Filmmaker and alumnus Ti West (BFA 2003 Film and Video) recently talked to The New York Times about his creative process and latest writing and directing project, The Innkeepers, which opens February 3. West, a native of Wilmington, Delaware, has attracted notice since his studies at SVA for bringing a contemporary perspective to 1906s-era horror in films like The Roost and The House of the Devil.

Horror director-producer Larry Fessenden said he’s appreciated West’s unique and subtle approach since West interned for him. “Ti is absolutely focused, completely versed in the language of film,” Fessenden said. “He comes from the same school that I come from, which is where you make your film soup to nuts…It’s a real passion for the whole experience.”

The Inkeepers is about a pair of hotel clerks confronted with strange occurrences as they attempt to prove that the hotel is haunted. In the future, West said he hopes to venture into films with bigger budgets while maintaining his personal artistic vision.

To read the complete article, which accompanied by a video interview with the filmmaker and slideshow of his work, visit The New York Times.