Rome International Film Festival - Artifice
Artifice Still – Patient 17B59 is imprisoned and interrogated by The Queen.
Following an actor’s preparation for a terrifying role. As reality and fantasy blurs, he finds himself lost between both worlds.
Interview with Director/Producer/Writer Steven Doxey
Watch Artifice on Tubi, Google Play and Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
All kinds of stories interest me, but the ones that cut to my core are the cautionary tales. The stories that explore perhaps the darker, uglier side of humanity. These kinds of stories force us to examine and reflect on the film long after the screen has gone dark. We have to ask questions. What went wrong? Do those same character flaws exist in myself? Could I be capable of this, if I was in her position?
This is the reason I wanted to make Artifice. It explores the duality of self, and how far someone is willing to go to pursue their dreams. We all cast a shadow, and sometimes our shadows take control. This is what I set out to explore with Artifice.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this because you will relate to it, because you will be terrified, and because you will have a lot of fun. It’s a film lover’s film. It explores the industry, and all of its pitfalls. It explores method acting, and just how far a totally committed actor can take his craft. It’s also quite the psychological thriller, it blends realities, and hopefully transports you to different worlds.
Ultimately, my hope is that an audience member will sit down for an hour and a half, and follow Jacob Alexander Hynes down this chaotic rabbit hole, and as this character goes deeper down that hole, the audience won’t be able to look away, they’ll be glued to their seats.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I’ve written numerous screenplays, and a lot of them explore similar themes, mainly because they interest me personally. Perhaps it’s too revealing to admit this publicly, but I can see a part of myself in the lead of Jacob Alexander Hynes. I’ve always been very passionate about stories and films. They have kept my interest for the last fifteen years, and I still love them just as much as I ever did. Because of this intense passion for films, I often push myself too hard, sometimes with awful results.
I’ve had this dream to become a full time director, and sometimes I’ve tried so hard to achieve that, to a fault, and I’ve made big mistakes. A few failed relationships, bad career decisions, lost money, the list goes on and on. But the lead character in Artifice wants the same thing. He wants his dreams realized, at any cost. I think this is a universal theme as well. We all have dreams, ambition, and goals. We all want something out of life, and sometimes, we become blinded to everything outside those goals, and that can have serious consequences.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
My brother Michael Doxey came up with the general idea for this film. And I loved the idea so much, that I brought it to my long time collaborator Brandon Sean Pearson. Brandon Sean Pearson, also the lead in the film, and I wrote the script with the idea that we were going to make the film ourselves.
We knew we wouldn’t get financing for this film, and so we tried to contain the locations, the props, even the amount of cast, so that we could successfully pull it off ourselves. Of course, through the process of writing the script, the ideas became larger and the whole thing sort of go away from us. But we liked how the script turned out, so we knew we had to make that movie.
While shooting, we were presented with a lot of challenges. Limited location availability, limited prop and set dressing availability, and cast and crew availability. We shot almost the entire film in fifteen days. So we altered the script slightly to accommodate those changes, but the shooting process was extremely smooth, thanks to a phenomenal crew, who mostly consisted of volunteers that were kind and dedicated enough to lend us their talents and ability.
A lot of the story changed throughout the editing process. The rough cut for this film was two and half hours! The cut was exactly as the script was written, scene for scene. From there, we painstakingly tried to get at the root of what this film was about, and that was the hardest thing.
It was also sometimes hard to know what was working and what wasn’t, because we had all seen it so many times. I fought for some things, and so did our editor Weston Woodbury, and so did Brandon. We tried a shorter version of the film, and then felt that it was missing essential character development, and then we tried a longer cut, but felt that it was too slow. But ultimately, I felt like the cut came together with the vision intact.
