Beacon Point: BRWC Exclusive Chat With Rae Olivier

29th May 2016

The prestigious Dances with Films film festival this week announced that Beacon Point, the highly-anticipated science-fiction thriller from rising newcomer Eric Blue, has won a plum Friday night slot on the festival’s exciting showcase of upcoming independent gems. The Georgia-produced chiller, produced by Blue Lantern Films, will play the Chinese Theatre on June 10.

A group of hikers on the Appalachian Trail become lost and stumble across an ancient secret that threatens their survival in this suspenseful, surprising journey into fear.

Star Rae Olivier spoke to us exclusively about the film and the “creatures” that lurked the set!

Hi Rae, congrats on the film getting accepted into Dances with Films. How much do festivals mean to indie films?

Thank you!! I think they mean a lot and they’re always a lot of fun. This is my third feature and third festival run and they’ve always been great for generating more buzz and interest, and a great way to see other artists’ work as well. The last time I went to Dances with Films, I was lucky to get one of the all access passes and spent two days just watching movies back to back. It was great, and I was really impressed with a lot of what I saw- some great features and really awesome short films as well.

Have you found, being involved in indies in the past that have done festivals, that a good festival run usually leads to distribution?

I think so? I’m not on the end that deals with distributors, so that may be a better question for the filmmakers. Have my other films gotten distribution? Yes. Whether or not that was a direct result of a festival, I’m not sure. My guess is the festivals helped though!

How long ago did you shoot Beacon Point?

3 years ago this July.

Beacon Point

How did you get involved? Do you recall how it went down?

Yes, I do! I actually took a bit of a risk and contacted Eric Blue directly. I was in LA, but saw that they were casting a feature film in Atlanta, which is my hometown. I had just come off of another thriller film, so I sent Blue a reel of footage from that, telling him I was interested in the role. I honestly did not expect to hear anything back! When I did hear back, casting had me self tape for the role. Then my callback was actually done over Skype. That was an interesting experience, for sure. Then I got the role!

Could you relate to your character – have a love of the outdoors or adventure, for instance?

Could I relate to her? Absolutely. I think a lot of women would be able to and that’s what drew me to the role. Zoe ISN’T super athletic or experienced at what she sets out to do and that’s kind of the point. Like a lot of women, she has a day job. She comes to a crossroads with that job, decides to leave and challenge herself by going on this hike. The strength we see isn’t necessarily a physical one- it’s more mental. She’s thrown some curveballs, and has to figure out how to handle them. At the end of the day, and without giving too much away, her journey is more of an endurance test. And as far as being outdoorsy- I love the outdoors! I love nature and adventure 🙂 When I was a kid, my Grandmother had a mountain house not far from where we filmed, and some of my best memories are in that house and those mountains. Filming in them was a bit of a nostalgic experience for me. Like Zoe, however, I’m no where CLOSE to being a professional hiker. My workout schedule in life consists of lots and lots of yoga, and occasionally a hike up Runyon.

Beacon Point’s Rae Olivier

Did the location help with the ‘pretend to be scared’ now moments?

Oh for sure!! THERE WERE SO MANY CREATURES!!! And it was especially scary on our night shoots because we couldn’t see them. Poor Jon, who plays Drake, had to be tied up for some of those scenes and couldn’t even get away from them. There were definitely some hurdles filming in the woods, but being surrounded by nature fed the cast so much, I think. It was also great to work in a more isolated environment…. fewer distractions.

Beacon Point at Dances With Films : Chinese Theatre, June 10, 11:45 PM.

Tickets here: https://danceswithfilms.com/beacon-point/

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