Patrick McNerney

“The Sanguine” is dark moral horror within a medieval fantasy context that explores uncomfortable ideas like weaponized truth, moral decay, civilizational collapse, the dishonest exploitation of narrative, power that scales faster than wisdom, and the culmination of their associated inevitabilities.

After years of working on commercials, music videos, and client-driven projects, I wanted to create something entirely my own—both creatively and technically. I was especially interested in exploring new visual effects techniques and seeing what could be accomplished with little to no budget if everything were handled completely in-house.

Throughout my career, I’d often been told that certain visuals or ideas simply weren’t possible without substantial budgets, representation, or outside backing. Rather than viewing those limitations as obstacles, I decided to remove external control factors entirely by producing, directing, filming, and editing the project independently.

I reached out to Daniel Jones, an exceptionally talented writer, musician, and actor, and asked him to collaborate. I shared a few visual effects concepts I wanted an excuse to explore and asked him to write a short screenplay. What began as a five-minute script quickly evolved into a much larger undertaking: a period fantasy-horror short filmed across multiple locations throughout Texas, featuring original music, period costuming, and a fully realized world.

The production was ambitious and challenging, but incredibly rewarding. Daniel’s original screenplay extends far beyond what we filmed, leaving room for future expansion into a longer film or series. I’m proud that we were able to bring The Sanguine to completion and grateful for the opportunity to share it with audiences. Viewers can expect a dark fantasy-horror experience with layered storytelling and plenty of hidden Easter eggs for those who pay close attention.

Filmmaking is collaborative by necessity. While we had a strong vision, I encouraged every cast person to provide input.

Open communication was key. We were a lean team, which meant trust mattered. When everyone understands the tone and end goal, decisions become aligned rather than debated.

Scope versus budget is always the biggest challenge in indie filmmaking — especially in period pieces.

Weather, location logistics, fight choreography, and practical effects all require careful coordination. We overcame that by over-preparing. Shot lists were precise. We rehearsed key sequences thoroughly and even filmed proof of concept scenes prior to actual film day. We embraced constraints rather than fighting them.

Sometimes limitations actually sharpen creativity.

For me personally, I am extremely proud of the visual FX. In order to sell them, we decided to lean into a blend of practical and special fx. I didn’t want anything to see too fake and while CGI is great, nothing beats blending practical fx with digital in my opinion. My desire to make this film was to push my skillset as far as possible on our budget and I feel we achieved that.

Every project teaches you something. I would likely build even more time into the schedule for certain sequences as well as have additional extras.

The biggest lesson I learned is that clarity of tone is everything. If the tone is unified, the audience forgives small imperfections. If tone is inconsistent, even technical perfection won’t save it. Overall, I am happy with the end product.

The Sanguine stands out because it represents the convergence of passion and discipline. It’s not just a short film — it’s the foundation of a larger world.

It has resonated strongly on the festival circuit, earning awards across genre and broader competitions, and has secured streaming distribution. That validation reinforces that audiences still respond to mythic, morally complex storytelling.

Make something ambitious — but finish it.

It’s better to complete a bold short than endlessly develop a perfect feature that never gets made. Learn the full pipeline: production, post, distribution, marketing. The industry rewards creators who understand both art and strategy.

And protect your tone. Tone is your signature.

I try to create an environment where actors feel safe but focused. In a medieval setting, it’s easy to lean into performance style rather than authenticity. I wanted everything grounded.

We discussed backstory, internal motivations, and emotional arcs even when dialogue was minimal. Silence can be more powerful than exposition — but only if the actor understands what’s happening beneath the surface.

Sound is one of the key components to a film — especially in horror/fantasy. I leaned entirely on Daniel Jones for the score which he made himself note for note. I wanted something akin to George Williams and Danny Elfman. Films often don’t have original scores worth of it’s own soundtrack these days. They use license free and generic music. I wanted something specific to each frame of the film. Filled with motifs throughout.

I was honestly shocked at what a great job Daniel did with the score. Each scene he’d complete and send me the audio files, I’d insert them into the scene and I could feel the film starting to come to life. The score has won several awards and I’m very proud of that.

Feedback is invaluable — but it must be filtered through the original vision.

I tend to be less concerned with criticism and more concerned with achieving our vision while understanding what limitations we had making the film. As long as our goals were achieved, I’m happy.