In-World War

Behind-The-Scenes Interview: Brian Levy

This is part of an ongoing series of interviews with the people behind In-World War. Filmmaking is a team sport; it takes a village to make a movie. 

Brian Levy plays Junior, one of the most complex and challenging roles in the film (or any other).

How would you describe In-World War (the film itself) in no more than seven words?
In-World War is Brazil meets Matrix.

What was your role on IWW and what did you do?
I was the actor playing Junior. Junior is the main antagonist of the film and propels Mary on his journey.

Why did you get involved with it? How did you hear about it?
Junior is the kind of role an actor dreams of. I saw the casting on Craigslist and was invited to audition by Mariel Christian [Casting Director] and Brant Smith [Director DJ Bad Vegan].

Did you enjoy working on the film? What was the best part for you?
Being able to work with a script of this caliber and such a dedicated team was a real pleasure. Traveling to France to shoot was definitely a highlight of the project.

What interested you about this film in particular?
I have been a long time fan of Fantasy and Sci-Fi books and films so it is always thrilling to me to work in this genre.

How long have you been working in film/involved with film?
I have been working exclusively in film since 2006, but I’ve been acting since I was a kid.

What is your goal in filmmaking generally (director, writer, director of photography, key grip, etc.) and why?
My goal is to make a living as a film actor.

In your view, why is filmmaking and making art important to society as a whole?
There are whole volumes in the answer to this question. Art is vitally important to society. Just one of many reasons is that it holds a mirror up to our society and allows us to examine and question our assumptions.

Did helping make an indie film leave you with a positive or negative outlook on this type of ultra-low budget filmmaking (and why)?
As a principle or supporting actor, I have only worked on ultra-low budget films. While I am extremely grateful for every project I’ve worked on, I long to work on a film that has a higher budget. Higher budget films have more support for each role, for those in front and behind the camera, so each person can focus solely on their task.

How do you feel about the genre of science fiction? Is sci-fi just for fun or can we tell serious stories that are culturally relevant? (Okay, that’s a loaded question....but still, what do you think?)
I love the Sci-Fi genre because it often tackles issues that are culturally relevant in a creative, thought provoking way.

The film takes an usual sci-fi approach to issues of racial profiling, Islamophobia and the so-called “war on terror” -- how have these issues impacted your life and your work?
I feel this issue is much to complex to answer in a short format like this. The United States, from it’s inception, has struggled with issues of race and discrimination, this struggle is woven into the very fabric of our society. We can not escape it and it has a profound impact on us whether we realize it or not.

Before you started with IWW, what did you expect it to be like working on the film?
I try to approach each project with an open mind and few expectations, though the high quality of the script gave me hope the film would turn out well.

How was it actually, compared to that? What was exactly as you expected it? What was very different?
Not having worked with Brant as a director before, I was unsure what his process would be like. He turned out to be one of the best directors I’ve worked with, clear in what he wanted, helpful in creating the right atmosphere for any given scene.

DIY filmmaking can be rough. What was the worst moment? If you have one, share a painful memory from making the film, to give a taste of how tough it got.
The toughest day of shooting for me was my last day of filming, which in and of itself was bitter sweet. It was a series of pick up shots shot over a year after principle photography was finished. We were moving quickly between shots and I had to keep changing my wardrobe. There was no changing room, it was a bitter cold night, the final shot involved me being in nothing but my underwear, and in an extremely emotional moment. Even on this toughest of days, I loved being on set and would do it all again in a heart beat.

What did your experience of working on IWW tell you about humanity and people in general?
People have been very generous with their time and energy working on In-World War and despite a culture that, in general, does not appreciate the arts, there are those that continue to find it vitally important.

What have you been doing since you worked on the film?  What other film projects have you done?
Since the film was shot, my wife gave birth to our daughter. My time, blessedly, has been spent raising her, though I have squeezed in a few short film projects as well.

Why should people get involved with, donate money and/or help out on IWW?
In-World War is, hands down, the best story I’ve worked on and with the right support has the potential to be an amazing film.

What else would you like to say about your experience on IWW?  Any funny anecdotes or behind the scenes stories?
I had a blast working on this project - from shooting in an actual airplane, to being taken down by a SWAT team, to shooting on location in France, magnifique!

To learn more about Brian Levy's other film work:
http://www.imdb.me/brianlevy

Behind-The-Scenes Interview: Mariel Christian

This is part of an ongoing series of interviews with the people behind In-World War. Filmmaking is a team sport; it takes a village to make a movie. 

