For years, people have asked how they can support my work—whether it’s my award-winning short horror film Gumdrop, a short horror...my multi-award-winning short WWI filmic poem, "Pvt. Ravels' Bolero", or...the unnerving fiction I’ve published, or the behind-the-scenes stories of how all this madness gets made.
FYI, I have a blog coming out at noon today that explains a bit more about my background, but it's a politically based blog article. Still, the first part goes into depth about some of my background. I'll add a link to it here when it posts in a couple of hours.
Moving on...
Photo: Aura Stiers / from "Gumdrop", a short horror (2019)
Until now, my answer has mostly been: "Just keep reading, watching, and spreading the word."
But I’ve finally decided to give a better answer. And it’s called Patreon.
So… why now?
Simple: I’m creating at my highest level ever with a lot of interesting history from my projects (so I'm told by others), with a lot of knowledge in what I've learned. Both the good and the bad. And I'd like to share it directly with those who care most...without a middleman, without algorithms deciding who gets to see what, and without waiting a year between finished projects and public releases.
Patreon gives me a space to share, and to share some things I really don't want to share openly to all:
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Share exclusive behind-the-scenes content
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Post full screenplays and scripts for members
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Offer access to deleted scenes, commentary, and story origins
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And eventually, invite you into works-in-progress and early releases
Whether you’re a fellow writer, filmmaker, horror fan, starting out or deeply embedded in that career, or simply someone who enjoys a disturbing story well told, this is where I’ll be publishing the stuff that doesn’t go anywhere else which may include expanded versions of my Murdockinations blog. Which was why I was calling this Patron Murdockinations+.
What’s up there now?
I just launched with a few key pieces, including:
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The final shooting script for Gumdrop, my noir-horror short that won multiple international awards.
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A follow-up post on Tuesday, August 5th, 2025 with the continuity script—the final version of the screenplay that reflects exactly what made it into the finished film.
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The origin story behind Gumdrop City, the true crime short story that inspired the film.
But also stories about my fiction like my 2024 New York City Big Book Award for Horror, Death of Heaven, a book decades in the making, and it paid off.
Just creative stuff, no news, no politics, just writing, cinema, films, stories (fiction and non-fiction).
More is coming, including photo sets (some Gumdrop behind the scenes are already on the site), film breakdowns, and private access to things I’ve never released publicly before. And who knows what, as I get used to this format and hear what interests people.
I started learning about cinema as a child in the 1960s watching foreign films on PBS, a great service that is under fire today, for some reason. I grew up loving PBS. I learned a lot while I thought I was just enjoying entertainment. I took cinema classes in college after I got out of the Service. I took a series of seminars with the late great director/producer Stanley Kramer (that...was an amazing time and experience, a-maz-ing).
My degree in psychology focused on phenomenology, and that perspective has quietly shaped much of my work. I’ve also lived an unusual life and crossed paths with some fascinating people, all of which colors my storytelling.
My approach to fiction is rooted in reality—even when I’m writing about the fantastical, I aim to ground it in plausibility. That contrast between the real and the unreal tends to make the result even more unsettling.
What does it cost?
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Free Tier – You can join and access select posts at no cost. Great if you’re just curious or want to follow along. I've had a free tier for a while now, but the new tier is going to be somewhat different.
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Paid Tier – For the price of a cup of coffee a month, you’ll get access to all the juicy stuff: full scripts, behind-the-scenes content, commentary, and sneak peeks at upcoming work.
Why your support matters
Independent filmmakers and writers don’t have studios or marketing departments behind them. We have... us. And maybe, if we’re lucky, you. It is difficult to get attention over that of say a musician, not that any artist has it easy. But consider this, "Hey, listen to this new riff I came up with." As opposed to, "Hey, watch this new story I wrote, or book I wrote, or film I produced." Those are much harder sells.
Your support allows me to keep making dark, thoughtful, sometimes uncomfortable work—and to share it directly with you.
If you’ve ever read one of my stories and felt haunted, or watched Gumdrop and felt unsettled (in a good way), then this Patreon is the next step. It’s where I go deeper and bring you with me.
Ready?
🩸 Join me on Patreon
See what’s already there. And what's coming...
Peek behind the curtain.
Read the scripts.
Ask a question. And maybe...stay a while.
Let’s build something weird together.
— JZ Murdock
Cheers! Sláinte! Na zdravie!
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