{"id":804447,"date":"2026-07-15T23:22:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T23:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/804447\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T23:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T23:22:19","slug":"dead-meat-youtube-channel-launches-horror-shorts-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/804447\/","title":{"rendered":"Dead Meat YouTube Channel Launches Horror Shorts Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jason Blum knows horror history<\/a> when he sees it. That\u2019s why, back in May, the Blumhouse-Atomic Monster CEO posted a picture on Instagram<\/a> showing two of the genre\u2019s fastest-rising young filmmakers, Kane Parsons<\/a> and Curry Barker<\/a>, saying hello on the outskirts of a red carpet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to know where horror is going, it\u2019s that handshake,\u201d Blum told IndieWire via email. \u201cJames Wan and Michael Clear championed Kane on \u2018Backrooms.\u2019 We tried to do the same with Curry on \u2018Obsession,\u2019 and that\u2019s a win for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post, from a major studio exec, is inspiring stuff, particularly if you\u2019re an emerging creative who cares about the health of the box office. But Parsons and Barker aren\u2019t the only story that photo tells. Look closely, and you\u2019ll also spot one of horror\u2019s most trusted online ambassadors \u2014\u00a0whose work has helped millions of viewers discover the genre over a career spanning more than a decade.<\/p>\n

\"'Night<\/a> \"'Filipiñana'\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cIt made me laugh that Dead Meat<\/a> James ended up in the frame,\u201d Blum said. Yes, that accidental figure behind Barker and Parsons is YouTube<\/a>\u2018s James A. Janisse<\/a>. Together with his wife and creative partner, Chelsea Rebecca<\/a>, Janisse established Dead Meat, a horror channel that has become one of the genre\u2019s most active online communities and a passionate digital brand.<\/p>\n

\"KaneKane Parsons, James A. Janisse, and Curry Barker outside the Aero Theatre in Los Angeles on May 6Photo courtesy of Blumhouse-Atomic Monster<\/p>\n

\u201cHe and Chelsea know this genre inside and out,\u201d Blum continued. \u201cTheir audience is exactly who these movies are for.\u201d Across more than 1,800 videos, a long-running podcast, live events, and a subscriber base of 7 million, Dead Meat does more than champion scary movies. They teach curious viewers how to explore the history of horror \u2014 by contextualizing and appreciating the art of filmmaking itself.<\/p>\n

Now, with all eyes on that niche, Dead Meat is stepping into a new role.<\/p>\n

IndieWire can exclusively announce that Janisse and Rebecca are launching \u201cFresh Meat,\u201d a horror short-film<\/a> competition that will culminate in a theatrically released feature anthology. Created in partnership with Atlas Entertainment\u2019s Atlas Literary and Hades Film, the initiative is Dead Meat\u2019s most ambitious yet, but it\u2019s born of a relatively simple idea the team has spent years refining.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our way of finding, highlighting, and amplifying people who can do these things \u2014 who already have done them \u2014 and helping develop their ideas and make them bigger,\u201d Janisse said. <\/p>\n

He and Rebecca met while attending film school, making the mission behind the \u201cFresh Meat\u201d anthology a deeply personal one. \u201cWe\u2019ve been there: fresh to Los Angeles, wanting to make movies, having no money,\u201d Rebecca said. \u201cThere have been countless, countless meetings to figure out the logistics of how we can make sure filmmakers are fully supported by this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BarbaraBarbara Crampton with Dead Meat\u2019s James. A Janisse and Chelsea RebeccaPhoto courtesy of Dead Meat<\/p>\n

Hades Film principals Alex Hertzberg\u00a0and\u00a0Ahmet Zappa\u00a0believe that hospitality-driven, educational approach is precisely what makes Dead Meat content so compelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have held the audience\u2019s hand and made it okay to explore all manner of horror,\u201d Hertzberg, who is also CEO of Atlas Literary, told IndieWire. \u201cThey\u2019ve taken something that\u2019s intimidating and potentially upsetting and really made it accessible over years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dan Levitt, SVP of original content at talent agency The.Team, represents Janisse and Rebecca and said the same instinct makes them unusually well-positioned as horror curators who can identify new voices with lasting potential. Dead Meat\u2019s flagship video series, \u201cThe Kill Count,\u201d is known for thoughtfully introducing audiences to some of horror\u2019s most enduring classics and as many overlooked indie gems.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship Dead Meat has fostered with its audience alongside the IP they\u2019ve built over the last decade has formed the perfect foundation for projects like \u2018Fresh Meat,’\u201d Levitt said. \u201cOpening up the Dead Meat doors to find fresh, innovative, and hopefully terrifying stories in an exciting and sustainable way.\u201d<\/p>\n

That philosophy of mutual support extends to the design of the \u201cFresh Meat\u201d competition itself. Rather than asking artists to submit their work for exposure alone, Dead Meat will offer participants a genuine financial stake in the final feature\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

Winning filmmakers will share in the anthology\u2019s profits, while selected shorts will also receive first-look consideration for feature development through a joint venture between Dead Meat and Hades Films. (Note: The competition also prohibits the use of generative AI, reflecting the creator-first ethos that Janisse and Rebecca have championed throughout Dead Meat\u2019s evolution.)<\/p>\n

\u201cJames and Chelsea have always amplified the things they love,\u201d Hertzberg continued. \u201cWe\u2019re here to help them and their excellent taste find the next crop of great filmmakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project also arrives as Hertzberg and filmmaker Zappa prepare to launch Hades, a new theatrical horror label designed specifically to serve Gen Z. That\u2019s a clear path forward in an industry scrambling to foster a connection between digital-first creators and traditional Hollywood machinery.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dead Meat\u2019s James. A Janisse and Chelsea RebeccaPhoto courtesy of Dead Meat<\/p>\n

\u201cFresh Meat\u201d submissions open on Saturday, July 25, and will close on Monday, August 24.<\/p>\n

Shorts from around the world are eligible, provided English is the submission\u2019s primary spoken language, and a $50 submission fee applies. Dead Meat and Hades will jointly evaluate entries while also taking the Dead Meat audience\u2019s feedback into consideration.<\/p>\n

Roughly 10 films are expected to be selected for the anthology, and rather than naming a \u201cbest\u201d short, the final collection is intended to operate as a collaborative launchpad. Chosen filmmakers will receive a cash award in addition to sharing in their portion of the box office. Participants retain rights to their work unless and until they are chosen to participate in the \u201cFresh Meat\u201d feature.<\/p>\n

The anthology is aiming for a quick turnaround, with a planned October 12 theatrical release date through Hades. Variance Films will handle booking, and a TVOD rollout will begin shortly after. As for what \u201cFresh Meat\u201d is actually looking for? The best horror short you\u2019ve got \u2014\u00a0period. <\/p>\n

\u201cSince Dead Meat celebrates all aspects of horror, there is no one particular kind of horror we\u2019re looking for,\u201d the team told IndieWire. \u201cWe\u2019re interested in confident voices, unique styles, and innovative ideas regardless of horror subgenre.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next great director could still come from anywhere, and if Dead Meat has anything to do with it, \u201cFresh Meat\u201d filmmakers will be the ones wandering into Hollywood\u2019s increasingly horror-friendly frame.<\/p>\n

Interested? Keep an eye on Dead Meat\u2019s Instagram<\/a>, where submission details and entry links will be shared in the coming days. Until then, the fifth annual Dead Meat Horror Awards will stream live on YouTube<\/a> Saturday, July 18, while also screening for an audience in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n