A New Horror Short Is Coming: El Cucú

Inside DogCatBear Productions’ collaborative writing process

At DogCatBear Productions, storytelling has always been the heartbeat of what we do. Whether we’re building immersive experiences, producing branded content, or developing original film projects, we’re always chasing the same goal: create stories that leave an impact.

Right now, we’re deep in the writing process for our newest horror short film: El Cucú.

This project is being written by our core creative team — Laurel Hatfield, Jonathan Diaz, and Deion Galindo — and the experience has reminded us why collaboration is one of the most powerful tools a creative team can have.

A Story Built Through Collaboration

Writing as a team isn’t always the easiest route, but it’s one of the most rewarding. Each of us brings a different strength to the table, and the film gets better every time we challenge each other’s ideas.

Sometimes the writing process looks like structured outlining sessions. Other times it’s chaotic in the best way — bouncing scenes back and forth, pitching twists, rewriting dialogue in real time, and asking the most important question over and over:

“Is this scary enough?”

We’ve learned that the best horror doesn’t come from just one person’s imagination. It comes from the push and pull of perspectives — one of us building the tension, another sharpening the character motivations, and another tightening the pacing so the fear hits at the perfect moment.

Balancing Fear, Emotion, and Meaning

With El Cucú, our goal isn’t just to create something scary.

We want the story to have weight.

We’re focused on building horror that feels personal — the kind that creeps under your skin because it’s grounded in emotion, family, memory, and the fear of what might be waiting in the dark. That balance is something we talk about constantly while writing.

Every scene gets tested:

Does it move the story forward?

Does it deepen the character?

Does it increase the tension?

Does it leave the audience unsettled?

If the answer isn’t yes, we rewrite.

Our Writing Workflow (And Why It Works)

One of the biggest reasons this collaboration works is trust. We’ve built a rhythm where we can be honest, direct, and open to change without ego getting in the way.

Our process usually flows like this:

• We start with a core concept and theme

• We outline the story beats together

• We split up scenes and drafts, then regroup

• We revise as a unit, focusing on tone and pacing

• We keep refining until the story feels sharp, scary, and intentional

  
  

The best part is that the script becomes something none of us could have written alone. It becomes its own beast — stronger, smarter, and more terrifying because of the teamwork behind it.

Why We’re Making This Short Film

We’re creating El Cucú with a clear mission:submit to film festivals and win awards.

Film festivals aren’t just about exposure — they’re proof. Proof that the work stands out. Proof that audiences connect with it. Proof that we can deliver a finished story with quality, style, and impact.

Winning awards and being officially selected gives our team something every filmmaker needs more of:

credibility.

Not just for the sake of recognition, but because credibility opens doors. It builds momentum. It helps us get meetings. It gives investors and partners confidence that we’re not just dreaming big — we’re executing at a high level.

The Bigger Goal: Funding Our Feature Films

This short film is part of a much larger plan.

At DogCatBear Productions, we’re always developing feature-length projects. We believe in those stories, and we’re committed to bringing them to life — no matter how long it takes.

But feature films require real funding, real partnerships, and real leverage.

El Cucú is one of the steps we’re taking to build that leverage.

Every festival selection, every award, every audience reaction helps strengthen the foundation we’re building as filmmakers. It shows that our work is worth backing — and it brings us closer to securing funding for one of our full-length feature films.

What Comes Next

We’re still writing. Still refining. Still pushing the story to be better.

But we can already feel it taking shape into something special — something that reflects who we are as storytellers and what we’re capable of as a team.

We can’t wait to share more soon.

Until then, we’ll keep writing… and we’ll keep chasing the fear.

DogCatBear ProductionsOriginal stories.

Bold filmmaking. Central Florida roots.