Three teenagers discover a shocking secret in the woods while on a road trip to a secret rave.

“Identical,” directed by Kevin Cate, delivers a thrilling narrative centered around three teenagers who stumble upon a shocking secret during a road trip to a clandestine rave in the woods. This suspenseful short film captivates with its dynamic storytelling and mysterious twists, offering a glimpse into a world where secrets lurk just beneath the surface. The film effectively builds tension, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats as they unravel the dark mysteries alongside the characters.

Highlighted for its excellent character development and atmospheric cinematography, “Identical” showcases Kevin Cate’s adeptness at creating compelling narratives in challenging settings. Set primarily in the dark confines of a car and the eerie woods, the film masterfully utilizes lighting to enhance the suspense and intrigue, drawing audiences deeper into its gripping storyline. As a teaser that leaves audiences craving more, “Identical” promises an exhilarating cinematic experience that explores themes of mystery, discovery, and the complexities of teenage friendships.

What inspired the story of “Identical,” and how did you come up with the idea of teenagers discovering a shocking secret in the woods?

KEVIN: We’ve all seen something off or someone ghostly on the side of the road. That’s where this idea was born — what if we stopped and found something unexpected (no spoilers!). In each of our films, I really try to key on a universal experience or fear and then twist it. In OPEN DOOR, it was a falling elevator, in PUT YOUR CART AWAY, it was a rudely discarded shopping cart, and in this, it’s that creepy side of the road feeling. That being said, an idea isn’t enough. That’s where Blake came in and really helped create a whole world on the page. He’s such a great, creative songwriter, and in a way, a short film (or teaser short film in this case) is like a good song. He gave it life, purpose, and hopefully, enough intrigue for our viewers to demand more.

How does “Identical” serve as a teaser for the feature-length story you and Blake Sennett are developing? What can viewers expect from the full-length version?

KEVIN: Honestly, the larger story is so good it’s hard for me to not tell you the rest right now. When we were casting Owen Correll as Zeke, his face when we told him what’s actually going on was frozen in like the shock face emoji for a good twenty seconds. As for the timing, it’s something Blake and I are working on together. One of the purposes of this short film was to give investors and studios a preview of the world. And so far, the response has been very, very positive.

The setting of the woods adds an element of suspense and mystery. How did you choose and utilize this location to enhance the film’s atmosphere?

KEVIN: The location was always meant to be remote, but it was Blake’s idea to put it in “Mississippi,” which was actually a friend of a friend’s property on the Florida-Georgia line. This short was self-funded, so practically speaking we couldn’t afford to close off roads, and because there was a prop weapon and some car movement, this just made sense. It looks creepy as hell on screen. In real life, it was extraordinarily challenging. We were literally in the middle of nowhere. Massive credit to David Allen and our crew for not just making it work, but making it phenomenal.

Can you discuss the character dynamics among the three teenagers and how their relationships evolve throughout the film?

KEVIN: Even though we only had a couple of minutes to develop the dynamics before the big idea hits, thanks to some great acting these teenagers feel real. Which, admittedly, can be a little uncomfortable. But that’s the point. We are introduced to these kids through their words and actions before the discovery, and we learn to love them by their reactions and actions after.

The concept of a secret rave juxtaposed with a shocking discovery is intriguing. How did you integrate these contrasting elements to build tension in the short film?

KEVIN: Thank you. I think it was mostly putting these very confident and very lost teenagers in an environment that could be upended really quickly. As far as building tension, it’s all in the edit and Zack Wright’s incredible sound design.

What were some of the challenges you faced during the production of “Identical,” and how did you overcome them?

KEVIN: No joke, it’s a miracle we finished this short, given the obstacles. We had two nights to film. The first night, torrential downpours, lighting, and flash flooding did everything possible to try to kill us. The De Miranda-Arce twins’ Uber literally got stuck in the mud about fifteen minutes from the set. The house at the end of the set got struck by lightning and lost power. We setup and tore down the first shot at least three times. Thankfully our cast was safe and sound at a remote hotel, but around midnight, we had a crew meeting on set to decide whether or not to call it a night and try to get everything tomorrow. There was another storm headed our way. But, as our DP David Allen said, we were here to shoot our movie, it was this or nothing, we’ll keep setting up until we can go, and that’s what we did. That last band of mini-apocalypse never came. We got the first shot, then the second, so we really only lost 1/4th of our shooting time.

Can you talk about the casting process for the three teenage characters and how you worked with the actors to bring their roles to life?

KEVIN: Ty and Owen were easy to cast. Blake had worked with Ayesha and Own both before and they have infinite chemistry together. I have miles of ad libbed bickering between them that’s all hilarious and so genuine. For Lucy, we obviously (SPOILER ALERT) needed identical twins. We had some great auditions but as soon as we got on zoom with Roula and Raizel, it was easy. They are both so talented and allowed us to lean further into their character(s). Only tough part was who would be in the truck and who would be outside. Even though her role was small, Raizel crushed her part and has so much left to show the world as Lucy. And Roula obviously crushed it and had the toughest role. As far as brining the roles to life, Blake spent the day before with our talent, and really, given the insanity of the conditions on set, that’s where most of that character development and chemistry happened.

Lighting plays a crucial role in creating suspense, especially in dark settings like in a car and in the woods. How did you approach the lighting design to ensure visibility while maintaining the eerie atmosphere?

DAVID ALLEN: DPing this film forced me out of my comfort zone for sure. In my work I typically take a naturalistic approach to lighting, which is likely thanks to my doc background. I seek motivation for light placement & story. Once I let go of that need to motivate everything, it freed me up to light for emotion.

We used mostly small lights without much diffusion. Lighting at night is always about contrast. We used mainly Aputure MCs on the interior of the car (5 total in various colors). Outside of the car we used an Aputure 600c bounced into a 4×4 as our headlights fill on the actors, as well as a Nova P300c emulating brake lights behind the car. On the sides of the car we used Aputure 60x lights in a tungsten somewhere around 2700k for the orange edge lights on the actors. In the woods, in addition to haze we had 3 more Aputure 600c’s with fresnels and spot attachments, pushing through the haze and giving shape to the trees. Around 4am each morning before the sun came up, natural morning haze would fill our set, and luckily at both points in the film, it really helped the atmosphere of the moment without any continuity issues.

What message or themes do you hope viewers take away from “Identical,” and how do these themes connect to the broader narrative you plan to explore in the feature-length film?

KEVIN: For this short, I want viewers to feel something. Something creeping. But the feature is a movie about finding yourself. The good and the bad.

Finally, what are your favourite short films that you’ve seen over the years?

KEVIN: Film Shortage is a phenomenal curator, so all the Weekly Picks are great. However, one of the most important short films I’ve seen is Blake’s film “Water Pills” with Winona Ryder and Garret Dillahunt (sorry, only this trailer exists online). When I first met Blake, I obviously knew his music (Rilo Kiley) and his acting from all my favorite shows from my childhood (Boy Meets World, Salute Your Shorts), but when he showed me that film, I was floored. I knew I wanted to work with him immediately. I also really, really hope he goes back to Water Pills because there is a really killer way to make that a feature. It’s already so powerful. And the ending. Ugh. Will stick with you. Also want to mention David Allen’s “Coin Lunch” (Watch on FS). David isn’t just a killer DP, he’s a great writer and director. That’s why I think this short worked so well. We had the vision, wisdom, and work ethic of two other bad ass, creative directors.