In this Dances With Films press-junket edition of Below the Line, host Judy Nguyen talks with Matt Schuffler (writer/director of The Traveler) and producers Matt Ruccio and Megan-Michelle German. Set in the Victorian era, The Traveler follows a grieving widow who believes she’s being visited by her late husband, until the presence turns hostile and a twist reframes everything. The team digs into making an ambitious period ghost story on a shoestring: seven years of persistence, nights-and-weekends production, a Kickstarter with 200+ backers, post/VFX miracles, and an editor (Dan Roman) who helped shape the film’s tension and reveal. They also trace the film’s DNA, from childhood hauntings to influences like The Others, and share how this short stands as a true proof-of-concept for a feature or anthology. It’s a conversation about buy-in, creative grit, grief, and the pure thrill of hearing an audience whisper, “Ooh… this is scary.”