Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1532337
eart Eyes, from Screen Gems, Spyglass Media Group and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is a new feature that spans the rom-com and slasher genres. Directed by Josh Ruben, the film is driven by the Heart Eyes Killer, who's wreaked havoc on Valentine's Day in recent years, stalking and murdering romantic couples. This year, the killer has the city of Seattle on high alert as the holiday approaches. Ally (Olivia Holt) and Jay (Mason Gooding) are co-workers who've been abruptly brought together to complete a last minute marketing campaign on February 14th, and after being mistaken for an in-love couple, become targets for the killer. Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster also star. The feature was shot by director of photography Stephen Murphy, BSC, ISC, and edited by Brett W. Bachman, ACE. Ruben came on board on Valentine's Day of 2024, and was tasked with completing the project in less than a year. And while the story is set in Seattle, the film was, in fact, shot on the other side of the world, in Auckland, New Zealand. "From pre-pro, to shoot, to post, we hustled and got it done," says Ruben of the film's timeline. "The thing kind of came to- gether very quickly...It was very fast mov- ing…I get the call: 'You're leaving Monday for four months. You're going to another country…And then I get down there, and I'm working with some of the most incred- ible crew I've ever worked with…They work with the likes of James Cameron and Peter Jackson frequently, so everyone hustled." The shoot took approximately 35 days, working out of a studio in Auckland, as well as on locations such as a vineyard, coffee shop and the city's streets. Early conversations with cinematographer Stephen Murphy helped firm up the visual intent. "I knew I wanted to shoot anamorphic, and I knew that I wanted the look to be evocative of the big, high-budget roman- tic comedies of the late '90s or mid-90s," Ruben reveals. "We landed on a lens package that offered (a) bit of dirt. I am a huge flares fan, because I'm a huge (John) Carpenter fan, and it's a great way to kind of give a lot of production value…But that was fully his department. I just gave him references. I said, 'Look, I love Blue Moonlight. I love Jason Lives. I love Sleepless in Seattle. The trailer for Alien Romulus.' I wanted to look high-end and snazzy, but I need the blacks to be as black as anything in Halloween. And I needed to also be evocative. It needs to feel like you're in a Valentine's Day film, so we looked at many references, and landed on a great aesthetic." Brett Bachman was able to assemble an initial edit as the shoot progressed. "He did Werewolves Within. He did (The) Toxic Avenger. Mandy. The Vigil," says Ruben of the editor. "I call him my secret weapon. He's just a phenomenal talent…He was assembling as we were shooting, and that's a massive privilege. I've never had that before." Ruben was firm on capturing as much of the film's action and gore in-camera. The Heart Eyes Killer's mask, with its illuminated eyes, was created by make- up effects veteran Tony Gardner and Bryan Christensen. And when it came to making the kill shots look as authentic as possible, hair, makeup & effects designer Stef Knight embraced the challenge. The 'HEK' has an arsenal of several weapons that are used to take out vic- tims, including a machete and crossbow. He's resourceful too, and in one case uses a tire iron to execute one of the most dramatic kills, surprising a young couple in the back of a van at a drive-in. HEK plunges the tool right through the mouth of the woman, leaving a hole in the back of her head. The camera then reveals the damage, with a shot from be- hind the victim that then passes through the opening and out her open mouth. "Everything I wanted and needed to accomplish in-camera, I did," Ruben recalls. "Honestly, there wasn't a terrible amount of VFX augmentation. There's decent share, but it's all augmentation. Everything you're seeing is in-camera, with the exception the hole in the back of Ruby Pledge's throat, who plays the lady in the van. That's just a testament to Stef Knight and the entire prosthetics and gore effects team." Crafty Apes in Canada provided vi- sual effects services for the film. Heart Eyes' soundtrack also received consid- erable attention. "It's paramount," says Ruben of the soundtrack in a slasher film. "You cannot leave any stone unturned, as far as sound design is concerned, because it is every- thing. It builds tension...I am constantly dissecting and analyzing where we can calibrate that. Bret Bachman is so sound design forward. We built a lot of that blueprint of sound design in the edit before we bring it into the mix." Ruben is already thinking about his next project — an 'alien-invasion thriller' that he says he's been "dying to make." HEART EYES BY MARC LOFTUS DIRECTOR JOSH RUBEN CREATES A HOLIDAY-THEMED ROM-COM/ SLASHER H FILMMAKING Ruben (red jacket) drew inspiration from numerous '90s films. Much of the gore inflicted by the HEK was captured in-camera.