Screenwriter and actress Rosemary Idisi is living the dream and making it through “the lag.” Rising multi-hyphenate Idisi dropped by “The Wayne Ayers Podcast” to dish all about the dark, glamorous, and just plain insane events that led to the creation of her first feature film, “Glamping,” which is now playing on Tubi. From a small spark ignited at a girl’s weekend in Joshua Tree to a feminist horror exploration of social media stardom, tragedy, and just how far folks will go for “fame,” “Glamping” has come a mighty long way.
We’re talking influencer culture and psychological horror, all wrapped in a package of Gen Z terms because, yes, Rosemary wanted it pink.
And of course, the internet is obsessed. She has TikTok edits to prove it.
Everything that’s juicy will be detailed below
The Creative Spark: Joshua Tree, Friends, Phones, and Paranoia
This glamping adventure all started with Rosemary and a few of her friends in a secluded cabin. She starts thinking of a worst-case scenario.
“We were supposed to be connecting with nature,” she says. “But everyone was out taking pictures with their phones, and I was thinking, ‘What if something horrible happened out here? What if just someone showed up out of nowhere?”
In that moment, #Glamping was born, although this horror was more than just a creepy outdoor setting. Rosemary quickly weaved in the dark side of influencer grind culture. She spoke of real events, such as the Ruby Franke scandal, and asked just how far one would go for internet popularity.
Then came a girls’ weekend in the desert that spawned a horror movie formula out of themes of survival, obsession, and viral intoxication.
Her friends’ reaction?
“They were like, This is what you were thinking about when we were out there?!”
“It’s Literally Me and My Friend Group”: The Roots of Generation Z
“Glamping has all the earmarks of a cult classic in the making, involving anxiety, ambition, TikTok speak, and a vision of a perfectly filtered campsite.”
“It’s definitely a thing for younger generations,” she says. “There is a lot of Gen Z talk because that’s literally me and my group of friends.”
In fact, fans are just clamoring for it.
She also awoke one morning to a TikTok edit of herself.
“That was surreal, but also weird,” she laughs.
From 15 Minutes to Feature: The Big Leap
The original short was intense, a whirlwind, and a tidy 15 minutes.
The feature has almost 90 minutes of more fully developed characters, emotion, and a slow unraveling toward madness.
“It was definitely a learning curve,” she admits. “You have to sacrifice things but still keep the heart of what made the short work.”
One of the major creative changes occurred in Olivia’s character.
In fact, originally, Olivia’s storyline was much darker than it turned out in this feature.
In this short film, Olivia actually planned those murders herself, but she was not caught by anyone.
“She planned the chaos, set herself up as a victim, and concluded with an influx of notifications as she broadcast live about “dead friends.” Sociopathic queen behavior.”
In the feature, Rosemary was compelled to do an act of redemption for Olivia that audiences could relate to.
Nevertheless, fans demand blood.
“People wanted a full-on slasher,” she confesses. “If there is a sequel, we might give the gore a chance to breathe.”
Translation: Be prepared for violence.
Winning Tubi’s Stubios Greenlight Contest… in Six Hours
Every chaotic success story ever is born at a randomly attended gala.
Then came a mention of the Tubi Stubios Greenlight Contest, so Rosemary applied right away, with nothing but her shorts and a quick pitch in hand.
Several months later, she got an opportunity to pitch a team and came up with a huge pink pitch package that she completely dived into. She progressed to the finale round, where engaging with audiences was crucial.
“And she just completely bulldozed”
“We were supposed to get 21 days for fan engagement. I won in six hours.”
Tubi was allegedly surprised.
Girlboss level: Expert.
“The support blew me away, and I have to thank my fans because without them, my project wouldn’t have been so successful,” she
She also got mentoring from Stubios, which she wishes to pay back in kind and inspire others to hatch small ideas that eventually become real films.
The Message Behind the Madness
When asked what is at the heart of Glamping’s message, Rosemary has no hesitation.
“‘Social media can definitely change who you are as a person if you let it,'”
Olivia starts as an innocent and ambitious character, but she slowly metamorphoses into a completely unfamiliar individual.
In other words: Clout will rot your brain.
Rosemary tells you to use social networks deliberately because you shouldn’t let them consume you whole.
Wayne agrees. He’s just getting into advertising stuff and looking at funny clips. Nice king.
Sequel Talk? Oh, It’s Coming…
Although nothing is definite, Rosemary is well aware of just how thirsty fans have been for more of that type of action.
She teased several suggestions that she considered for a possible sequel involving revenge themes, cabin murders, and a full-fledged franchise.
There are survivors.
There are loose ends.
There is Daisy.
A trilogy is definitely not out of the question.
We will be seated.
Dream Roles & Big Goals
Besides films, Rosemary also wishes to act in a drama television program.
Imagine Shonda Rhimes’ realm of Scandal, Bridgerton, politics, and “Dark-skinned Nigerian women can be romantic leads,” she says. “We do not see enough of that.” She is also in awe of Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Issa Rae, and a friend of hers named Lovie Simone. Her dream co-star is Martin Bobb-Semple of All-American.
The Lightning Round
This episode concludes with a fan-operated rapid-fire Q&A. Highlights:
Favorite Scary movie?
Jeepers Creepers
Traumatizing as a child, therapeutic as an adult.
Which franchise would Olivia survive?
Scream, “Girl can run.”
Which show would she live in for a year?
Gossip Girl Drama. Fashion. Chaos.
Fictional character she is most similar to
Gabrielle Union in Being Mary Jane.
Celebrity closet to raid:
Zendaya, Obviously.
Three artists to listen to for only a year:
Rihanna, Justin Bieber, J. Cole. “Chaos but perfection line-up.”
Secret talent
Ukulele.
Dream collab
Prada or Chanel. “Imagine the Glamping merch.”
Craziest spontaneous thing she has done
Skinny dipping in a friend’s backyard pond. Gross. A vibe. No Regrets.
What’s Next for Rosemary Idisi?
She is writing. She is an actress auditioning. She also just got new management. She is thinking big and trying to achieve beyond a single platform. Tubi was just the start. She is hungry to make more, do more, and craft her own tales, too. Just judging by her speed, you will likely find her popping up all over the place. We are manifesting Shonda.
