PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with writer and director Jason Pitts and two cast members of his new movie The Forest Through The Trees: Annie Sullivan and James Stokes. We had a fantastic conversation about the film and some other great topics. The Forest Through The Trees is set for release sometime soon.
This movie brings back the cult horror in their story with an original storyline. Chloe (Annie Sullivan) is a woman with a disease called heterochromia. She is hunted by a cult to be sacrificed to a demon. The movie also stars James Stokes (Ken) and Scott Doss (Julian). The Forest Through The Trees looks promising already.
You can check out the trailer here!
PopHorror: Chloe has a rare condition. Can you explain heterochromia?
Jason: Absolutely. Heterochromia is when one eye is a different color than the other. It’s a real thing, though very uncommon. The more common version is when the various colors are like, in one eye, part of it will be like, this is different. Shadable. That’s pretty common. But, like when one is blue and brown, that’s uncommon.
Character Portrayal
PopHorror: Annie and James, do you think your character in The Forest Through The Trees comes naturally to you?
James: Yes, it does to me. I’m a dad. So being a dad is already an honor, and seeing what she’s going through with the loss of, you know, just different things and stuff like that. It hurts your heart, you know, as a dad. So you want to protect your child. So yeah, my character is often; I let my emotions get away with me in The Forest Through The Trees because of its events. I mean it. It just hits home, you know. So yeah, my character hit home.
Annie: In some ways, yes; in some ways, no. I hadn’t been through the exact things that Chloe has gone through, obviously in many ways. But I did have moments in my life that I could reflect on and think about how I felt during that time. How would that translate if the situation was a little bit different? A lot of her qualities? Yes, like being super resilient and stubborn in little things like that. Yeah, that’s me. Focusing on myself was a nice challenge, but I also had to reflect much to find unfamiliar moments.
PopHorror: This one is for James. Does being very fit and muscular, like you are, help you portray Jason and characters like that?
James: Oh, Lord, yes, I mean, yeah, I mean, you know, being fit and stuff is just a daily routine of mine, anyway. But yeah, I think it helps with being in that suit for so long, you know, in the endurance and stuff it takes to do that. So yeah, yeah. Being fit is something that I’ve focused on, and I am striving for my own life for the best. About eight years ago, I started buckling down and changing my eating habits and what I do to make myself fit and better in better shape. I’m 53, so I’m not getting any younger, so I have to do something to keep up with the young kids in this business.
Support System
PopHorror: Annie, how do you see the relationship between Chloe and Ava? What’s their bond?
Annie: Ava is very much Chloe’s support system. She was there at a time when Chloe honestly had no one, or she at least felt like she had nobody, and in those moments, Ava was always there. Their love goes beyond romantic love; they have a familial bond. They rely on each other, and they draw strength from each other. They’re together every day, and they’re, you know, in love. But they’re also just best friends, and their lives would be so different without each other. I have a friendship like that if I didn’t know this person. I do not know what I would do if I couldn’t text this person at the drop of a hat. It’s an extraordinary relationship. It’s something special.
Portrayal
PopHorror: Jason, you were trying to portray Julian as a reverend Kane character. How do you think it worked out?
Jason: I couldn’t be happier with the casting of Scott Doss. It was a surprise in this whole process. I did not think that I would find somebody like that. It was just like a goal that I did not know we would be able to get to Reverend Kane’s level, and when he 1st sent in his audition, I was blown away by every table read and every time we talked. Every time we developed this character, it was Scott’s character. It got better and better so. I think we hit the mark I was going for and more.
PopHorror: What is the best way to describe your character?
James: Oh, well, I think that there are levels to my character. There was the stepdad or the husband, and the stepdad to Chloe, and then and then as things progress, you know, I went from this, I think, a loving kind of dad, or loving kind of man to not knowing where I’m going to be the next day, not knowing what’s going to happen.
