L.A. duo of Jessica Silvetti & Ethan Kogan on film with Samantha Blackwell

Jessica Silvetti & Ethan Koga, the creative duo that run Light & Shadow Pictures

Jessica Silvetti and Ethan Kogan are a Los Angeles based writing and directing creative team, who also happen to be married. Jessica received a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, while Ethan earned a degree from the University of Michigan and then trained at RADA in London. Together, they have effectively emerged on the festival circuit with their feature film Problem of Evil and several shorts, including the WorldFest Houston Remi Award winning Poor Man’s Mermaid.

Now, Jessica and Ethan are gaining attention for their new anthology web series In Absentia. This 5-episode series combines genres to bring a contemporary look at dark and mysterious folk tales that focus on the absence of life’s normal order.

So far, In Absentia has earned Jessica and Ethan a ‘Best Writing’ Jury Prize nomination at London’s Raindance, a WorldFest Houston Remi Award, and 3 award nods at the upcoming Bilbao International Digital Festival in Spain.

IN ABSENTIA will be screening tomorrow @DubWebFest , where it’s received 2 Nominations including a BEST DRAMA/THRILLER/MYSTERY Nomination! Written & Directed by: @Jesilvetti & @EthanKogan https://t.co/4kyrcVtGDt#indiefilm #webseries #InAbsentia pic.twitter.com/5JBBJ2UNbw

— Light and Shadow (@LightShadowPics) November 24, 2017

indieactivity: How did you get into filmmaking individually? And then as a team?

Ethan: We both started out as actors. My first foray into filmmaking was when Jessica asked me to co-produce and act in a short film that she wrote, produced and starred in, back in 2006. It took us about four more years before we bought our own gear and jumped into our next project, a dramatically improvised feature film called Problem of Evil. After that, we fully immersed ourselves into creating new ideas, writing and producing our own stuff.

Jessica: I’ve always loved writing and though I majored in theatre, I continued to write on my own and through some university classes. I found the more I wrote, the more specific my vision became and the more I wanted to be the one behind the camera painting that vision, telling that story. As Ethan said, we began collaborating in 2008 and have continued working together since.

indieactivity: What types of stories are you interested in telling?

Ethan: I’m partial to a portraying people’s imaginations and dreams and how that reality might manifest itself. It requires a heightened sense of reality that can transport an audience to another world and that excites me

Jessica: I love dramas with a touch of fantasy, with deep and complex characters. I like exploring the distinct worlds we each hold within our minds; having the opportunity to peek into those worlds, then create and display them on the screen – that is exhilarating.

indieactivity: Briefly explain your new web series In Absentia.

Ethan: It’s an anthology series that evolved from an interest in exploring strange dreams, fears and our own imaginations. The tales are contemporary and macabre. We also developed a structure where the episodes connect into one another visually, so a viewer can start the series in any order and the episodes cycle through seamlessly. We each wrote different episodes, and produced and directed as a team.

indieactivity: Where did you find the inspiration for this idea?

Jessica: In 2014 we had the opportunity to shoot a short film, adapted from a short story by Clay Mcleod Chapman titled Poor Man’s Mermaid. It’s eerie, but there’s something heartbreaking about it. Ethan and I went out to shoot at the beach for two days with a fantastic actor, Cameron Dye. What we captured on that beach, in such a short time, was something dark and magical. I think that shoot was a catalyst to In Absentia.

Ethan: I loved the thought of bringing back the nostalgia of shows like The Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories and The Outer Limits. Each week taking you to another world, another mysterious place. The idea of transporting an audience into another reality and into another realm; it’s dark, pensive and in some cases a bit sinister.

Jessica Silvetti & Ethan Koga In Absentia Filming

indieactivity: What were the first steps you took to make it happen?

Jessica: We talked about this project for some time, then it became a constant. We set up meetings with each other to truly develop the idea and figure out how these stories fit together and what the series feel and tone would be. We wrote and re-wrote and gave each other notes until we were both satisfied with the scripts.

We approached several people to see who wanted to jump on board and collaborate with us financially and/or creatively. It was a project that took about a year to develop. Once we had some funds, we jumped at the chance and began pre-production: location scouting, casting, getting our crew in place and locking down all the basic necessities to make it happen.

indieactivity: Anything you wish you could “do-over” on the project?

Ethan: I wish we had shot three more episodes. Other than that, we had a lot of happy accidents and were very fortunate to have an amazingly talented cast and crew, who saw and appreciated our vision and helped make it a reality.

indieactivity: How do you balance creativity and financial restrictions?

Ethan: This is always the question…and something you don’t hear a lot of people talk about. For us, we’ve had to take a lot of odd jobs here and there throughout the years from temp work to waiting tables or even working in a real estate office. I eventually taught myself how to use Avid and started getting work as an editor in reality and eventually moved into scripted, after many years. It’s a tough balance and you need to figure out the right job for you that allows you to move forward with your creative endeavors so that you can increase your chances of getting professional work as a writer and/or director.

In Absentia Paige Lindsay White in episode 101

indieactivity: Any tips for other filmmakers?

Jessica: There are so many tools available that make it possible to shoot videos and experiment. Make films, practice. Get creative.

Ethan: Go out, talk to other filmmakers and creators, and work with them. Collaborate. Find the people that you gel with the best, and continue to work with them. Build your team, because it’s almost impossible to do this on your own.

indieactivity: What do you want to change about the film business?

Ethan: I want to change the idea that art in cinema doesn’t sell. Or that, you have to make the same thing over and over again in order to appeal to the widest audience possible. I don’t want to make something that earns a quick buck, but then fades into obscurity just as fast. I want to take risks and create something that makes people think. Inspires them. I want that idea to permeate more strongly throughout the business.

Jessica: I share the same sentiments with Ethan.

indieactivity: Who is your creative idol and what do you love about their work?

Ethan: For me it’s Paul Thomas Anderson and Andrei Tarkovsky. They both are able to convey this heavy, measured sense of emotion in their works…it’s like a thick, well-aged bourbon of cinematic goodness.

Jessica: My grandfather, Bebu Silvetti, he was a music composer and producer. His passion, work ethic, his positive attitude towards his projects and life; the way he approached his work is something that inspires me. I find myself thinking about his words, his advice, every time I’m striving to develop and complete a project I think of him and feel that when you work hard and love what you do, anything is possible.

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