HORROR SOCIETY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Debut Producer Pla Komaratat of The Attic from Green Apple Entertainment
Making a movie is hard, folks, even if you’re working with a million dollars. It’s a common occurrence that your close relatives and friends will tell you that you’re crazy for trying to break into the industry. It takes a lot of dedication and oftentimes a ton of education to succeed at making a title that’s visually pleasing and technically accurate. But, rarely, you find an individual who’s talented enough to transfix this idea, and Pla Komaratat is a shining example of that. As a film school graduate myself – who still needs a lot of work – I always make it a point to inquire about someone’s education in the field of film production when I start an interview. Surprisingly, Ms. Komaratat was able to jump into the blood red pool of horror without even getting her feet wet. She says, “I did not attend any schools or programs majoring in entertainment. Instead, all of my knowledge was accumulated from working in the real world, making mistakes, and taking risks.”
Currently, Pla is making headlines as part of Green Apple Entertainment’s latest horror release – The Attic. Luckily, this woman in horror is a lifelong genre fan and attributes her love of scary movies to her cultural and surroundings. She explains, “Growing up in the countryside of Thailand, I was surrounding by spooky tales of ghosts and spirits. I was introduced to Thai horror flicks at a pretty young age, and I was hooked on them! It was an extremely thrilling experience to watch all the old horror tales I’ve been told come to life on screen.” Of course, The Attic, written and directed by Kaprice Kea, capitalizes on and flourishes because of Pla’s previous viewings with titles featuring entities from beyond the veil of the living.
Not only is The Attic her first time sitting in the producer’s chair, but it also serves as her big screen debut as an actress. I can only imagine how daunting this task was, but Pla assured me, “Producing your first film can be an unnerving experience. With that said, The Attic, being a modest budgeted horror film, allowed me to ease up and let my creativity flow as a producer and an actress.” In the film, Ms. Komaratat stars as Pat, a professional and independent woman who’s been through quite a lot of hardship, but remains strong and kept-together for the sake of her two beautiful children. Following her husband’s early death, Pat and her children move into a new home with the help of Tom, her husband’s best friend. Unfortunately, before their circumstances can get any better, the family is faced with a dark and malicious presence that lurks within the walls of their new home. Now, it’s up to Pat to discover what’s really going on in the house so she can save her family.
Contrary to popular belief, the job of a producer is equally matched with the duties of a director. One cannot exist without the other. I asked Pla to describe to me her day to day, play by play responsibilities while producing The Attic. She says, “My job tended to vary depending on which phase of production we were in; but on the days of the shoot, my responsibilities were similar to that of a manager. I would make sure that all the cast and crew find their way to our shooting location and make it on time. I had to make sure everyone had everything they needed for the day, and if they didn’t, I’d have to arrange for them to get it. Essentially, my job on set was to make sure that everyone knew exactly what is happening and provide them all with everything they needed to execute the job.”
“Maybe it was just beginner’s luck, but I found most of the days on set to be quite stress-free and fun,” Pla continues. “Working with such a small cast and crew gave me the chance to get to know each individual person on set quite well, and we all got along! We were all very passionate about what we do and about this project, and I know that I could count on every single one of them. The workload for me was very full as a producer and actress, but the environment and the people made the whole thing a very pleasant experience for me. All of the hard work was worth it and we’re all excited that our distributor, Green Apple Entertainment, recently released The Attic with Redbox. So, rent it today!”
There was one question left to ask and obviously it was the most important. Would Ms. Komaratat every work on a horror movie again? She says, “I really think that horror is the genre I have the most fun working with. There’s something very humorous about witnessing the scares and practical effects in the flesh. Most of the time, these things don’t look terrifying at all during the time of shooting, but once you see the finished production, you can’t help but to jump out of your seat. I love creating and witnessing this process, and I would definitely do it again.” Well, I sincerely hope this happens for you in the near future, Pla. Thank you for taking the time out of schedule to chat with me!
