When David Butler left Prairie View A&M University fall 2009, he did so riding the wings of faith, hoping to make something happen for himself through his career as an aspiring multimedia professional. Skilled in photography, journalism, filming, and technical support, the jack-of-all-trades’ craftiness paid off for him this spring, as his landed his first major role as a cast member of the Houston Film Society’s Overall World Premiere Best Movie Award-winning Project Aether.
A former mass communications major, Butler, who’s alias is King David, was a member of the Panther Newspaper Staff in 2006 and 2007, holding the position of Lifestyles/Arts and Entertainment Editor. His role on the film was technical director. He managed to blend in perfectly with the diverse cast of Project Aether.
Butler said, “We actually shot the film with about three or four cameras, all self-owned by cast members. The challenging thing for me was acquiring distribution rights and being cinematographer. Many people get the impression that actors and directors just show up with cameras and shoot a film, but there’s a lot more to it than that.”
Directed by Shawn Welling, founder of Welling Films, the independent film featured more than 90 minutes of thrilling drama and mind-boggling suspense. The film featured several elements similar to box office thrillers Signs, Paranormal Activity, and the Sixth Sense.
According to Welling, the film took a little over a year to complete, with bit players traveling on and off set from all over the world. He also noted that aside from British actor John Star, none of the actors, including himself who plays the leading role, had any legitimate acting experience.
Star said, “The main thing we had to concentrate on was making up everything as we went along because there was no script. Everything was done on the ‘hoof’ and Welling had an incredible mind. We’d sit down and discuss the plot in sections until everything came together.”
The film opens with a variety of seemingly unrelated scenes, but as the plot unfolds, Welling and supporting cast go on a psychological rollercoaster, as Welling attempts to find comfort on the banks of a lazy bayou in what he thinks is his new home. With a haunted house, a desperate longing for companionship, internal conflicts with family, and a government conspiracy in the mix, Welling must balance all priorities and fight for the breath of life, or so he thinks.