From the filmmaker:
Two women find themselves in a dark dungeon tormented by distant memories of the horrific legend of Countess Elizabeth Bathory and looming feelings of sinister forces as they struggle to find an escape.
Elizabeth Bathory is the second outing for the Nixons and Tilke HIll - last year they released Plumb (currently available to stream online). In honor of Elizabeth Bathory's upcoming screening and their second kickstarter campaign to fund post-production and sending the film out into the world, we chatted with director and co-writer Elizabeth Nixon:
I began directing plays in the backyard throughout middle school with a group of friends and that's where I developed interest in directing in general. As high school sophomores my friends and I thought it would be fun and hilarious to make a movie, but it turned out to be a ton of work and time. Most were turned off by that, but I loved it. I loved the intensity of production and the creativity and challenges that came along with it. I've been making films ever since.
- What was the inspiration to make a film about Elizabeth Bathory?
I read an old theory that the myth of the vampire came about to explain a blood disorder that members of royalty inherited genetically in eastern Europe. They exhibited many of the symptoms we now associate with vampires like paleness and sensitivity to light and their consumption of blood may have been an archaic attempt to relieve their symptoms. Names like Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Bathory were mentioned as possibly sufferers. Whether this theory is accurate or not, I thought it would make an interesting premise for a movie- a true biological vampire.
-Is this first time you've worked in psychological horror?
Most of our films from our early shorts to our last feature "Plumb" to "Elizabeth Bathory" explore psychological turmoil. Our characters are usually in some type of inner distress and it gravely affects how they interact with the world around them whether that distress is based in reality or pure delusion. I find it interesting that there is no difference between perceived danger and actual danger in human minds.
- Can you talk about the process of working as part of a team of filmmakers?
For me the most important part of working as a team is to have the support of another person you trust throughout the very trying process of filmmaking. My brother Andrew Nixon and I are a filmmaking team from the start of pre-production to the end of post-production. When you get writer's block or when you suddenly think that everything you're doing is crap or you're overwhelmed because of the tasks ahead of you it is crucial to have someone there who is equally invested in the project to put things in perspective, remind you of your ultimate goal or balance out your emotions.
After we develop an idea and a script we split up the pre-production tasks of marketing the film for crowd funding, planning production, etc. "Elizabeth Bathory" was co-produced by Tilke Hill so she also had influence on casting and marketing in addition to her acting role. During production we each play our designated parts, me as director, Andrew as sound director/technician and grip which helps us to stay organized and focused. Then in post-production we split tasks up again and create a film we are equally proud of and connected to.
-Can you describe some fights you refer to in your Kickstarter video?
When things get tense (which they inevitably do in filmmaking-time constraints, financial constraints, creative disagreements) that is when discussions get heated and with your sibling you don't really hold back or behave diplomatically necessarily. So, a simple discussion about how to handle color correction can turn into "I'm doing more than you!" or "I care more about the film than you do!" or "I have the final say!" which of course just aren't true and we usually end up laughing about it.
- How did you cast the film?
With "Elizabeth Bathory" we did not do an open cast call like we've done in the past. We cast Tilke Hill as the lead having worked with her and developed this project with her in mind. And as a co-producer Tilke recommended many of the other actors for the main roles, like Kathleen Denecke.
- What were some of the biggest challenges to bring this story to screen?
Doing a period film with a micro-budget is challenging because of costume and set requirements. It took a while to find a cheap location that looked like a dungeon of the renaissance. And we eventually found it in a South Buffalo basement! It also makes sound difficult because there's no way you can write-off airplanes, lawn mowers and car motors as part of a 16th century Hungarian sound world.
- What's the future plans for the film - screenings, festivals?
Our goal is to submit "Elizabeth Bathory" to as many film festivals as we can on a local, national and international level and have it recognized not only as a psychological horror, but also a compelling, complex story for everyone. It explores theme seeds like abandonment, faith or lack of it, the meaning of virginity, and trust.
We are in the final stretch of this film process and are holding a kickstarter campaign to cover the final costs of post-production. Because of the support we've received from our fans and backers we raised enough money in our production campaign to highly improve the technical quality of this film compared to our previous films. And with a little extra boost in our post-production campaign we will have a enough to raise "Elizabeth Bathory" to its full potential.
We are looking for anyone interested in the DVD or premiere tickets or other rewards to make a contribution to help us finalize this project and make it as strong as it can be. They can contribute at http://kck.st/17wq2yi.
Elizabeth Bathory screens on October 19th - Kickstarter contribution levels include tickets to the premiere, a DVD and even acting lessons and videography services. More information at Kickstarter.
Elizabeth Bathory on Facebook.
