Geek of the Week: Cedric Gegel, Creator of Cadia: A World Within
Devastated by the loss of their mother, three teenagers discover a mystical realm where they must attempt to work together and overcome evil to return home. (Cadia: A World Within)
What inspired you to write Cadia? How did you come up with the idea?
I was in a musical with Keegan, Carly, and Tanner (our lead actors) and was trying to distract them backstage by coming up with movie plots. They really liked this one, so I took a few months, which became years, to write it out. I was heavily inspired by Harry Potter, Narnia – those mythical tales of hope in the face of darkness. I think those stories need to be told.
What do you want audience members to take away from seeing your film?
I just want the message of hope to go with them. It’s a story that encourages belief in the goodness of people. It’s definitely a film about faith, but one we wanted to keep inclusive to all people. We worked very hard, incidentally, to validate those who might have doubt in their faith journeys. To me, that’s an intrinsic element of faith. The two must coexist. So, in short, I’m hoping people walk away feeling loved and feeling like there is hope. I hope they walk away asking questions – I don’t have all the answers – and having meaningful conversations about what faith looks like in the face of doubt and pain.
How did you go about casting?
Did you already have certain actors in mind whilst writing?
I was definitely involved. One actor that I very much had in mind when writing was Corbin Bernsen in the role of Grandpa George, so I’m sure you can imagine my absolute joy when we signed him on to the film. As for James Phelps, I hadn’t at all thought of him, but when his name came up I instantly realized he was perfect for the role (which, for the record, he was). I always tend to write for certain actors, but that’s more to capture a certain voice or physicality. I feel like it gives my characters a space from which they can grow. We had online submissions and live auditions. I think our cast came from a fairly even mix of both. Some people had been in dozens of films while some had been in none. All of them were superb.
What – if any geeky hobbies do you partake in?
“If any.” Ha. You’re speaking to the Grand Champion of the Pokemon League, the Dragonborn, a pure Hufflepuff, a grey Jedi if there ever was one, the Ringbearer himself! I’m a big gamer. I once beat Pokemon Ruby with six level one hundred Mudkip. Love Skyrim. I played Quidditch in college – I was the captain of our team (for the record, we never lost a single game). I keep two lightsabers on my desk at all times. I just reread Lord of the Rings and fell back in love with Middle Earth. I’ve been told I’m doing my first Dungeons and Dragons session soon. I foresee myself as a bard, since I can’t keep my mouth shut or focus my energy.
When did you know you wanted to be in the film industry?
I grew up wanting to perform. I always thought I wanted to be a singer or something, but I actually recently found a paper I wrote in sixth grade where I said that I was going to be an actor and filmmaker, so I guess it was around then. Seems weird to think about that, since I hadn’t even done a musical or anything at that point, but I guess it was in my heart. My parents encouraged us to perform and took us to dance lessons and everything, so it’s just a part of our family’s DNA. My siblings are ridiculously talented – Tori (my older sister) was wonderful at ballet, Salon (my twin sister) got a degree in dance and is also a strong actor, alongside having a great mind for business and working on Cadia as a script supervisor, and Austin (my younger brother) is a crazy good actor and singer. Honestly, he’s better than me. My father is a very funny actor on stage and has a nice baritone/bass voice, and my mother is a really nice alto. I’m really very lucky to have them all and have them be so supportive.
What is your Hogwarts house ?
Good gosh, I’m the dictionary definition of a Hufflepuff. I’m goofy. I’m loyal, sometimes to a fault. I strive to be honest. I love food. My name is Cedric, for heck’s sake. I think my secondary house would be Ravenclaw. I’m not smart enough to be a Slytherin and not dumb enough to be a Gryffindor. Yeah, I said it!
What advice would you give to fellow aspiring fantasy filmmakers?
Tell the story you want to tell. Fantasy means so many things to so many different people… It doesn’t need to have dragons. If it does, sick. I’ll watch it. But it doesn’t need it. To me, the fantasy element comes down more to the memorable characters and the elements of the world you’re creating. In Cadia, we see a world of hope and light and humor and anger and all the things we see in our own world, except these people are unfettered from society’s expectations. They’re free to be honest with themselves. They all legitimately believe in their mission – good or evil. Write the story you want to write. Make the magic you want to. It’s your world, dang it, and if people don’t like it, they can go home. Cadia isn’t to the scale of Narnia or Middle Earth, but it’s pure magic compared to Skia (our world in the Cadia universe).
Where can we see Cadia?
[It’s] currently being negotiated. We should have an answer soon. Keep your eyes open and follow us on social media to stay updated!
Instagram: CadiaFilm
Facebook: CadiaFilm