Small story elements did change, but for the most part the journey the character takes stayed the same. Mostly, we had to cut out a lot of behind the scenes moments, with the cast and crew in the film, which was sad, but we knew it was the right choice to push the story along. The cliché phrase was true for this film, you have to kill your baby.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I’ve done a few private test screenings for cast / crew / friends / and industry folks, just to gauge their reaction. I even handed out anonymous feedback sheets after those screenings. The reviews have really been positive. People have commented on loving Brandon Sean Pearson’s performance, as well as other key actors, the look and feel of the film, and the really big score and sound design in the movie. I’ve also gotten a bit of not-so-positive feedback as well, like character development issues. But ultimately, we have gotten an overwhelmingly positive response, and I’m really pleased, and relieved!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We did a lot of test screenings, and gauged a lot of feedback from industry peers throughout the editing process, that when I screened it for general audiences, I wasn’t incredibly surprised by the feedback. It was pleasantly surprising to see what aspects of the film people really liked, but some of the negative feedback seemed to confirm some doubts my editor, my team and I had in the editing room. But I feel like the more time I spend away from the film, now that it’s finished and I’m not looking at it every day, the more I can see it objectively. So I may have changed a few things in hindsight. But it’s one of those things, where you can tinker for years to come and never be satisfied.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I’d just love to see more exposure for Artifice! It’s really kind of WeAreMovingStories to interview me for Artifice, and to share other excellent independent films with the public. It’s unfortunate, but a great deal of independent films with amazing stories gets swept under the rug and aren’t really seen. Movies that so many people have sacrificed an enormous amount of time, money, blood sweat, and tears to make. So really, I just want more people to get a chance to see Artifice, and to learn more about independent film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We currently have Circus Road Films attached as a sales agent. What I hope can happen with this film is that it will have a solid film festival presence, garners positive reviews from festival directors and journalists, and eventually get distribution.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Because this movie is about… movie making, I hope that it has an impact on how people view the filmmaking process. I hope they get an idea of how much work goes into the craft of acting, and what a dedicated art form it is. And of course I would love it if people responded positively! Personally, my life-long goal is to continue making films, and a positive reception can help to ensure that I get to do that.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
If you sacrifice everything to achieve your dreams, how will that process change you, and what kind of person will you become once you get there?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for spreading the word on independent films!
Interview: August 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Artifice
Following an actor’s preparation for a terrifying role. As reality and fantasy blurs, he finds himself lost between both worlds.
Length: 1 hr 44 min
Director: Steven Doxey
Producer: Steven Doxey, Brandon Sean Pearson, Michael Doxey, Weston Woodbury, Levi Obery
Writer: Brandon Sean Pearson & Steven Doxey
About the writer, director and producer:
Steven Doxey: Director / Producer / Writer:
Steven has worked in almost every department, but primarily as an Assistant Director. Doxey owns a commercial and film production company, called Digiphile Productions, and produces nationally televised commercial content. Artifice is Steven’s first full-length film as a Writer/Director.
Brandon Sean Pearson: Writer / Lead Role
Brandon Sean Pearson has recently starred in the feature length film “The Maze” as well as co-starring in the 37th Annual Student Academy Award Best Picture short film “Inspector 42.” Brandon has spent the last thirteen years building up an impressive resume, which includes playing the lead roles in professional productions of “MacBeth,” “The Crucible,” “ Bug,” “True West,” “Red Light Winter” and “The Pillowman”. Brandon has also written several screenplays, three of which have been optioned.
Michael Doxey: Producer
Michael resides in Logan, Utah, where he works as the resident commercial director for a large company. He has written, produced, and directed dozens of internationally award-winning commercials. Most notably, commercials for G.E., Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Dell.
Key cast:
Brandon Sean Pearson – Jacob Alexander Hynes / Patient 17B59
Kent Hadfield – Howard Rulin
Jane Noble – Vanessa / The Queen
Chris Persky – Dr. Sievers
Julia Fae – Ash / Patient 09G24
Elena Scarlett Murray - Jenna
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Looking for Film Festival Directors, Journalist, Distributors.
Funders:
Self Financed
Made in association with:
Woodbury Productions, Ten Thirty-One Pictures
Release date:
2016
Where can I watch it in the next month?
Artifice will be screening at the Rome International Film Festival September 17th, 2016.