Model, Actress, and Director Shannon Atkins Interview [Women in Horror Month 2024]

Meet Shannon Atkins, model, actress, and horror director:

To start, please introduce yourself:
Hi my name is Shannon Atkins and I am a model, actress, and director. 

What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre? 
Horror to me is an escape from reality. I love to get lost in the creativity of a great horror film whether it be psychological or a really great kill scene. I think a lot of people use horror to escape from their daily lives.

What made you want to work in horror? 
I always wanted to work in horror, even when I was little watching horror movies, I always wanted to be a final girl. So, when I first started acting, I was given that exact opportunity and it was one of the best experiences of my life. 

Where do you get your inspiration? 
My inspiration comes from my own mind and my own life experiences, my film that I am directing is very personal to me.  

What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)? 
I want to inspire women to make movies, not be just the pretty face but to direct and produce, I was inspired by a female director, who has also become one of my good friends, I watched her work in a predominantly male industry as far as directing goes, and she is showing the world that women can make great films too. That’s what I want my legacy to be, a female movie director and I hope I can inspire even one woman to take that next step.  

What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?  
I think it’s important to continue to recognize women in horror because we don’t talk about women as much as we should. We always focus on the killers and yes there are female killers as well but it’s the women who are fighting for their lives through the whole movie that makes it honest!!! It’s always the final girl!  

Who are some of the Women in Horror who you look up to and who do you want to bring attention to in your field or others? 
My number one female I look up to is Bette Davis. She is my favorite actress followed by Carolyn Jones and Cassandra Peterson. The women who have inspired me the most in the Indie community are Amanda Megan and Chanda Rawlings. They are both amazing actresses and women all together.  

What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
 My biggest project is of course my film The Sabilla Six that I’m directing and you can find out more about that by following our page The Sabilla Six Movie I have several films to be released this year Just A Night In The Woods which is part of the Head On The Writer’s Block anthology where I have my first leading role you can find out more on that from my page as well and Small town Horrors productions, The Legend Of Crick Foot, that is a Bone Jawnson film and you can learn more by following Zombie Fuel on facebook. Blood And Breakfast is a film by Mark Byrn and Absurd Productions, Anna Key is directed by Amanda Megan and is a Key 13 film, Your Mine Now, is a Justin Adams film. Crick Foot is available on DVD, Anna Key will premiere in Waynesboro theatre on April 5th. Head On the Writers Block is still filming same with Blood and Breakfast but should be in post-production this year, The Sabilla Six should be wrapped filming by the end of this year and we are hoping for a fall release in 2025, You’re Mine Now is in post-production. Thank you so much for doing this. I had a really great time with this interview, thank you so much for supporting not only women in horror, but the Indie community as well!!!