If you watch webisodes, then you are already familiar with Luke 11:17 but if you are not, then you definitely need to check it out! I love the webisodes and I am looking forward to what is coming up for Luke 11:17.
Thankfully, I was able to talk to co-creator, executive producer, and star of the show, Ryan Cafeo.
I definitely learned a lot more about the show and Ryan…at least something about actors in cages and Luke 11:17 possibly coming to the small screen. You are probably thinking, “what in the world?” Yep. Keep reading.
How long does it take to shoot each episode?
Depending on the episode, anywhere from 3-5 days, sometimes a week.
Where in LA do you shoot?
We shoot all around in LA but my office is actually the dungeon.
Cool. Now, being a druggie and killer in real life is out of the question but would you ever become a motivational speaker?
(laughs) No, not really. In college, I put off Speech until my last semester. I definitely wasn’t into being a motivational speaker.
The things that your character says as a motivational speaker are actually things that people can take to heart in real life. Was it always written that way or was there discussion of making what Luke says phony but people still believe him?
You definitely want to buy what he is saying. The first season was definitely written with the intention that his words would honestly move people…which is why he is able to get away with what he does. At the same time, it’s all about hope for this guy. He wants to be able to live what he is preaching but it’s just not working out for him.
Did you go to any self help seminars or read any self help books, articles about killers, or go to any psych classes to help you get into character?
Yeah, I did a lot of research but I took a lot of psychology in school because I am very interested in the human emotion. I watch evangelists preaching and I did research a few serial killers. They are very charismatic serial killers and so Luke definitely uses that to his advantage.
If you saw Luke, walking down the street, you would never imagine what he does.
Right, the thought would never cross your mind. When Chris (Sherman) and I created the series we never thought of it as a web series. We wanted to raise the bar, so when we were shooting it, we were looking at it as a network show. We definitely wanted to create a character that wasn’t what he appeared to be. I think everybody as a light side and a dark side and Luke is an extreme example.
Did you come up with the story based on Luke 11:17 or the connection to that verse came afterwords?
That’s a great question. The character came about first and then the verse. Then, we started creating hand in hand.
What made you choose Luke of all of the books in the bible?
I don’t really think we choose Luke, it kind of just happened. While creating the character, we realized that this character was Luke 11:17. So I think that is how it came about.
You have a sister in the web series but do you have siblings in real life and if so what is your relationship like?
(laughs) Oh boy, they should be here to answer this question. I have 2 sisters and there is no relevance there whatsoever. (laughs)
Did you always know that you would cage the 2 actresses in a cage and not just lock them in a room, because the cage seemed a bit harsh
(laughs) The actresses never wanted to get out of the cages! They would eat lunch in the cages, sleep in the cages, they loved the cages. I think we also knew that a cage was involved because when we first started creating, a cage was brought up.
Okay. So other than the web series, do you have any upcoming projects?
Chris and I are developing 3 features, one of which is a modern day Bonnie & Clyde. 2 of our writers, Michael (Caissie) and Charles (Huttinger) have a couple of features that are being shopped around. We have all been developing in house, so altogether we have about 5 features that we are developing. We also have Season 2 of Luke 11:17 to look forward to. We definitely have a lot going on and we are having a really good time. People always say, “You have to find the right people to work with” and I never really understood what they were saying but now I get it.
When shopping around these projects, who is the one that pitches?
Chris usually does the pitching. He is more of the spokesperson for Rooster Films.
Okay, so when can we expect Season 2 to be online?
It might not be online. We are hoping that it will end up on a cable network and it appears to be heading that way. We are very excited. In Hollywood, everything can change in a split second, so we will see and we are very excited for what’s to come.
For more, visit Strike TV.