So, the levels that I had to portray had to escalate throughout the entire movie. And so doing that was, I mean, in ways, it wasn’t easy, but in other ways it was like, well, it’s all challenging; I mean, Annie can attest to this. I mean, these roles were very difficult for all of us. The Forest Through The Trees was mentally and physically draining at some point, and it was just, yeah. So, my character has many different levels throughout the movie. And I’m hoping it is all portrayed well throughout the film. And you’ll see that escalation.
On Filming
Jason: Can I say something about that?
PopHorror: Absolutely!
Jason: Another tricky part about The Forest Through The Trees is that we shot the movie backward, but we started at the end. And then, like the 1st week, it was the end of the film, the last act, the second week was the second act, and the 3rd week was the 1st act. So, just keeping that in mind, what he was talking about is how the character has to escalate at different levels throughout the film. Doing it backward made it even worse; it was pretty challenging.
Yes, it was. It was super tricky, doing everything backward like that. I understand why we had to do it that way, and it’s OK that we do that. There have not been many movies out. Well, I don’t think there’s ever been a production style when we did it from page one of 90. You can’t do that. I mean, I don’t think that could ever be done. OK, yOK know. Maybe it’s shortened, but with a feature film, it was challenging. But I’m hoping that everything is portrayed right. You will see that escalation from the beginning to the end of my character.
Malphas
PopHorror: Jason, how did you end up basing your character on Malphas over all other demons?
Jason: So when I first started writing and developing the idea. I had done much research in demonology and happened upon this demon, Malphas. I wanted to use a demon that exists in, you know, the Christian demonic war, you know. But I didn’t want to use one that was used a lot that has been that a lot of people know, like Azazel or Lucifer or you know, those types that are are are just used a lot in pop culture, and so I found him. I’d never heard of them, and I researched him. I thought it was interesting that he was a bird demon. I don’t think birds are terrifying. So I tried like I wanted to make him a little scary. It was interesting that he was a builder. I thought many things were interesting. I was researching him and drawn to marigolds, flowers, and plants. I thought that was interesting. So yeah. You know, I considered several others, but I eventually just landed on him.
Looking Into The Demon Eyes
PopHorror: Annie, how was your connection with Malphas?
Annie: The whole demon thing in The Forest Through The Trees spooked me, I will say like I. I’ve told Jason this. I used to hate horror movies. I don’t like to be scared. I’m a giant baby, and I’m super easily frightened, so when he asked me about it two years ago. So thinking about those relationships, and like, when I’m reading the script and thinking about, you know, interacting and seeing these things and experiencing these demonic things. It, oh, my God! It freaks me out badly. I kept thinking we couldn’t have made up a demon like we use a real one like, what if he comes to get me? So it was something I had to do.
I had some struggles with it. I had to put aside those thoughts and focus on how Chloe would feel, but I just tried to think of it as more or less an interaction within herself. You know I didn’t think of it totally as oh, my gosh! I’m like talking to the devil, you know, because it’s like, of course, that’s what’s going on. But it’s more about what she’s experiencing, how he’s making her experience these things, how she’s feeling, how it’s affecting her and her world inside and out. So I tried to take it that route rather than focusing on, like, Oh, my God! I’m talking to a human because it scared me. But it’s like that helped me. That fear was ever present, regardless, but it made sense. So, it was something that helped me and hindered me.
Actors and Awards
PopHorror: Jason, the screenplay has won an award and has been highlighted in many other places. Would you like to go on that?
Jason: Yeah, The Forest Through The Trees won an award for the best screenplay. I think it was the Ravenwood Festival, and it has been selected for several other film festivals but didn’t win other than that one. But I mean, that is a Testament to the story. It’s a unique film that the horror community will hopefully embrace because it is unique. There’s a lot of familiarity with it. I use a lot of imagery from other popular horror films that I think people will be like, huh! That looks like something else, you know. But I also think it’s different enough that people will appreciate the originality.
PopHorror: Jason, The Forest Through The Trees crew seems pretty established in their trade. Did you have to hunt them down, or have they previously worked with you?
