Expulsion, a new sci-fi thriller about a couple of tech workers who find their work in high demand, hits disc and digital next week. We spoke to co-director Sean C. Stephens about the unique film and how the pandemic messed with its roll-out plans.
How difficult is to co-write and co-direct a film?
If you look at everything from writing and development all the way through distribution and marketing it took us about three years to complete. The hardest part was securing distribution and completing everything in waves to stay on budget. Independent filmmaking, gotta’ love it! J Aaron spent the majority of his time working with the actors on set. Myself, I handled all blocking and coordination decisions. Moreover, I created the shot list, worked with the DP, Production Designer and crew. I also consulted and worked with the actors, especially when Aaron was acting. Aaron and I have worked on films, sold a screenplay and otherwise collaborated since 1997 so we know each other’s ebbs and flows.
And how does it work – does it involve sending notes back and forth?
Yes, a lot while writing and polishing the script and when I was editing the film. However, when we were on set things moved too fast to really collaborate in that way so it took a lot of preplanning.
What do you think your respective strengths as writers are?
For me, story beats for sure. Planting significant kernels early in the story for ah-ha “pop out” moments later. For Aaron, dialogue, definitely dialogue.
Any compromising go on?
Yes, we compromised on specific story beats, but for the most part we split our responsibilities and remained steadfast with our own duties.
Did the screenplay change much over the course of those drafts?
Yes, as I believe all good stories do. We had to cater to locations, budget and elements that we had at our disposal. In fact, that is a key piece of advice that I would give to any independent filmmaker. Write to your strengths and what you have access to.
Were there any particular inspirations, as far as the film goes? A bit of Christopher Nolan or Shane Carruth?
I think that at some subconscious level all that has come before influenced us. I am admittedly a Christopher Nolan fan, but I am also a huge fan of experimental film. Those that have the courage to try things a different way. I am probably the world’s biggest fan of one of the best experimental film ever made, THX 1138.
At any time did you consider trying to sell the screenplay off?
Prior to EXPULSION, we had just come off the sale of another screenplay so our intent was to keep this one and get behind the camera. For most filmmakers that is the fun part, the hands on experience of watching your script come to life just as you had written it. However, unless you are Stephen Spielberg, or a handful of other Directors, the only way to make that happen is to do it yourself.
And when you did decide to do it independently, did you guys consider starring in the film yourself?
Aaron was perfect for the role of “Vince” and already had some experience so we decided it was a match made in heaven and he took on that role.
So who made the casting decisions, ultimately?
Aaron and I took a lot of feedback from other directors, but ultimately made all of the decisions on our own. There certainly was some “selling” that went on, but at the end of the day we came to agreement on every casting choice.
How important was the festival run for you? Did it open a lot of doors?
The festival run boosted awareness for sure. Particularly the HIGFA (Hollywood International Golden Film Awards). I was able to attend the ceremony, participate in interviews and talk with several folks in the industry. Eventually it was the “Outstanding Director” win at that festival that got Aaron and I on the radar. After that, distributors started to get in touch with us. I’ll continue my answer on how that worked out though, with the next question.
And in terms of distribution, where did you begin?
Having worked on and produced larger budgeted pictures in the past I was fortunate to get exposed to the glorious world of film distribution. Yes, I was being a bit sarcastic there! For smaller films there really does need to be a grassroots approach. What we have found is that traditional distributors “bulk” small and even mid-sized films with several other titles. So when a deal is struck in either a foreign market, or even domestically, those distribution expenses rarely catch up revenues that end back in the hands of the filmmaker. The artist/filmmaker is typically first in and last out in terms of putting up and then collecting back money on their project.
So we decided to start our own distribution company, dump our resources into marketing, and thereby keep EXPULSION squarely in the spotlight. We were able to leverage previous distribution contacts as well as our experience and technique that was earned by taking meticulous notes during other deals, for other films that we have produced in the past. Partnering with a PR company right out of the gates, for example, is huge. At the end of the day, I started to ask myself why I couldn’t do this for other filmmakers as well. Put this model in place to help them. For an independent filmmaker, your film needs to go through fewer hands to make a return. So, we did have offers, but knowing the endgame upfront we developed a model that we hope trail-blazes to create a different approach that is focussed on return for the artist first and foremost.
Has the pandemic hurt the film at all – had to reshuffle anything?
The pandemic hit us right in the middle of our festival run. We were an official selection at one of the top SCI-FI film festivals in Roswell, New Mexico and it got cancelled. After that we decided to bring the film to market early and hopefully entertain some folks at home.
Working on anything else yet?
I know Aaron is writing. I am working with another business partner, Paul Tomborello, to create a film aggregation and distribution company. Something that is friendlier to the filmmaker. Basically, a distributor made by the filmmaker and for the filmmaker. As far as another feature, we are dipping our toes into some eccentric ideas. There are a lot of conversations going on. One thing we can do during COVID is work on our stories and put more time in, get more feedback, so that the story is as refined and polished as possible.