Unconditional (2018) is a drama/mystery about the Ward family. A father (Adam Ward) and daughter (Mary Ward) must pick up the pieces of their new life together after they uncover that their recently deceased mother, Evelyn Ward, lived years with a dual-life of sex, hard drugs, and underground clubbing. We’re excited to learn more about the film from co-producer Molly Esling. Check out the awesome interview below.
Hi, Molly! Thank you for granting the interview. We’re excited to speak with you. You recently co-produced the movie “Unconditional.” Tell us how do I estimate the value of any given film?
To estimate the value of a film is to answer a simple question, ‘does this film mean anything to you?’ The value of a film is in the eye of each individual that sees it. When we set out to make Unconditional, we wanted to make a film that spoke to people and brought forward some real, human emotion. If you felt something, then we did our job.
Did you come across any budget challenges during production?
Finding the budget of Unconditional wasn’t easy… we were all broke college students who had a really big dream. We opened up an Indigogo campaign and reached out to our community for assistance, and their generous donations allowed for us to pay actors and locations. We also had many friends and family members give their time and energy to help us make ends meet. Others donated equipment, food, and resources. For example, my sole monetary donation to Unconditional was to buy all the batteries for various equipment pieces as the shoot went on. Each time we ran out of batteries, I replaced them myself.
We then had to rework the budget to make sure each department had enough to do their jobs. It took a lot of working and reworking as production went forward.
How do you choose the material to use for a film?
As with most films, you typically shoot a lot more footage than what is shown to your audience. Unconditional wasn’t any different. There were long hours spent in the editing room making painstaking adjustments to bring Unconditional to it’s goal time, but ultimately, you want to be able to tell a story as eloquently and efficiently as possible.
What do you hope to accomplish with the movie?
In the beginning, I was simply interested in establishing a productive and fun set for everyone to work on. But, as we began filming it became clear that Unconditional would serve as a stepping-stone for all of our work after university.
When choosing talent, what did you look for?
Davide, and obviously Braden, were far more crucial in this process than I. But, for a Producer, it was really about whom Braden clicked with. We wanted to surround ourselves with talent and crew that bettered our film, both in front of the screen and behind it. For a student film, Jeff and Shannon took us all very seriously and brought so much depth to both of their characters. And of course, Matyln just blew everyone away time and time again.
What was your favorite scene?
The scene where Adam gets the phone call about Evelyn is one of the most beautiful scenes in the entire film. From Braden’s camera work to Jeff and Matlyn’s acting, it brings me chills every time. It’s really quite moving.
How can fans-to-be gain access to the movie?
As of June, Unconditional is available on Amazon Prime nationwide!
What has been your favorite experience in making the movie?
Looking back, my favorite moment of production was a very early morning where I was just driving to set and, I just started smiling. I wasn’t even around the crew yet, but I was just so excited to be on set. It reaffirmed my decision to be apart of Unconditional and to be a filmmaker. Although the days were long, and sometimes never ending, I was still so excited to get up and get back to it the next day. There are really too many great moments from Unconditional, but that one really sums them all up for me.
When looking back on the movie, what resonated with you the most and why?
When I watch Unconditional, I am reminded that all it takes is some hard work and a bit of luck to make your dream happen. Braden had a dream and enlisted some very hard workers who believed in him and we made something purely original. I am reminded, when I watch Unconditional that, through the blood, sweat, and tears, it really wasn’t that bad. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
In your opinion, how could this movie make an impact on the world?
We hope to show that, if you dream it, you can do it. We had peers and professors tell us not to make this film, that we wouldn’t be able to make this film. But we did it. And we did it ourselves.
If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose to make this movie? Would you do anything differently?
We had some rough and long days on set, but I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. It was one of my favorite memories of college and I am a better Producer because of it.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the movie and your career?
I’m so excited for everyone to see Unconditional and let us know what they think! Hearing critique is what makes us better artists! Thank you so much!
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You can watch the movie on Amazon.
Featured Image Credit: Davide Tomei and Molly Esling at an event for Unconditional (2018).
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