YouTube, still a hub for short-form content, is, unsurprisingly, a place where many up-and-coming creatives wedge their foot in the door and lay the foundation for meatier works–including a well-known Mississauga filmmaker.
Earlier this summer, local YouTuber Kyle Godfrey (who has lived in both Mississauga and Milton) showcased his gory foray into short filmmaking with the release of Simon Says, a 20-minute horror film that centers on a remote cabin, a group of carefree 20-somethings, and a perfectly creepy clown (or clown-esque figure) with unorthodox taste in party games.
Godfrey, who has also directed and starred in Crated and The Mannequin Man, co-directs and stars in the film.
The film, which premiered at the TIFF Lightbox in Toronto last month, allows Godfrey, well-known for his wildly popular Stromedy YouTube channel, to channel his creative energy into stories that go a little deeper.
“I wanted to create stories with more depth, stronger character development, and a real cinematic feel. With YouTube, you’re constantly thinking about the next video, the next upload, and the next idea. With filmmaking, you can spend months building one story and obsessing over every detail. That challenge was something I really wanted to take on,” Godfrey told INsauga.com in an email.
Godfrey says the pivot from quick-hit short-form content to original filmmaking doesn’t mean he’ll be neglecting his YouTube empire anytime soon. With more than 14 million subscribers, 3.5 billion views and over 400 million watch hours, Godfrey has spent years building one of Canada’s largest digital audiences.
YouTube, he says, was the place that helped him learn how to create and enrapture an audience. It’s also the place where people can currently watch Simon Says in its entirety (along with streaming service Tubi).
“For me, it was never really about moving away from YouTube. YouTube is where I learned how to create, tell stories, entertain people, and honestly, how to do almost every job on a production set. Eventually, I wanted to take those skills and build something bigger,” he says.
“I don’t see YouTube and filmmaking as two separate worlds. YouTube gave me the foundation, experience, and creative freedom to start making films.”
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For years, Godfrey has been dedicated to helping content creators grow their online footprint. In 2021, he announced the launch of Prime Capitol, a social media incubator that provides creators with resources such as a place to live, equipment, and support from established professionals in the space.
As for his latest project, Godfrey says Simon Says was inspired by the notion of a children’s game being turned into something terrifying.
“I’ve always loved taking something familiar and putting a darker spin on it. There’s something creepy about a simple childhood game becoming a situation where you suddenly have no idea what’s going to happen next,” he says, adding that he and co-director Jake Dufner wanted to explore the feeling of a seemingly benign encounter going wildly wrong.
“That contrast was what made the concept so exciting for us.”
Godfrey, a long-time fan of the horror genre, says he’s always loved the discomfort that comes from not knowing what’s next in a film, making something as simple as a walk through a hallway unsettling.
“A lot of the horror I’ve watched over the years has influenced the way I approach suspense and pacing. I’m always asking myself, ‘how long can we make the audience wait before we give them what they’re expecting?’ That’s where horror gets really fun.”
While Simon Says is not significantly longer than many YouTube shorts, Godfrey says the creative process between producing short-form and heavier, plot-driven content varies significantly, with denser content requiring the management of more “moving parts.”
“The biggest difference between making a YouTube video and making a film like Simon Says is the number of moving parts involved. With a YouTube video, you can have an idea in the morning and potentially be filming it that afternoon.”
A film, he says, requires a much longer process.
“You’re developing the concept, working through the script, building the characters, casting, scouting locations, figuring out production design and cinematography, rehearsing, filming, and then going through the entire post-production process,” he says.
“There were a lot of conversations and revisions before we were happy with the final version. Once we had the right people involved, though, everything started coming together.”
Patience, he says, is also key to longer-form filmmaking.
“As a creator, I’m used to moving quickly. Filmmaking forces you to slow down and make decisions that serve the entire story rather than simply getting something posted. At the same time, that has been one of the most rewarding parts. Every problem teaches you something that you can take into the next production,” he says.
As for what challenges up-and-coming filmmakers in the GTA face, Godfrey, who filmed Simon Says in Toronto and surrounding cities, says the landscape is ripe for any scene–and Toronto is good at nurturing talent.
“I think Toronto is an amazing place to be a filmmaker because there’s so much talent here. You have actors, directors, cinematographers, editors, musicians, artists, and creators all working within the same ecosystem,” he says.
“The biggest challenge is probably the amount of competition. There are so many talented people trying to break through, so you have to develop your own identity and give people a reason to pay attention to your work. At the same time, that competition is part of what makes the city exciting. You’re constantly surrounded by people who are trying to create something and make things happen.”
As for what’s next for filmmakers hoping to channel their YouTube work into other media, Godfrey believes that the lines between content creators, performers and studios will continue to blur–and not in a bad way.
“Creators can build an audience themselves and then use that audience to take bigger creative risks. I also think independent horror is in a really interesting place. You don’t need a massive studio budget to scare people. A great idea, strong characters, and a compelling atmosphere can go a long way.”
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