creator to be like, “For THIS one, no; I do need to have… I do want to have… If I want certain people to be attached – because I’m a fan of their work or…”

I’ve had actors and crew both on Inner Child and… Tell me like, “Hey. I can’t go lower than this.” And I’m like, “No, no, no. You shouldn’t!” Like, you know?

I think it’s also a way to show respect, too. It’s like, if you like their work, I feel like people have a certain rate and, you know, you should never put them in that position to be like…

I mean, I’ve been on that other side too! Where they’re like, “Oh, that’s too high but we’ll give you this.” And then you’re like, “Oh, okay. I guess I’ll say yes to that!” *chuckles* And nothing wrong with that! But I think at a place where I’m at it’s definitely…

With Inner Child, like we did with Beyond the Moonlight, would love to do practical effects. And I think there’s also like a lot of care[?] in that – in the story itself – that sets up our character.

So, she’s dealing with a lot of things, you know, internally. But it’s also the exterior with the sleep paralysis and then the…

A lot of influence that I took from was A Nightmare on Elm Street. The first one. And even the remake! I know the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street gets a lot of hate, but I thought that one did a beautiful job on talking about how, like, Freddy was more connected to the kids on Elm Street. And their parents.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): I thought it was terrifying at the time but when I watched it, during an earlier rewrite with Inner Child, it was like, “Oh! Okay. No. This is…” It feels actually a little ahead of it’s time. Maybe that’s why people… I don’t want to say that’s why people hate it, but I’m like… They talked about important things that I [commend] the filmmakers for doing. It think it was…

I feel like with horror films, because nowadays it’s been great, is we see those subgenres. I think of Midsommer or Hereditary – I love those movies. It’s interesting because I watched them, and I saw them as dramas too, and when I’d see them pop up on the horror community I was like, “Oh, no, those ARE… Okay.”

So, it’s also interesting to see that it has its standard horror elements but then it has the tear[?] of what’s going on globally.

Lauren: Yeah. It…

Natalie Rodriguez: Without giving too much away! Just because of what’s going on socially. With the things they talk about.

Lauren: I also noticed in the sizzle reel for Inner Child that you had kind of Suspiria lighting and…

Natalie Rodriguez: *gasp* Yeeessss! Ah! I love that.

Lauren: …you mentioned that in Beyond the Moonlight you were trying to do more neon…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah!

Lauren: …lights. And you were doing that a little bit in Inner Child as well.

Natalie Rodriguez: Aw, yeah. No. Thank you for bringing that up! Because yeah. I was very, very stoked when we got that.

Suspiria and…

That’s actually Isabella Jaimie in the sizzle that plays Adult Cassie. And Isa – they’re both Isabella! – and Isabella Fell is the one that played Child Cassie. She’s holding the teddy bear.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): But with that we definitely… I was wanting to do that for the sizzle. I was like, I remember going to my DP and I was like, “Heeeyyyyy. I’d love to try it with, like, different colors. I know it’s like, maybe…”

I feel like it’s more common NOW that we see neon colors. Because I think of like The Neon Demon or even recently… I’d still consider a scary movie like Infinity Pool because it’s…

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): I think, for me, it’s the directing. I love when I see films where it kind of does like a reverse. Like, “Oh, we’re a horror film but for THESE scenes we’re going to have, like, you know… BRIGHT blue!” And you’re like, “Whoa!! Okay. That’s… That’s intense!” But I feel like, even when it’s intentional, it’s so… It’s just so powerful to watch. And rival on screen.

And I think that’s why I love… Partially because of Midsommer! With Florence Pugh. It’s… I feel like… yeah. One of the first things I watched where it’s daytime and – majority of it daytime – and it’s just… It terrified me! *laughs*

I remember the first time watching it I was like, texting a friend of mine like, “WHAT did I just watch?!” Like what IS this?!?

Lauren: *chuckles*

Natalie Rodriguez: I don’t know if I love it or hate it, but I’m just SO disturbed!

But that’s what’s been the beauty with seeing filmmakers like Ari Aster or even Nicolas [Winding Refn] from Neon Demon. It’s… I mean, I feel it’s very cool to see other filmmakers or creators. How they, like, give their spin on “Oh, THIS is what terror is to US.” And I think that’s…

Yeah. No. Definitely. With Inner Child, definitely, that’s the goal – to deal with films like Suspiria and… They’re definitely some of my favorite films, so I’m like always referencing back to that with my cinematographer.

Because I’m always telling him… My cinematographer for Inner Child, he also was the cinematographer on Beyond the Moonlight so…

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): Even though on Beyond the Moonlight… Excuse me. We were talking about…? Ohhh, he’s like, for Inner Child, he was talking about, “Oh. Is this what you picture for these color palettes?” And I was like “Yes. I do!”

