06/04/2026
Want to hear a fun little anecdote from the pre-production of Freedom, Truth, Chaos, Death?
Rikard Westman, who plays Johan, one of the lead roles, was actually one of the hardest characters to cast. I originally wrote the role for an actor I had worked with before, but when he took too long to respond and approve the contract, I decided to move on.
I received over 100 responses to my posts in acting groups. Most of the process happened over Messenger. I watched their showreels, asked them to send self-tapes of scenes from the script, and most importantly, paid attention to how engaged they were about being part of the project. Some stood out more than others. Some mostly wanted to build their CV and could be part of anything, which is always a bit disappointing. When you are on set, you want everyone there to truly want to be there.
Slowly but surely, I cast the bigger roles, and in the end only Johan remained. Four actors were in the running, but some took their time sending the material I asked for.
Then I got a tip about Rikard. He was friendly, committed, and delivered. After six weeks, the entire film was cast.
But then something interesting happened.
While I was still casting smaller roles, someone contacted me after reading the script. He was convinced he was perfect for Johan, the right age, look, and with a strong personal connection to the character. He was also a millionaire and willing to invest in the project.
Interesting situation, right?
Should I replace Rikard with someone ready to fund the film?
You already know the answer. I stayed true to my word and moved forward with Rikard. And I do not regret it. He, like many others in the film, truly delivered and made the character his own.
That said, nothing against the person who contacted me. Under different circumstances or for another project, it could have been very interesting.
At the level I work at, your word is everything. If you say something, you stand by it. Without that trust, no one wants to work with you.
At the same time, the bigger the budget, the harder it is to recoup the investment.
That is something you have to be very clear about, especially with potential investors. The chances of getting money back are often small, particularly on larger budgets.
I believe the future of indie film looks like this, people investing their time and then sharing in the film’s potential success. I see more and more examples of it, and it is both exciting and inspiring.
And speaking of something exciting, a few days ago I got the news that Tubi will be picking up Freedom, Truth, Chaos, Death.
You know where to read more when it goes live. Until then, you can watch it for free with ads on our YouTube channel.
/Daniel