As one of Horror’s most Notorious Directors Fred starting his career as a special effects artist. Vogel mastered his skill in make-up and sculpture as an instructor at Tom Savini’s Special Make-Up Effects Program in Monessen, PA. With a desire to create great horror Fred left teaching in 2001 to direct his first feature August Underground. The first time director also wrote, produced and starred as the antagonist/protagonist in the cult classic that assails the viewer with an ultra-realistic look at the personal home video of a serial killer.
In the fall of 2002 Vogel teamed up with long-term FX colleague Jerami Cruise to form TOETAG PICTURES. August Underground’s MORDUM was the breakout film for the full service production company located in Pittsburgh, PA. The follow up to Fred Vogel’s August Underground, AUM ups the ante on controversy and gore. August Underground’s MORDUM has been proclaimed as, “the most disturbing film ever made.” Spring of 2003 Vogel traveled to Europe to film the documentary Sickcess for Horror Metal Gods Necrophagia.  
One year after shooting AUM, Vogel returned to his roots with partner Cruise to create stomach-churning effects for the film Murder-Set-Pieces. The first NC-17 horror film shot on 35mm was directed by Nick Palumbo and features several horror icons. In addition to his effects work Fred also displayed his acting ability in a scene opposite Tony (Candyman) Todd.

In 2005 Fred went in to production on The Redsin Tower.  “Redsin is no Snuff film,” Vogel says. A complete departure from the AU series, genre fans should expect nothing less than Pure Horror from Vogel’s upcoming feature. The highly anticipated August Underground’s PENANCE is in Pre-Production. Fred is taking his time planning the final installment in the AU series to create the most intense and disturbing film in the trilogy.
 As a fan above all else Vogel’s goal is to pump black blood back into horror by creating disturbing imagery and fresh concepts to revive the otherwise stagnant pit of remakes and PG-13 horror that has been flooding his beloved genre.