Sam Goes Stop-Motion! Inside The Adorably Gruesome New Short from Michael Dougherty and Trent Shy

Michael Dougherty, creator of Sam from Trick ‘r Treat, announced a creative hub for new Sam projects. One of the first shorts is Sam’s Harvest, a stop-motion film directed by Trent Shy. Dougherty discovered Shy’s work on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic and was impressed by his “amazing, horrifying, grotesque” creations. Dougherty wanted the new Sam shorts to evoke old-school Halloween specials with a demented quality. Shy handmade every element of the film—leaves, trees, backgrounds—without green screens, taking months to complete roughly one minute of animation. He worked 14-15 hours daily, animating intricate scenes including multiple pumpkins on wires and breaking windows. Dougherty received daily updates showing Shy’s progress, finding joy in the handmade quality and visible fingerprints that give the work soul. Dougherty emphasized that the project demonstrates horror can be animated and mix horror with humor, while allowing other directors to collaborate with Sam.

Original article published on Fangoria — AI-generated summary. Visit the website to read the full article at the source.