Scott Tepperman is a paranormal-TV alum turned indie horror hyphenate. A former star of Syfy’s Ghost Hunters International, he co-founded Los Bastardz Productions with longtime collaborator Jim O’Rear and has since written, directed, and acted in projects across the festival and streaming circuit, including (but not limited to) his slasher franchise Cruel Summer. He directed and wrote the 2021 debut as well as all of its sequels, and now returns with Lookout Weekend: Cruel Summer IV. Wanting to learn more about his career and his Cruel Summer franchise, I was able to interview Tepperman for ScifiPulse.
You can learn more about Tepperman by visiting his homepage.
Nicholas Yanes: Growing up, what movies and shows did you love? Are there any you think specifically influenced the creator you would become?
Scott Tepperman: Much of my taste hasn’t changed much over the years. Favorite TV shows of mine when growing up were Knight Rider, The Honeymooners, Misfits of Science, and Happy Days. favorite movies were Near Dark, The Exorcist, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!, and Day of The Dead.
Yanes: At Infinity Con, you talked about how important video stores were to you. Can you take a moment to describe how video rental stores impacted you?
Tepperman: Video stores were a huge part of our culture during the mid-80s and 90s. Aside from constantly hanging out inside (and outside) of local video stores on a regular basis, I also worked for numerous ones over the years – from small “mom and pop” shops to the retail giant Blockbuster Video. Renting a movie wasn’t just a thing to do. It was a whole social experience. People would congregate not only to peruse all the video boxes on the shelves, but also to hang out with friends and family while doing it. Those stores were, literally, my whole life. I actually plan on opening my own video store complete with VCR rentals, VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc, and even CED (yes, I know it’s 2025) to try and capture some of the feel of a bygone era. I’m confident I can make it work. There’s definitely still an audience for it.
Yanes: On this note, we met at Infinity Con. How important are these types of events for creators like you?
Tepperman: Fan conventions like Scarefest, InfinityCon, and countless others are particularly important for indie filmmakers because they allow for an artist to interact directly with a captured, niche crowd. Physical media is alive and well for indie film in particular and, while there isn’t always an easy online avenue to get this type of product “out there,” face-to-face sales of physical media is always highly successful at these types of events.
Yanes: When did you decide to pursue film production as a career? Was there a moment this goal crystallized for you?
Tepperman: Honestly, I’ve always wanted to make movies. Just wanted to create stuff that I myself wanted to see. I’m just lucky that it somehow resonates with others, too.
Yanes: You were on Syfy Channel’s Ghost Hunters International. What are some distinct ways you learned how to be a better film producer from working on that show?
Tepperman: Being one of the core cast members of Syfy Channel’s Ghost Hunters International has enabled me to grow a solid, loyal fan base that has supported all my endeavors since day one. Even though the show has ended, streaming has rejuvenated interest in it with old and new fans alike. It was an extremely popular show when it originally aired and is proving to still have an audience after all these years.
Yanes: You co-founded Los Bastardz Productions in 2015. What was the motivation behind creating this company? On this note, what do you think Los Bastardz Productions does better than comparable companies?
Tepperman: After several years of learning the business working alongside Jim O’Rear, who was already a veteran Hollywood character actor and stuntman for over 30 years, we felt that the next logical step was to form our own production company and start producing our own specific content together. Since Jim is, admittedly, in a sort-of “pre-retirement” filmmaking mode nowadays and has taken a step back to focus on some of his other creative pursuits, I’ve basically taken on the majority of the filmmaking since 2021. My close, longtime friend Jason Schneider has stepped in to help with producing and fundraising for the Cruel Summer franchise.
Yanes: You are the creator of the Cruel Summer slasher film franchise. What are the movies that inspired you to create this series?
Tepperman: My goal with Cruel Summer was to create my own slasher movie (my favorite genre of film), while still making it appropriate enough most audiences. I didn’t want anything extreme or tough to watch. Just wanted a basic “body count” movie with memorable characters doing dumb things and get killed off accordingly in some memorable ways with a twist ending. While I wanted it to be its own animal, I still somewhat patterned it after classic slasher films like The Mutilator, Slumber Party Massacre 3, and Slaughter High. I hoped it would do well because I’ve always loved sequels and wanted to at least make one more Cruel Summer installment, if the opportunity presented itself.
Yanes: The fourth Cruel Summer movie is coming out soon, Lookout Weekend: Cruel Summer IV. How do you think you’ve improved as a storyteller from working on these movies?
Tepperman: Dealing with a 4th installment of a film franchise with an ongoing story can be both easy and very difficult at the same time. The easy part is the fact that the characters’ backstories have already been introduced and established through previous installments – no need to reintroduce everyone or everything that transpired before. You can just jump right into the story and go from there. It helps move things along at a good pace without having to deal with extraneous information.
Additionally, the actors themselves know their characters well at this point and they are very good with being able to make the characters their own. When writing these films, I am now writing for the specific actors, instead of the characters themselves. I’ve learned the actor’s strengths, weaknesses, how they’ll deliver lines, how they’ll emote…stuff like that. This helps me write more believably and effectively.
The biggest challenge is dealing with a whole universe that has been created over the first three films. I can’t change anything that has already been established or change the way a character would behave simply to help fill in any plot holes or to help force the story in a different direction than what has already been created. It requires you to strengthen your writing to account for all of this. You can’t simply throw anything on the screen that would contradict what you’ve previously given the viewer. You have to respect your audience.
Yanes: There are a lot of cool moments in Lookout Weekend: Cruel Summer IV. Is there one scene you are particularly proud of?
Tepperman: No one scene in Lookout Weekend stands out in particular. I am just proud to be sustaining this level of quality in a fourth installment of anything.
Yanes: When people finish watching Lookout Weekend: Cruel Summer IV, what do you hope they take away from the experience?
Tepperman: I hope that people can appreciate the fact that we are able to deliver a solid quality film – with five horror celebrities on board, no less – for practically no budget to speak of. I mean, of course there was a budget, but being able to do as much as we did for the amount we had to work with, I hope, impresses people.
Yanes: Finally, what else are you working on that people can look forward to?
Tepperman: I am currently working on relocating to the Tampa area. As soon as I settle in, I am starting work on our next feature film, an 80s-style techno thriller called Replaced. I will also be working on Cruel Summer 5 and 6. There’s still more story to tell…
Remember, you can learn more about Tepperman by visiting his homepage.
