Ferguson originally wanted to open up his own video rental shop, but by the time he graduated from college this had become a thing of the past and was no longer a viable business option.
[2] He started making short films in his father's backyard, inspired by horror filmmakers from the 1970s and 1980s like Wes Craven and Tobe Hooper.
His films focus on long takes and suspenseful editing and he tries to avoid complicated special effects.
[6] Within the horror genre, his portfolio has been noted for running the gamut from very serious and shocking content to deliberately cheesy comedy films.
Critics have variously compared Ferguson's works to exploitation classics such as Mondo Cane, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin and Cannibal Holocaust.