As part of our microbudget filmmaker roundup podcast at this year’s Austin Film Festival, the team behind The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia made the startling admission that its lead performer had never acted before.
Something which is not unheard of, but certainly unorthodox. Yet in the world of indie filmmaking, it’s honestly becoming more regular and more doable.
Telling the story of a washed-up YouTube star who blackmails a rival in an attempt to reclaim her fame, ‘The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia’ is a fascinating look at what the future of filmmaking and content creation could become—and it was shot on a microbudget with some very insightful indie filmmaking techniques.
Check out our interview with writer and director Chris Beier below.
No Film School: What was the inspiration for the film?
Chris Beier: The cinematic inspiration was the top floor of an empty parking garage. The parking garage was attached to my first apartment complex in Austin, Texas. And immediately I knew we had to shoot something up there.
The inspiration for the full story, however, really came from my own experience—wrestling with the desire to pursue fame. Knowing it was utterly empty and meaningless, while at the same time being drawn to it—like a moth to the flame.
And so we eventually developed this story about someone so hypnotized by fame, that they could no longer see reality. Or perhaps they could see reality… but did everything to hide from reality. From the stark, sober realization that they were actually… not special. Not destined to be famous.
NFS: How have you found the Austin Film Festival? What have been some of your favorite experiences from the fest this year?
Beier: While this is our first feature, it is our third time at the Austin Film Festival. We love it (especially because we’re local). And to be accepted is always an honor, as AFF is a festival that values story above everything else. One can always upgrade their cameras, or do a better color grade—but storytelling is often the underestimated soft skill.
NFS: What cameras did you shoot on (and why)?
Beier: Most of this film is shot on the Canon C300mII. I almost upgraded to the C300mIII to shoot internal RAW, but the costs associated with shooting a movie in RAW would have been too much to bear.
I mixed the C300mII with the Sony A7sIII for night shots and movement. It was not easy making a super35 and full-frame sensor match, but with the right lenses, we were able to make it happen.
NFS: As we learned in our podcast discussion, the film makes use of some first-time actors, how did this factor into the planning and production? (Any tips to share?)
Beier: I actually did not go to film school. But I did go to acting school. Even though I transitioned to being behind the camera, authentic performance remained central to anything I made. And the one thing I’m confident in is my ability to spot a realistic performance / shape something into a realistic performance. I have many flaws as a director, but that’s at least one asset I have.
Being non-SAG with very little money, the “actors” we had access to felt very much like “actors” on screen. Too much acting! Stop with all this acting.
So we decided to go with non-actors for most of our roles. We did not know we were going to go with a non-actor for the lead… until we met Jo Schaeffer.
How to spot someone (actor or non-actor) who will deliver on camera is not easy. The only way to figure it out is to start doing it with very low stakes. I would suggest (to those interested)—start by casting non-actors in your shorts and adjusting to the new directing style before putting your feature on the line.
NFS: Could you share a bit about what type of budget y’all had for the project and how the team was able to pull off the film with limited resources?
Beier: Our budget was small because we knew when and where to save money. Our production team was (on average) two people. I came from the world of video journalism, where being a one-man band is essential. And, as mentioned, we stayed away from the unions.
If we did the exact same movie, but with a classic production team, classic production schedule, and SAG actors, our budget would have easily been $500K plus.
NFS: What inspires you all to be filmmakers and work on projects like this?
Chris Beier: Creation is what lights me up. One could argue that humans love creation because it’s the closest thing to being a god. And in the case of movies—one is creating an entire world.
I hope people watch our film (and all the films we’ve made and will hopefully make). But it is the act of creating where the joy lies. For example, now that this movie is finished – our team can feel the need to create something new. Our phone calls are 10% about distribution and marketing and such, and 90% about brainstorming the next story.
The other thing worth mentioning is that—movies (can be) much cheaper to make than the world would have aspiring filmmakers believe. My team wouldn’t be nearly as motivated to brainstorm and write if we weren’t confident that we were going to get another opportunity to produce.
I think with the advancement of production technology, a typical indie budget (~200k-ish) can now serve to make three or four films instead of just one. Allowing filmmakers multiple times “at bat.” My personal mission is to spread the word, empowering people to leverage all this new tech and make films in this very streamlined way. I think (and hope) we are entering a new era of filmmaking, where star power and money are no longer as essential.
Author: Jourdan Aldredge
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
