Earworm

Fiscal Sponsorship Project

Project Synopsis

YOU CAN’T UNHEAR THIS. After spending all day in bed doomscrolling, Reed stumbles upon a video of a mother ‘unaliving’ her baby… while humming the same 4 notes over and over and over. Now every sound that Reed hears in his everyday life morphs into those 4 notes– and with each note, the bloody Mother draws closer. EARWORM is a high-concept horror film with the gripping mechanics of LIGHTS OUT, the stomach-churning suspense of IT FOLLOWS, and the timely commentary of TALK TO ME.

Format

Short Film

Genre

Horror

Filming Locations

Los Angeles

Key Team

Ben Baraad
Writer/Director

Ben Baraad is a writer, director, and editor from Los Angeles who focuses on telling heartfelt stories through horror. His horror short LIMP (CryptTV) earned 11 million+ views across FBWatch/ YouTube, with a feature adaptation in development. His writing has been recognized by ScreenCraft Horror as a finalist, as well as Sundance’s screenplay competition.

Bijan Kazerooni
Producer

Bijan Kazerooni is a Los Angeles based Producer. His debut feature BLUE FILM (prod. Mark Duplass) made waves on the festival circuit, to be distributed in 2026. Since 2022, he has supported Amazon MGM Studios’ in-house production management team on global titles.

Will Youmans
Producer

Will Youmans is a writer and producer based in Los Angeles, CA. His script OUR HOUSE was selected for the 2023 Blacklist. He produced SHITHOUSE (dir. Cooper Raiff) which won the SXSW 2020 Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature and was distributed by IFC. His second feature BLUE FILM received critical acclaim at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and is playing at festivals across the country.

Spencer Patzman
Producer

Spencer Patzman is filmmaker and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. Working as a producer, editor, and director, Spencer has more than decade of filmmaking experience stemming from his roots in USC’s film production program. In 2022 he founded SKAPA FILMS, a production company specializing in projects with visual effects, animation, and mixed media. SKAPA’s work spans narrative films, documentary, commercials, music videos, and interactive projections. His notable works include post-producing Beyoncé’s kinetic visual-album, BLACK IS KING, and directing, editing and producing his award-winning documentary, BRIDGE. Spencer is also a member of the Producers Guild of America.

Director Statement

EARWORM is a reflection on one of the most difficult periods in my life. It’s a film about the days when trauma loops in our head like a broken record, endless and inescapable… when everything we do to take control of our situation somehow makes things worse. In challenging times like these, I’ve found horror movies– cinematic screams into the void– to be a vital lifeline. Because, lost in the dark, these screams are the only way to know we’re not alone.

Drawing on a lifelong passion for the blend between sound effects and music– first discovered as an eager kindergartener watching THE MUSIC MAN, now reflected in my love of experimental hip-hop sampling– EARWORM aims to create a haunting atmosphere unlike anything you’ve ever heard. For the audience members who relate to Reed’s struggle most deeply, I hope our team’s work reminds you of one thing: even in the face of horrible events, you will one day reconnect with others to tell the story as your own.

—Ben Baraad, Writer/Director