Jason: The vast majority have worked with me before. So, about four years ago, I decided to get back into filmmaking. It. This team had started kind of small. We did a series of short films and then our Friday the 13th fan film, where he’s neither beast nor human, and with every project, that team or that family grew a bit more. And you know, it led us to this project here, where we have a fantastic team at every level and position in the filmmaking conveyor belt. So yeah, the vast majority have worked with me before, and we did have a lot of new people on this one that fit right in. They were terrific to have, but We’ve built it over time.
Takeaway
PopHorror: This one’s for everybody. What was your favorite takeaway from this film?
James: As far as I go. I’ve been with Jason for a long time. And doing The Forest Through The Trees was something I didn’t know. It’s more like a brother helping a brother out here because I know what this means to Jason, and I feel emotional because everything I’ve done with Jason has escalated. We went from ground level to this. And when I say this, this film, right here, is over the top to me. And this is Jason’s best work. As an actor, I feel privileged and honored just to be asked to be in this man’s film. So, anytime I get to work with him, It helps me become a better actor and person. For me, he makes me better my family. Whenever I do something I think is half-ass, is it what I would put it? And then look at him, and he changed. It was great. But it would help if you did this.
That’s what I like about actors being directed because, being an actor, that’s what you want. You want to bring what they put on paper because their minds are incredible. So what they put on paper you want to bring out for them, not only for you as an actor but for them, because we’re trying ultimately to. I am, anyway, trying to please the director and the writers and stuff, and him being the director and writer of The Forest Through The Trees means more to me than it does to him, so I want to make sure that my portrayal of Mike’s character that he put me in, you know, portraying this thing, knowing that I can do it. Then that’s what makes me better so? That is everything that I do.
I could go on all day long about The Forest Through The Trees. But it’s it’s a combination of everything building into this. If this were my first project with him, it would be different. Answer that this is not my 1st project with him. Hopefully, it won’t be my last. So it’s it’s definitely for me. A combination of everything, it’s just more of a director, and it’s more than just a director and actor working together. It’s a brother and a family and doing things to make each other better at what we do.
Show Some Love
Jason: Yeah, my answer is, first of all, thank you so much for that, James. I feel the same way, and my answer is very much on the same level. For me, my biggest takeaway. There were a lot of moments in The Forest Through The Trees where I was just in the moment, and then after, like, and then like something happened, and then afterward, I was like, holy crap, just reflecting on it. I was like, holy crap. That was a level-up moment for me as a director. You know what I mean. So I felt like this film, I don’t know. It’s hard to put into words. There were a lot of moments where I thought, man, you know. I’m pretty decent at this, you know. Yeah, I don’t know; it’s hard to describe. There was a lot of confirmation that I’m on the right path with this movie, and this is what I’m meant to do 100%
Annie: This was probably one of the most challenging roles I’ve filmed thus far in my career. The Forest Through The Trees pushed me physically and mentally, and I already am a vulnerable actor, but this took me to a different stratosphere. It was tough, but it was gratifying to do that work, connect with everybody on screen and off, and create something so special. This is my first time working with Jason as a director. We met on a different project, so it was cool that he saw me then, thought I had potential, and trusted me to take on something important. It meant a lot to me that he remembered and wanted me to be a part of it. And everyone, you know, embraced me with open arms.
So, it was one of the most likely familial. That’s like I’ve been on, you know, everyone just felt like friends and family, and in the morning, if needed anything or like, there were times when I was desperate for a diet Coke, and as somebody would like, get it. You know. It was so sweet, like, so special. It was just like a fantastic set.
We, I can’t tell you. There was energy there? You felt like you were all making something meaningful and doing something significant as a team. Everyone felt like a team member, and I thought the environment was set up and how all the actors connected was extraordinary. Because, you know, sometimes you think, OK, OK, that was fine. Like, I don’t feel like I go along with everybody. But whatever life goes on like this was a different experience. It was great.
Motivation
PopHorror: Alright, one harder one for everybody. What would you say? Motivates someone reluctant to chase their dreams?