Lauren: *chuckles*

Natalie Rodriguez: And I was like, “Good! I’m glad you’re seeing it.” *laughs*

Lauren: *chuckles*

Natalie Rodriguez: But I think that’s been the neat part. It’s…

And it’s also been letting people know. I know it’s been, you know… *sighs* a little over ten years. So, I think it’s… I’m finally feeling a lot happier with my work as a filmmaker. Not to sound so proud of myself, but I know. Growth. And you find people where you’re like, “Ooh. I want to keep working with them.” Because I feel like they know what I’m looking for. Or they strengthen the… Like if you’re like, “I have no idea what to do!” I feel like a great cinematographer will see that. Or they’ll pitch you ideas. And I think I definitely had that on Beyond the Moonlight as well. You know.

Like, I originally had a location issue and my cinematographer, the more we talked, I was like, “Oh, okay. No. I see what he means.” Like, I feel more confident again.

Lauren: Yeah. *sees that the end-of-the-show alarm is going to go off in one minute and quickly uses her hand to cover it so it doesn’t interrupt/end the show before she can ask her remaining questions*

Natalie Rodriguez: Because, you know, directing… It’s a performance job itself, I learned through talking to some team members. I was like, “Oh no. I was freaked out on shoot day.” And I’m glad most of them were like, “Oh, we couldn’t tell…” And I was like, “Okay, great!” Because, like…

Directing… It’s a fun job, but it is… I think, no matter how big or small the production is… I know most director colleagues I’ve talked to are like… What’s that saying? You’re always hoping for the best but you’re prepared for the worst? Especially…

Things happen! Stuff breaks. Locations fall through.

So, it was just like trying to, you know, on set day it was turning into more of a Zen place like, “Okay. You’ve got this.” So, I was very impressed that I did that! With Beyond the Moonlight. With myself. Because I can be my own worst enemy, like a lot of creators. And I’m glad I was able to shut down a day prior to Beyond the Moonlight. I looked at my shot list once and it was just… “Let me catch up on sleep. Let me, you know, steer off social media. Let me get into a space where I’m not mentally or physically burned out.”

Lauren: Yeah…!

Natalie Rodriguez: I think that’s always the… Definitely a must! I think. No matter what you’re doing. If you’re on set, if you’re promoting a project… I think it’s just… Making sure you’re physically well taken care of. Whether it’s sleep or, you know, going to the gym or taking a walk… No matter what the case is.

Lauren: Yeah. Well, we’ve… We’ve only got a few minutes left, but I wanted to mention that even though horror fans will have to wait for Inner Child and Beyond the Moonlight…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yes.

Lauren: …a little while longer, you…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yes.

Lauren: …do have a cartoon coming out next…

Natalie Rodriguez: I do!

Lauren: …month at Comic Con. In September.

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah.

Lauren: It’s…

You’re Irreplaceable, Matty Cat!

Lauren Spear (continuing): Which is…

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah.

Lauren: …based on your own cat Matty, right?

Natalie Rodriguez: It is! Yes! I know. He sometimes makes an appearance. *gestures behind her* He’ll come over here behind me on the dresser!

Lauren: *chuckles as she’s no stranger to cameos from cat guests*

Natalie Rodriguez: But he’s sleeping over here. *gestures beside herself*

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): But, yeah! That’s the third film to the Matty Cat series. And it’s a two-day… Omigod. Excuse me. 2D animation short film. So, it’s three different short films. And for the third one we’re having our first actually in-person Los Angeles screener next month at the LA Comic Con.

And I think it’s our… I want to say our fourth year back? Which is very… It’s amazing to even say that! *laughs* Because, you know, I’ve been a fan of the Con for forever and I think I’m still processing that we got the In.

So, we’re definitely… We’re pending right now. We don’t have a set date or time, but it will be… I think it’s the weekend of September 25th? So, it’ll sometime that weekend. We’ll definitely…

Matty Cat — the actual O.G. Matty Cat — he’s got somewhat of a following on Instagram. He’s @Matty_Cat_2012. 2012 is the year he was born so… Definitely I would say keep an eye on that social media account if you’re interested to see it. We’re hoping to get a date by the end of the month. Definitely those Cons, they take a process.

And what’s fun about Matty Cat – complete 180 from Beyond the Moonlight and Inner Child – is that it’s family-friendly. You can even watch the sequels as standalone films. They were intentionally made to be more… Kind of like sizzle concepts for something a little bigger. On the bigger scale.

And, yeah, of course. Matty Cat’s putting him… Putting his character in the film through different situations. In this third one, he gets a new baby brother! So, we get to see how Matty Cat adjusts to that.

He goes through feelings of denial, rejection, anger… And this one, it was fun to make. Because you get to see Matty Cat turn into a senior cat.

