Voice of the Vespers

Hello ladies, I want you guys to look at this sweet trailer for a independent movie called Voice of the Vespers. It's written and directed by a Chicago filmmaker named Matthew James Van Howe. Check out the website if you like what you see!!

 Here is some Q & A with Matthew James Van Howe 

Q: Tell me a little about yourself creatively/personally.



 

A: At heart, I see myself as a storyteller.  I come from a music background and have written all sorts of music from classical to industrial.  All of my music feels like a story, whether it has lyrics or not.  I have also dabbled in writing and fashion.  I love talking to people and I’m a pretty excitable person.  I get pumped about creating anything and love collaborating to make the best possible realization of an idea.  I also like being able to share my creations with other people so they can enjoy it, too.

 

Q: What first got you interested in film and directing?

 

A: I started making short films in high school sort of messing around with friends, and then later in life, my buddy Acid from Fashion Bomb asked me if I could cut together a music video for him using archival footage of old movies.  Being a musician, I think I have a natural talent for a time based medium like editing, and I ended up really enjoying it, and kept going from there.

 

Q: Who is your favorite film director? And who are your influences?

 

A: I’d have to say Robert Rodriguez is my favorite film director.  I have long been inspired by his independence and speed in filmmaking.  He can do every aspect of filmmaking from camera work to editing to writing to sound, and do it well.  My influences would be Stanley Kubrick, Robert Rodriguez, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, and Woody Allen.

Q: What is your film about?

 

A: Voice of the Vespers takes place now, but in an alternate timeline where the nobility rules.  The nobles, called Proprietors, are the only people that have Vespers, and they are fighting over them.  Some of the Proprietors are altruistic, but some want the Vespers all for themselves.

Q: How did you get the idea for Voice of the Vespers?

 

A: I was on a road trip with my wife and just brought up the topic of making a feature film.  I wanted to have a few characters all after the same thing.  I started with money, and then my wife brought it more abstract to the idea of a soul, if it was a tangible thing.  Then we thought about the motivations of the different characters, and it evolved from there.

Q: What the heck is a Vesper?

 

A: It is a collection of someone’s past lives all rolled up into one orb of organic energy.

Q: Describe the costumes and design in this movie.

 

A: When I first started talking to Jennifer Quinn, the costume designer, the script wasn’t even finished yet, but the costumes were an integral part of the look of the movie.  I told her that I wanted to combine Gangs of New York with The Matrix.  The film has a sleek, urban feel, while incorporating Neo-Victorian ideas.  I wanted to have the settings relatable, but also add splashes of steam punk here and there.

Q: What is steam punk? Why did you choose this look?

 

A: Steam punk is a science fiction sub-culture where steam is still one of the primary sources of power.  It is heavily influenced by the Victorian time period and their perceptions of how the future would be.  I primarily incorporated the style and a few of the props have Victorian ideas of how futuristic devices would function.  I chose the look because I wanted the world of Voice of the Vespers to be instantly recognizable as a different place and time from our own.  I also really love the style personally.

 

Q: What are you working on next?

 

A: Next, I am making either a gay romantic comedy, or a surrealist film about a failed science experiment in Spanish called Tiburón.

Inspired by Voice of the Vespers I found these steam punk inspired images.... SO BEAUTIFUL! And tomorrow I'm going to post lots of steam punk styled jewelery. Get excited!