Interview with Nightmares and Dreamscapes Producer John McMahon

A Conversation with Producer of Stephen King's "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" John McMahon.

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Q: What is the concept behind NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES?

A: We are shooting eight completely different stories that fall into a nightmare/dreamscape landscape. It is very exciting, and I think the variety is why an audience will tune in. Stephen King has such a fertile mind. I think shorter is better in a lot of ways. In an hour, we can create something tighter, scarier, dirtier and stranger, which is really what makes his stories special.

Q: Is there a common thread to the stories?

A: The common thread is Stephen King, so the audience already knows it will not be any ordinary kind of storytelling. I hope we are able to express the main title, NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES, as where the world of imagination and reality cross. That is a blurred line.

Q: Where is the drama in NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES?

A: The drama comes from the storytelling and the tensions and conflict that Stephen King creates within these one-hour segments.

Q: What is the biggest challenge of this project?

A: It is complicated to keep the whole production together logistically. We are doing eight hours, with eight different directors, eight different casts and eight different stories. The production must keep moving because they are shooting back-to-back. It’s a domino effect. If one episode goes over, it affects the next episode, which can also affect casting. It’s a nightmare and a dreamscape, but it’s possible to do with planning.

Q: How did you select the eight directors?

A: A good director can tell a good story. Some directors tend to gravitate towards a certain kind of material, but it doesn’t mean they can’t do something else. We went out to good, experienced, creative directors who are good shooters that we thought were the top of the field. The camera work in this genre is very important in order to tell the story and create tension and fear.