At The Movie Buff we are always on the lookout for new independent films. They offer the purest form of cinema, prioritizing character depth and unique take-a-ways, and with the proliferation of the Internet, give filmmakers the chance to showcase their work to a broader audience.
Recently we discovered filmmaker Ashley Nicole. Her first film, “Button Eyes,” was an illusory, dystopian film that was shown in red hues. The film was illusory and dark, and an intriguing short. She followed this up with “Eternal Mind,” which also focused on dystopian themes. It boasted apt cinematography and a brilliant soundtrack.
We recently had the chance to sit down with Ashley to talk to her about her filmmaking, her inspirations, and her new film, “Out of this World,” which is available now on YouTube.
Mark Ziobro for The Movie Buff: Thank you for agreeing to talk to us Ashley. Can you please introduce yourself for our readers?
Sure, my name is Ashley Nicole I’m currently 20 years old and I’m and indie Filmmaker/ Director from Harlingen, Texas and thank you for letting me talk to you guys as well.
How long have you been making movies? What got you interested in filmmaking? Who are your influences?
Well, ever since I was a kid I have always enjoyed watching movies…whether it’s horror [or]drama, and that’s what really made me want to become a filmmaker. I actually started making short films my first year of college back in 2019, originally aiming to become a YouTuber but people responded [so]well to my short films that I decided to dedicate my channel to filmmaking!
I didn’t really start until 2020 when the pandemic first began and realized that I now had a lot of time on my hands to perfect my skills and improve on things such as camera work, cinematography, and writing.
We’ve watched two of your short films, “Button Eyes” and “Eternal Mind.” We found both thematic and intriguing. What was your inspiration in making these films? What do you hope others will get out of them?
My inspiration for “Eternal Mind” came from the film “Nomadland,” which I found very beautiful and peaceful. As for “Button Eyes,” that one just came out from the tip of my head; I actually had the idea for a while.
My hope for people who do watch those two films, especially “Eternal mind,” [is that]I hope that they see the beauty in every little thing here on Earth like plants, grass, trees, and the sky…and hopefully [they]can see that if we don’t save our planet soon we won’t be able to see these things ever again.
I didn’t really start until 2020 when the pandemic first began and realized that I now had a lot of time on my hands to perfect my skills and improve on things such as camera work, cinematography, and writing.”ashley nicole
The message of “Eternal Mind” is simple: “Take action”
Can you talk about your process? How big is your production team or is this a one-woman show?
There isn’t really a production team, it’s just me, my camera, and my laptop (which I use for editing) and whatever I can find around my house to use in any specific scenes of my projects.
And as far as casting goes, my brother Christian mainly plays the villain characters and some minor characters as well.
I understand that you have a new film out, “Out of this World,” which is another short. Can you tell us what the film is about?
The film is about a young girl in her early ’20s who gets abducted by aliens one night and awakens in a strange room with nothing but a strange TV, which is sitting in the middle of the room.
The concept [for ‘Out of this World’]came from the Netflix film ‘Horse Girl,’ which the character of Sarah starts to see and experience a bunch of weird stuff in the movie.”ashley nicole
It acts as a transportation device, and takes her to different rooms and in each room something either weird or creepy is happening.
Is the film released yet? If so, can you tell our readers where they can watch/see the film?
Well it’s still in the process of being made, but so far it’s coming along just fine, but people can watch the film on YouTube—that’s where I post all of my work at!
And as far as distribution it might just end up on Sofy.tv.
Where did you come up with the concept for the film?
The concept came from the Netflix film “Horse Girl” which the character of Sarah (Alison Brie) starts to see and experience a bunch of weird stuff in the movie. Although…I’m not sure if it was an alien abduction film, but it was a still really interesting film to watch
And the concept also just came from my love of sci if films like “Independence Day” and “The Fourth Kind.”
What are your hopes for the film? Is it going to be submitted to any film festivals?
Hopefully I’ll have a chance to submit to some festivals, but I still haven’t decided yet. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to someday.
Do you have any other projects that you are currently working on or we can expect this year?
I actually have one in mind that I’m still debating on whether to do or not…it’s about a Witch, but that’s just about all I have to an idea. I also have a couple of ideas that just aren’t ready to come out yet.
Do you have any advice for aspiring indie filmmakers?
My only advice for them would be don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and think outside the box, because that’s where all the brilliant ideas are at. [And] be original.
You can check out Ashley Nicole’s work by visiting her YouTube page here. Like and subscribe to support indie film. And follow us at The Movie Buff for continued indie film coverage weekly.
