I’m going to be honest with you… When we launched the Kickstarter for The Crypt of Fear Horror Series (our independent horror anthology show), I had the same quiet fear that every indie filmmaker knows intimately.
The one that lives in the back of your head while you’re refreshing the campaign page at midnight, watching the numbers move (or not move), wondering if the project you believe in with everything you have is going to find the audience it deserves.
And then, on the last day it did. Out of nowhere, we hit our goal. The Crypt of Fear (our independent horror anthology series) is officially funded. And I am still processing what that actually means.
This post is for everyone who backed us, cheered us on, shared the campaign, or just sent good energy our way from a distance. It’s also for every filmmaker, actor, and creative who has ever wondered what actually happens after the confetti settles and a crowdfunded project closes.
Because here’s the thing nobody tells you: hitting your goal is not the finish line. It’s the starting gun of an indie film production process.
What It Felt Like
I want to sit in this moment for a second before we talk logistics, because this matters more than anything from this point forward.
There’s something specific about building an independent horror anthology series through crowdfunding that separates it from other types of campaigns. Horror fans are loyal in a way that’s almost indescribable… You also find out who believes in you from the very beginning when the entertainment industry doesn’t see you at all, and that is beyond incredible.
Everyone who backed this project was really supporting Robert and I to keep going on this adventure to create something special for the horror community out there. They put their trust in us and are taking a chance on US, and that is something you can’t manufacture and or buy.
Every single backer of The Crypt of Fear became part of this independent horror anthology series before we even wrote a word of the script. That’s not a metaphor, that’s just true. And I don’t take it lightly for even one second.
So before anything else: thank you. From the bottom of my dark little heart. 🖤
What Is The Crypt of Fear Horror Series?
For anyone finding this blog for the first time, welcome to the journey. Let me catch you up really quick!
The Crypt of Fear is an independent horror anthology series in active development. So, if you love the classic anthology horror format (multiple stories, multiple tones, united by a thread of dread), then this was built for you. We’re talking real storytelling, scares, and performances from real people who are obsessed with this genre.
The kind of horror that doesn’t rely on jump cuts and loud noises to get under your skin, but instead settles in slowly and stays there long after you’ve turned the lights back on. A series filled with dark humor and fun moments that keep you wanting more.
It’s the kind of independent horror anthology series that doesn’t get made by a studio, because studios don’t take risks on stories like this anymore. That’s exactly why we took it to Kickstarter, and exactly why your support changes everything from this moment forward!
So, What Actually Happens Now?
This is the part people don’t always see. The campaign page goes quiet, the notifications slow down, and suddenly the real work of building an independent horror anthology series from the ground up actually begins.
Here’s exactly where we are and where we’re headed:
Step One: Writing the Scripts (Right Now)
As I write this, the scripts for The Crypt of Fear are being actively developed by our director Robert Massetti. This is where the creative heart of any independent horror anthology series lives. Not in the pitch deck, not in the campaign page, but in the quiet, focused, sometimes maddening process of taking a story idea and turning it into something that can actually be filmed.
Horror screenplay writing is its own specific craft. Every scene has to earn its place, and every line of dialogue has to carry weight. The atmosphere has to be built word by word, scene by scene, before a single camera is ever set up. The best horror isn’t written in a rush, it’s constructed carefully, with intention, like laying a trap the audience doesn’t see until it’s already closed around them.
We are in that process right now. And honestly, it’s one of my favorite places to be, because the creativity starts here.
There’s something about the early script phase of an independent horror anthology series that feels almost sacred. Nobody has seen it or judged it yet. It exists only in the minds of the people making it, and in that space, anything is still possible. Every story we’re developing for The Crypt of Fear is getting that same careful, unhurried attention, because the people who funded this project deserve nothing less.
Step Two: Budget Planning. Making Every Dollar Work
Once the scripts are locked, we move into one of the most critical phases of building any independent horror anthology series: figuring out exactly how to stretch the money we raised into the best possible version of the project.
This is where indie filmmaking gets real fast. A studio production has the luxury of throwing resources at problems. We don’t… and honestly, that constraint is one of the things that makes independent horror so creatively alive. When you can’t rely on spectacle, you rely on story. When you can’t buy your way out of a weak script, you write a better one. The limitations become the engine.
