Pitchbox Interview: “Under The Skin Of The Night” by David Cánovas

A Madrid TV Pitchbox 2017 Special Mention

We talk to David Cánovas, screenwriter of the horror series project “Under the skin of the night”. A group of self-contained episodes that try to venture into the origin of fear, as well as to shock and entertain us with each turn of the screw. It’s author told us where his idea to write this series came from, and why he wants to explore horror genre in TV, amongst other things.

Brief synopsis:

Our biggest fears are those that are most real and, in some occasions, an external element, something unpredictable, singular, can destabilize our routine and end up by making the world we know, disappear and transform it into something new, and at the same time, unbearable: the sudden apparition of a creature from beyond, who comes to hold us accountable for our actions, the spreading of a disturbing disease, a loved one becoming a monster, that is workspace becomes a threat for our mental and physical health, or that we become part of an experiment we can’t control…the real horror is having our reality suddenly transformed; our mental balance and security depend upon it.

FMH: We’d like to know a bit more about your trajectory, why did you choose this profession? Where did you study? Where did you start your career?

D.C: I studied at the Complutense University in Madrid and my generation colleagues are amongst a fantastic promotion: Amenábar, Mateo Gil, Juana Macías, Oskar Santos… I started working in the local television in Tenerife, the Canary Islands, and then I went back to Madrid to work in different TV production companies as an editor and assistant director, until I ended up in Magnolia (Spanish production company), where I’ve been working for eight years as a producer.

FMH: What other stuff have you worked on? Can you talk to us or show us your most noteworthy work up until now?

D.C: I’ve made several reality TV shows (Supernanny, MTV tunning, I’m an addict…) and I’ve shot a lot of short films, the most noted “The Intruder”, with José Coronado (big Spanish film star), got a Goya nomination in 2005. Plus, I directed Jose Luis Gil in “The Setback” and my first feature film, “The tip of the Iceberg” with Maribel Verdú and Carmelo Gómez, produced by Tornsaol Films.

FMH: Talk to us about the project Burn Barcelona. How did you come about the story? What is it about?

D.C: It comes from the need to find something we usually don’t see on TV. To have a show that homages the TV shows from back then, which have stuck in our memory. Every episode is self-contained and independent from the next; it’s simple stories about simple people, whose existence becomes complicated up to unsuspected limits.

FMH: The theme of fear, as you say at the beginning of your series’ Bible, is something which has always attracted the audience, as it is something we can empathize with very easily. In your case, we see 8 stories within everyday life, which makes them even more terrifying. What was like the creation of a script like this?

D.C: I’ve always worked with a team of screenwriters, who are friends and colleagues, and we’ve always been interested in the world of fantasy, concretely, in the element of fantasy within everyday life. That’s the only real connection you can find between all the episodes, apart from all happening in the city, in very recognizable settings for any citizen. We have been writing for a long time, so we decided to condense a group of stories we had written together, in this project, as an homage to Stories to not sleep to or Amazing Stories.

FMH: How long have you been working on this project?

D.C: We have been working on it for three years, revising plots and timings in every story.

FMH: Where does the project stand now? What does it need to further be developed?

D.C: We are looking for financing and — most importantly — we’re studying which source — or sources — will be more viable to reach that final financing and producing the show.

FMH: What other themes do you want to explore with this project?

D.C: The idea is to entertain, to get the audience to shriek and be terrified through the atmosphere created by the story being told.

FMH: What would you stand out in the project?

D.C: The variety of the plots, as well as the way it is going to be presented space — aesthetics wise; spaces that are common to us, will become threatening. Every episode will talk about a different type of fear.

FMH: Had you tried to shop it around before Filmarket Hub? How was the experience?

D.C: Honestly, I’ve only uploaded it to Filmarket Hub. I don’t have much time to shop around projects and that saddens me a lot.

FMH: Why did you choose Madrid TV Pitchbox?

D.C: It seemed like a great way of showcasing the project with minimal effort; I was very pleased with the special mention.

QUICK QUESTIONNAIRE

Three favorite screenwriters:

• I.A.L. Diamond
• David Mamet
• Woody Allen

Three favorite screenwriting books:

• Veredicto final (Barry Reed, David Mamet)
• Un, dos, tres (Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond)
• Hannah y sus hermanas (Woody Allen)

Favorite directors:

• Martin Scorsese
• Alfred Hitchcock
• James Gray
• Steven Spielberg

Three favorite films:

• Blade Runner (Scott, 1982)
• Psicosis (Hitchcock, 1960)
• Goodfellas (Scorsese, 1990)