Interview: Aidan Devine, Ava Preston and Jess Salgueiro Talk ‘I’ll Take Your Dead’ at Fan Expo Canada

Recently we had the chance to talk with the stars of Black Fawns I’ll Take Your Dead, Aidan Devine (William), Ava Preston (Gloria) and Jess Salgueiro (Jackie) about the movie and working with Black Fawn Films.

It’s been enjoyable watching the success of I’ll Take Your Dead, through film festivals, theatrical runs, word of mouth. How have you enjoyed the great run the film has had?

Aidan: It’s been amazing. It was this tiny little film that has just taken off. I have people coming up to me on the street and recognizing me, which doesn’t happen too often, so people are seeing this film.

Ava: Seeing the reviews is also amazing as well, for this small independent film, which is so amazing.

Jess: I think also because we had so much fun working together, there was this surprise element that oh yeah, we ALSO made something people liked. (Laughs)

Ava: Probably one of my favorite moments of my fifteen years of living was creating this film with these amazing people right here.

The chemistry between the three of you comes across as very natural on screen. Was it really that easy, right from the beginning?

Aidan: I think it was because we were all stuck in a small little place for so long, and it was so cold, and all we did was joke around, eat snacks, huddle around a fire, the only warm place around, this little potbelly stove…we all just hung around there and cracked jokes, it was awesome.

Ava: Yeah, it was really awesome and so much fun.

Was it tough shooting in the cold, especially since the bulk of the film was shot in Orillia, Ontario?

Ava: Yeah, it was cold, but we did move locations. There were days that we shot in Hamilton at the end but yeah, most was shot at that house in Orillia.

Aidan: Yeah, we did about a week in Hamilton and about two and a half weeks in Orillia, or something close to that. But like I said earlier, we managed to laugh our way through it.

Jess: Sometimes the cold made the days seem really long but these guys, the crew, they made it much easier.

What did each of you take away from making I’ll Take Your Dead, both personally and professionally?

Jess: For me, it’s when the content is great and what’s also great is the hang, hanging with the people, then there is something really special that happens. Every time I’ve felt that feeling, which I so clearly felt on this production, I know it’s going to be a good product. The formula is here, that little bit of magic, where we really like working together and the content is good, it has to be both of those things.

Ava: Exactly, I couldn’t agree more. Every single day there was something new on set, like a new joke, new laughs, and everything would be like a new thing that we discover. I was so excited for this to come out, I’m so thrilled.

I think the combination of your chemistry together and the atmosphere that Black Fawn creates on set really made something special. Was it fun working for these guys?

Aidan: These guys are amazing. I just talked to a couple of guys that I know that worked on their last film and one of the guys, he’s done tons of stuff, everybody wants this him, and I was having a beer with this guy and he said ‘dude, I love those guys, I’d do anything to work with them again’, and I feel the same way. They do create something on the set where you just feel like you’re part of something and if they’re super-stressed about something, you don’t feel it, they just create a nice atmosphere.

Ava: I would absolutely work with these guys again. It’s kind of like when you’re shooting, they create this kind of family dynamic that everyone shares with each other, which is really great. The fact that you know every single person on set, it just kind of feels like home whenever you’re there.

Jess: They work so well together, like whoever is directing the film and the producer, they just seem like they have such a strong team, so we can trust them which is so great. You don’t often see three men changing roles in a seemingly egoless way and that is such a nice atmosphere to work in.

So what projects are you working on now, or what are some things you all have coming up?

Aidan: I’m working on a TV series in Montreal…I’m kidding, I’m making this stuff up. I have lots of money though, which is good, so I don’t need to work right now. (laughs)

Jess: I’m in the fourth season of The Expanse which is coming out in December, I’m on The Boys which is on Amazon, and I’m on a Netflix series called Tiny Pretty Things which is based on a book series.

Ava: I’m doing a Netflix TV show currently, I’m not allowed to say the name, but once I can it will be all over my social media. That’s basically it for right now, we’ll see what happens for the rest of the year.

I want to thank Aidan, Jess, and Ava for taking the time to talk with us.

I’ll Take Your Dead is now available on Blu-ray/DVD and on VOD across Canada. A physical copy is available at Sunrise Records, Cinema 1, Amazon.ca or the online store at http://www.blackfawndistribution.com/store