In part three of our interview series, Paracelsus Films sits down with Alexandria Leonard to discuss her involvement developing the story of Project Nephilim and her experiences watching it grow from a novel to a short film to a web series.
You've been involved with the series for quite some time, long before it became a web series. How did you first become a part of Salvation and how has that role changed over time?
Where to begin...This project has evolved from a novel to a short film into a miniseries... to an epic miniseries...
Vinnie and I met several years ago at Marquette through a mutual friend (Matthew Hefferon) who had been cast as the original Robin Quick in a short film Vinnie had written in college. It was an early version of what eventually became Salvation and had been adapted from a few chapters in this massive novel Vin had been writing for a while. I came in to audition for Chase and we managed to film a few scenes, running around with a little hand held HI-8 camera. Unfortunately the project ended up being put on hold because of school and other comitments and it never really was finished. Vin moved back to Boston a couple months later and it really sat stalled for a couple of years before finally emerging as a larger project... with bigger funding (relatively), bigger ideas, and a longer storyline, which no longer really worked as a short film. Creating a web miniseries seemed to be the best way to go.
He and I started discussing different ways to develop the story and it sort of just naturally grew into a bigger, more intricate tale, in some ways becoming bigger than the novel that first inspired it. Vinnie's original novel was vast and complicated to say the least. To give you a sense of just how much there was to this universe, the events of the short film and Salvation were only a couple of chapters in the novel. We often discussed was how the characters' personalities would interact, how they would react to each experience, and how they would change, grow and develop through story - and how to best to translate this universe onto the screen. There really was so much there that our focus had to really be narrowed so that we developed characters that were believable and interesting, as well as complimentary enough to create the sort of dynamic that Vinnie wanted to weave throughout the story. This story is Vinnie's brainchild with a few of my ideas thrown in, and one of the things that I love about the way the characters have grown is that each and every one of them have different aspects of Vin's personality. Though, I like to think a couple of them have a bit of mine in them as well, especially Chase. Between the two of us I think it made it really easy and enjoyable to relate to each of the characters and make them more than just the same two-dimensional cliches you often find in television and movies.
How much would you say is Chase a reflection of you, if at all. Do you feel that she has evolved as a character since Red Robin (the short film) and the Novel?
Chase has come a long way, but I think she has been the most consistent throughout the story's evolution. She's always been tough as nails, and though she's a hard woman, anyone can see how easy it is to fall in love with her; but with Chase, it's not easy to get close enough to satisfy the desire for real intimacy and I think that's part of her appeal. The development between her and Alexander is very interesting to me because that was never an avenue that we examined in Red Robin. Early on, I believe Vin planned for her and James to begin developing a relationship, and there's bits and pieces of that of that left in Salvation, but I think it's clear at this point that she and Alexander will naturally gravitate towards each other. I am curious to see how rough that journey will be though, and how that's going to be portrayed as the series goes on. Alexander gets lots of credit in my book just for sticking it out with Chase. It's difficult, when someone goes through the traumatic experiences like Chase has, to be able to get back to the point of innocence where one can love another wholeheartedly and unreservedly.
In a sense you originated the role currently played by Danielle Kellermann. What do you see as the major difference between the way you approached the character and her portrayal?
In the original story, Chase seemed to have emerged from these horrible experiences more or less unscathed, but as the years went by, and Vinnie and I were able to have our own experiences, good and bad, and I think we both learned how closely grief and loss are connected to the story itself, and we couldn't separate Chase from that - it would take away her humanity. I think in terms of the writing and characterization Chase took on more of my personality, more than any other character. Back in Red Robin she was this practically invincible character, arrogant and slightly childish at times; I think in Salvation she has become much more realistic, much more sober, and the way that Danielle slips so naturally into Chase's character and gives her the physical presence, gives her the confidence of someone who has lived through hell and emerged to tell the tale. It is exhilarating for me to watch. Danielle is tall, stunning and has this natural beauty about her, this self-assured aura that is just magnetic, and I think that she gives Chase exactly those attributes, which is again part of Chase's attractiveness. If I had to dream up a person who would be the embodiment of Chase, Danielle would be her.
One of the most integral parts to Chase's life is the character of Rhea. Interestingly, she's a character who never existed in the original novel.
