1. What was one of the most challenging moments you faced while making Monster? Did this ‘setback’ change the direction of the final story?

One of the many big challenges was the story. Before we started the film, there were countless storyboard versions. Many made the film much more complex than it is now, or they would have distracted from the actual message of the film. For example, there was an ending with a big plot twist where it turns out that the supporting character or many other visitors at the swimming pool are also monsters. Such endings are very tempting when you fear that the story might not be interesting enough. But we stayed strong and chose the simple, and thus better, ending.

2. What was the biggest inspiration behind Monster?

In 2017, Piers drew a short comic with the same title. It was also about a monster that has to go into the city to do some shopping. Here too, it disguises itself as a human to avoid standing out in the human world. The comic was a conceptual blueprint for our movie. Even if it’s more subconscious, films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Men in Black, and Under the Skin are definitely strong inspirations for our film as well.

3. What message do you want the audience to take away from Monster?

“Learn to accept yourself, and others will too,” could be one possible message, but we don't want to dictate exactly what the audience should take from this film. Rather, they should decide for themselves.

4. What draws you to telling your stories in VR format?

Monster was funded by Meta, so we were obligated to produce it in a VR format. But even before that, we were very fascinated by VR and wanted to explore what possibilities it offers for the medium of film. Watching Monster in VR gives you an even more immersive experience. It allows you to step much further into the shoes of the main character, which in turn supports the theme of "identity" in the story.