Get ready for a fun interview today on BEHIND THE LENS as I talk with writer/director and composer ERIC OWEN about his latest film IN A COLD VEIN. While we dig into the making of IN A COLD VEIN, we also have a lot of fun talking cats, duct tape, and blood. And my regular readers and listeners know how much I love talking duct tape and excessive use of blood in films.
IN A COLD VEIN is Eric’s sophomore directorial following his debut feature in 2023, THIRST. I’ll tell you right now, I see growth in his filmmaking with IN A COLD VEIN, notably with the technical elements and using the tools in the toolbox.
IN A COLD VEIN has a very simple plot – Dean is kidnapped and left for dead. Who kidnapped him, how, and why are the questions that unfold as the story progresses. Desperation takes hold as Dean unleashes a firestorm of vengeance to find his 9-year-old son, who is missing. But the truth behind the conspiracy is a shocking betrayal that may cost him everything.
Written and directed by Eric Owen, IN A COLD VEIN stars, among others, Evan Gamble as Dean, Brian Villalobos and P. Michael Hayes as kidnappers Phil and Steve, Marc Pouhe, Mor Cohen, Cliff Dean, and Steve Brudniak as a trucker named Chuck. On the production side, Josh Taylor delivers on lighting and lensing while Samantha McDanel builds tension and suspense with the film’s editing. Nihar Gagneja dazzles with the film’s sound design and mix with a celebration of silence. And as mentioned, Eric is also the film’s composer.
In this exclusive interview, Eric and I dive deep into the making of his thriller IN A COLD VEIN, focusing on how working within the confinements of a van, and shooting at night, impacted the visual grammar developed by Eric and his DP Josh Taylor, including the film’s color palette, not to mention the importance of close-ups and ECUs given the film’s use of minimal dialogue, a bound and gagged protagonist Dean, and selected silence. Roughly 80% of the film plays in close-up or ECUs.
Explaining how the film grew from a single first-shot image—an eye opening in extreme close-up, pulling back to reveal a bound man in a van—and then expanded into a multi-phase thriller: an assassination-survival story that evolves into a mystery about who ordered the hit and finally into a revenge narrative, this in-depth conversation really takes you through the mechanics of cinematic creation.
Delving into the layered characters, perhaps one of the most interesting being Chuck the truck driver, we segue into the dialogue structure and sound design, which help build each character and the twists and turns of the story. Dissecting the sound structure and score is very interesting, particularly Eric’s development of the score and how he gravitates toward odd time signatures, minor keys, and tritone-heavy harmonies to keep the viewer slightly off-balance, while still making the music “groovy” and listenable.
On the editorial front, interesting for all of you filmmakers out there is that Eric says the cut itself wasn’t the hardest part, because he and DP Josh Taylor often shot with specific, limited coverage in mind. The real challenge came in precision moments of violence and surprise, like the under-the-table hand-stab shot, which is hands down one of the movie’s “money shots.” Eric cites the horror film “Smile” as inspiration for the way that scares are structured and timed, and reiterates his belief that a few well-earned jump scares are better than an onslaught of cheap ones.
And amidst all of the cinematic dissection, which is much more than what I just described above, there are a lot of laughs along the way, especially about duct tape and blood usage.
IN A COLD VEIN is currently available On Digital and On Demand.
I also want to encourage everyone to head to your nearest theatre and see Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY on the biggest screen possible. If you can, IMAX is an absolute viewing must. So is Dolby Atmos sound!! Sound design and mix are beyond a WOW! This film is masterful on every level and truly Nolan’s interpretation of the Homer Classic. And mark my words, this is an Oscar contender on every level, including the newest awards category, Casting Director. From cinematography to editing to a beautiful haunting score to hair and make-up and costuming to production design, THE ODYSSEY is flawless filmmaking. I’m just sorry that the Academy Award for Stunt Design won’t be given out until the 100th Academy Awards for films released in 2027 because the action sequences on land and sea are eye-poppingly intense and beyond award-worthy. As I have already stated on social media, Christopher Nolan IS cinematic brilliance.
THE ODYSSEY is in theatres now.
