An upcoming filmmaker on the heels of several acclaimed features, Stephen Beason is looking to make a mark on the indie scene with his upcoming film "Painkiller." On the heels of the film's Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, I talk with him about his intentions with the project and some of the influences he has to bring it to life.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First, let's talk about the new film "Painkiller," where did the inspiration for the film come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
Stephen Beason: Thank you for having me. About 3 to 4 years ago I wrote and directed a short film titled ‘Hopeless Romantic’ here in Arkansas that honestly exceeded any expectations I could have hoped for.
We placed in the finals at Austin After Dark and The Beyond the Curve International Film Festival in Paris, France while also placing in official selection at numerous other festivals all around the world.
The response from ‘Hopeless Romantic’ put me in touch with a team of guys from Canada that had a film podcast. We’d get together every week and review our favorite films, talk about new releases, etc.
As it turned out, one of the guys from the show, Darryl Ayles, has a production company based out of London, Ontario called Orange Hat Film Productions and he wanted to bring me on board for an anthology project titled ‘One Night in Lethargia.’
A collection of five horror/crime vignettes from five different filmmakers, all taking place at a bar where each segment is named after a different drink - Bloody Mary, Dark and Stormy, etc.
Mine is Painkiller - the story of a down-on-his-luck ex-championship boxer with a sports gambling addiction that finds himself in the crosshairs of a Nazi gang after a bad bet.
Me: Is there anything from your childhood that helped to flesh out the characterizations?
SB: My grandfather was a definite influence - he was a merchant marine during WWII that boxed professionally overseas during his time on the Eastern Front. In fact, he was only ever knocked out once in his entire career.
I heard lots of stories growing up about how tough he was and the lengths he went to for his family and country.
Those stories were definitely in the back of my mind throughout the writing process - just being mindful and respectful of that while also putting my own twist on classic crime genre tropes.
Me: With a cast of experienced and talented indie actors, how'd you settle on the cast getting involved in the film? What about the actors were you looking for to bring the characters to life?
SB: Skeeta Jenkins and I had connected through social media early on in the post-production process for ‘Hopeless Romantic.’ He liked what I was doing and I’m a big fan of S. Craig Zahler’s work so of course I had seen PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH where I absolutely fell in love with his performance of Cuddly Bear.
I have worked with Marx Mitchell once before and he won Best Actor at the Art is Alive Film Festival in New York City for his role in ‘Hopeless Romantic.’ He brought such natural charisma and energy to the character that ended up elevating the entire film, so I was thrilled to bring him back for ‘Painkiller.’
I mean, honestly, there really never was a second option for either of their characters. It was always written with those two in mind.
That said, I love the other talents we’ve brought on board. They’re all bringing so much dimension to the characters in ways that really surprise me and keep me on my toes. As a director, that’s a good problem to have.
Me: How did you design the crowdfunding campaign for the film? What did you go through to give the film the best chance of being funded?
SB: I was truly blessed honestly.
My girlfriend, Sylvia, is six classes away from her Master’s Degree in marketing so she really took this campaign and ran with it. She has such a passion for film and I can’t stress enough how much she’s brought to this production.
We definitely did our fair share of market research and scoped out other successful campaigns to draw from their successes, and to make sure we were as fair as possible.
We know there are a lot of crowdfunders out there that either don’t deliver a great product or don’t deliver anything at all - we’re only in the interest of making a great movie and I think that level of sincerity and passion resonates with people.
So far, the response has really been phenomenal. As of today with over a week to go, we’re already at 59% with more contributions soon on their way (edit: on the day of publishing, it's now 7 days left with 80% funding).
Me: What are you hoping to achieve with the film's release once the campaign is finished?
SB: It is probably a bit early to say, but as of now the plan looks like taking the festival route followed by eventual online distribution.
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!
SB: Well, I can’t say too much at this point but I recently finished a rough draft of a more psychological-type of horror film. Think THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE meets GONE GIRL.
I also have a finalized feature script about a washed-up 1970s pornstar who gets involved with the cocaine trade - very much inspired by films like BOOGIE NIGHTS and TRUE ROMANCE.
My girlfriend and I are also working on some other projects together including an adult animated series which has been a refreshing change of pace.
The goal is to hopefully shoot at least one of those a bit closer to home in the next year or so. Definitely stay on the lookout for more updates about these upcoming productions. We are so excited about what the future holds.
Thank you so much for the interview!
To check out the campaign, you can do so at the link below:
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