Crafting an action pic featuring real world commentary with hardly any budget
by Phil Guie|July 27, 2010
The main characters of the new film The Crimson Mask represent a phenomenon not uncommon in modern society. For years, both Parker and Thomas Caine lived far beyond their means, accumulating debts that now seem insurmountable. Caine is a seemingly well-to-do businessman who finds his options drying up as the debt collectors are closing in; meanwhile, Parker is a washed-up fighter in the Terry Malloy mold—a coulda-been contender who never saved for a rainy day. Each man is desperate for the means to break from the past and start life over, sans his crushing financial burden. Enter the Crimson Mask, an ancient ritual that could provide Caine and Parker with the salvation they’re looking for, provided either can survive a rite-of-passage involving guns, swordplay, and characters whose intentions may not always be what they appear. Part-fantasy, part-noir, The Crimson Mask has performed remarkably well on the festival circuit to-date, upending expectations that usually surround a directorial debut (And a micro-budgeted one at that; the total cost of the film was roughly $200K). Today, it arrives on Blu-ray and DVD.Writer/director Elias Plagianos, who spent six years getting his vision up on the big screen, took some time out following his film’s international premiere at Cannes Film Festival to talk with CinemaSpy. Among other topics, he discusses whether the current financial crisis adds an extra layer of significance to The Crimson Mask, the challenge of balancing realism with the fantastical, and why low-budget films should probably avoid having elaborate swordfights (although his manages it very nicely).CinemaSpy: So The Crimson Mask got its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17. How did that feel? Also, what categories did the film compete in?Elias Plagianos: It was unbelievably exciting. For me, Cannes was always the pinnacle. I'd always dreamt of just getting a chance to attend the festival, but to actually have my film screened there is amazing. We screened out of competition in the palais as part of the Marche du Film and in competition as part of the Independent Film Festival.CinemaSpy: The plot of the film is about people who have lived beyond their means and who must now deal with the consequences. It sounds very timely. However, the previews seem to emphasize the action-thriller elements. Would you characterize the film as having a moral lesson, or more like an action-thriller which happens to touch on some prevalent issues? Elias Plagianos: The film was always a morality tale, but it was conceived as a cautionary tale, not a comment on current issues. The bubble didn't burst until well after we shot the film and the first draft of the script was completed in 2004. The film is definitely an action-thriller but one that resides in an art house rather than a multiplex theater. I structured the film to have several different layers so people could get as much out of it as they wanted. You can watch it as straight up action film or as layered art film.CinemaSpy: What got you started in wanting to make movies?Elias Plagianos: I think it had something to do with playing with G.I. Joe action figures. Most kids would just have the soldiers kicking one another, but I'd sit for hours and construct these elaborate dramas and interpersonal conflicts. Eventually I took my dad’s video camera and shot little movies with them. I'd do all the voices, and make sets out of Legos. Yeah, I was a weird kid.CinemaSpy: I got to see part of The Crimson Mask short. Did it get much festival attention?Elias Plagianos: The short film was more of a sample for the feature. Something to get investors interested. It was also used as a testing ground for techniques and looks we were planning to use in the feature. The script for the short was just a truncated version of the feature script that had already been written.CinemaSpy: Can you talk about who influenced you as a director? Looking at the clips and the new trailer, there were a few shots that reminded me of Bryan Singer, particularly The Usual Suspects. But maybe that’s just the noir elements of your film?Elias Plagianos: The Usual Suspects influenced an entire generation of filmmakers, and I was definitely one of them. I remember the second the film ended I rewound the VHS tape and watched it again. I think the biggest thing I learned from that film was to try and create a story that is familiar but at the same time unique. I think Crimson Mask accomplishes that and has some interesting plot twists too. Some other directors who heavily influenced me are John Frankenheimer, Terry Gilliam, Robert Rodriguez, Sam Raimi... the list goes on and on, actually. Basically I could never have made this film without a library of DVD commentaries from filmmakers I love.CinemaSpy: Earlier you mentioned making short films with your childhood toys, and a lot of directors you cited as influences — Gilliam, Rodriguez — they’re known for having a very playful style. You can kind of see that in The Crimson Mask as well; it’s set in modern times, but you have guys in costumes beating each other up, sword-fights. I guess my question is, at any point during the writing or filming, did you ever worry you were pushing things too far into the realm of fantasy?Elias Plagianos: There's always the fear that mainstream audiences won't connect with your film because they instantly label it as weird or cartoony, but I think if they watch Crimson Mask from beginning to end, all the fantasy elements make a lot of sense and add to the narrative. I think that you can tell the most honest stories in the most fictional of settings, and I play with that in the film. I have the boxer storyline set in a 1930's inspired cartoon world, but all the characters in that section are completely honest. The banker storyline is set in a world that looks and feels much like our own, but all the characters are deceptive and dishonest.But to answer your original question: No, I was never worried about the film going too far in the realm of fantasy, but I was worried about making sure the rules were consistent and the fantasy elements enhanced