By Essiba Small
It’s not every day an adult gets to live out a childhood dream. But that’s just how it worked out for Ancil Harris. Harris was five-years-old with an oversized imagination when he created Vaser Claw, his first comic book.
Between the ages of 8 and 13, he tweaked the drawings and the story line of Vaser Claw, the Prince of Capernaum who goes on a mission to uncover the truth about the death of his family. On his journey, he meets an earthling and encounters alien beings who try to stop him.”
Last week, Harris had a full-circle moment when he sat down with his 13-year-old son Antwone, to watch his Vaser Claw movie on the big screen at Caribbean Cinemas 8 in Trincity.
“It was a very proud moment, for me and him,” Harris told Kitcharee.
“I saw the pride in his face as he sat next to me. I felt that I accomplished something huge, especially seeing his expression and how excited he was.
“At the end of the movie, he said he really enjoyed the movie and that Vaser Claw is his favourite character, which was touching for me.”
Three years ago, when the 38-year-old videographer decided to make a sci fi movie, he revisited his old comic book, which he was lucky to still have, with the intention to bring Vaser Claw to life.
Instead of a traditional casting call, Harris went through social media pages searching for his perfect cast, using his comic book drawings to guide him.
“I went through my comic book and reached out to random people who I found looked like these characters, and asked them to be a part of the movie.”
Harris said he knew only half of the people he approached on social media. The other half, he said, were complete strangers, who were taken aback when he first contacted them, but who agreed to be part of the cast, eventually. Choosing model Jumael James to play the movie’s main character Vaser Claw, was a no-brainer for Harris.
“He looked so much like my comic book drawing,” he said with a laugh.
“Jumael was working on a short film project with a partner of mine; he was a model who was now getting into acting back then. When I told my partner how much he looked like my Vaser Claw character, he laughed. He was able to connect me with him.”
That his assembled-from-social-media cast members were not experienced actors, was something Harris welcomed.
“I love working with inexperienced people. They put more passion into their work and are willing to learn.
“It also meant no egos on set. The chemistry was good and everyone had fun.”
On Vaser Claw, Harris served as the videographer director, casting director and location scout.
His goal, when choosing location, was that Vaser Claw’s world look nothing like ours.
As a fan of Star Trek and Star Wars, Harris wanted to film in places across the country that were unrecognisable. His cousin helped him find a quarry in Claxton Bay, which served as the location for most of the movie.
Harris also filmed at Chancellor Hill and in a studio with a green screen. Since the film was self-funded, Harris was grateful for the support he received from other creatives, including his cousin—who helped with the filming and local cosplay costume creators, who outfitted the cast.
The only challenge the team faced, was remembering their lines when it came to speaking Capernaum—an alien language that was created by Harris.
“I thought it would be good for the aliens to have their own language, apart from English. I had to write out the words and translate it for them to remember what they had to say.”
Amtara, for instance, is one of Harris’s Capernaum words. It means “go and see what is going on”.
Planning for Vaser Claw started in 2021, in the height of the pandemic, so Harris and the actors often met on Zoom to go through their lines. Once restrictions were relaxed in 2022, filming began.
The series-turned-movie is now so popular that it led to school tours across the country.
“So far we’ve visited ten schools, introducing primary school students to the Vaser Claw character.
“I wanted to show the kids that they can be a hero as well.”
Growing up in Laventille, Harris said he was always exposed to the negatives. Crime was literally outside his window, which is why he had to create his own comic world. It was a place where he felt happy and safe.
Around the same time, his parents also separated, which meant that he needed the safety of his “comic world” even more.
That’s why it was so important for Vaser Claw to do a school tour, Harris said.
“I want the schoolchildren to see a black man in a positive light, especially given the crime situation.
“I want them to know that they have the choice to do good and not bad and that they don’t have to join gangs and do negative things.”
Last Friday, Vaser Claw, the Prince of Capernaum premiered at the Cimseuca Film Festival in Spain where it played to rave reviews.
The movie was also nominated for an award in Italy’s Cel Cinema di Cefalu.
Harris wants Vaser Claw to get another run in local cinemas, so more children could see it, and he has plans to expand the Vaser Claw franchise and of course get more international eyes on it.
“I have always been inspired by (Spider Man creator) Stan Lee. He created something and nobody else knew what he was doing. He didn’t blow up in a day but when he did, he became a household name.
“This is just the beginning for us. When you build and build and don’t stop, you eventually reach where you’re going.”
