I had the opportunity to interview Cody Frank the producer and actor of the new vampire film Captive. Hope you enjoy reading

Daniel Mazaheri: How did you discover or come up with the idea for “Captive” and its storyline?

Cody Frank: It’s kind of a funny story. Travis Seppala (the writer of “Captive”) had initially written this script for a very wealthy couple who wanted to produce a feature film at their house in LA. The couple requested a script and Travis delivered! Unbeknownst to Travis, they didn’t want it to be a horror film! Thus, “Captive” was shelved. When Travis pitched the script to us, we fell in love with it and there was really no question that it was the right project, but it goes to show you just how circuitous the route toward from script to screen can be.

Daniel: Did the script or story undergo significant changes at any point?

Cody: Early on, Ashley wasn’t a vampire! It was just Drake hunting down the other cast members. Someone suggested we have Drake turn her into one and make the film more about their burgeoning relationship. We loved the idea, and so glad the film took that direction.

Daniel: As a producer on this film, can you share more about your role and the challenges you encountered?

Cody: Being a producer is essentially acting as project manager. That means overseeing budget, hiring, timelines, contracts, etc. For me, my biggest challenge was the learning curve. Up until “Captive,” I had only produced shorts, and all the management side of things was fairly basic. The complexity scaled up dramatically between the short film and the feature, with a large adjustment period.

Daniel: Were there opportunities for improvisation while filming “Captive”?

Cody: Absolutely. Our director, Gregg Simon, liked to let the actors feel the scenes out, and wasn’t big on rehearsal or pre-planning all the beats of scenes. He really let the actors figure it out, which, as a directorial style, really allows for a lot of creativity and exploration on the part of the actors.

Daniel: Do you have a favorite memory from your time on set?

Cody: Wrap day! We filmed during the height of COVID-19, and were one of the only films granted clearance to shoot in the state of New Mexico at the time. For us, getting through production safely without anybody getting sick and without having to shut down was a huge sigh of relief. Compound the stresses of our first feature with the harrowing experience of the pandemic, simply finishing was a blessing.

Daniel: Are you and the rest of the cast and crew still in touch with each other?

Cody: We’re connected via social media, and “like” each others’ posts. Everybody is busy, though. I think film (and any other intense, team-based experience) creates very strong bonds that don’t really require a whole lot of communication to maintain.

Daniel: How did you discover the location for the house used in the film, and was any part of the house a set?

Cody: The film was originally meant to be shot at a very creepy, early 20th century mansion in rural southwestern New Mexico that my parents own. Due to the logistical constraints of transporting cast, crew, and equipment to a rather remoteregion, it was easier to shoot in Albuquerque. It’sa very large film hub. Access to resources is much easier from there, so that was where we filmed. Our assistant director at the time found the house that we shot at, for which we were grateful. All of the film was shot in and around that house, except for a few pick-up shots that were later filmed in the Los Angeles area.

Daniel: What scene did you find the most challenging to film

Cody: About 30 minutes into the film, Drake turns Ashley into a vampire in the backyard of the house. We filmed at night, naturally, and it was freezing out! Both Scout and I shivered through that entire scene. In fact, the next day it snowed, which is why the film mostly takes place inside the house after that. The original script called for more outdoor scenes, but the weather required we be flexible and shift the script accordingly.

Daniel: What did you and the rest of the cast typically do between filming scenes?

Cody: We mostly goofed off in the break room. There’s quite a bit of downtime on a film set, as a tremendous amount of time is spent getting the lighting and camera angles right. Actors were free to run lines, play games on their phone, read, etc.

Daniel: If there were to be a potential sequel, what direction would you like to see the story take?

Cody: I’d love to see an exploration of the larger universe. Are there more vampires, or perhaps werewolvesor other mystical creatures? Where do the parents go every year this weekend? Does Ashley get the fairy tale life she was looking for, or is it perhaps a“grass is always greener” scenario? Does Crystal hunt them all down? Is she some sort of “daywalker” Blade-esque character?
I’ll have to leave it to our writer, Travis, to hammer those details out.

Daniel: We’re there any deleted scenes or bloopers we may get to see in the future you can share?

Cody: Like I mentioned earlier, we ended up getting snowed on. Numerous scenes that were meant to take place outdoors couldn’t be filmed as intended. That required a fair amount of creativity, and a “do more with less” approach. In the end, I think it served the film well, but I’m afraid I don’t have any bloopers or deleted scenes that will ever be shared. 😊

Daniel: Could you tell me more about Pollen Path Entertainment and how the idea to establish a film production company came about?

Cody: It comes from my reading of Joseph Campbell. He was a comparative mythologist who was very influenced by Jung. In his studies, he came across the idea of the “pollen path” in Native American Navajo culture. It refers to the idea that when your inner goals are in sync with your actions, you were on the “pollen path” and right where you should be. My business partner Tom and I thought that was a cool name that embodied our passion and reasons for starting the company.

Daniel: Were you chained up during the scenes where your character, Drake, is discovered, or were you able to easily free yourself between takes?

Cody: We had a great production designer and art director team, Sanford Worth, who was responsible for both props and the set builds. I was very surprised how seriously Sanford took safety. On the first day, I asked him, “So I just slide my hands in?” because the shackles were completely loose and padded with foam on the interior! I wasn’t aware at the time, but Sanford told me that are numerous safety protocols surrounding any kind of movement restrictions on people, and that he preferred non-binding props as a matter of safety.

Daniel: What type of fake blood was used in the film, and did you find working with it enjoyable?

Cody: We had a few different kinds of blood that were in the purview of the various departments. Makeup had blood that could be applied to skin safely, and another type that was safe to be put in the mouth (it tasted like mouth wash). Costume design had a “wet” blood and a “dried” blood, to be applied as was appropriate to different costumes. Then, production design had “blood rugs” – silicon mats that looked like pools of blood to decorate the set with!

I had no idea there were so many variations, and it really made me view production differently. To be honest, I liked the blood rugs best, because all the other blood (and I was covered in it by the end of the film) was sticky and gross.

Daniel: Did you get to help decide the outfits for characters?

Cody: That was really the domain of Tom, our director Gregg, and the costume designer. They all worked closely together to establish the look of the characters.

Daniel: Being a director, producer and actor, do you have any upcoming projects you can share?

Cody: On the acting side of things, I just played a werewolf in the short film, Scratch, directed byMike Trainotti (who was our post productionsupervisor and co-producer on “Captive”). I’m proud to say it just won Best Short at the Wreak Havoc Horror Film Fest, as well as 6 others wins and 5 nominations. It’s been doing really well, and I’m very proud to have been part of it. Also, it’s just neat to have gotten to play both a vampire and a werewolf.

Daniel: What is next for pollen path entertainment?

Cody: Although “Captive” is technically finished and released, there’s still a fair amount of work to do behind the scenes with sales. Once things are wrapped up, we’re hoping to do something pretty cool next (we have two scripts optioned), but it depends on how things play out.

Daniel: Lastly, what’s the funniest or most memorable behind-the-scenes moment from the set of “Captive” that you can share?

Cody: “Captive” was so challenging to film, both it being our first feature in addition to shooting during the pandemic, that the memory of the entire experience is indelibly etched in my mind. I close my eyes and can visualize the entire process from start to finish, just about. It feels like a bit of a copout to say, “the whole thing!” but that’s just what I’m saying! I’ll never forget the people involved, the hardships, or the craziness that went into turning words on a page into a full lengthmovie.

Cody: Thanks again for the interview, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the film.

Daniel: Thanks Cody, Captive is out now on digital and streaming