the story and theme.CinemaSpy: You’ve mentioned that you had no formal training in screenwriting, so you studied other screenplays to figure out how to write The Crimson Mask. Which screenplays did you read?Elias Plagianos: You know, that's a good question. I honestly don't remember. I was more concerned with format than structure, so I just read the first couple of pages of a lot of different scripts to see what was standard and what was up to the writer. In the end, my screenplay was really just a guide for myself and something to get the actors excited about. We changed a lot on set and even more in the editing room.CinemaSpy: Your two lead actors were Joshua Burrow and Robert Clohessy, who have each done a lot of TV work. Had you seen them before and thought, 'That guy would be perfect for my movie,' or was it a case of them answering a casting call?Elias Plagianos: I was lucky enough to see Robert in a reading of a play in Manhattan and I instantly knew this was the guy to play the role of Parker. Robert was essential to getting the rest of the cast together, because he brought a lot of his friends on board, and his name carried weight with local casting agents.Josh's casting was somewhat more traditional in that he came in to audition for us. The role of Thomas Caine was the hardest to cast because you needed an actor who made Thomas his own. I didn't want someone to come in and play the same Wall Street suit we've seen a million times. Josh brought charm and this really interesting inner turmoil.Having worked really closely with both Josh and Robert, I can't imagine making a film without them, so I hope they'll sign on for the next one as well.CinemaSpy: From what I saw of the short, I couldn't tell if Parker was a wrestler. Was that the case, or did Clohessy’s background as a fighter actually play a part in that?Elias Plagianos: The short film was really just a loose outline for the feature. It was always a tough guy role, but the boxer aspect was not there. I got the idea while watching Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight. Then when I approached Robert about the change, he told me about his Golden Gloves experience and it all came together. He even did a boxing film in the early 80's and we used scenes from it as flashbacks. Robert's buddy Ed Kershen, who plays 3 amazing roles in the Crimson Mask, was also in the same boxing film and it's really incredible how we were able to add this rich history to the two characters by having these old film clips interspersed within our storyline.CinemaSpy: You managed to finance Crimson Mask by yourself and with the help of friends and family. Are there tips from the experience that you could share with aspiring filmmakers, for example, with keeping costs down?Elias Plagianos: I would say the biggest thing is to surround yourself with people you trust. On set everyone can take advantage of your wallet to make their job easier. Whether it's needing extra crew members or having a luxurious meal, there are many opportunities for waste. If you trust the people around you to only spend when necessary, you can keep your budget in check. Also try to learn as many jobs as you can and have a multi-talented crew. You might be in a spot where you'll need your gaffer to hold a boom mic, to save a shot.CinemaSpy: The film was made available instantly on Netflix, Blockbuster and Amazon on May 22. The Internet seems to be the wave of the present when it comes to film distribution (A recent New York Times article mentions that a lot of distributors are now going digital to build interest in DVD‘s and foreign sales). When you made the decision to go the video-on-demand route, did you think it was the best way to reach a wide audience, or were there other factors as well?Elias Plagianos: I think that you have to have your film available in as many formats as possible, so your audience has easy instant access. That being said, I think too much emphasis is being put on the distribution side of things and not enough on the quality of films. If you have a good film, people will find it no matter the format. VOD is just the most direct route, so to me it makes the most sense.CinemaSpy: In an interview last year, it was mentioned how you accumulated debt making the film, and how you were hoping to break even. How has that been going so far?Elias Plagianos: I am excited to say that we have made some foreign sales and our DVD pre-orders are looking good, so unlike my countrymen in Greece, I will be completely debt free in a few short months. All joking aside, putting up your own money to make a film is a tremendous risk and one that I would only suggest doing if you’re prepared for the consequences. For every success story there are a hundred failures. But if your driven, and have a story that you just have to tell, it could be your only option.CinemaSpy: So do you already have some idea what your follow-up is going to be?Elias Plagianos: We just optioned a great film noir script by writer Jim Foye that's called "City of Lies". It's a classic private eye tale that deals with human trafficking. I'm also developing a video game with Cody Yarbrough that will eventually be a film called Dark Noon, and I'm writing a comic book that I hope to turn into a big sci-fi film property. I learned so much making The Crimson Mask and I'm excited to use all that knowledge and continuing this crazy artistic journey.CinemaSpy: One more question: Early reviews of The Crimson Mask have praised the sword-fighting. How did you go about staging and preparing for those scenes?Elias Plagianos: There is a reason why ultra low budget films don't have swordfights. It's impossibly difficult to make a believable swordfight on a budget, but because of the dedication of an amazing crew and a cast that woke up early to go to fight training school, even when they had scenes to shoot that day, we were able to pull off the impossible. Everyone praises my editing in that scene, but I have to admit, it was so much fun, and much easier to do than a lot of the dramatic scenes. The hard part was done by our fight coordinators and our amazing D.P. Matthew Woolf. They have all won a bunch of awards for their work and they definitely deserve it.