London calling! VOLITION has been officially selected to screen at London’s most epic genre festival, the legendary FrightFest! The film will play on August 24th at Leicester Square in the bustling West End. For tickets and festival info., visiting the FrightFest site. We hope to see you there!
Italy, here we come! VOLITION’s European Premiere will take place in Rome, at the OSTIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL! We screen at 9:30 pm at the Cineland di Ostia. Friends, Romans, Countrymen, if you’re a fan of cerebral science-fiction, please join us. More exciting European festival news still to come, so stay tuned!
Well, we’re 21 days away from rolling those cameras and things are getting busy! Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve exercised the full spectrum of our skills, from mental flexibility in finding creative ways to have our script conform to reality, to practical dexterity in securing locations, working with our team to gather wardrobe and props, and cementing the various looks for makeup and our FX department. It’s been a whirlwind, and the fun is only just beginning! We’re also diving deep into re-shuffling our schedule to meet various demands, and collaborating with our department heads to gain their input on manifesting the script. Cast rehearsals are continuing and we’re prepping for an upcoming stunt rehearsal. It’s amazing to see it all coming together! We’ll keep you posted and all continues to build!
Vancouver, B.C., May 2nd, 2017 — Multi-talented actor Aleks Paunovic will play the role of a warm-hearted criminal in the Smith Brothers’ sci-fi thriller, VOLITION. Paunovic’s heat is picking up, with his recent credits in War of the Planet of the Apes, Keanu Reeves’ Siberia, and his series regular run on SyFy’s Van Helsing. Paunovic’s previous credits also include series regular spots on Continuum, iZombie, The 100, and a turn in the highly anticipated Liam Neeson/Laura Dern starrer, Hard Powder.
Paunovic will join the impressive ensemble of Adrian Glynn McMorran (The Revenant, Arrow), Magda Apanowicz (Continuum, Caprica, Kyle XY), John Cassini (Se7en, The Game, Continuum), Frank Cassini (Good Fellas, Watchmen, The Bridge) and Bill Marchant (Chappie, Godzilla, Strange Empire).
Volition is directed by award-winning director, Tony Dean Smith, based on a screenplay written by Tony Dean Smith & Ryan W. Smith. It is a gritty sci-fi thriller, about a man, afflicted with clairvoyance, who tries to change his fate when a series of events leads to a vision of his own murder. The Smith Brothers have partnered with Paly Productions, Inc. to produce the film, with Principal Photography set for June 2017.
“Aleks has that rare combo of captivating presence, and raw, human vulnerability. He’s a superb actor with the perfect instincts for the role,” says Tony Dean Smith, the film’s director, co-writer and co-producer. “The dynamic that Aleks brings to our team is immeasurable. We’re couldn’t be happier,” says Ryan W. Smith, the film’s co-writer and co-producer.
In connection with Volition, the Smith Brothers are releasing a series of semi-monthly webisodes, offering fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the film. Fans are encouraged to visit the Smith Brothers Film Company Facebook page, www.volitionthemovie.com, Twitter or Instagram, for behind-the-scenes content and news.
SMITH BROTHERS FILM COMPANY
Smith Brothers Film Company is the creative partnership of Tony Dean Smith & Ryan W. Smith. Tony is a filmmaker who has worked for Universal, CTV, Neill Blomkamp, and Syfy, among others. Ryan is a screenwriter, who has worked for Disney, Netflix, YTV and Syfy, among others. For more information, visit www.smithbrothersfc.com.
Paly Productions, Inc. is a U.S.-based investment fund, focused on high-quality artistic projects for the world market.
Finishing a screenplay is always thrilling! 90-120 pages of blood, sweat and tears, and its all right there before your very eyes. What’s next? A vacation to Hawaii? Diving into a bank-vault of gold coins? Ideally, yes! But generally, no. It doesn’t take too long for that overjoyed feeling to be replaced with one of self-flagellation: you see all the mistakes you’ve made, the shortcuts you’ve taken, and the glaring errors in logic. Hopefully, you also see the potential of what you’ve written, the mini-strikes of brilliance, the kernels of something truly unique! Either way, it soon becomes apparent that, if this piece is going to stand on its own, you have to keep digging. As cliche as it is, yes, “writing is re-writing,” so you dive back in.
In writing Volition, we churned through a huge amounts of drafts — sometimes shifting the entire plot-structure, other times, pulling out set-pieces, and other times re-thinking characters and sharpening their arcs. After this intense process, we finally felt that we had created a draft worthy of shooting. So, what was next? The trip to Hawaii? The Maldives? Well, that didn’t quite happen, but we finally did have a draft that we could send to financiers. After various stalled attempts, we finally reached Paly Productions, and here we are today, gearing up to shoot! But, if you thought that was the end of the re-writing process, you may want to think again.
We’re currently going through a unique round of re-writes, looking at the draft from a very practical perspective. While, initially, our draft existed entirely in our heads. Now, it needs to actually manifest itself in real-life, and this means, we need to find realistic ways of achieving our vision. For us, this has meant looking to reduce extraneous locations, unnecessarily complicated sequences, and impractical set-pieces. Of course, the battle we have internally is by wearing both our writer hats and our producer hats. We want to retain all that is special and unique about the piece, while still finding a way to shoot it on a budget. Sometimes, we have to push hard to find creative solutions, but we believe we’re achieving this goal.