Lauren: *chuckles*

Natalie Rodriguez: So, it’s a fun little sneak peek! And the baby brother is actually based on Matty’s youngest brother named Oliver.

Oliver is our black kitten. He turned one back in April, so he’s almost one-and-a-half. And polar opposites! Oliver’s very hyper, very… Even before our call, he was doing zoomies with his other brother and I was just like “Oh, gosh… Please. Not right now!”

Both: *laugh*

Natalie Rodriguez: So… And, you know, that one too. I think it’s interesting because… I think, when I did those films, I know everyone was like, “Oh! It’s so cute. You should make more.” And I was like, “I kinda want to do like a horror film…” So it was, like, interesting…

I think that’s what’s beautiful in the [???] of creating. It’s… If you want to make a family-friendly film, go for it. If you want to make a horror film that’s more for adults or young adults, go for it too!

And I love it. I love going back and forth with the different genres. I think it’s a lot fun! And I think it’s also, for me, it’s not limiting yourself. And with instinct, with Matty Cat, I had a few family members tell me over the past few years, “Your cat’s interesting and weird. Because he’s very… We love him, but he’s very dramatic.”

Both: *laugh*

Natalie Rodriguez: Because he’s our first baby and I think we spoiled him a lot, but…

No, I think definitely hearing that and then sitting down and finally writing it…

We’re very excited to be going back. Definitely. We’re eagerly awaiting for the date and time. And we should be announcing that in the next two to three weeks.

Lauren Spear: Yeah! And you already said Matty Cat’s Instagram handle, but if you’d like to follow Matty Cat’s OWNER… *laughs* …it’s @NatChristineRod on Instagram.

Natalie Rodriguez: *nods vigorously*

Lauren: And there’s also the @BeyondMoonlightFilm Instagram.

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah.

Lauren: So, be sure to check those out as well!

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah. You’ll see a lot of our cats. I’m always posting cats! *laughs* Or horror stuff.

Lauren: *chuckles*

Natalie Rodriguez: I feel like I’m also promoting Matty. We’re like… My partner and I say we’re Matty’s managers!

Both: *laugh*

Natalie Rodriguez: So… But yeah. No. If you love cats, we’re big. We have three fur babies, so…

Little Fun Fact about Matty Cat: I actually started working on the feature script a few days ago. So, we’ll see where that goes! You know. It’s definitely…

With writing, there’s some scripts that come out faster. I’m like, “let’s just go in!” This one…? I incorporated all of Film One into the feature script and then I was like, “Okay. Great. Where do I go from here…?” *chuckles* Soooo…

But I’ll get it done! That’s what my summer project is. To get it done. Within the next month, hopefully. And yeah. No. Definitely.

That’s been the goal with Matty Cat and I think it’s… We’ll see how it goes as a longer format and see if we can get that made. I don’t want to put a time limit on it, but we’ll eventually get it made!

Lauren Spear: *laughs* That’s awesome.

And I think that’s just about our time!

Natalie Rodriguez: Yes.

Lauren: Did you have anything else that you’d like to say or *muffled* promote…?

Natalie Rodriguez: Yeah. No. Definitely. Beyond the Moonlight… We are hopefully, hopefully, going to have the film done – and hopefully ready to premiere – if not by end of September then sometime in October. In time for Spooky Month! Or Spooky Season.

Natalie Rodriguez (continuing): But definitely, yeah. I would say follow @BeyondMoonlightFilm on Instagram.

You can also check out my company, @ExtraordPictures – both on Instagram and Facebook. We’re trying to, you know, keep those accounts updated with all upcoming screeners. And updates on the projects for both Beyond the Moonlight, Inner Child, and even the Matty Cat film series.

And, yeah! LA Comic Con, if you go. I recommend it. If you plan on going all three days, make sure to stop by our panel and our screener. And that date and time we’ll have announced within the next few weeks! So, keep an eye on the Instagram account!

Lauren: *chuckles* Aww. That’s awesome, Natalie. Thank you so much!

Natalie Rodriguez: Thank you!

Lauren Spear: Well, for everyone who just watched this: This has been the HorrorFam.com Podcast – episode number 33 – and my guest was Natalie Rodriguez!

I’m Lauren Spear. And if you enjoyed this, or any of the other episodes, or if you’d like to keep up-to-date with other content on HorrorFam.com, I highly recommend subscribing to our new newsletter! It’s free. And, also, ad-free. Just like the rest of our content! We send it out every Friday. You can get that at HorrorFam.com/Newsletter Thanks, Everyone! Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Images of Natalie Rodriguez, her team members, Beyond the Moonlight, and Inner Child were provided by Natalie Rodriguez. Movie poster images were purchased on CineMaterial. “The Nightmare” by Henry Fuseli is from Wikipedia Commons. And all other images are screenshots from the interview!