ReelShort’s Nicole Mattox & Seth Edeen on ‘The Hitwoman’ and the Demands of Vertical Drama

Courtesy of Reelshort

The world of vertical dramas is definitely turning "soapy" storytelling upside down, and one of ReelShort’s latest additions, The Hitwoman, shows why this medium is continually bursting at the seams. This will-they, won’t-they high-stakes romance follows Madeline Archer (played by Nicole Mattox), an assassin trapped under the control of a greedy gangster, and Hayden Kent (Seth Edeen), the District Attorney who once was her beloved. They collide once more when Madeline is handed a lethal mission: kill Hayden Kent. The Movie Nerds had a chance to sit down with stars Nicole Mattox and Seth Edeen recently and the curtain was pulled back -  revealing not only how The Hitwoman was made but also the "fast and ferocious" pace of vertical filming, and why audiences are diving into this daring new medium of storytelling. There is a reason why micro dramas are creating a fourteen billion dollar market after all!

Sal Cento: In The Hitwoman, Ms. Mattox you play assassin Madeline Archer and Mr. Edeen you are District Attorney Hayden Kent - on paper, two people who should be sworn enemies but they are actually two people who can't help but be in love with each other. Whatever it may be - movies, shows, moments from your own life - what helps when it comes to stepping into complicated dynamics and characters like these?

Nicole Mattox: Honestly, just using experiences from my own life is the biggest thing and just finding that element of what makes that person a person and what makes that person tick. We all have love in our life - that’s the biggest thing - and that’s what makes The Hitwoman tick for me. Finding love - we all know that feeling . . . that was the biggest thing for me.

Seth Edeen: Just spending a lot of time building the world in your head and really understanding the circumstances. Why is everything happening and where it is stemming from? We draw a lot from our personal lives - thinking of those people that we love very dearly - who we would do anything for no matter the circumstances. We all have at least one or two people -Mattox: That we’d go a little crazy for.

Edeen: That we’d go a little crazy for.

Cento: You’ve both said in prior interviews that the shooting schedule is quite the rapid pace when it comes to micro dramas. In regards to The Hitwoman, walk me through the production and filming process. How fast did you go from being cast, to being handed the script and then to filming and what is the timeframe usually like generally speaking?

Mattox: I think we had two weeks from getting the script to starting to film for this one? Then - it was an eight day shoot?Edeen: Yes, an eight day shoot.

Mattox: It all blurs together - that’s the biggest problem. Twelve hour days everyday for eight days. Plus, this was sometimes very action heavy, so we had overtime a couple of days because we hit thirteen hours during some of those days - all just to make sure we got those good shots in. We had two overnight shoots in that timeframe as well - from ten thirty pm to ten thirty, eleven am. It was intense. We were also prepping for our next shows that were right after that in-between all of this.

Edeen: It is fast and ferocious. You really have to be on your A game. We’re shooting so much - bouncing around, anywhere from five to ten scenes - you really have to understand the story and your character because what’s going to happen is that you’re going to go from a big, emotional, crying scene to a super happy one just like that.

Mattox: No prep time.

Edeen: We really don’t have that much time to get ready on the day. You just really have to come prepared.

Cento: Also regarding the rapid pace, changing of series, changing of story -  how do you make sure that you’re bringing a differently curated character to the screen every time for every one of these vertical dramas?

Mattox: It’s hard. It’s really hard - especially because there are certain character archetypes that the audience likes to see. For me as an actor, I’ve tried to find what makes each individual character tick and what makes that person do anything in their life. For Madeline - it was my sister. She’s my everything. She’s what makes me tick and move. Then, I did a different one - where it was my daughter - which has a similar vibe, but it was a slightly different connection in a different relationship and that helps to add something to each character.

Edeen: It’s very challenging - because there’s not a ton of things to overcome with the male roles. There usually isn’t a lot of backstory and you don’t have a lot to lean into or anchor yourself to, so it turns into finding the little nuances. If you can’t find one, the fun part is that you just get to create one. You can add a lot of different little twists and turns to each character in that way for sure.

Cento: Shooting a vertical drama by definition is quite different for someone behind the camera since it’s usually filmed in the 9:16 aspect ratio. Does this unique way of filming change anything for you regarding being in front of the camera in any way?

Mattox: Absolutely.

Edeen: I have to be very careful because it’s vertically shot - we just can’t move a lot. Generally speaking, I’m taller than almost every single co-star I”ve ever had. I have to get in one spot and I just cannot move or else I will block them.

Mattox: It’s his shoulders. His shoulders are at everybody's face level.

Edeen: Yeah, it’s just being very specific with the blocking and being disciplined with that.

Mattox: Basically, you have to give everything with just your face. You cannot rely on mannerisms, you can’t rely on sway or anything like that - you have to genuinely live in your eyes and in your mind because that’s the only thing that people are getting to see. It’s the only thing you have.