Jason: Can I take this one first?
PopHorror: Of course!
Jason: OK, you, I mean, won’t have one life, you know, don’t spin it in regret thinking “what if?” or any of that. So it would be best to go for it the way you must. It means taking big chances, taking significant risks. However, even if you fail, you know the peace of mind of knowing the answer to that question, whether I think it’s worth it. You see, I got my degree in film and didn’t make movies for 15 years, and you know I was one of those people who was just like that. What if? And finally, I just had enough of asking myself that question and started doing it, and here we are with The Forest Through The Trees
Annie: I agree. It takes those big jumps to ignite your purpose within you because if you had told me when I was 15, I would move to Los Angeles and be an actor. I would have been like, what on earth are you talking about? This is not how I thought my life was. I was going to be a nurse in college, and then I wouldn’t say I liked it. And then I just took an acting elective because I thought, Oh, maybe. And it was just like a couple of weeks into that class. I was like, OK, I want to do this as a profession. It’s because I just did something random. And I took a chance.
Yeah, moving to LA is hard. I work at a restaurant as I grind, and it’s tough, but I have never felt so comfortable and sure that I’m doing what I meant to do until I did these things. And it was scary. And I thought, “Oh, maybe I should try to do something safer,” but I agree with Jason. You’ll always have that thought. Oh, I wish I had done that.
It’s OK To Fail
James: OK, I wish I had tried if I had failed. What if at least I tried, like not having to exist? If so, don’t let the “what if?” scare you. Life is short; as you said, you get one life. Just try. It’s OK to look at this. But you have to try one of the same things that Annie said. You know, I started impacting late in life. I was in Ems. I was a paramedic at Ems for 16 years. One day, something happened on the run that had taken me out of EMS for about a year, and I mentally took some time off.
Well, during that time off, I. I worked with a friend in Kentucky on a short film called The Switch, and I loved it. Like I fell in love with being in front of the camera. It’s like. Why aren’t I doing it? And so, from that moment on. I took it up on myself, and trust me, in my mid-forties. You’re going to be told you’re too old, you’re too late, you’re never going to make it, You don’t have a look, never going to happen, and that pissed me off. That made me so mad, I told myself. I will do this after about years of going back and forth with the Ems and working in the movies here and there. Doing this, I took the lead and became a full-time actor, doing it as much as possible.
I got an agent. I got several agents and started doing it. So, if you don’t fail, you’re not trying. That’s the whole thing. And that’s what everybody’s got to understand. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying because everybody will forget.: It’s what you do with that and continue to do with your life that makes you persevere, and I’m doing it daily. I’m not getting all the significant roles as of yet. I’m not getting that one big break. It doesn’t matter. That doesn’t mean you have to quit. Struggle is life. Life is a struggle; that’s what it is. You can’t let it beat you down. You can’t let it stop you.
Feel The Passion
There have been many times that I wanted to quiver and times that I wanted to stop doing what I was doing. I didn’t because I found it in myself to persevere and keep going to do the next one better. Then, seeing people who believe in you, like Jason, helps you. It’s it’s just like a golf game. You hit nine holes in the woods, and it keeps you playing when you hit it this far from the hole. Well, that’s what this is. You know, you get that one role that that makes things work while again for you. So you continue to do it.
However, I would tell anybody who wanted to get into this business or anything else. Don’t quit. You’re going to fail. It’s okay; you learn from your mistakes. You learn from your failures. Make that next time just even better. So that’s what I would tell anybody who wants to do this or anything else in life: You’re not failing. So that’s that’s what it is.
Jason: Can I add some of that? So James hit it on. Hit the nail on the head, he said. Life is hard; life is a struggle. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing. You’re going to fight. It’s going to be complicated. Struggle to do what you love because you’re going to struggle; no matter what I mean, it’s difficult, no matter what you do. So that’d not be easy to do precisely what you love right.
Even though The Forest Through the Trees is still awaiting release, I can’t wait. It looks like a wild ride of a forgotten type of horror in modern times.
