In October, 2009, I began seeing flyers posted at my work for the world premiere of an independent thriller that was made right here in the town I have lived and worked in for 20 years.  Now Henderson is the definition of a small town.  A quiet little place tucked into a bend of the Ohio River directly across from Evansville, Indiana, it came as quite a shock to me that someone had made a film and I hadn’t even known about it.  I made up my mind that I would definitely attend the premiere of the film, but decided I wouldn’t say anything to the filmmakers until after I saw the film (in case it was just terrible).  To my surprise and pleasure, VictimEYES turned out to be a well-made, taught thriller that contained a few chills, some family drama, a police procedural, and even some comedy.  I made up my mind to not only review the film (see last month’s issue), but also to track down these mystery filmmakers and interview them.  I was delighted to meet the man behind the film, Lewis Chaney, and talk with him and his Assistant Director and right-hand, er…woman, Theresa Chadwick.  They are very nice people who have made an exceptional first feature.

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CC:   Let’s begin by giving our readers a bit about your background.  What led you to want to make a feature film?

LC:  I have always wanted to make one, since I was young.   My parents bought a video camera in the early 80’s and I started, like many, cutting little things I would shoot at home using two VCR’s slaved together.  I have been in the television industry  for over 24 years, working in news, commercial production and entertainment, the latter working for Jim Owens Productions in Nashville who produced shows for (what was then) THE NASHVILLE NETWORK, including Crook and Chase.  I have done everything from covering the homeless, to shooting solo on stage with Garth Brooks in Belfast, Northern Ireland (at the end of his world tour) for him personally and for use on one of those nationally viewed shows Jim Owens produced.  This is not the Dublin show, with many cameras mind you, this was just myself and a sound guy, two  hours plus for four nights in front of 7500 screaming fans.  I have also shot and edited Emmy Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated stories and series.  Over the years, I have produced, directed, shot, lit and edited several shorts and a few music videos.  As part of my work, and through a special effects makeup artist friend, I have been lucky enough to spend time on sets of television shows like Babylon 5, Diagnosis Murder, and JAG, not to mention countless country music videos.  And it’s through those things I got a crash course in how “the big boys” do things.  You might say that was my film school.  So it was only natural to take all of this experience and branch out into a feature.

TC:  My mom is a big movie buff and I grew up watching old black-and-white movies.  To this day, I turn on TCM [Turner Classic Movie Channel] just to see what movie is playing.  I became curious about how [the filmmakers] accomplished a shot, what special effects were used, [and] camera angles and shadows cast by the lighting.  These were just a few of the items that got my attention.  But I didn’t start out with the intention of making movies.  I had a desire to be a news anchor and I attended the University of Southern Indiana, graduating in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with an emphasis in radio/television.  I worked as an early morning news anchor for WSWI, the USI radio station, and I branched out into radio news as an intern with WIKY and then as a full-time news reporter with WYNG.  I entered the television industry in 1983 as the host of WEHT’s “Woman’s Corner”, a 5-minute public affairs program that was aired daily on the noon newscast.  I produced, wrote, edited and hosted the program and I introduced the package live on set.  It wasn’t hard-core news, by any means, but it was great experience.  I left WEHT to enter cable TV advertising.  You have to understand that at this time, it was a big leap because cable advertising was in its infancy.  I took the chance and I’m glad I did.  I held various jobs including Traffic Manager, Account Executive and Production Assistant.  This is where I met Lewis for the first time; he was hired in as Production Manager.  Lewis has a wide and varied knowledge of production and he taught me so much about lighting, camera angles and just the art of videography.  We had an instant connection and he is the main reason I became involved with video projects.  And with his confidence in me, he allowed me to grow and I became an integral part, including videographer, on a lot our projects.  He is the brains and the creative muse behind all our projects.   

CC:  Many first-time filmmakers choose horror or comedy as the genre to help break them into the film business.  Why did you choose a drama/thriller instead?

