Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Ferguson.
Dustin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a life long fan of the Horror genre, in 2007, I started directing my own short films. One year later, I was hired to edit “Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor” and I broke into the industry. I directed my first feature film in 2010 titled “Terror at Black Tree Forest,” and today I am in pre-production on my 70th feature film titled “Los Angeles Shark Attack!”
Over the years, I’ve directed many sequels and remakes, such as “Nemesis 5,” “Silent Night, Bloody Night 2” and both “Camp Blood 4” and “Camp Blood 5.” I created the “Meathook Massacre,” “Penny Pinchers” and “RoboWoman” franchises and I also direct music videos. I have made nearly 80 music videos to date, for such artists as Lords of Acid, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Orgy, The Egyptian Lover, Velvet Acid Christ, X-Marks The Pedwalk and many others.
Additionally, in 2015 I became a Rapper, my alias is “MC Dirty D,” and I’ve had several both digital and physical CD releases including “Hollywood Rock,” “California B-tches” and “Facts.” My music video for “Midnight Dancer,” directed by “Brain Stem” (of “Cuban Doll” fame) went viral on “World Star Hip Hop” last Summer.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think it’s a smooth road for anyone. Each and every person will have their own struggles along their journey. In my case, the first film I worked on (“Sleepaway Camp IV”) was very poorly received due to the nature in which the production was originally handled back in 1992.
The film was meant to be a “clips” sequel, meaning it would rely heavily on “flashbacks” from the previous films to tell a new story that introduced a new character and a major plot twist. After a single day of shooting, the original production team Double Helix Films went bankrupt and the footage that was shot that day was shelved. Jump to 2008, I was hired by John Klyza (SleepawayCampFilms.com) to create the “lost” sequel that was intended using the (very limited) footage shot back in ’92 with clips from the first three films.
What fan of the “Sleepaway Camp” series would turn down an opportunity like that? I agreed to do it for the screen credit alone and finally in 2012 it was released to DVD and a limited edition VHS. Many fans were disappointed in the lack of new footage and the quality of the old footage – both of which were out of my control. But due to my heavy association with the completed film, and really being the only person from this project in the public eye, I often have to take the “heat” from upset fans.
That was the film I was forced to build my career on. I made the best of the situation and always pushed forward, eventually overcoming all the obstacles (online “Trolls,” lawsuits, greedy Producers, micro-budgets, etc.) and becoming the skilled, powerful and seemingly popular “brand” I am today.
SoCal Cinema Studios & Wicked Women – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
When I started making my own films, I actually didn’t intend ever to release them. I was disappointed in the direction the Horror genre seemed to be heading so I wanted to make movies that looked and “felt” like the movies I loved growing up from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. I was afraid they would stop existing, so I wanted to sort of make it a mission to keep creating movies of that type for my own enjoyment.
After showing my work to a few people, I was convinced to screen them to an audience and eventually finding distribution for them. I’ve always moved to the beat of my own drum… following my own rules, just making the movies that I wanted to make without any sort of pressure or real guidelines. Doing this over the last 12 years has developed into my sort of “style” of micro-budget Horror filmmaking. What people tend to enjoy about my films is that they are “fun.”
It’s obvious how much fun we had making it when you watch them, and you can always tell I’m staying true to myself in everything I do. I’m never trying to impress anyone. I think it shows that I’m an honest artist, not doing this just for the money. I may be doing some bigger films now, but I still spend all my in-between time shooting small “Slasher” films in the woods with my friends, just having fun.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was winning “Best Film,” “Best Director,” “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” for “Nemesis 5” at the 2018 Los Angeles Nollywood Film Awards. It was quite the sweep, and up to that point, I had never won an award for any of my films! But it has had a snowball effect, and I’ve started landing a lot more recently.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theonlydirtyd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoCalCinemaStudios/
Image Credit:
Bob Delgadillo, Dan Kennedy, Brian Phem, Guillermo Proano, Steve Manivong, Adam Evans
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