Independent horror film Anna Postmortem comes out this year, and will give aspiring actors their first chance to get a feature-length film credit.
Director Andrew Musgrave’s third feature film looks to combine his previous experiences working on his past two anthology films, the horror Wicked Fright, and the thriller Wrong Turns. This film will be the feature-length film debut for many of those involved.
To understand what this means for them, we interviewed a few members of the cast, to ask what a first feature-length role means for them.
“I think it’s a great first step,” said Noah Facey, whose previous works include local plays with Whadda Ya Call It? Productions and the Holy Heart of Mary MainStage Company. He is also a national-level improv champion.
With many actors in their first feature film, it’s unsurprising that members of the cast come from so many different backgrounds.
As an actor whose primary background is theatre, Facey found the differences in medium to be a considerable shift. “The biggest difference was exaggeration. In theatre, you have to show emotions more, and get louder so people in the back can hear you,” said Facey.
“In film, that’s not an issue, and you can redo scenes that go wrong. We had to redo one scene like 50 times because a car kept driving by.”
“In a feature length you get to spend more time with your character, more time experiencing what they are going through, and you get more time to explore it all,” said Lauren Gillingham, a local actor and graduate of the Fine Arts Theatre program here at Memorial.
Gillingham’s prior experience includes multiple short films, such as Berger Dosh Industries and The Pinch. “In a shorter film, there’s much fewer opportunities for character development and plot progression: while a lot can happen in a 15–30-minute film, it has to be portrayed quicker.”
Sam Ryan, who has done several commercials and background roles in Son of a Critch and Saint Pierre, had a large first step to take; taking on his first speaking role. “In my experience on set, you’re told what to do and where to go. It’s a well-oiled machine, working with a smaller crew felt more personal, and it felt inspiring to watch Andrew, our director, create this world and handle all the movie magic.”
For Facey, Gillingham, and Ryan, and many of the cast and crew involved, Anna Postmortem is one of the first big steps in their acting journeys. This helps them build a foundation for their futures in the industry, and they don’t plan on stopping here.
No matter the background one may come from, working on a film is a learning experience. Whether you’ve done lots of acting or have never acted at all, you’ll learn not just from doing it, but from the people around you, and the experiences they bring to the table.
Gillingham put it all into perspective: “Acting is a skill that you should never stop learning; there is always room to grow and improve, no matter how big or small your career.”
