This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:04] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's the Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon. Welcome to the Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to the Broadway World over here on the Broadway Podcast Network iHeart and Spotify. I am excited. I am a scaredy cat. I'm a scaredy cat, but I'm gonna watch this movie because I love Raven. I love what she was representing, and I love that she's just out here making movies that are being distributed all across this country that you need to check out and need to see. I Raven Deshay Carter, welcome to my show.

[0:30] Raven Deshay Carter: Hi.

[0:33] Robert Bannon: Hi, Robert. Wow, that made me feel really good. Thanks. I listen, I am such a scaredy cat, but my husband is such a fan of horror and really so into people who take the bull by the horns and go out here and make a movie and then get this movie out here. Congratulations. It is an incredible feat.

[0:54] Raven Deshay Carter: Thank you so much.

[0:55] Robert Bannon: Thank you. So for you, I saw when I was looking and reading about you. You and your history of this, your NoSeeums has had this international film festivals in London, around the world, around the country. And now to be able to be distributed for people to be able to see it, what does it mean for you as a filmmaker?

[1:15] Raven Deshay Carter: Oh my gosh. It's still like it feels unbelievable still sometimes. I think it won't hit me until it's like released on the 27th, and like people are actually like watching it and stuff like that. And but it's just been an honor. Like I don't, you know, you look back and you're like, how did a little this little girl from Texas even get in a spot like this? So I just feel incredibly honored and blessed. And I yeah, I trust myself. I think like getting responsibilities like this and getting the opportunities like this, you know. Look, like we always say, like, if you got that opportunity, it was for you, and if you didn't get it, it wasn't for you. So this was for me, and I took it, and yeah, I'm really proud of the work we've done, and this is awesome.

[2:02] Robert Bannon: It is incredible, incredible. I want people to know that NoSeeums is digital and on demand starting on February 27th. Uh, anywhere you watch your movies and get your movies, so get it on demand. So, how did the idea how did this all start for you? Firstly, before this movie, how did it start for you that you wanted to be a filmmaker?

[2:20] Raven Deshay Carter: Yeah, so I went to a college in HBCU called Houston Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. While I was there, I was studying exercise and I was gonna be a physical therapist, and I had played all these sports growing up, and I just knew I had this knack for media, entertainment, acting. So when all my friends would like go to class or do something on the weekends, and everybody's like in their dorms, I would look up little acting things and commercials happening in Austin, and I just started showing up. And so that's my like my first set was like on a TV show, and I was an extra, and I fell in love. I was like, This is so cool. The fact that people do this, it was a beautiful day. It was like there was like a woman doing the sound department, and I was like, this is so awesome.

And I didn't even know it was a you don't even know. I feel like you don't know film sets are a job until you like find your way onto one. Um, yeah, and so from there I started doing some internships in film, and then I had to keep my major because that would have done a bunch of craziness, but then during COVID, you know, when you're just sitting at home and you're thinking a lot, I was like, I don't want to apply to PT schools, I want to apply to film schools, so I just abandoned my physical therapy applications and I started applying to film schools and I got in and the rest is history. Like I went to FSC film and fell in love with the work even more if that's possible. Um I made some really great shorts, and those shorts got you know different awards all across the country. And so I fell in love with it, and I'm so glad that I found it or it found me.

[4:06] Robert Bannon: Which is incredible that this film is out and about and is a feature and has this release after this incredible story. When it finds you, it finds you. That's it. You can't run from it. So you're here. So what is NoSeeums about? Well, tell us about Ember and tell us about her wealthy wife.

[4:24] Raven Deshay Carter: Listen, look, Raven, I have a black husband, I'm in Detroit. I teach, I'm teaching a school that I need my young girls to look at you and see that they can be a film director, a writer, uh an actor. I need it, it's so important. And we I was in a classroom the other day. I'm not trying to take the time. I was in an English classroom.

[4:40] Raven Deshay Carter: No, go ahead.

[4:41] Robert Bannon: And we were reading, they were reading the book Kindred in 11th grade uh high school in Detroit. And we were they were talking about how the author of that book, as an author of color, had the odd the idea, the radical idea to write a science fiction novel when it was not done before. And what I love about this story and what moved me is that you can write a horror story and you could write a story and be from Texas, be from the schools you went to and get it out here for everyone to see universally, no matter what race, color, gender, religion, whatever you are, it's a movie that you can enjoy. And we need that message for my babies in my school.

[5:12] Raven Deshay Carter: Yeah.

[5:16] Raven Deshay Carter: Yeah, this is this is so interesting because anyway, I was a teacher. Like I'm talking put it in my notice like two weeks ago. So I completely it's the hardest job ever. I respect it so much.

[5:30] Robert Bannon: Um, you're doing amazing work.

[5:34] Raven Deshay Carter: Raven, take me with you. Let's go. Where's my paper? I'm quitting my job.

[5:40] Robert Bannon: How did the idea Yeah?

[5:42] Raven Deshay Carter: So I had a friend, his name is Jason, and Jason brought the story to me. He was like, I have this idea. Would you ever would you want to direct it if I were to make it, if I were to write it? And I was like, uh duh. And Jason and I were like best friends in film school is one of my closest friends and just trusted him. And he's a great artist, um, great creative. So he started writing the script. He invited a person named Hendrick on to write the script who was in our film school with us as well. So those two originally were writing, and then during the pre-production process when we were really thinking about the location and the actors and what was doable, I joined in and started helping them write.

So yeah, this started with Jason. The story concept came from him. Um and he's currently out in LA right now. Amazing. The story, everybody about this college student who joins her roommates uh in a weekend getaway in a lake house in Florida, and then things go awry very, very quick very quickly with the haunted spirits in the past.

