As part of our microbudget filmmaker roundup podcast at this year’s Austin Film Festival, the team behind The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia made the startling admission that its lead performer had never acted before.Something which is not unheard of, but certainly unorthodox. Yet in the world of indie filmmaking, it’s honestly becoming more regular and more doable. Telling the story of a washed-up YouTube star who blackmails a rival in an attempt to reclaim her fame, ‘The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia’ is a fascinating look at what the future of filmmaking and content creation could become—and it was shot on a microbudget with some very insightful indie filmmaking techniques.Check out our interview with writer and director Chris Beier below.No Film School: What was the inspiration for the film?Chris Beier: The cinematic inspiration was the top floor of an empty parking garage. The parking garage was attached to my first apartment complex in Austin, Texas. And immediately I knew we had to shoot something up there.The inspiration for the full story, however, really came from my own experience—wrestling with the desire to pursue fame. Knowing it was utterly empty and meaningless, while at the same time being drawn to it—like a moth to the flame. And so we eventually developed this story about someone so hypnotized by fame, that they could no longer see reality. Or perhaps they could see reality… but did everything to hide from reality. From the stark, sober realization that they were actually… not special....
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Monday, 11 November