Exclusive Interview: Robyn Miller Discusses The Immortal Augustus Gladstone

The Immortal Augustus Gladstone (read our review) will release on iTunes on April 1st and features the life of an eccentric man who believes he is immortal. We recently chatted with Robyn Miller, known for his previous work on the video game Myst, about his transition from the gaming industry to becoming an independent filmmaker. Read on to learn more.


AMANDA: The Immortal Augustus Gladstone is an intriguing film about Augustus Gladstone who believes he is an 156 year old immortal. What inspired you to do a documentary about his life?

ROBYN MILLER: There were a number of reasons I designed the character the way I did. Firstly, there were questions of mortality that a character like Augustus brings to forefront. According to him, he’s lived 150 years, but he is childlike in his approach to life and relationships. He’s never been able to come to terms with his immortality the way that many of us can’t come to terms with our mortality. It doesn’t help that he sees the world in such black and white terms. To me, a character like this is intriguing.

But there’s something deeper and possibly more psychological going on. It almost seems as if the whole vampire thing is a subterfuge, and possibly a delusion, because Augustus can’t deal with his real history and what’s really happening. Maybe he’s invented a mask that mimics internal problems and fears because he can’t stand to directly face any of those internal horrors. It’s ironic that this mask of immortality and vampirism is more horrific that anything that’s going on inside.

Or maybe he’s telling the truth?! Maybe we’re not giving him nearly enough credit. Maybe the documentary crew are real monsters in this scenario, sucking the life out of the innocent Augustus Gladstone!

AMANDA: You created one of the most popular games of the 90s with Myst. How did your experience working on The Immortal Augustus Gladstone differ from your experiences creating Myst?

ROBYN: Bear in mind, when we created Myst, we really didn’t know how to do it. There wasn’t a precedent or guidebook. We were inventing as we went. Riven, the sequel, was the same, though we were trying to take steps forward. In those two games, I feel we had certain failures and successes.. It’s all a process of discovery.

Film is entirely different. The storytelling mechanics of film has evolved to a sophisticated state--I don’t think anyone can argue that it hasn’t. And film audiences have likewise evolved! This helps tremendously! Because in making a film, you’re really not inventing the language from scratch, you’re building upon a rich history of thousands of other talented filmmakers. If you’re really talented (and lucky) you might add to the vernacular with some unique story telling element that no one has ever thought of!

So yes, I think this was easier in many ways. It also probably won’t stand out as much.

It was also refreshing to work on something strictly linear. Video games are all about what the user does at point A, and how that might impact points B C and D. And the design of a videogame isn’t a straight line but instead is a convoluted hierarchy that messes with your brain. There were times during the production of Riven, while accounting for and creating all the various outcomes of everything the user might do, I simply stopped having fun.

AMANDA: The digital age has definitely taken its toll on humanity as more people become engulfed in their virtual lives. Did this particular aspect drive your motivation to create The Immortal Augustus Gladstone as social networks like YouTube rise in popularity?

ROBYN: I’m not criticizing social networks; I’m pretty wired in. I think more than anything, I’m pointing out the fact that our pop culture is obsessed with stuff like reality television, social networks, YouTube, Facebook, and even documentary films! None of these things are bad and certainly not evil, but they are at least powerful. And they have the power to often throw people over the edge… to interrupt and disrupt our lives even in violent ways. This is who we are now. And so yeah, the film touches on this. I’m not trying to hit anyone over the head with it, but it’s there.



AMANDA: The Immortal Augustus Gladstone has many emotional scenes throughout the film. Was there any moment in particular that really impacted you emotionally?

ROBYN: When I was playing the role of Augustus, the scene that impacted me as an actor the most, I think ends up being one of the most emotional scenes in the film. This is when Augustus returns to his apartment after being in Vegas. We shot that straight through with no cuts, from the outside of the building, up the stairs, into Augustus’ room. This method help all of us feel the sense of urgency and truth in what was going on. But I don’t want to give anymore away for those who haven’t seen the film.

Of course, later I took that footage and added jump cuts just for the purpose of pacing.

AMANDA: What was the biggest challenge in filming The Immortal Augustus Gladstone ?

ROBYN: No question, for me the biggest challenge was playing the role of Augustus while also directing. I didn’t anticipate how difficult this would be. I was continually jumping in and out of character, which wasn’t easy. And jumping in and out of the emotion that Augustus was supposed to be feeling. It was a tremendous exercise for me and a great lesson in all the things actors require… and all the things that get in the way.

For our producer, Mischa Jakupcak (who was the guiding light of this film), I think she’d say the biggest challenge was acquiring the rights to some of the music we used! She’s sworn off every using third party music in a film again (though I think I can talk her into it!).



AMANDA: Is there anything in particular that you hope viewers will remember from the film long after it ends?

ROBYN: The name of the film!

Seriously, I hope an audience will leave realizing their initial assumption about Augustus have been dashed. I think he’s a rare sort of persons who makes us question our assumptions about people in general. If a few people do that I’ll be thrilled.

AMANDA: Thank you for your time. Is there anything else you would like to mention?

ROBYN: Only thanks so much for the questions! I appreciate the opportunity! Also the film will be available April 1st, 2014 on iTunes. The soundtrack is now available on Spotify, iTunes, GooglePlay, and pretty much everywhere people stream or download music (torrents I’m sure included though I haven’t looked). And Augustus Gladstone’s AWOL in P-Town, our gigapixel toy is now online...http://awol-in-ptown.com/ It’s like we’re starting an Augustus empire! What’s next? An Augustus Gladstone themepark?!

To learn more, visit the official The Immortal Augustus Gladstone website.