Cento: Having been cast in so many productions related to the micro drama medium, in your opinion what is it that’s working so well in ReelShort (and other vertical drama apps) that just never came to fruition in 2020’s Quibi?

Mattox: Well, I think personally - the biggest thing was that Quibi put in really, really high budgets for a medium that didn’t exist yet and didn’t have a fan base yet. I think they just tried to do too much too quickly. Another thing that I think works really well - people talk about how big these are. They’re soap opera themed, there’s the slaps,  there’s all these big features - it kind of has to be because you’re watching it on a small screen.

The subtleties are just not picked up the same way on a phone that they are if you’re watching something on a television. You have to master that aspect of finding the groundedness and the reality in being a person - but also match that with being big enough, like in theatre - to reach the back of the room, to reach through the television screen. That’s what really started to make the success of verticals. That’s what I think.

Edeen: Consuming anything on your phone is different from a TV. You can have something on your TV and you can get up and have it playing while you’re doing something else versus your phone. You can’t scroll Instagram and watch a micro-drama at the same time. You have to be dedicated to one - so making it instagram, social media-esque - in that - everything happens so quickly.

You can hop in and out of watching the story so seamlessly - that’s the biggest difference. In Quibi, it’s like a ten minute movie - even ten minutes is too long for your phone. Your attention span on your phone is so short. A minute or two minutes is max. You got to kind of look at it like each episode is almost like its own movie - sixty two minute movies potentially. You can hop in and out so quickly and easily.

Cento: Besides The Hitwoman obviously - which titles (either ones that you starred in or just favorites of yours to watch) would you suggest to someone who wants to start watching microdramas but doesn’t know where to begin or just feels overwhelmed by all the choices available out there?

Mattox: I would strongly suggest Breaking The Ice. That was the first one we ever did together and I do hear a lot that that was people’s first series that introduced them to verticals and micro-dramas. I would also suggest Queen Never Cry but that’s just because I like it so - laughsEdeen: I would suggest Breaking The Ice too. Personally - I had a show come out called In Love With The Single Farmer Daddy - which I’m very proud of.

Mattox: It’s really cute.

Edeen: It’s fun. It's cute. I play a farmer as you can tell by the title. That one is relatively grounded despite all the shenanigans in it. That is the one that I think will resonate with middle America.

Mattox: I also think just getting on the ReelShort app - they put the trailers out for all of these upcoming shows. They have one show a day coming out, so just getting on the app and starting with the newest show is a good way of getting involved. You can take a look and see if any of them call to you. You can start by seeing what’s coming out and what’s new. They make that very user-friendly.

Edeen: ReelShort has been doing a bunch of shows based off of books so all the book talk people - there’s a lot on there for you. Our boy Rhett Wellington and Savannah Coffee - they did a show called Bound By Honor which is based on a big mafia romance novel. That is done super well.

Cento: One search on Google and one look on IMDB and anybody can see that both of you have quite the credits list when it comes to the world of micro-dramas. With more to come in the future no doubt,  what are some of the factors that have the both of you returning again and again to this type of medium?

Mattox: Well, for me - I just love acting. I love it so deeply. It’s just what makes me tick. Any chance I get to tell a story or share someone else’s story - I will take it. I really do enjoy the fact that I’m immersed in one world and then I can go tell a completely different story and live a completely different life a week later. Right now, I’m liking the fast pace of it all. I like that I get to experience so much.

Edeen: It's like a boot camp for me. I didn’t grow up acting or anything so when I first started doing these - Nicole really sticks out because she is such a phenomenal actress. She’s so good.

Mattox: He’s being sweet.

Edeen: You watch her and you’re just drawn to her on screen. Everybody talks about this on every set and every set that she’s not on too - versus - like me, I play the very stereotypical male lead. Not a very complex character - aesthetically, I fit the mold and everything. The acting has come and gone -

Mattox: Not gone.

Edeen: Someone like Nicole - very fun, very easy to watch - you want to watch her. She brings something else to the roles.

Mattox: So sweet. Thank you.

Edeen: Mm-hmm.Cento: This is a moment right now!*We all laugh*

Cento: And finally, if you will - what do the both of you have in store for us in the future? Any new verticals or other projects that you can tell The Movie Nerds about?

Mattox: A bunch of stuff! - turns to Edeen - You have one coming out on the 26th.

Edeen: I just got on the app right before this and saw I have a new ReelShort show where I play hockey again and it’s called Pucked In The Friend Zone with me and Hannah Lowery. It’s different from Breaking The Ice. I’m playing a guy in his early 20’s and there’s no kid or anything but it’s a very fun and very cute story and I’m very excited for it to go out. 

Cento: Alright. That’s it, guys. Thank you very much.. This went by so fast - it’s crazy!Edeen: Just like filming a micro-drama!

Cento: Exactly! Again, thank you!

Mattox: Thank you so much.

Edeen: Good to meet you.

All episodes of The Hitwoman are now available to watch on the Reelshort app.