LC:  I am not a comedy writer so that was out.  As for horror, while this film may play well in those venues, it’s not one, as you noted.  In the low budget world, I feel many [filmmakers] are shooting a zombie movie or some other blood, guts and gore fest competing for a spot at a table that is already full.  If you are microbudget, you can only hope to get the crumbs that are falling, in my opinion.  Yes, there’s a market for it, but I just don’t want to go that way; it’s just not me.  I think low budget filmmakers can contribute strong stories without those elements.  And the key reason I went this way was a conversation with Seth Cheek (who played Jason Karnes, the rapist/serial killer) who said he wanted to play a bad guy.  I don’t think you can be much worse than what we got on this film in those terms.  As an artist, I did everything I could to make [the viewer] hate him, and it worked. Seth was showing the movie to his sister, and at one point she asked why he did something (a pivotal moment I won’t disclose) and Seth said, “Well, Lewis wanted to make sure people really disliked me at this point.”  She replied, “And what have you done up ‘til now to make me LIKE you?”  Again, it worked. (laughing)

CC: The principal filming was completed in 2005, but the film itself was shelved and not completed until late 2009.  Why such a long delay?

LC:  Leonard Judd was my chief photographer for many, many years at WEHT and we became very close friends.  I learned so much from him.  He had been injured and had to stop shooting, after  25 years of doing it,  which just broke his heart.  When I started this film, I asked him to shoot behind the scene stills for me and he was there almost every day of production and was having a blast, feeling good about himself and we were having a good time.  He was such an enthusiastic supporter of this film and was dropping in every week checking out the progress.  In May of 2006, he suddenly died and I was devastated.  Losing him took my heart out of this film; the fire burned out.  I knew I would finish it for him and for those who gave so much, but every time I sat down to work on it, I choked up.  I missed my mentor, I missed my friend.  So I dabbled off and on with it until almost Christmas , 2008. I had about half of it cut, on the second draft.  That combined with computer failures and just having a family and full time job, made it hard to get finished.  Then along comes fellow worker and indie filmmaker Neil Kellen, who sort of picked up Leonard’s torch and got me going again. Neil produced and directed a short called “Forever” that he got me involved with and the spark came back.  I took a deep breath, put a picture of Leonard on my desk right next to my computer, and away we went, him by my side in spirit and got this thing done.  I thank Neil for sparking me again and I dedicated the film to Leonard, who also had a cameo in it (for which I am forever grateful we did).

TC:  Lewis lost a dear friend in Leonard Judd; Leonard was not only a friend, but a mentor.  Leonard was involved with VictimEYES as the behind-the-scenes consultant and still photographer.  He also had a bit part in the movie.  When you lose someone close to you, it’s difficult, but when that person had such a strong influence in your life, it was hard for Lewis to proceed with this project.  He needed some healing time and he had that for four years.  I know Leonard would have wanted him to finish this project.

CC:  The film is made with predominantly local theater talent.  How did you go about casting the film?  How long did it take?

LC:  Seth had done some theatre and Ashley Sides (who plays in the film as well) was working for the Henderson Fine Arts Center at the time, and between them, we got word out and had a casting call. I had never done this before.  I typically used friends, but this made me realize how much I will do it [hold casting sessions] in the future. You have to have very solid performances, particularly in low budget, and I was glad to have the ones I did.  As for how long it took, I had one casting session and visited a few other actors to screen test.  It didn’t’ take very long.

TC:  Lewis did a lot of the casting for the film and with Seth Cheek’s help he was able to get the talent.  I feel lucky that he even considered me for the part of the coroner, Carol Salinger.  I have to admit, it was a thrill!  But I think I’m better behind the camera!  I’m glad he gave me the opportunity, however.

CC:  The movie is described as a “microbudget film.”  What was the official budget?

TC:  There was a budget?  (laughing)  Most of the upfront cost was out of Lewis’s own pocket.  Everyone pitched in for food and drinks on our long weekend shoots and any props were from cast or staff.  Lewis did spend money on the premiere venue, DVD’s and other items.  But as for a budget…miniscule to today’s standards.

LC:  The actual budget on this film was $1,500 and that included holding the premiere.  And I didn’t really plan a budget, it just nickel-and-dimed up to that amount as things progressed.  I will be budgeting the next ones though, and hope to have them increase as need be.

CC:  What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in making your first feature film?

LC:  It’s just overwhelming.  So many details to take care of and I had only a few helping me.  So doing it all and wearing all those hats is exhausting.  But [it’s] great fun, make no mistake!  It’s all a challenge.  Writing, pre-producing, casting, location management, shooting , lighting, directing, blocking, editing, scoring, sound effects, visual effects,  just all of it. You have to pay attention to every aspect and it’s a challenge on a feature, and when it’s microbudget , even more so.  No one part stands out.

TC:  Working around people’s schedules.  Keep in mind, the local talent was not paid and we hoped everyone could work around their own schedules.  We also put in a lot of long weekends that took away from our own families.  But, looking at the final project, it was worth the time and effort!

