Allison Volk Breaks Through with Witty Dark Romantic Comedy

Allison Volk breaks through as a writer, producer and star on the indie scene with the new witty dark comedy feature film, Deany Bean is Dead. Allison, originally from Boulder, Colorado, studied acting and playwriting at the O’Neill Theater Institute in Connecticut. Since making her way to Hollywood, she has proven a true triple threat creating several notable films. She earned ‘Best Lead Actress’ at the 2017 Utah Film Awards for her first feature, Innocent Sleep, and earlier this year won ‘Best Screenplay’ at the festival for her dark action comedy feature script, Tiger Woman. She has written and produced two award-winning shorts and penned several plays, one of which took the Denise Regan Wisenmeyer Award.

Allison recently showcased her talents with the world premiere of the deadly dark rom-com Deany Bean is Dead, at the 2018 Dances With Films festival. She teamed up with director Mikael Kreuzriegler and associate producer Christiana Santos to tell this self-discovery tale of a lovesick woman who longs to get back together with her ex, despite accidentally killing her boss.

indieactivity: How did you get into the business?
Allison: I’ve been making small movies since I was about 9 years old (you should see some of my Barbie stop-motion comedies!). It only felt natural to continue telling stories on stage and screen, and after studying acting and playwriting at the O’Neill Theater Institute in Connecticut, I moved to Los Angeles in my early 20’s to pursue a professional career in filmmaking.

Deany Bean is Dead – Allison Volk on the roof

indieactivity: What made you want to create your own projects?
Allison: When I moved to Los Angeles and started auditioning, it didn’t take long for me to notice that the roles available for women my age were generally pretty dull. Supportive girlfriend, tragically misled stripper/prostitute or young, caring mother were pretty much the roles I went out for. Nothing even close to what makes me feel fulfilled as a creative! After a couple years of that routine, I got fed up and started flexing my writing/producing muscle… and thank God I did. It’s opened so many doors for me as an artist.

indieactivity: Briefly summarize the new film “Deany Bean Is Dead.”
Allison: “Deany Bean is Dead” is about a woman who tries to win back her ex-boyfriend at his engagement party, without revealing that her boss’ dead body is in the trunk of her car out front. It’s a dark romantic comedy that explores jealousy, heartbreak and ultimately self-acceptance for the female protagonist.

indieactivity: Where did you discover the idea for it?
Allison: I got the idea after experiencing a difficult bout of jealousy and heartbreak myself. Those emotions can be so strong that they overpower logic and even social etiquette – they can be absolutely all-consuming. I wanted to create a project that examines that experience without vilifying it because we all feel that stuff but usually suppress it, which isn’t necessarily healthy or constructive.

indieactivity: What were the first steps you took to make it happen?
Allison: Working with Mikael Kreuzriegler was critical to this project being possible. He directed/produced the project with me, and truly, it is as much his project as mine. First steps after aligning with Mikael were script and casting; getting the script to a point where people were enthusiastic to dive in was important since this is a low-budget film. Mikael worked with me to shape and polish the script, and when we got it to a point where we felt really good about it, we started reaching out to actors. Somehow it all came together beautifully!

indieactivity: Anything you wish you could “do-over” on the project?
Allison: No, actually; I think we did the best we could with what we had. Mistakes were certainly made along the way, but I don’t regret anything! It’s all a learning experience that will contribute to making the next project stronger.

indieactivity: How do you balance acting, writing and producing?
Allison: I think of it as cyclical: first comes writing, then producing, then acting. The acting, to me, is really the icing on the cake because it can’t happen until the other two things have been done well (and it’s so much fun!). It’s all very fluid, however; there are times on set when I act as a producer until the director asks me a script question and then I have to get into costume to shoot a scene. Flexibility is key.

Allison Marie Volk & Colin Taylor Martin in Deany Bean is Dead (2018)

indieactivity: Any tips for other actors looking to create their own projects?
Allison: Yes: as Marie Forleo says, “everything is figure-out-able.” There is always a solution, whether you’re doing scheduling, location scouting or raising money. There is always a way to get your project done and there will always be people willing to jump in and work on a passion project with you. That’s just the nature of this industry, people love it. It’s just a matter of being creative and patient and resilient enough to get to the finish line.

indieactivity: What do you want to change about the film business?
Allison: It is certainly time for women to take firm hold of their place in the industry and I love being part of this wave of female filmmakers who are taking the business by storm. I see change happening all around us: Voices are being heard that have previously been silenced. It’s exciting to be here at this moment, and none of us really know what will happen.

indieactivity: Who is your creative idol and what do you love about their work?
Allison: Tina Fey is a great inspiration to me. I see her writing, producing and acting in a way that’s inclusive, progressive and fun. I take a lot of cues from her work.

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