As a budding filmmaker who has always dreamt of seeing my work on streaming platforms like Netflix or Shudder, I can’t help but admire the audacious spirit of Jack Barker. His decision to self-distribute “Milk & Serial” not only showcases his confidence in his craft but also his deep connection with his fans.
Caution: Minor Spoilers Ahead! This write-up offers a glimpse of the plot for “Milk & Serial”, which is currently streaming on YouTube.
Curry Barker has delivered the year’s most unlikely hit.
The filmmaker and comedian is the mastermind behind “Milk & Serial,” a 62-minute horror feature about YouTube pranksters who get caught up in some rapidly escalating crises that ideally aren’t spoiled in advance. Made for only $800, the film co-stars Barker and his comedy partner, Cooper Tomlinson, who is also a producer.
The twosome primarily share sketch videos on their TikTok and YouTube channels under the name “that’s a bad idea,” and occasionally display other works, such as Barker’s viral 2023 horror short “The Chair” which has garnered more than 5.5 million views on YouTube alone. After contemplating collaboration with a distributor for “Milk & Serial,” Barker opted to release the entire film on YouTube on August 8th. Since then, it’s been viewed over 323,000 times (as of August 26th) and has sparked numerous discussions among horror enthusiasts on platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and #HorrorTok.
In “The Chair,” there were numerous comments such as, “This man deserves a big-budget project from Hollywood,” according to Barker. However, releasing a feature film presents an unexpected shift. Critics who typically evaluate films for a living are now appraising this movie, a task they wouldn’t usually do for short films. Yet, all of a sudden, there are discussions about “Alien: Romulus” and “Milk & Serial” alongside it.
Barker, not only taking charge as director and actor, but also handling the roles of writer, producer, editor, shared cinematography duties, and composing the music, conceived the concept while working on his acting showreel.
“He mentions, ‘I penned a humorous skit and a western scene,’ he says. ‘I composed an array of diverse scenes, including one where I portrayed a chilling serial killer character. This character is convincing a woman that it’s not a joke, but a threat to her life at the end of the night. Initially intended for my showreel, I found myself contemplating whether I could expand this into a full-fledged found footage movie. While Cooper was filming in Tennessee, I was thinking, ‘Mate, once you’re back, we’re going to bring this idea to life.'”
After that, the pair started a four-month production involving their acquaintances taking on various roles, working according to everyone’s schedule. Most of the $800 budget was allocated for paying an actor outside their circle (Jonnathon Cripple, who was also in “The Chair”) and purchasing the Sony camcorder used for filming. Fortunately, Barker managed to sell the camera after the shoot, earning a $100 profit, which helped cover the expenses immediately. The remaining amount was quickly recouped through YouTube ad revenue, making the project profitable right away.
Regarding the choice to make the film available for free on YouTube, Barker mentions that a distributor was indeed ready to handle it. However, after dealing with this company to obtain necessary forms and releases, which they hadn’t anticipated for an independent production, Barker opted to share the project directly with their fans instead.
He expresses that they simply aimed for the perfect platform for it. Intriguingly, once all necessary documents were in order and matters finalized, they mused, “This distribution company might just lock it away behind a paywall, and someone would have to shell out $2.99 to stream it on Shudder or some other service.” He feels that their followers should have the chance to view this production. They’ve been curious about the poster on his IMDb for a year, asking, “What is this?” Despite spending a whole year striving for distribution of this project, they ultimately decided to post it on YouTube. Earlier, he believed that a movie deserves respect only if it appears on Netflix, Shudder, Hulu, or similar platforms. However, people do appreciate it and acknowledge its value, even though it’s free.
The freedom of self-distribution also allowed Barker to modify the project on his terms. He took this especially to heart in the editing bay, where he’s been able to pinpoint in his comedy sketches and short films where exactly to cut moments to maximize laughs or scares.
“He mentions that the version of this film on YouTube runs for an hour and 25 minutes. However, right before its release, he trimmed off 20 minutes to make it seem more swift. As an editor, he was observing it and suddenly thought, ‘This rhythm, I’d like to speed it up.’ He believes viewers would enjoy the fast-paced flow of the movie. You won’t be able to identify any specific scene that was removed, as all scenes are still included in the film. Instead, he removed unnecessary parts, which is beneficial for a found footage movie since it allows for a slightly choppy and rhythmic feel.”
Despite the success of “Milk & Serial,” Barker, represented by Aaron Folbe at Underground, isn’t idling away celebrating with champagne. Instead, he’s actively working on a feature film titled “Obsession.” James Harris, known for producing horror movies like “Fall” and “47 Meters Down,” is involved through his Tea Shop Productions label.
Barker shares, “I’ve never managed a budget before, but working on this screenplay with the production company has been an incredible experience that I’ve spent more than eight months on.”
Despite keeping specifics like the logline hidden, Barker mentions that filming is anticipated to begin towards the end of October.
“He describes the movie as utterly terrifying, off-the-charts insane. Unlike anything ever seen before, it’s remarkably distinct from ‘Milk & Serial’. He won’t be appearing in it, and it won’t follow a found footage style. Instead, it will resemble ‘The Chair’, with its cinematography.”
Regarding the future of “Milk & Serial,” I’m excited to continue the production online. While the film’s gruesome ending hinted at a sequel by suggesting a continuation with an unseen character, Barker prefers to leave that mystery untold and allow our imaginations to run wild rather than delving into it further in another chapter.
“Barker mentions that if our film miraculously gained popularity like ‘Blair Witch’ or ‘Creep,’ we might consider making a sequel, though it’s not currently on the agenda. He finds it amusing that using the camera in the movie could be seen as misleading by viewers, who have watched the main character deceive throughout. As a writer, Barker himself is unsure about who’s operating the camera. However, the mystery sparked by audience guesses about who it is makes for an enjoyable conversation.”
Watch the film below.
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2024-08-27 02:18