| How to Avoid a Creepy Guy in the Woods | |
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 December 19, 2013 | |
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Directed by |
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Filmed, Written and Edited by |
Scott Pincus |
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Starring |
Scott Pincus |
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Release Date |
December 19, 2013 |
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Studio |
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Music by |
Hans Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky |
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Running Time |
8 Minutes |
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Followed by |
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How to Avoid a Creepy Guy in the Woods is a short film written, directed, filmed and edited by Scott Pincus. It is the first installment in The Creepy Guy in the Woods series, as well as a school project, and Scott's first ever short film. Gabe Sagherian stars as Gabe, while Scott Pincus also stars as both Scott and The Creepy Guy. The film follows Gabe as he tries to escape the mysterious "Creepy Guy in the Woods", while also being given advice by Scott on how to do so.
The film was released on December 19, 2013. A shortened version of the film, which excludes Scott's scenes, was released on February 19, 2014. Two sequels were released on May 9 and June 13, 2014, initially concluding the series. A feature-length fourth film, which serves as a soft reboot, was released in March 2017, and a fifth and final film concluded the series in December 2022.
Plot[]
The short film opens with Scott asking the viewer if they've ever felt like they're being followed in the woods, foreshadowing the impending conflict. The scene switches to Gabe walking through the walking trail until he hears rustling in the bushes. He stops and looks around, but sees nothing. As he continues walking, he suddenly turns to see The Creepy Guy standing before him. Scott gives Gabe advice on how to deal with the situation, including saying "hi" and asking "can I help you?". The Creepy Guy does not reply, and Gabe begins to walk away. As he does so, The Creepy Guy begins pursuing him.
As Gabe runs, Scott advises that the person being pursued should take a picture of the pursuer to show to the police, and also to throw an object at the pursuer. Gabe takes a stick and throws it at The Creepy Guy, hitting him in the head. The Creepy Guy falls to the ground, and Gabe retreats. However, he begins pursuing him again, and Scott advises that the person should begin fighting the pursuer. Gabe begins fighting The Creepy Guy, eventually punching him in the face. He then runs off the trail and through a group of trees, with the Creepy Guy in pursuit. Scott advises that Gabe yells "help". He yells it as loud as he can, and as it echoes off in the distance, The Creepy Guy catches up to him.
The pursuit continues to a slope next to a creek, where Scott advises that the person being pursued should say something intimidating, and Gabe shouts "screw you!". This proves ineffective, and he runs down the slope, as does The Creepy Guy. As Gabe runs, he stops next to the creek, with nowhere to go. The Creepy Guy closes in on him. Scott gives a final piece of advice, which is to negotiate with the pursuer. Gabe tells The Creepy Guy to wait, and he takes out an apple from his pocket. While he is confused at first, The Creepy Guy takes the apple from Gabe and runs off.
Scott tells the viewer to expect the unexpected in order to be ready for anything. Gabe concludes the film by saying that apples can save lives, and he runs off back to the trail.
Production[]
In October 2013, Scott's first Video Applications project was to create a how-to video. Initially, he planned to make a video about how to be a superhero with another classmate, Sean Larkin, although Scott did not like the idea and scrapped it. Shortly after, Sean decided to create a project of his own, leaving Scott to come up with a new idea. He was set on creating something unique that didn't rely on anything else as an influence. Ultimately, he came up with the idea to create a video on how to avoid a creepy person in the woods.
He wrote the script, which involved him playing two roles and another person playing one. He asked Gabe Sagherian, who appeared in Jurassic Shark II: The Retribution, if he would like to be in the film, and he said yes. Filming officially took place on October 19, and it was officially presented to the class in November. After receiving a positive reaction, the short-film was uploaded to YouTube on December 19, 2013, following the completion of Jurassic Shark II. A shortened version of the film, The Creepy Guy in the Woods, was released two months later on February 19, 2014.
Sean Larkin, who was initially set to work with Scott on the project, would later join the cast of the fourth film, The Legend of the Creepy Guy in the Woods, three years later.
Sequels[]
See The Creepy Guy Returns, The Search for the Creepy Guy in the Woods and The Legend of the Creepy Guy in the Woods
Trivia[]
- Originally, Scott was going to make a short film about "how to harness your inner superhero powers", along with classmate Sean Larkin. After Sean left the project, and with a lack of confidence in its story, Scott changed the premise of the film.