This is true. Vin created her specifically for the film, Red Robin. She never appeared in Paracelsus, which has led to some very interesting conversations as to what her role will be as the story moves along. We have an answer and it's wonderful. I'm very excited to see what the implications of it are. As a character though, she's this old soul with a young heart, and I love that about her. I think Rhea offers a lighter refuge from the darker themes of the story and balances out the drama with humourous moments. Rhea is Chase's everything, and I think one of the reasons Chase was so arrogant in the novel and less so in the screen adaptations is because she now has this girl that she loves unconditionally - and that is a humbling thing for Chase, as well as terrifying. In Red Robin, largely because she was the least developed, Rhea's presence always felt to me like a plot furthering device, she was very two-dimensional. In Salvation, however, she has really come into her own and is this interesting, well-rounded girl, wise but still young and naive in many ways. This dichotomy in her personality makes it very easy for people like Chase to treat her as an adult, and for Chase's parents to only see her youth and naivete and treat her as such.
One of the great things about Julia is that she's young but she comes across as very mature, and she has this great sense of humour about her that really shines through. The scenes between Julia and Andy (Alexander) are fantastic because they have such a good rapport, and both of them can create a humourous scene naturally - none of the funny moments look forced. I do, however, find it curious that she's so carefree even after losing both of her parents, but it is obvious how much she loves and emulates Chase - that love I think is what helps keep the burden of grief from weighing her down. The relationship between the two of them is one of the most refreshing aspects of the story.
Which character do you think changed the most from the original story?
Oh, that's easy, Robin. Robin went from this absolutly batshit crazy, violent and narcissistic man, who didn't have any real motivations other than his own blind and misguided religious fundamentalism. The Robin Quick in Salvation still has that violent, narcissistic and obsessive personality, but we get a much better understanding of what drives him to that insanity... and, as we find out it may not be something that's just in his own head. I love that he's evolved from this very irrational and cliche comentary on religious fundamentalism to a far more realistic and potentially dangerous creature. His obsessions run deeper than just your average psychopath, and his role has become more central to the larger mythology.
When Matt (Hefferon) was playing Robin, he certainly gave the character the madness that the screenplay called for, and Robin was absolutely terrifying, but from a psychological standpoint, the character as written wasn't very realistic. I think, however, Mike's portrayal of Robin is spot on. The Robin Quick of Salvation is a true sociopath. He's clearly able to function within the confines of society, and his madness has a certain subtlety to it- some of Mike's scenes have literally made my skin crawl. Robin's madness is thinly veiled in Salvation, in contrast to Red Robin when he was completely out of touch with reality and wouldn't have been able to get as far as he did without being found out. The obnoxious narcissism is still there in Salvation, but Mike plays it down when he needs to, and its more believable that the Robin's ambition was strong enough to encourage him to play nice to get what he wanted.
For a web series, Salvation has an epic number of characters. As of the season finale a grand total of 58 actors took part in it.
Seriously? That's insane. I believe it though, and amazingly there are more to come. Though we will be saying goodbye to some soon.
With so many characters coming and going, who would you say was your favorite?
Oh, I can't answer that, there are so many great characters I can't single out one. I suppose I have a few favourites though. Alexander is one because he's just this quietly intelligent, slightly geeky, slightly awkward yet endearing bloke who doesn't let the arrogance of his friend rub off on him. I personally find him more attractive on screen than in Paracelsus, but that's probably because Andy is such a superb actor, and brings all his attractive qualities into the role. Also, I love the fact that he's a sci-fi guy. I suppose if I had to pick, Repha'im is my favourite character, although, I don't believe at this point she's been fully revealed. She's been sort of hovering in the background for a good portion of the story so far. What I love about her, and what you'll soon see, is that she can wreak enormous havoc- she's very powerful, but her existence is not without consequence. She has this inexplicable connection to Chase, and it both infuriates her and piques her curiosity almost to the point of obsession. Her ubiquity throughout Salvation gives her this almost stalker-ish appearance and so the viewer is left wondering whether or not she is a friend or foe. I love that it's left completely ambiguous. There's a lot of mystery surrounding her, and her initial appearance will be pretty jarring, but I think when all is said and done, she's going to be one of the more interesting characters.
