Ambition is the driving force behind local filmmaker Richeler Aladin’s newest feature, Evinced. With a cast and crew made up almost entirely of Texas State University alumni, Aladin turned a low-budget experiment into a successful film now on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. “My mindset was, if I can make one film and one film only, and my career is done, what would that project be?” said Aladin, who wrote and directed the film. “What would it be where I could just pull it up and be proud? Essentially, that’s what birthed Evinced.”
Set in the future, Evinced chronicles the events that unfold when a masked user, calling himself the “prodigal augur,” posts a series of predictions online – from sports outcomes to winning lottery numbers to murders to corrupt government affairs – that all come true. Detective Malcolm (Ervin Brown) works to reveal the identity of the prodigal augur despite doubts from his co-workers, while young entertainment reporter Ava (Rachel Webb) fights to cover the groundbreaking story despite her boss’ explicit instructions to the contrary.
Before Evinced, Aladin wrote two short films: “Ms. Anita” (a feature about the life and challenges of a ballerina) and “The Masked 4” (an action movie). He explained his feeling that “Ms. Anita” lacked a compelling plot, whereas “The Masked 4” lacked character development. Evinced became a perfect solution. “I grew up on adventure films, but I think it’s important to always go back and do something that’s dramatic, that’s raw, that’s character driven,” Aladin said. “I was like, if I can combine character elements with epicness, then my main message for this movie is sticking together and working things out, for the better and for each other.”
Aladin wrote his first 120-page draft in three days during Oct. 2019. “I felt like I was a crazy maniac,” Aladin said. “I literally locked myself in my room and was just chucking away. I really wouldn’t recommend anyone else to do it this way, but I was super inspired.”
Once he finalized the script with co-writers Meg Dawson and Noah Guerrero, Aladin said he decided to take on the challenge of filming the large majority in Austin. “It took hard work, grind, and research,” the filmmaker said. “We used every resource we could, and that was definitely a challenge, but it was also inspiring. It made me realize I don’t have to be pigeonholed to just one location. … Luckily for us, we found everywhere we needed to make it happen.”
Preproduction for Evinced began Nov. 1, 2019, and shooting started Jan. 10, 2020, at locations across Austin, including the Capitol building as well Spiderwood Studios in Elgin, a Westlake mansion, and at a few locations in San Marcos. Aladin said he wanted to share the experience with family and friends. He even cast his mother as an extra.
“[Evinced] was like a family atmosphere,” Aladin said. “We had really tight-knit relationships, and you could feel the passion, the effort that people gave their all to the project. It was a very loving community of people saying, ‘You know what, let’s do this. Let’s make this happen. Let’s continue to push and push.’ And I think without that relationship factor, we wouldn’t have gotten the results we did.”
When Aladin writes and directs, he strives to be wholly himself. “I like energy,” Aladin said. “I like to say I’m a corny person. I will give people notes that amplify what they’re saying, like it’s not necessarily realistic, and sometimes I have to get pulled back a little.”
As he looks toward future projects, Aladin said he will remember Evinced most for the level of heart it demanded from him and everyone involved. “Here we are, crossing that finish line,” Aladin said. “You would have thought I would have been sad about it, but in a weird way, it’s bittersweet. I am excited to put a bow on this journey.”
Evinced is available now on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
This article appears in March 4 • 2022.