Lee Stephen

The website of author Lee Stephen

Epic

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The Next Big Thing Cast: William Sadler (Brent Lilan)

It was a train wreck. A total train wreck.

Nine words, simple and direct. The beginning of an epic. It is with those nine words that Dawn of Destiny, the first book in the Epic series, sets the stage for Scott Remington’s journey of faith and fury. But the words don’t belong to Scott. They belong to his first commanding officer.

Colonel Brent Lilan of Falcon Platoon is the first character introduced in Epic. It is only appropriate that he be the first character introduced in this “The Next Big Thing” casting series. For those wondering what this is about, you’ll want to check out my blog entry explaining the “what’s” and “why’s” of this unique little Epic event. For those already initiated, strap yourselves in. We’re landing in a hot zone.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]Plasma bolts whizzed past Lilan’s head as he retreated around the corner of an alleyway. He flung himself against the brick and muttered a string of obscenities. It was time to pull out. It was time to salvage whatever was left of Falcon Platoon and return to base. The fate of Cleveland would rest in the hands of whoever else Richmond could muster up on a whim.[/stextbox]

Brent Lilan is the embodiment of a realist. Wifeless and childless, he’s known but one thing in his life: the chain of command. Following and issuing orders. Being all he can be at the cost of what most would consider “life.” A colonel at the Earth Defense Network (EDEN) base of Richmond, Virginia, he is the unfortunate heir of a tragic circumstance and a mission gone to hell. It is through that circumstance and that mission that Lilan becomes the new commanding officer for Scott Remington and his comrades as they fill the ranks of his decimated unit.

For as bluntly matter-of-fact as Lilan comes across, he’s a character dealing with deeply complex personal issues. He’s a man in his fifties still serving on the battlefield, reaching the point in his career when younger blood is being chosen for more critical operations. As capable as he knows he still is, he consistently finds himself being relegated more to a role of “rookie trainer” than front-line difference-maker. He’s given his life to the military, and he’s seeing that military slowly leave him behind. Without this career path—without war—what does he have? For as much as men fight to preserve peace, Lilan fights to hold on to the only purpose he’s ever known.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]

Lilan stared at the comm in his hand, then surveyed his room. His eyes, fully adjusted to the darkness, settled on his oak dresser. How many times had he climbed out of bed and opened those drawers to dress for the day? He’d built that dresser fifty-some-odd years ago, with his father. It had traveled with him to every house he’d owned. It was made strong—made to last. Things weren’t made like that anymore. People weren’t made like that.

Pressing his hand against his forehead, Lilan gritted his teeth. Rolling out of bed and onto his feet, he shook his head and lifted his comm again. He called up General Hutchin.

“You awake now?” Hutchin asked.

“Yeah,” Lilan answered. “What’s the op?”

[/stextbox]

 

The casting of Brent Lilan, to put it simply, was easy. Let’s be honest. All authors, be they great or small, cast their books in their minds. When you visualize scenes in your head—when you imagine how your words would look enacted on the silver screen—how can you not see certain people acting them out? There’s always “that someone” who you think would be perfect for certain roles. And I can honestly say, for the role of Colonel Lilan, that person has always been William Sadler. He was the first of any character in Epic that I ever cast in my head, before Dawn of Destiny ever became tangible in late 2006. I knew he’d be the first actor I’d approach for this “The Next Big Thing” journey.

 

 

“A military colonel in a sci-fi setting, eh?  I think I’d be okay in a role like that.” – Sadler on playing Lilan

William’s film career spans 35 years and over a hundred roles, from the zany creepiness of the Grim Reaper in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, to one of his best-known roles as Heywood in Shawshank Redemption, to more recent appearances on 666 Park Avenue and the impending Iron Man 3. The man stays busy, so I consider it an amazing privilege that he was so quick to respond to me in regards to The Next Big Thing to accept this hypothetical role.

There’s something that must be said for William. He is living proof that if you work hard, and if you do things the right way, you can find success. He’s a natural entertainer – but being a natural at something won’t get a person to the grocery store if they don’t start taking steps, let alone to any kind of decent future. You have to put forth effort. You have to earn your stripes. Reading William’s back-story puts into perspective just how arduous the road can be. Keep in mind, now, that arduous doesn’t mean “bad.” But just the same, it means there are a lot of steps in the journey. William started in a 60’s garage band. Then he MC-ed a variety show (with a banjo, which is just the coolest thing in the world). Then he did stand-up, then he pursued acting in college, then he moved up to shows on “off-off-Broadway,” as he put it. By the time he got his first actual film role, he had already been doing entertainment for most of his adult life.