We’ll be going deep on this in an upcoming post, because I want to be fully transparent about the process of taking a funded Kickstarter campaign and turning it into a real, finished independent horror anthology series. Budget planning for a crowdfunded production is a specific skill set and we’re going to share what we learn along the way.
What I can tell you right now: every dollar that came in is going directly into making The Crypt of Fear the best version of itself it can be. Not overhead. Not waste. Into the work.
And let’s be real for a second. This budget is going to move fast. There are costs in independent film production that nobody warns you about until you’re staring at the invoice. Insurance. Location fees. Equipment, sound design, color grading, insurance, legal. The list goes on and it adds up faster than you’d ever imagine.
But here’s what we decided from day one: we are going to do this right. No cutting corners on the things that matter. No shortcuts that show up on screen. Every dollar is going to be accounted for, respected, and stretched as far as it can go.
Because the people who backed this project deserve a finished product they’re proud to have believed in. We are grateful for every single cent, and we are going to honor it.
Why Independent Horror Anthology Series Are Having a Moment
It’s worth zooming out for a second, because what we’re building with The Crypt of Fear exists inside a larger cultural moment that I find genuinely thrilling.
The independent horror anthology series format has exploded in recent years, and not just at the studio level. Indie anthology series are thriving precisely because they give creators the freedom to tell stories that don’t fit neatly into a single feature film box. Each story in an anthology can carry its own tone, its own pace, its own rules. The anthology format is honestly horror’s most natural home.
For horror fans, we are living in a golden age of this format, and the most exciting entries aren’t always coming from the biggest budgets. They’re coming from teams of people who care deeply about the genre and are willing to fight for the stories they want to tell.
That’s us. That’s The Crypt of Fear. And that’s why your support for this independent horror anthology series means more than you probably realize.
In 2026, crowdfunding isn’t the easy slam dunk it once was. People are more careful with their money. More cautious about what they back. Which makes the fact that our community showed up for this project even more meaningful. You chose us. That’s not nothing. That’s everything.
The Cameo Announcement Is Coming
Here’s a little extra something to stay tuned for. Part of our Kickstarter campaign included a cameo appearance opportunity, which is a chance for one very lucky person to actually appear in The Crypt of Fear on screen. The response to that reward tier was incredible, and the announcement of our winner is coming very soon.
I’m not going to say anything more about it right now. Just be sure to watch this space, and maybe keep an eye on your inbox. 👀🖤
What This Moment Means to Me Personally
I’ve been an actress, a voice actor, and a performer for a long time. I’ve worked on projects big and small, studio-backed and completely independent. And I’ll tell you something I believe with everything I have: The most interesting work being made right now is being made independently.
Not because studios don’t make great things… I they still do. But because the creative freedom that comes with independent production (making exactly the story you want to make, with the collaborators you choose, for the audience you’re genuinely building), is unlike anything else in this industry.
The Crypt of Fear is that. It’s ours. It’s yours. And this independent horror anthology series exists because a community of real people decided that independent horror storytelling was worth showing up for. You don’t need a studio or a massive budget.
You need a story worth telling, a team that believes in it, and a community willing to raise their hand… And we have all three.
What’s Coming Next
I’m documenting this entire journey here on the blog. Every step of building a real independent horror anthology series from funded campaign to finished product. If you’ve ever wondered what that process actually looks like from the inside, you’re in the right place.
Here’s what’s coming up:
- How we’re approaching the Crypt of Fear scripts: the story philosophy behind an independent horror anthology series that actually scares you
- Independent film budget planning: making a funded Kickstarter go as far as possible: the real, transparent numbers conversation
- The cameo winner announcement 👀🖤
- Pre-production: what happens before a single camera rolls on an indie horror series
One Last Thing
The crypt is open.
If you’re a filmmaker, an actor, a horror fan, or just someone who believes that the stories worth telling are worth fighting for, The Crypt of Fear is proof that an independent horror anthology series can start with a community and a dream and become something real.
Let’s go make something terrifying, together. 🎬🖤
Shannon Scott is a professional actress, voiceover artist, and producer based in Florida. Follow the full Crypt of Fear journey here on the blog and on Instagram @simplyshannonscott. To learn more about Shannon’s acting and voiceover work visit simplyshannonscott.com.