VIDEOS: Interview - the writer of Pandorum is Kickstarting a new sci-fi film

The writer of sci-fi horror Pandorum - that's Travis Milloy - has got his eyes on a new sci-fi film and you can help to make it happen

A couple of years back, a filmmaker called Travis Milloy went to Kickstarter to fund his first solo-directing effort - Somnio. The ambitious sci-fi project didn't make its funding goal but Milloy went on and secured private investment, now he's back to give the film a little extra push to make it as great as possible.

Here's the new pitch for Somnio.

The goal is a mere $10,000 and the project is well on the way towards that target with more than 2 weeks to go. Reward tiers include a digital download of the finished film, a signed copy of the Pandorum script plus your chance to get your own IMDB credit!

We had a chat with Milloy, who is probably best known as the writer behind Pandorum, about crowdfunding,

CLICK: First and foremost, tell me what Somnio is about

TM: It's a the story of a man locked in a futuristic, fully automated prison, his only contact is with a computer and he fears the world may have come to an end, trapped forever by a computer program.

CLICK: And we’re talking because the movie is currently up on Kickstarter, why should people contribute - in your opinion?

TM: It's a great way to be part of movie from start to finish, to participate in the production, to follow us through the process, get cool rewards and collectibles. It's a interesting way to watch a movie go from script to screen and be part of the movie's family, so to speak.

CLICK: Where did the concept for Somnio come from?

TM: It started as a challenge to myself to see if I could tell a story with extremely limited resources. One man trapped in a room with nothing but a computer to talk to. Honestly, I didn't think it could be a feature film until I got into it and the story just took off on it's own. On rare occasions, a script will do that when writing it. It's a writer's dream.

CLICK: What does the title mean?

TM: In the story, Somnio is an electronic device that is meant to calm the prisoners down with low frequency brain waves and allow them to have very vivid daydreams in order to stop them from going crazy. In our story, Somnio serves as a device to send our hero into a dream world but it malfunctions and turns on him. It's Latin for Dream.

CLICK: Is it something you’ve always wanted to make?

TM: Yes, I'd been thinking about the story for about ten years. I could never get it out of mind and I've never been so attached to a story as I am this one.

CLICK: You’ve already put a lot of effort into the film - with the script and storyboards and test footage. How long have you been working on it?

TM: A few years. I was really only testing the waters and just couldn't stop. Mainly because of Chris Kelly's participation, I was motivated to keep going.

CLICK: Were you inspired by any other movies or other stories in any medium?

TM: Yes, I've always been a big Stanley Kubrick fan and I drew alot of inspiration from "2001". I mean HAL is the Marlon Brando of movie computers. And self contained films such as "Twleve Angry Men", "Fail Safe" and Hitchcock's "Lifeboat". I've always been inspired by films that can tell a story in a very limited space.

CLICK: I was familiar with your lead actor Chris Kelly from Ink (read more here) , how did you come across him?

TM: I met Chris when he came into audition for another project years ago. He absolutely blew me away and he always stuck in my mind as a guy I would go to when any project came up.

Honestly, I'm not sure I would have pursued doing "Somnio" without him. I knew this story was going to rely on us watching one actor for long periods of time and I hadn't met anyone that convinced me it was possible until I met Chris.

One of the most talented actors I've ever met. He's extremely honest with what he does as a performer and has a fearless nature. That's unbelievably rare. And with him, my mind is put at ease when thinking of the production and how ambitious it is.

CLICK: And you have a whole crew waiting to get started on the film - can you talk a bit about them?

TM: An amazingly talented group of people, some I've known for a long time and others who jumped on board, sharing an equal passion for the project. It's been incredibly humbling to have these people willing to join me on this crazy journey.

CLICK: Will anyone be getting paid on the film?

TM: Yes, I spent alot of years working in independent films, I know how tough it is and what it's like to ask for favors and to give favors. I want to pay people enough for so it's not such a sacrifice for their time and experience.

CLICK: How did you first hear about Kickstarter?

TM: A friend of mine told me about it years ago and I though it was such a fantastic way to get smaller, independent, passion projects launched.

CLICK: Did you think it was a viable way to finance a feature or did you take some convincing?

TM: I'd been tracking Kickstarter for a while. I watched what others had done and knew it was possible. It's tough to know what will fly and what won't. Personally, I'm not very social network savvy so I had to try and adjust and embrace Facebook.

CLICK: Was it a difficult decision to put yourself out there on Kickstarter?

TM: I was hesitant. I consider myself a pretty private person, I mean I'm a writer and that's a pretty isolated gig. I had a really hard time shooting the video of myself because I don't like being on camera.

It was the last thing I did, finally able to motivate myself to quit whining and just do it. People who know me couldn't believe how mellow I was in the video. It's because I had the flu when I shot it! Normally, I'm a bit more obnoxious.

CLICK: You’ve had some considerable experience on features before, most notably as the writer on Pandorum - was that a positive experience?

TM: Absolutely. It was a dream to see my script become such a huge production. It was probably the most surreal experience in my life.

CLICK: As the writer, did you have much input into the creative process?

TM: I was doing some rewrites while they were shooting but mostly I was an observer and it was a thrill. Christian Alvart is a brilliant filmmaker, I was honored to watch him work.

There was one time when Dennis Quaid was having a problem with a few lines of dialogue and I wrote him new lines on the spot, which they shot and it ended up in the movie. Wow, I thought. I just made that up on the spot and now it's in there. Weird.

CLICK: Were you happy with the finished film?

TM: Yes, I've very proud of the film. But it was the strangest movie viewing experience I'd ever had. I knew the story too well and it was hard to separate myself and how I originally envisioned it to truly enjoy it.

It took me a while to watch it as a viewer and a fan of sci-fi. Now, I enjoy it more every time I watch it. The best part has been meeting fans of the film and I've met fans I never would have though Kickstarter. They've been the driving force behind the support for Somnio.

CLICK: If you don’t manage to get it funded on Kickstarter, is that the end of the project?

TM: No, the way I see it, it's Somnio or bust. I'm not going to give up on making this movie, no matter what I have to do. If I have to make the movie in my garage for nothing, I will. I'll keep going until someone decides to lock me up!

CLICK: And if you do get the funds, that’s just the start of a very challenging production, in a tiny budget. Are you looking forward to that challenge?

TM: Absolutely! I can't wait to get started. In fact, even now I've already been out, shooting more footage, location scouting, casting, etc.

I can't help myself. Everywhere I go I look for something I can use. I'll be in the friggin' grocery store and be thinking, "What could I use in here for Somnio?" It never ends.