CC:  What scenes or parts of the film are you most proud of?

LC:  I love that opening scene; it did its job and did it well.  I have so many I like, but to name a few:  the first time we meet our cops (wonderfully played by Julie Payne and Frank Furbush) and their roadside scene where two have been killed; a pivotal scene with Seth and Ashley (can’t give that away);  the speech by our private eye (Larry Colbert); and the last 15 minutes of the movie pretty much, too.  Katie Morton just knocked it out of the park convincing me she was blind and vulnerable and Seth Cheek is just freakin’ awesome! Some scenes didn’t go as well as others, and that is where I will strive to make the next one work on all of them, but many did and I keep hearing really good things overall on this movie, and for that I am proud of everyone, down to the smallest of roles!

TC:  There are so many to choose from, but the opening sequence including the quick dissolves and special effects of the murdered actresses sets the tone and grabs your attention.   I also thought Seth’s expression compounded with the ambience, lighting and shadows in the jail cell conveyed the message of his character…it gives me the chills now when I think about it.

CC:  Speaking of that opening scene, it depicts the first murder and is quite powerful, but you opted to not go for the gore and just let the victim’s facial expressions and the sound effects convey the horror of the moment.   In an age when “torture porn” seems to be all the rage why did you choose this direction?

LC:  I always knew I wanted to grab the viewer right off the top and I have never been a huge slasher film fan. Tina gave such a wonderful performance having the pain register in her face and that was far more intriguing than showing blood and gore.  Seth was actually sitting up on Tina and using his hands to push down on her back, like giving her CPR, to simulate the stabs (something he came up with) and when I got the sound effects mixed into that, it just worked, plain and simple.

TC:  Sometimes, less is more!  Again, going back to the old classic films, you can convey the scene without having to show all the gory details…that’s what you have imaginations for.  Sound effects, actresses’ expressions …that gets the point across!

CC:  I thought the opening montage of crime scene photos of all the victims in the killing spree was a terrific way to start the film—done very artfully, with color photos changing to negative shots.  Why did you go this route as opposed to showing more of the murders as they actually happened?

LC:  I knew we needed “crime scene photos” to show what this guy was capable of doing and had done.  To have those very strong images, with some blood, was intended to stick in the back of your mind when Seth killed again. You wouldn’t have to see it happen to get the full effect.

CC:  You also used the montage for an opening credit sequence, which I thought worked very well.  How important is an interesting credit sequence to a film?

LC:  Not so much to have a credit sequence as to have something in the first ten minutes that grabs the viewer and drags them along for the ride.  They should get invested early and that was what I was shooting to do.

TC:  This is very important; you have to grab the viewer in the first few minutes or they will lose interest. 

CC:  There is quite a bit of nudity involved in the opening scenes.  As a first-time feature filmmaker, how difficult is it to deal with nude scenes?

LC:  You know, I really thought about this one.  I debated back and forth on whether to show this or not and how it might be viewed as gratuitous (as I personally think so many horror films exploit) but decided to go there. Why?  I wasn’t making Mary Poppins , I was making a dark film about a rapist/ serial killer. Now he’s not going to leave behind pristine girls, he’s going to leave behind destruction and embarrassment. He’s going to leave them exposed, literally and figuratively.  I have read my share of true crime books and covered many murders in my years of shooting news, so I had some very definitive ideas of what would be left behind.  I also have viewed some real life crime scene photos and mine are tame by comparison to some of those.  As for dealing with the scenes, I did pose each model artfully, and every single girl who volunteered to do this was treated very respectfully and allowed to see the shots to make sure they were art, not porn.  And every one of them was pleased with the results.  It wasn’t something I leeringly set out to do, but the story dictated it….

CC:  I was impressed with the sound design and sound effects.  While the viewer never actually sees any overt violence, the stabbing sounds were gruesome.  Did you have a library of sound effects, or did someone create them especially for the film?

LC:  So many effects are available in cyberspace, and the true fun in this was layering them. That stabbing sound is something like five different sounds blended into one. And when you hunt for a sound effect, don’t dismiss things. If you find “a spoon into jello,” for example, and you put it on a girl being stabbed, it takes on a whole new sound.  Actually, the hardest sound effect I had to create was someone getting slapped.  I don’t care how many sound effects you go through, it just sounds hokey when you put it on the footage.  So I wound up creating that one myself.  And for those who want to know: I took a bath towel, got it dripping wet, and karate chopped it, recorded it onto a cassette and then into my computer.  It worked better than anything I could find on the web.  And be creative in your thinking.  A broken bone sound effect may sound silly, but the snap of a potato chip being bitten might just work. (laughing)

CC:  I also was quite impressed by several simple but very effective visual effects as well as some fairly complicated shots.  Did you storyboard the film, or at least some of the sequences?

