EDEN SHEA BECK TALKS HUNTER LOADING

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

In this film, a homecoming-party thrown under false pretences takes a turn for the worse when its honourable guest does not take the planned prank that well. What was your characters role in this party?

The party was planned as a homecoming for Anna Lee’s husband who had been away in the army. A mix between that and for Fourth of July celebrations. I was there celebrating his return to his family and friends as well as to celebrate with my friends.

It is an interesting film in that it's been shot similar to a TikTok or Instagram-live. Was that just a very different experience from what your usual on set experience would be like?

I would say that the major difference between the way this film was shot in comparison to others was that we did it all in one take. Which actually made it very fun to shoot. We also had the main-character "Hunter" film an angle with a camera he was holding showing his point of view, in my opinion this perspective gave the film a more intense feeling adding a level of violation and vulnerability that a standard camera angle may not catch.

The party continues because the likes keep on coming from those watching it online. What role, if any, do you think social media can play in casting today?

Social media plays a major role in the casting process, both from what I have witnessed and have been told, many castings request that actors share their social media pages and I have even seen projects that specifcially ask that actors have above a certain number of followers. I have also been made aware from producers that at some point in the casting process an actors socials will be searched to help in the decision making process. The reasoning for this I would believe is for the decision makers to get a better sense of who the actor is, and also to make sure that he or she aligns with both the character, as well as the theme and goal of the project. Also, the higher the number of followers that an actor has, the more views a project is likely to get, so that can be a draw to productions as well.

When did you first get into acting?

I first got into acting briefly around five because of my brother who was acting at the time. I did a couple of commercials and then I decided to take a break because I was not really booking much and I wanted to have the time to try other things. I then moved to gymnastics for about ten years, then made a switch to dance, which eventually led me back to acting my senior year of high school. I was doing online school at the time because dance took up so much of my time and also I was represented with an agency for dance. With the extra time I had from online school and being back in the audition process I really craved the idea of getting back into acting. That is when I started to take acting classes, and focus solely on acting.

I find dancing very interesting in that it’s really such a manifestation of the creative process, not least it being a necessity going through mistakes and failure, to get to where you want to be. Do you think your dancing has given you a good foundation to stand on, and leap off of, also when leading the life of an actress?

Dancing is something near and dear to my heart that I still love to do even just for fun. I was a competitive dancer growing up so I always looked at dance as more of a sport than a mode of expression and I never realized how much I craved the creative, and emotional, release I got from dance until I began acting. Important skills gymnastics and dance have taught me that I carry with me everyday now is posture, body awareness, discipline, a hard work ethic, and how to handle pressure situations. Thanks for that.

This is not your first and, as it would seem, also not your last role in a horror-film. What do you think it is that continuously drawn you to explore things in this genre?

At this point in my career especially after Covid and the strikes I'm happy to take any exciting role that comes my way. I do love working on horror films, because often you get to explore very large range and character arcs. I love how physical horror films often are for the actors, and it is really fun to get to explore such heigtened emotions and situations. One of my favorite genres to act in as well as watch, are thrillers. I love putting the pieces together as a viewer and I think that would be such a fun thing to navigate as an actor, as I am learning more about myself and the characters and situations around me throughout the film. It really is like a very fun yet intricate puzzle to work on!

Is there any other recent work you look forward for you or the audience to get to see?

Yes! There is this fun short called 'Spirits Like Us' I acted in last year that I am excited to see after it gets through the festival circuit. A film I recently completed about time-travel should be coming out sometime this year which will be exciting to watch as well called 'Time Movie'. I'm also just thankful and excited to get back on set next week for a supporting role in a vertical series.