After joining us earlier in the year, I'm thrilled to welcome Aleen Isley back to talk about her upcoming film "I:Scream" and the crowdfunding campaign to make the film.
Me: Hello, and thank you for returning to this! Since last we spoke, you’ve started a shift to directing with your upcoming project “I:Scream.” What can you tell us about it?
Aleen Isley: “I:Scream” is meant to be a fun modern-day sci-fi romp that homages the monster movies of the 1950s. It is about a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream that accidentally mixes with experimental chemicals and comes to life with one purpose: to eat everyone. It’s also about unrequited young love and what lengths someone would go to in danger to try and save the object of their affection.
Me: What was the inspiration behind the film? What caused you to take this step in your career?
AI: The film is inspired by my love of classic monster movies such as “The Blob” and “Tarantula,” and my penchant for seemingly inanimate objects coming to life to cause mayhem. My first job as a teenager was working in an ice cream shop, and I’ve always said that if I could make enough money to pay off all my debts, my dream job would be to open my own ice cream shop. I’ve co-written on several projects with Steve Rudzinski over the years (“CarousHELL,” “Amityville Christmas Vacation”) but wanted to challenge myself to take the reigns and see what sort of movie lurks within my own mind for a change.
Me: What has been the most challenging aspect of getting a project like this started? Has your experience in the past allowed you to take charge in an unexpected way so far?
AI: The most challenging aspect of this project right now is the location scouting. We always tell folks to “write for your budget,” and of course, I had to go and write a script with a bunch of different locales. However, I’ve been able to secure a few locations within the small business community of Pittsburgh, and I’m looking forward to those scenes adding production value to this piece of kitschy comedy. In the past, I’ve worn many hats on our sets, so I’ve been able to observe every facet of the production process. I will be drawing on much of that experience to help guide how I organize and run the project as director.
Me: With an announced cast and crew of experienced indie talent, how'd you settle on the cast getting involved in the film? What characteristics do you look for with each performer that they bring to the table to help bring the production to light?
AI: While I’m still casting small parts, the leads have sort of fallen right into place. One came from a table read I had with friends to get feedback on the script. I loved how B. read for Charlie, and I have worked with them on stage and screen before, so I had to have them as my leading nerd. Others are returning actors from previous projects who were a joy to have on set, and also some brand new faces to Silver Spotlight Films. I’m actually drawing a lot of talent from the local theater community because I think stage actors have a great hold on comedy, and for this sort of project, I need the characters to be larger-than-life for the B-movie jokes to land.
When I’m casting, I often don’t try to choose a physicality to assign to a role. I write openly, with the idea that many roles could be played by any gender, race, or body type. Instead, I look for people who give the overall ‘vibe’ of the character I’m casting during their reading. Also, it really helps if they are good at communicating and hitting deadlines in a timely fashion. You wouldn’t believe how many people apply to audition for roles and then just never send their videos in. It’s a shame, really, because you can’t just cast on a blind whim.
Me: Going with the crowdfunding route to get the film funded, what are you hoping for having the project completed?
AI: I am currently trying to raise a budget of five thousand dollars. At this stage in the pre-production process, I have already put in about a thousand out of my own pocket, and I still want to pay everyone a day rate and feed them. The money raised from the Kickstarter will go towards paying the cast, craft services, our composer (Mike Trebilcock), closed captioning, DVD printing, and artists for cover art. I don’t take a paycheck from these passion projects, so I just hope that once it’s finished, people will see it and want to put it in their library. If the project doesn’t meet its financial goal, I can still move forward with the production, but it will take much longer to complete since I’ll have to take on additional jobs to my full-time day job to try and cover all of the expenses on my own. Giving money to the campaign can be as simple as just pre-ordering your DVD or Blu-ray. We have successfully funded 3 campaigns that put actual movies in people’s hands over the last decade, so you know the final film will be delivered. If funded, I’m looking at a late fall release.
Me: With the film in such an early stage of production and working in so many facets as you are, what do you do to keep yourself focused on the film’s process?
AI: I am the queen of to-do lists. My phone’s notes app is filled with checklists, calendars, appointments, and links for the project. I have at least 4 spreadsheets and a binder set up for things like budgeting, shoot days, shot lists, and props/costumes tracking. It’s crazy how much planning actually goes into these things before a camera even has a chance to power on and start rolling. I try to accomplish at least 2 things a day that are movie-related before hitting the hay.
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you would like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!
AI: I’ll also be helping with production on “Wally Meets Popeye” with Silver Spotlight Films. We actually start shooting in mid-April and will wrap up the project pretty quickly before heading into production for “I:Scream”. We’re also slated to shoot a pilot for a documentary/interview series about microbudget horror directors and their movies, but I can’t release much more about the project just yet, as it’s a work-for-hire. I’ll also be a special guest at GrossFest here in Pittsburgh on August 1st and 2nd, where I’ll be reunited with other ladies from the CarousHELL trilogy, including Mel Heflin and Jessa Jupiter Flux. If you haven’t checked it out, it’s a great convention that really celebrates independent horror and lets movies like “I:Scream” shine.
To check out the campaign itself and potentially invest in it for yourself, check it out at the link below:
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