Rueben's Ramblings

Kevin Herrera as Alaster Stone in Project: Elysium

Imagine you have an endless supply of cash, wealthy behind all imagination, and you fund a program where you can do anything, be anyone and go anywhere – that is Project: Elysium. But, as Alaster Stone (Kevin Herrera) – the man behind and within that program – quickly learns from a scientist named The Consultant (Meaghan MacLean), he can’t be extracted from that well-crafted world. How much will he sacrifice to have it all? That is the interesting premise of the new short film by up-and-coming, young director Devon Newberry.

Coming off an incredible response to a private school screening of the short film at the CSU Long Beach Spring Showcase in May and after having the film selected into the 15th annual LA Short Film Festival last month, Project: Elysium will be available for viewing online tomorrow Tuesday, August 9.

Meaghan MacLean as The Consultant in Project: Elysium

I recently had the opportunity to interview Devon Newberry about his latest project, the work that went into completing that film and much more. Here is what he had to share:

Question: What was the driving factor behind your making this film?

Newberry: I was looking for something to direct, as it had been a few months since I directed a short called “See Ryan”. My good friend and one of my producing partners, Aaron Rubin, presented me the script for this movie, asking me to only do rewrites. After I wrote a couple drafts, I sort of, subconsciously, geared my rewrites as a directorial vehicle for myself. I was fortunate enough that after I did my pitch with Michael Demas, who wrote the original idea and the first draft, he was comfortable enough to let me direct. Aaron Rubin was on my side the whole time and played a role in planting the seed to get me in the directing chair, but I think it came down to the pitch between Demas and I.

Question: What was the hardest aspect of filming Project: Elysium?

Newberry: Honestly, it was a breeze. I thrive on high-pressure situations and with Elysium, it was my first ‘big-budget’ short. There are a lot of visual effects. We had a lot to shoot in a very short amount of time, and we were fighting nature. It was probably a nightmare for the production team, but I just move in stride and work as I go. We shot under schedule and initially shot under-budget; it ended up being a really smooth shoot. I think the pace at which I shoot was new for the crew, as a lot of the team was new and hadn’t worked with me yet, but Luke Dejoras and I, my director of photography, run-and-gun. Luke is one of those guys who can shoot at whatever speed is presented, but I rarely do more than four takes and I try to shoot as much as possible, as fast as possible. It’s a lot of fun.

Behind the Scenes of Project: Elysium with Director Devon Newberry

Question: How long did it take to film and then work on post-production?

Newberry: I was hired to direct the film in October 2010, and I initially wanted to shoot in December 2010, but (realistically) there was no way (that) was going to happen. I cast the film before the New Year, but my team and I didn’t start official pre-production until January 2011. We were scheduled to shoot in February; but, of course, on the weekend we were scheduled to shoot, we got rained out – and the movie is 95% exterior. We ended up shooting the film in March and had a REALLY quick turn-around to hit some festival deadlines. My wonderful editor, Aaron Robinson, cut the film, did all the VFX – all that jazz – in six weeks. It was pretty extensive. He did an incredible, incredible job.

Question: How long were you in development, putting the script and pre-production together?

Newberry: We spent 5 to 6 months preparing it from first rewrite to day one of production. It didn’t take too long. It was just a matter of putting the pieces together.

Rupa Shah as The Woman in Project: Elysium

Question: Was the casting process easy or hard? Can you elaborate on that whole process?

Newberry: For me, it’s easy. I’m a big fan of the actors I’ve worked with and I’m always interested in working with first time actors – which is one of those high risk/high reward actions, as it’s terribly easy to cast a dud – so I cast based off reels, looks, motivation, etc. I had told Kevin [Herrera] about the script and told him I wanted him to play Alaster Stone well before I signed on as director, and the cast fell in place from there. I had wanted to work with Meaghan [MacLean] for a couple of years prior to this and immediately brought her on, then Ron Drynan and Rupa Shah came pretty quick. Funny thing about Rupa, she was cast two days before production began. We started shooting on a Friday and on Wednesday night she confirmed that she was in. The original actress cast to play The Woman had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, so a little bit of improvisation was required. I think it worked out for us.

Question: What was the inspiration for you to want to become a director?

Newberry: There were a (number) of factors, all entertainment based, that eventually led to directing. I wrote and directed an awful, awful play in junior high that got a standing ovation and an A+ in the class. But in retrospect, it was a pretty goofy, Lord of the Rings-inspired play. So that kind of kick-started it. I went on a tram tour at Universal Studios one day and saw the set where a big truck collapses through the roof into the subway and water pours from the side and thought, “Man, I really want to build sets… so I can destroy them!” But that only lasted so long, as I’m awful at math and anything that requires a hammer. (Instead I) started making movies and felt 100 percent comfortable and confident in what I was doing.

One Sheet Poster for Project: Elysium

Question: What is the best advice you can provide other young directors?

Newberry: Make YOUR movies. Make the movies YOU want to make. It’s easy for young filmmakers to try to make movies (like those) of the directors that inspire them or make movies they think people want to see, but they really need to be thinking about what they want to see. If you’re confident in what you’re doing, in the movies you’re making, the audience will be able to tell. There’s nothing worse than seeing an inconsistent movie because the filmmakers weren’t sure what they wanted to do. I can’t be the next Christopher Nolan, Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, etc… but I can be the first and best Devon Newberry possible. That’s all I can do.

Question: Can you share any details on your next film?

Newberry: I start shooting a small, pseudo-indie short called Phynes with actor Dominick Aznavour on September 2. We’re shooting on a shoe-string budget – MUCH smaller than Project: Elysium – and we’re hoping to show it in January. It should be done by then, (and) there’s only one VFX shot. Otherwise, it’s all character. I have plans after that as well. When I was rewriting Project: Elysium, I had a trilogy in mind. I wanted to be able to one-off the first film in case people didn’t respond well to it, but I wanted to continue Alaster’s story if the audience wanted to see more. I can confirm that Project: Elysium 2 is deep in the writing process and some early prep has begun. I can also confirm we’re doing tests to see if we can shoot it in 3D – which would be totally new for us – and I can confirm we’re going to raise the bar. It’s going to be exciting.

Question: Where is the best place for fans to reach you, learn more about your work and upcoming projects?

Newberry: I’m all over the place. I have an “official site“. I’m on Facebook (he can be found under Devon Newberry there), I do the whole Twitter thing (he can be found @DevonNewberry), I email. I love feedback – good AND bad – so I encourage people to (reach me by any of those means) to say how much they loved or hated what I do. My team and I can’t get better if no voices are heard, SO BE LOUD!

With those thoughts in mind, make sure to check out Project: Elysium when it goes live online tomorrow August 9, get in touch with Devon with your thoughts on the film and keep an eye out for more of his work next year. He is definitely a director and writer to be on the lookout for in the future.