[6:41] Robert Bannon: What is the message you want besides scaring people and having something? What is the theme of the movie? What is the hope that people feel when they leave?

[6:49] Raven Deshay Carter: Yeah, I think that people have to understand, like I hope that they understand after this film that black land loss is a serious issue. Like black land loss is affecting so many people, um, in so many places. It's still on the news. We still you can still like search it up and find different places in different areas of the country um where people's homes are just being taken or you know destroyed or in some ways, and even while we were making this, like there were like act we were actively seeing like news outlets and stuff releasing information about this, and it was just so crazy making something and and it happening as you're making it, right? Because I feel like sometimes we make things and it's like, oh, that's old, it's in the past, but no, it's a very present issue.

So I hope that people are a little bit more curious about black land loss, but also just the art. Like I love art. So if people take away like you know, the performances, like they were captivated by the performances or the look of the film and the style, um, or the writing, like all of those things. I geek out about all of that stuff. So taking home like this theme of black land loss that it still affects people today, and also just appreciating the art are important to me.

[8:12] Robert Bannon: I love that, and these incredible performances and the incredible actors you have in this crew that made this movie. So for you, why Florida? Why is why is the setting in Florida?

[8:21] Raven Deshay Carter: Yeah, so we were actually in film school in Florida with at the time. So we even though I'm from Texas, Jason is from Alabama, and Hendrick's from like South Florida. We were all we all found each other at film school in North Florida. So we shot in North Florida. Um, and it's such an interesting place. Like, you know, there's just you you see the location, you see the the house that it takes place that it's just creepy, like the land can be really spooky, like there are literal things that are dead or haunting. Um, and it's it worked. It worked really well.

[8:57] Robert Bannon: Are you still in Florida?

[8:57] Raven Deshay Carter: No, I'm in Texas now Austin.

[8:57] Robert Bannon: Good so then I'm gonna say this it's maybe controversial Florida is scary people I'm scared of Florida Florida is kind of scary it is no it is and I'm talk yeah politically yes and yes all the world and I yes but also once you leave Disney World people there are alligators and scariness and there's something in the air in Florida look Charlemagne the God says the craziest people in the world are from Florida and he's right so you you need to watch this movie and get your creeps on it's perfect for a date night I picture it like I'm gonna order food I'm gonna have a date night we're gonna put the movie on we're gonna be scared we're gonna have a whole little moment it's like the perfect movie for a weekend the work week is done let's enjoy.

[8:57] Raven Deshay Carter: Yeah, I love that excited for you NoSeeums everybody is gonna be out and about and it's going to be on the 27th and then is I'm sure you have more ideas cooking and more things in your brain and there's more art and work that you want to make.

[8:57] Raven Deshay Carter: Oh my gosh yeah there's a there's so much you know it can be a little overwhelming but I have like an ongoing pitch list and I would say immediately I'd want to do like a series I would love that the opportunity to get to do like a TV series something maybe not in the horror realm but like still kind of chilling I feel like I all my stuff still has to have some type of like thrill or um like a like a subject matter that's somewhat heavy that we can that I can kind of dissect and and play with.

[10:34] Robert Bannon: So I read your bio before I let you leave.

[10:37] Raven Deshay Carter: Okay.

[10:38] Robert Bannon: You are a sci-fi horror.

[10:41] Raven Deshay Carter: I saw it because you read the Twilight series for fun.

[10:45] Robert Bannon: So are you?

[10:47] Raven Deshay Carter: That's what it said. See, I read my notes. See, tell your PR team, I'm on my notes.

[10:52] Robert Bannon: So are you a Team Edward or a Team Jacob person?

[10:57] Raven Deshay Carter: And is there a wrong answer? Drum roll.

[11:02] Raven Deshay Carter: Team Jacob.

[11:04] Robert Bannon: You're the vampire.

[11:06] Raven Deshay Carter: Team Jacob.

[11:07] Robert Bannon: Jacob, Jacob is the wolf, dude.

[11:09] Raven Deshay Carter: Oh.

[11:11] Robert Bannon: Yeah.

[11:11] Raven Deshay Carter: No, and Jacob is healthier for her mental health. That's why.

[11:15] Robert Bannon: Look, that shows you that I'm a musical theater. Look, everyone has their nerd um, and I'm a musical theater nerd. So I've seen this movie. So Jacob is the wolf.

[11:21] Raven Deshay Carter: Yes, Jacob is the vampire.

[11:26] Robert Bannon: Yes. I would pick the wolf too. A, he's not as pale. Bright. He looks like he eats something because the other one looks like they need to eat a twig spark.

[11:36] Raven Deshay Carter: Yes.

[11:37] Robert Bannon: And they have family. I can't. I don't want to get down with all those other people. Mm-mm. Team Wolf.

[11:45] Raven Deshay Carter: Yay!

[11:47] Robert Bannon: Team Wolf. Look, if you're Team Wolf or Team Vampire, and if you love Twilight and you love movies like that, and you love things that are a little spooky and scary, and something that's interesting and will make you think, then NoSeeums is the movie for you. It's the next generation's new horror film. You gotta check it out. Congratulations. See, I messed up my whole Twilight. Man, I tried to be cool for a minute with you, Raven.

[12:10] Raven Deshay Carter: You are cool.

[12:10] Robert Bannon: This has been fun. Thank you so much, Robert.

[12:12] Raven Deshay Carter: Thank you so much. Congratulations.

[12:14] Robert Bannon: I'm ready for your next movie. Come on back.

[12:15] Raven Deshay Carter: I will.

[12:17] Robert Bannon: Thanks.