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Directing Dread: A Horror Filmmaking Podcast

Directing Dread: A Horror Filmmaking Podcast

By: Justin Harding
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About this listen

Directing Dread is a horror filmmaking podcast hosted by working director Justin Harding and up-and-coming filmmaker Jacob Phair.

Each episode blends real-world experience with fresh perspective—breaking down how to actually build a career directing horror, from first projects to professional sets.

They cover directing actors, crafting tension, practical effects, low-budget execution, and the realities of making a living in the genre you love.

If you're an aspiring horror filmmaker looking for both inspiration and practical insight, this is your playbook.

2026 Justin Harding
Episodes
  • 02 - AI Isn’t the Problem, Your Budget Is
    Apr 11 2026

    AI is already in the filmmaking pipeline. The question is how you use it.

    In this episode of Directing Dread, working director Justin Harding and up and coming filmmaker Jacob Phair break down the real role of AI in filmmaking today, and where it is actually heading.

    We dig into the recent deal between Ben Affleck’s company Interpositive and Netflix as a signal of how the industry is starting to adopt AI at a higher level.

    From there, we get practical. How AI is being used right now inside real film pipelines. Where it actually saves time and money. Where it falls apart. And how filmmakers can use it as a tool to elevate their work, not replace it.

    This is not about generating slop or shortcuts. It is about using new tools to bring your vision to life in ways that were not possible even a year ago.

    If you want to understand how AI fits into modern filmmaking without the hype, this episode breaks it down.

    Follow and subscribe to us on YouTube

    https://www.youtube.com/@DirectingDread


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    56 mins
  • 01 -YOUR FIRST KILL: Making Horror with What You Already Have
    Apr 11 2026

    Welcome to the first episode of Directing Dread.

    This is a podcast built for aspiring horror directors who want to stop waiting and start making films.

    In this episode, working director Justin Harding and up and coming filmmaker Jacob Phair lay out the mindset that matters most at the beginning of your career. Use what you already have.

    We break down how films like Paranormal Activity, Creep, and Terrifier turned limited resources into massive opportunities, and why that approach still works today. We also dig into how tone, simplicity, and execution can make something feel far bigger than its budget.

    This episode is about removing excuses, thinking creatively, and making your first film with what is already in front of you.

    If you have been waiting for the right moment, this is it.

    Like and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. New episodes released weekly.

    https://www.youtube.com/@DirectingDread


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    56 mins
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