Here’s what you can glean from that: you have to work. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a curmudgeon at age thirty-one, but it seems that all too often people expect to make it to the top immediately on pure talent and little to no effort. It’s that whole “entitlement generation” thing. It doesn’t apply to everyone, obviously, but just the same, I could come up with countless examples in just about every creative avenue from writing, to acting, to visual arts, where the general attitude is, “the reason I haven’t made it is because my genius hasn’t been recognized.” That’s wrong. The reason you haven’t made it – if that’s your attitude – is because you aren’t committed to making it. It goes beyond just pumping out material day after day. You have to look inside you and say, “what do I have to do to be better?” Are you willing to bust your tail for no gain except personal fulfillment? If the answer is no, you don’t want it enough. William wasn’t sitting back with a silver spoon living the life of luxury when he woke up one day and said, “I think I’ll try acting.” He committed to entertainment at a very young age, and he’s spent his life working incredibly hard to better his talents and advance his career. You need only look at his body of work to see how that’s paid off.

Work hard, folks. Whatever your profession. Don’t root around looking for shortcuts. Put your boots on the ground and get muddy. It can take you exceedingly far.

There are a lot of ways to keep up with William’s current projects. In addition to his website, he’s an active member of the Twittersphere and Facebook, where he promises to be your best friend EVER. And if you have an extra five hours, you can read over the massive amount of work he has listed on IMDb.

Thank you so much, Bill, for being a part of this. It may seem like a small thing, but for this small author and his series, it truly is a privilege. And if this small author ever gets big someday, have a phone handy. We’re goin’ to war!

Thus concludes the first entry of this The Next Big Thing casting endeavor! We’ll be picking up with a new character next week. To pass the time, break out your telescopes and look for that bright morning star. It might just be our next one.

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Casting The Next Big Thing

So those of you who keep up with this blog know that I recently participated in The Next Big Thing, a circulating survey among authors on the internet. The survey consists of ten questions, all of which – with the exception of one – I was able to answer. But yes, I left one out, didn’t I? I ducked and ran. I passed the buck. I tactically retreated.

Not exactly!

So one of the questions in The Next Big Thing is, “If your books were being made into a movie, who would you cast as its characters?” And let’s be honest, that’s probably one of the funner questions in the whole lot. You’re hearing this from the author. The guy whose stuff you’re reading – this is who he’d cast. Kind of puts things in an interesting perspective. But there’s always been a problem with that question, at least to me. There’s always been a reason why I’ve avoided it like the plague. It has nothing to do with how I think my selections would be perceived, rather, it has to do with the selections themselves. You see, when someone casts their characters, they’re putting up photos of living, breathing human beings. People who could very well be wandering the world wide web and suddenly find pictures of themselves on someone else’s website. Maybe I’m just playing the part of hypersensitive INFP, but it’s always felt to me as if actors’ privacy rights are regarded as completely unimportant. Yes, I understand that these are actors. Public figures. Etc., etc. But for me, that kind of thing still matters. They may be actors, they may be public figures, but they’re still people, and I don’t want to use their image without their knowing about it.

So I decided not to do it.

BOMP! Wrong.

Come on, guys. You know me. Battering ram, balls to the wall, “Break, Centurion!” I don’t slink away; I make things EPIC. So while my The Next Big Thing blog entry’s been sitting there, harmlessly bypassing that one little question, the author has been busy. Busy doing what? Why, casting Epic, of course. The right way.

Over the past month, I have been in contact with numerous actors, explaining what The Next Big Thing is about, talking about that particular question, and asking their permission to use them as my cast characters. Yes, these are real live actors that you’ve seen on television. I’ve just been extending to them the courtesy that I’d want extended to me. So far, the response has been incredibly positive. I cannot wait to introduce you guys to this “cast,” as they’re not only exceptional talent, they’re genuinely nice people who are excited to be part of this. They’re going to be introduced, not in one big blog post, but one-by-one over an extended period of time. I want this to last. I want it to be special.

I won’t say that there will a certain timeline for this, such as one actor per week posted, as sometimes reaching an actor takes time (and I will not, under any circumstance, post an actor who hasn’t given express permission). I’ll just say that as permissions come, the cast will go up. At the time of this entry, there are several actors lined up already. I will also be creating a master list, so anyone who wants to see all the actors who have been cast will be able to do so with ease. Over time, that list will fill up.

So get ready, Epic faithful! You wanted an answer to the Next Big Thing casting question? You’re fixing to get one.

Stay tuned!

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The Audiobook Progresses

With the Xenonauts novella–something I’ll touch on in another entry–wrapping up, I’ve had more time to sit down and work on the production of the DOD audiobook. I’ve had several people inquire as to why this audiobook project seems to have taken so incredibly long. Being that it’s going on three years in development now, I’ll absolutely agree: yes, this project has taken very, very long. Arduously long. Tortuously long.