Mariel Christian is the Casting Director for the film.

How would you describe In-World War (the film itself) in no more than seven words?
A clever futuristic story with thoughts and concepts that relate to modern times. (Sorry, more than 7.)

Why did you get involved with it?  How did you hear about it?
My participation in the casting process was discussed long before there was a rough draft of the script to read. During my internship days with the Quality of Life team, I expressed an interest in casting and Brant [IWW Director DJ Bad Vegan] was kind enough to entertain this idea.  

Did you enjoy working on the film? What was the best part for you?
Absolutely. The auditions had to be the best part for me. Every audition session was exciting.  We enjoyed meeting so many great actors and got to see scenes from the script being acted out.

What interested you about this film in particular?
The story and the opportunity to work with Brant.

How long have you been working in film/involved with film?
From 2005 to 2006 I worked with the Quality of Life team as an intern, and I worked on casting in 2007.

What is your goal in filmmaking generally (director, writer, director of photography, key grip, etc.) and why?
Casting. I am extremely passionate about seeking and finding the perfect match and watching as the characters come to life.

In your view, why is filmmaking and making art important to society as a whole?
It's important to society as a whole because it allows each person to contribute his or her individual talent(s) into one combined piece. In my opinion, making a film is the ultimate collaborative art form.

Did helping make an indie film leave you with a positive or negative outlook on this type of ultra-low budget filmmaking (and why)?
Overall, I will say a positive experience. Working on an indie film with an ultra-low budget is a challenge for everyone involved. I believe it still takes the same amount of time and effort (if not a little more) as a big budget production, and folks have to be on-board and committed to the volunteer aspect of the project.  But the enthusiasm received from the people who linked into this project made it a lot easier to get through.

How do you feel about the genre of science fiction?  Is sci-fi just for fun or can we tell serious stories that are culturally relevant? (Okay, that’s a loaded question.... but still, what do you think?)
I believe there are fascinating and creative stories out there ready to be shared, and that many of them come in the form of science fiction.  Sci-fi can be serious as well as thought provoking and fun. 

The film takes an unusual sci-fi approach to issues of racial profiling, Islamophobia and the so-called “war on terror” -- how have these issues impacted your life and your work? 
These issues haven't had a direct or profound impact in my life experience. More relevant to my life would be the idea of being so overwhelmed by "debt" that I would have to take steps, like the ones our lead character Mary encounters, not to be swiped out of society.

Before you started with IWW, what did you expect it to be like working on the film?
I didn't know exactly what to expect, except that I was signing up for a big commitment. I knew there were some challenges ahead in terms of casting, with roughly 57 speaking roles to fill from the leads to one-liners, but I believed we would get through the process with much success.

How was it actually, compared to that? What was exactly as you expected it? What was very different?
Because of my unknowing of what to expect exactly, I'd say I was open to the unexpected and understood it all to be a genuine "learning experience."

DIY filmmaking can be rough. What was the worst moment? If you have one, share a painful memory from making the film, to give a taste of how tough it got.
My biggest "worry" moment(s) – or something that could be considered "the worst" thing – was going into production without all of the roles cast. Even though this caused some extra stress, it all worked out before becoming a catastrophe.

What did your experience of working on IWW tell you about humanity and people in general?
It's pretty amazing what can be accomplished when a group of people has a personal investment and/or interest in something, and they come together with that energy to make it happen.

What have you been doing since you worked on the film?  What other film projects have you done? 
Since production wrapped, I continue to be involved with indie/low budget projects. I've had the chance to cast two awesome music videos for a group called Letting Up Despite Great Faults, and completed another feature film called Cheated, a dark comedy I worked on over the summer. I keep my eyes open for up-and-coming talent, networking opportunities, and more casting work in the not so far out future.

Why should people get involved with, donate money and/or help out on IWW?
It’s a win-win situation for anyone who can get involved or help out in any way.  If you can donate money of any denomination, it will be a contribution that makes this all possible.

What else would you like to say about your experience on IWW?  Any funny anecdotes or behind-the-scenes stories?
I wouldn't trade this experience for any other.  I just want to thank everyone I worked with along the way for being an amazing team player. I can't wait to see the finished product.  

If people want to get in touch with you, we can provide a website or link (or more than one if you prefer), please let us know if so and provide the link(s) here:
I can be reached via email at castmenow @ gmail.com.