The next round of re-writes will likely emerge once we start collaborating with our actors. They will have thoughts on their characters, or thoughts on the way certain lines are expressed. We look forward to diving back into the draft at that point, polishing it up so that on the first day of Principal Photography, we’re in the best position possible. And then there’s the re-writes that will happen on set, and, of course, in the edit suite. But, surely, once all is said and done, that vacation to Hawaii, paid for entirely by our vault of gold coins, will be just around the corner. Ironically, knowing us, that entire vacation will be spent inside, re-writing a brand new script!
Vancouver, B.C., Mar. 19th, 2017 — Actor and celebrated folk-pop musician Adrian Glynn McMorran lands the lead role in the Smith Brothers’ sci-fi thriller, VOLITION. McMorran’s previous acting credits include film roles in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s The Revenant and most recently as a hillbilly criminal in Universal’s soon-to-be-released Woody Woodpecker. McMorran’s television credits include memorable roles in Supernatural, Smallville, Men in Trees, and the recurring role of Michael Amar/Murmur in Berlanti’s Arrow. Adrian Glynn is also a celebrated singer-songwriter, with his recent album “morelightthannolight” released through Light Organ Records to great acclaim (www.adrianglynn.com).
Volition is directed by award-winning director, Tony Dean Smith, based on a screenplay written by Tony Dean Smith & Ryan W. Smith. It is a gritty sci-fi thriller, about a man, afflicted with clairvoyance, who tries to change his fate when a series of events leads to a vision of his own murder. The Smith Brothers have partnered with Paly Productions, Inc. to produce the film, with Principal Photography set for Spring 2017.
“I have been a fan of Adrian for years. He’s a gifted artist, whose talents as an actor are perfectly suited to our film. There is not an inauthentic bone in his body and I couldn’t be more thrilled for him to play our leading man,” says Tony Dean Smith, the film’s director, co-writer and co-producer. “He has a haunting quality that so perfectly fits this role. We know Adrian will infuse the project with the honesty it requires,” says Ryan W. Smith, the film’s co-writer and co-producer.
In connection with Volition, the Smith Brothers are releasing a series of semi-monthly webisodes, offering fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the film. Fans are encouraged to visit the Smith Brothers Film Company Facebook page, www.volitionthemovie.com, Twitter or Instagram, for behind-the-scenes content and news.
SMITH BROTHERS FILM COMPANY
Smith Brothers Film Company is the creative partnership of Tony Dean Smith & Ryan W. Smith. Tony is a filmmaker who has worked for Universal, CTV, Neill Blomkamp, and Syfy, among others. Ryan is a screenwriter, who has worked for Disney, Netflix, YTV and Syfy, among others. For more information, visit www.smithbrothersfc.com.
PALY PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Paly Productions, Inc. is a U.S.-based investment fund, focused on high-quality artistic projects for the world market.
Vancouver, B.C., Feb. 27th, 2017 — Esteemed Canadian actor Bill Marchant is the latest to be cast in the Smith Brothers’ sci-fi thriller, VOLITION. Marchant’s past acting credits include film roles in Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla and Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie, and regular television roles in CW’s The 100, Stargate SG-1, and CBC’s Strange Empire. Marchant is also a writer/ director in his own right, as the playwright of Husk and Blaze Orange, and the writer/director of the independent film, Everyone. In Volition, Marchant will portray the film’s mentor character, Elliot Williams, a troubled psychologist with a dark secret.
Volition is directed by award-winning director, Tony Dean Smith, based on a screenplay written by Tony Dean Smith & Ryan W. Smith. It is a gritty sci-fi thriller, about a man, afflicted with clairvoyance, who tries to change his fate when a series of events leads to a vision of his own murder. The Smith Brothers have partnered with Paly Productions, Inc. to produce the film, with Principal Photography set for Spring 2017.
“Bill is an actor of incredible depth, sincerity and grit. We know that he will bring the challenging role of Elliot into full relief,” says Tony Dean Smith, the film’s director, co-writer and co-producer. “We are thrilled to have Bill on board! With his unique talents, he will be a powerful mentor to our lead character,” says Ryan W. Smith, the film’s co-writer and co-producer.
In connection with Volition, the Smith Brothers are releasing a series of semi-monthly webisodes, offering fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the film. The webisodes are now online, with additions added every third Monday. Fans are encouraged to visit the Smith Brothers Film Company Facebook page, www.volitionthemovie.com, Twitter or Instagram, for behind-the-scenes content, and news.
SMITH BROTHERS FILM COMPANY
Smith Brothers Film Company is the creative partnership of Tony Dean Smith & Ryan W. Smith. Tony is a filmmaker who has worked for Universal, CTV, Neill Blomkamp, and Syfy, among others. Ryan is a screenwriter, who has worked for Disney, Netflix, YTV and Syfy, among others. For more information, visit www.smithbrothersfc.com.
Paly Productions, Inc. is a U.S.-based investment fund, focused on high-quality artistic projects for the world market.
In part 3, Tony & Ryan chat about the roots of their science-fiction thriller, VOLITION, as well as their writing process.