Bight is a new erotic thriller from first-time feature director, Maiara Walsh (Switched at Birth, Desperate Housewives). In addition to helming the film, Walsh co-wrote it with Cameron Cowperthwaite (Fallout, Dahmer – Monster). The duo also stars in the project. In fact, most of the cast had multiple roles on set.

The movie follows two couples who “reconnect over a dinner celebrating the artistic success of an avant-garde photographer.” However, things begin to unravel “into an evening of jealousy, betrayal, and heartbreak.” In addition to Walsh and Cowperthwaite, Bight stars Mark Hapka (23 Blast, Days of Our Lives) and Maya Stojan (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., NCIS).

That Hashtag Show had the chance to interview the lead foursome, who spoke about creating the film under Walsh’s direction as well as the trust required to make a movie that explores intimacy and desire. The actors opened up about their various positions behind the scenes and spoke about the indie filmmaking process.

You can watch the Bight trailer below:

Performance and Trust

Bight

Considering the sexual nature of Bight, we asked the actors how they built trust behind the scenes.

“I think, definitely, the extensive time that we spent together before shooting,” Walsh explained. “Making sure everyone was comfortable with their characters, making sure everyone was comfortable with each other, whatever conversations that we needed to have … There’s a lot within the film that is sensitive, right? … That was all super important. And then once we got going there, it’s like the train leaves the station and you can’t stop. And then, on top of that, there’s all of these other things that end up happening … We had to learn to be the masters of multitasking.”

“Maiara is just such a creative,” Stojan shared. “If someone [asked] me, ‘Do you know an artist that just does it all?’ I’d be like, ‘Yep, I do. It’s Maiara.’ … She’s just unbelievable.”

“I had a really fantastic experience thanks to these three humans,” Stojan added later. “I had a really awesome journey, from front to back.”

Wearing Multiple Hats

Bight

In addition to writing, directing, and acting, Walsh also created a lot of the art seen onscreen.

“I think it’s important to mention, too, that the art that you saw, the big canvases on the wall that they acted in front of, that [Stojan’s character] Naomi created, Maiara created … All of those canvases, all of those art pieces,” Cowperthwaite revealed. “So she’s shot listing by day. She’s up at night drinking IPA and painting murals. And she gets an hour and a half asleep, and then she shows up to set, to both act and direct.”

While Walsh was busy being a quadruple threat, Cowperthwaite and Hapka were editing the film together.

“It’s hard … shout out to editors,” Cowperthwaite said. “You get into this hole … and then 10 hours have gone by. For those that do that job daily, the mental fortitude and the absolute focus that it takes to get that dialed in was such mental gymnastics for me and for Mark.”

“Editing my own performance, and I have to be honest, it’s its own level of protection,” he continued. “If something’s not working, ‘gone,’ it’s out. I don’t care if it’s me, it’s gone … If only the good pieces are there, it does a service to you. And I think that’s what we tried to do … Service Maiara’s vision, service the performances, service the story. … This is a quote from Mark: ‘The only ego that ever exists is the films.'”

“We got to come to bat for each other’s performances,” Hapka added. “It is a little harder to be objective with your own stuff … I think actors truly could make the best editors because they understand pacing. They understand beats. They understand character.”

Hapka also spoke about serving as the second unit director on set.

“That kind of transpired from the fact that there were some pretty heavy scenes that Maiara was in with Cam, or with Maya, where she can’t be behind the monitor as well … We’re moving quick … With indie filmmaking, you don’t have much time. You get a take or two, and you’ve got to move on if you want to actually make your day right. So there were just moments where Maiara would trust me to make sure that things looked okay and that performances were working … A lot of guerrilla filmmaking around LA … I was just kind of in charge and filling in those gaps that were not necessarily main production.”

The Importance of Indie Filmmaking

Bight

Walsh and Cowperthwaite also took some time to discuss indie filmmaking.

“I think there are so many positives about indie filmmaking,” Walsh explained. “There are a lot of challenges that come along with it as well. And I think I’ve come to the realization that if you’re going to be making a movie, you’re talking three to seven years of your life at minimum. There are directors and writers who make projects 20 years after they’ve created the project.”

“So I think it, at least for me, has helped me be much more specific,” she continued. “‘There’s also something so beautiful and liberating and freeing when you don’t have 30 suits in the room trying to make micro decisions on everything that you’re trying to build.”

“You just kind of realize, the train never stops, and Maiara is now taking over our marketing campaign, and we’re dealing with the distribution,” Cowperthwaite explained. “I [have so much respect] for all of the indie filmmakers that are grassroots, pushing their films. And I just want to give some gratitude to Maiara for taking the reins on that … It really takes a village to get any of these things seen.”

Bight debuts on February 10th on TVOD. You can watch our full interview with the Bight cast below:

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