The reason for this is pretty straightforward and can best be described by a single word. Beastly. Because that’s what this audiobook is. Outright beastly. Up until this point, the most anyone has heard or seen of the audiobook, beyond a few pitifully short teaser trailers released in years past, has been the “theatrical” style trailer, seen here. While that trailer (which is actually the audiobook’s introduction) will offer an insight as to the approach this thing is taking, listeners won’t fully understand what this audio experience will be like until they start hearing actual clips. Those will be coming in time. But what I can tell you is this…forget everything you ever thought you knew about audiobooks when you consider this one. This is not a person reading the story. This is a summer blockbuster in audio form. I think one of those most telling scenes in this project is from the Battle of Chicago, an iconic Epic mission that spans two chapters in Dawn of Destiny. The first of those two chapters clocks in at over thirty minutes long. That’s thirty minutes of people shooting, running, screaming, fighting. Thirty minutes of the most bombastic soundtrack you have ever heard in an audiobook. Thirty minutes of total dynamic immersion.

It’s just the nature of the beast (no pun intended) that this project is taking as long as it is. Every sound is inserted “by hand.” Everything is timed to happen when it happens, from musical cues to pauses in dialog to that plasma bolt that just took out the window. It just takes time. Thankfully, with the help of the absolutely sensational Natalie van Sistine, who is handling all of the dialogue editing for this thing, the speed at which this audiobook is being produced has increased tenfold. Right now, it’s rocking and rolling. This is good, and it’s why I was confident enough to name 2013 as the year this thing hits the public.

I’m most excited for you guys to hear my voice actors. They do such an outstanding job bringing the Epic characters to life, from Stewart Cummings total ownership of Scott Remington, to Paul Bellantoni’s chilling take on General Thoor, to Gabriel Wolf’s uncanny ability to actually become a Bakma. Not to mention Patrick Quance, who singlehandedly elevated the narration of this project to something so ridiculously good, it almost defies belief. As much as I’m pumped up to share the story of Dawn of Destiny with people in a fresh, new way, I’m even more excited to share these actors with you. Every single one of them, of which there are over two dozen, knocks their role out of the park. It’s awesome to hear.

So sit tight! I know it’s been a long wait (believe me, I know). Every day brings this thing closer and closer to fruition.

I love this job.

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Epic’s 90-Day Workout: Teaming with Duolit

In my last journal entry, I mentioned that over the next several months, I will be working with Shannon and Toni from Duolit, a tag-team pair of literary and promotional trainers. Effective promotion has always been Epic’s weakness, as I’ll be the first to admit to anyone that I just don’t promote myself well. I write, I release, and I let things run wild. Up until this point, that’s worked relatively well for Epic. But at the same time, strictly relying on word-of-mouth is not the way to go. Epic deserves better, as does the fan base. The more people who get into Epic, the more engaging the community will become. The more successful Epic is, the more I can actually do.

Tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 10) marks day-one of this 90-day “author boot camp,” as I’m referring to it. There is no doubt in my mind that it will both be an eye opening experience as it pertains to the things I should and could have been doing for Epic, but also a huge step in the right direction for me personally (and professionally) in regards to my writing. I have always been honest even when it comes to identifying my own shortcomings. This process will directly address one of my biggest ones – marketing and to an extent believing in myself.

I will definitely be posting as this process gets underway, not only to let you know how things are going, but also to let you know about some really cool things that Epic is doing. The Epic Universe will become very active over the course of the next three months – I definitely want you guys along for the ride. It is you who make Epic what it is. Without you, this series doesn’t have a reason to exist. I want you guys taking this trip with me!

With that said…it’s time to bring on Duolit. I’m so excited about what 2013 has in store for this series. I know faith will persevere.

Here’s to an epic three months, and brighter things for the series’ future.

-Lee Stephen

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Meet the New Face of Epic

 

 

She’s been a tactical scout, a covert agent, a romantic comedian, and a world-class swimmer. Yet none of those roles will compare to the one Esther Brooking is about to assume. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the new face of Epic. Over the coming weeks, you’re going to see a lot of Epic’s favorite scout from Cambridge. You’ll read her thoughts on Twitter. See her likeness on deviantART. You might even hear the sound of her voice on YouTube. It’s not a coincidence that Esther is suddenly getting a lot of face time. She’s officially been named Epic’s character ambassador.

So what does that mean exactly? In the context of the Epic story, nothing new. Epic began, and will continue, with Scott Remington at the helm. But even the most casual fan of Epic would have to agree: no one brings quite the character resumé to the table as “Molly Polyester.”

Esther’s transition into the physical world via things such as Twitter and deviantART will give fans (and potential ones) a chance to experience Epic through the eyes of one its stars. In terms of importance, Esther is a top-5 character in a series with over a hundred named ones. Her quirky combination of sass and style is second-to-none. She’s a scene-stealer. Who better to spearhead a promotional campaign? Having Esther in the spotlight will provide name recognition to a series with an overabundance of names to choose from. She’s Epic’s pretty face to the world.

So get plugged into Esther Brooking! Tweet her—she will definitely tweet back. Keep tabs of her on YouTube…you may not have heard the last of her there! Check out her account on deviantART, where more will most certainly be added to her gallery. Heck, you can even zip her an email at esther@epicuniverse.com. Drop a line to Epic’s special-ops spitfire.

She’ll blast you back at every chance she gets.