This week we continue the inside scoop with actor, producer, writer and director – Elle Travis – in conversation with Producer Allen Sowelle.
Let me say off the top, it’s great to have you as a contributing artist for Front Seat Chronicles. For our readers, what led to your involvement?
Thank you. Nepotism… plus the idea that this piece and series as a whole will help our community.
You chose to focus on the alarming rate of unemployment among US Veterans, neatly wrapped up within a love story, was that always you’re intention?
My intention was to tell a great story first. As a filmmaker I loved the limitations from the concept of the series, two people just having a conversation in a still car. Because of this the narrative had to be saturated with subtext along with the text it’s the perfect fusion as a writer and director.
What kind of research did you do on the topic?
It’s a very personal account of a close family member and the idea came from their heart breaking experience. I watched as these two people who are very much in love get torn apart by economics, a poignant universal theme our generation is experiencing right now. Our soldiers are coming home with the promise that the education they’ve paid for with literally their blood, sweat and tears, will secure a worthy career upon their return. Instead, all of these highly qualified heroes are being forced to either take work they are over qualified for, or go back over seas as private citizens hence breaking up their private lives once again. It’s a terrible waste. Once The Public Internet Channel okayed the story, I spoke with other veterans, watched reports and read stories of our troops similar humbling accounts.
Out of the numerous actors you saw during pre-production, how did you go about selecting Lony’e and Eduardo?
We were blessed with a near perfect casting session in that all of the actors that auditioned were talented enough to be the tellers of this chronicle. However when Lonye Perrine and Eduardo Ortiz came in together there was not only an undeniable chemistry between them, each of them were so engaging I got lost in their moment. Eduardo was sympathetic is his portrayal of what could have seemed like a heartless cold character. He gave James a depth that was important since we only had a moment to establish who he was. And Lony’e, instead of taking the obvious rout of making Stacy a victim played her as strong woman of today. You could see her heart on the screen, hopeful, pained, breaking and then resolute. I’m touched by the humanity both talents brought to their roles.
Now some viewers may not make the connection, but you were also the female lead in the very first episode of Front Seat Chronicles. A first – going from actor to writer-director. Was there anything you learned from acting in the first episode that informed on your preparation for this?
The episode I acted in was the very first Front Seat Chronicles to be shot. Looking at all of the episodes I feel that Allen Sowelle did a remarkable job establishing the series in that single day. Being an actor versus director on set is a very different mindset for me. As the actor I’m only responsible for being my part in a bigger sum of what’s being told. In this case it was very easy to let the very talented Allen Sowelle take charge as my director in guiding us to where the story needed to go. He had a clear idea for the episode and I only hope I delivered what he needed. Perhaps what I gained most is clarity of the concept Allen Sowelle, Josh Feinman & Mohammed Bilal created, so when prepping for my shoot I fashioned my shots from that vision. And perhaps because I knew what the confines were it gave me creative license to push a bit more within those lines.
What is your hope that people take away from this episode?
This rough phase in our economy has created tremendous isolation in our communities. Hopefully in watching this episode and all of the Front Seat Chronicle episodes our audience feels connected and in that, a sense that they are not alone in this challenging time.