She didn't appear in Red Robin, so this is really the first time she's been realized off the page. I will say that she's appeared more frequently than most people realize, having appeared in some form or other in every episode. But she rarely speaks--something that's very unusual for Vin who does so love his monologuing. I can, however, confirm that Reph provided the opening narration in the pilot.
The way Vinnie writes and casts his characters leaves a lot of room for the actors to bring some of themselves into each one - I wouldn't say that any of them have been type-cast, but I think that there is enough flexibility in the story to allow certain idiosyncrasies of the actors to shine through, and give more depth to each of the characters. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Reph, and I hope we get to explore her a little more deeply. I don't want to talk too much about her because she's so intertwined with the mythology, and she's going to be one of the characters we'll really get to see in Legacy, so you'll just have to wait and see!
Having been a part of this series from the very beginning, where do you think the web series succeeded, and where do you think it needs to change?
I think the series format has allowed for more freedom developing the characters, and by having characters the audience can relate to, such as Xander or Chase, and characters you love to hate, such as Colleen (for some, anyway), makes it easier to get sucked into the story. And the characters would be nothing without the actors - they were all so well-cast, and I am glad I was able to see this dream that started from a plastic-bound tome grow and develop into this beautiful screenplay with the life breathed into it by such wonderful actors. The storyline has such rich influences coming from all directions and Vinnie's writing is never without inspiration or mythological research, when necessary - I find working behind the scenes on this project has given me a special vantage point in seeing how all the little details he's worked into the story give it a richer, multi-faceted presence instead of the shallow plots of so many other stories out there.
That being said, I think that Salvation's back stories and interweavings with other stories that Vinnie has written make it very difficult to transpose the entire beautiful story into film - many of the details end up lost, and some of the delicately knitted connections tend to get lost in medium that breaks the story up into so many tiny pieces. But one of the great things about the cast and crew and everyone working so hard to bring it to life is that they're really ready to adapt and try new things- keep what worked and what didn't. And I suspect that as the story progresses it will unfold in some new and surprising ways.
Where can the audience expect the story to go?
Its fun being one of the few people who know exactly where all these storylines are headed. Salvation left a lot of questions unanswered; loose ends that need tying up. Vin is already working on the script for Crane's Bay and from our conversations a lot of those loose ends will start being tied up as we delve deeper into the lives of Chase and James, Alexander and Rhea. There's a three story arc planned, and a lot of unsolved mysteries from ages ago will once again become relevant. The mythology that begins to be delt with in the 5th episode of Salvation will become more prominent, and the repercussions of Melissa's death and what she uncovered about Dabareh will start to have a significant impact on future events. And that's all I'm going to say because I can't give away too much!
How has the story evolved?
The novel itself was big - I mean really big. There was so much content there, so much mythology, so many things happening at once, and I read the novel after already becoming involved with Red Robin and I realised there were several different stories, peripherally related, that were coming out of Paracelsus. The content of the novel would need to be spread out over 7 full length features in order to cover all of the storyline, and it was easy to see why the events of Salvation made an easier starting point, just from a technical standpoint. All of Project Nephilim (and everything it encompasses) is vast, and the miniseries was a great concept for incorporating the story of Paracelsus into digestible chunks. Paracelsus focused a lot more on the mythology itself, where I think Salvation and Crane's Bay and Legacy will give a lot more character development while still remaining mostly consistent with the novel. There are certainly inconsistencies between the two as anyone who works in film knows. Some things just cannot transpose to the screen that well, but essentially the main points in the story have remained the same. While many of the upcoming plot points have been introduced in the miniseries, we've had long chats discussing what's essential to the story. Which sub plots are interesting but unecessary. I think what you'll see in the subsequent stories is a greater refining of everything, which sin't to say we're getting rid of all the wonderful side stories, they'll appear in some form or other, but not necessarily as part of the web series. There have been many, many, many scripts being emailed back and forth and a considerable amount of editing taking place to make the universe more accessable to the audience. Holy frak, there's been a lot of editing, but in the end, I think the story that will unfold will be unlike anything thats come before.
Alexandria Leonard is a dive instructor, adventurer and activist who currently resides in Middle Earth (aka New Zealand).