LC:  Yes, I did some simple story boards for a few scenes but my artwork is horrid, so it was stick figures primarily. You have to bear in mind I have worked as a videographer and editor for 16 years, so I am very much at home with a camera in my hand. The shots were more in my head than on paper and once I got on location, the blocking would show me more shots and I would just have the actors run the scene and I would get coverage.  As for special effects, I only did a few and most were done practically. There are two times when Seth fires a gun on the road side where it was actual .38 caliber blanks. I know some may see that and think “wow, nice animated blast” but it’s not, it’s the real deal.  The other gunshots were effects but pretty simple to do.  I think there are some who do gun shots that have never fired a gun before and don’t realize they need to add the light created when the gun goes off.  Funny story on that:  Leonard was shooting photos and I was shooting an indoor gunshot with an empty gun, planning to add the blast in later.  At precisely the moment the hammer fell, Leonard fired his camera and the flash lit up the room.  He just didn’t know I was doing a take but the timing was incredible.  I actually used that frame in the film because it did the work for me. What most would have considered a blown shot, I wound up turning to my advantage.

TC:  Lewis drew out storyboards; this is helpful and essential to planning your shot sequences.  When you’re in the process of shooting, however, you will have an idea, image or emotion that can best be captured at a different angle.  Lewis’s mind is always working on how to make this look just as he has seen it in his mind’s eye.  Because of this, Lewis shot the entire film with this in mind.   I was there to bounce ideas off of and he always listened if I had a different angle or idea in mind.

CC:  The score was really minimal, with entire scenes having no music.  But when a score was present, it was used in a very effective manner.  Talk a little about how the score was designed.

LC:  (Laughing)  It wasn’t.  Again, there is a wonderful site online that provides royalty-free music and I drew everything from there except two songs done by a local band. You can overdo music in a movie; not every scene calls for music. I did have one bit picked out you only hear in the beginning and the end.  As for the rest, I just listened and found what I liked and what worked, kept it consistent, and put it in as the movie told me to do so.  That may sound odd to the uninitiated, but if you have ever edited, you will understand that the piece dictates what is needed.

CC:  The killer was played by Seth Cheek.  I noticed that Seth’s scenes seemed to be shakier than the rest of the film, with some quick editing cuts.  Was this intentional or am I reading more into these scenes than I should?

LC:  Probably reading more into it. I did a lot of handheld on this (often with a junior Steadicam) because this world was shaky and chaotic and I didn’t want it to be smooth.  I wasn’t shooting for NYPD Blue either, but just showing a more realistic world.

CC:  Now that you’ve met with some success with your first film, do you have any future plans for more films?

LC:  Yes. I am currently working as gaffer and locations manager on Marx Pyles’s  short Silence of the Belle and I can’t wait for Neil Kellen to put out his fan film Batman l Metaphors that I did gaffing work on as well.  While those are going on, I smile knowing  I have a film that is in the black and everyone who signed on for getting paid on the backend will make some money and for that I am VERY pleased!  I have had to create a second batch of DVD’s already as well.  Now that I know I can pull it off, I have other things I am lining up. I have a documentary I am planning that I expect will be very well received and I am working on the script for my next feature, one that will give you chills, make you jump, tug at your heart-strings and be tame enough to show in your church.  How’s that for a tease? (laughing)

TC:  I, too, am working as the Script Supervisor on Marx Pyle’s Silence of the Belle short film.  Lewis’s next project will be a documentary; then there are plans underway to revamp an old movie we created in 1989. We’ve been discussing new ideas for this film to add more twists, more special effects, and possibly a different angle to the story.   I’m anxious for him to complete the documentary so we can start on this next movie.  With Lewis at the helm, it’s always an adventure!

CC:  Lewis, Theresa, thanks so much for taking some time from your Christmas Holidays to answer some questions for me.  Tell the readers how they can pick up a copy of your film, VictimEYES.

LC:  You can either hit the official site at http://victimeyesmovie.wordpress.com or you can email me directly at victimeyesmovie@gmail.com.  They are only $10 plus shipping and handling and the disc has several extras such as production stills, a trailer, and so on.