Director Rob Schroeder discusses first feature film, ‘Ultrasound’

Vincent Kartheiser plays Glen, a detained individual who is part of a government experiment, across from Shannon, a medical professional facilitating the experiment who is played by Breeda Wool. Photos courtesy of Magnet Releasing

Patience is a virtue that director Rob Schroeder has mastered. 

From the initial spark of inspiration to direct his first feature film in 2017, three years had passed until he even stepped foot on set. Bouncing between producers and a fluctuating budget, the skies finally began to clear up when the filming of “Ultrasound,” wrapped in March 2020. It was time to send the film into post-production.

A couple of days later, the U.S. went on lockdown due to COVID-19. The cast and crew never even got to have their wrap party. 

“When we finished shooting, it was a couple days before the lockdown, so it was quite a process,” Schroeder told The Panther. “We were very lucky. It was like two or three days before (the lockdown). It was like, ‘Wow, that was it.’”

Two years later, “Ultrasound” is now slated for release in theaters and on-demand March 11. Schroeder sat down with The Panther to discuss the experience of directing his first feature film and navigating post-production during the pandemic. 

Despite abandoning any hopes of a typical post-production cycle, Schroeder said the pandemic was freeing in a way. It allowed him to turn the project into a nation-wide production. 

The official poster for “Ultrasound,” directed by Rob Schroeder, gives a sneak peek at some of the unsettling imagery viewers might encounter while watching the film.

“Once the possibility of sitting in with someone was out the window, I just kind of opened it up,” Schroeder said. “Zak Engel was phenomenal with the score, and he lives in Maine. Bobb Barito did the sound design from Brooklyn. I was somewhat fortunate and was able to get really awesome people who could work from home, and they did a great job.” 

“Ultrasound” begins with the story of Glen (Vincent Kartheiser), a man who experiences car troubles driving home late one night. He’s welcomed into the home of a friendly, middle-aged man named Art (Bob Stephenson) and his younger wife Cyndi (Chelsea Lopez). After sharing a few drinks, Glen receives an offer he’s unable to turn down: Art wants him to sleep with Cyndi, who is easily convinced. 

Following the encounter, their worlds begin to fall apart as Glen and Cyndi are detained as subjects in a nondescript government research facility. 

The idea was inspired by the graphic novel “Generous Bosom,” written by cartoonist Conor Stechschulte, who joined Schroeder in 2017 to help collaborate on the script for “Ultrasound.” The film also incorporates storylines of a government worker questioning her role in an experiment and a politician working to manipulate the public.

“Conor’s book touched on a lot of the same things (as ‘Ultrasound’),” Schroeder said. “Prior to the 2016 election, there was all the talk of (ballot) tampering. With all this information, I think we all live with different realities — shifting realities. Those were things that always interested me.” 

Although this is Schoeder’s directorial debut in a feature film, he’s carved out a career for himself as a renaissance man. After founding Lodger Films with his cousin and business partner Georg Kallert, Schroeder would go on to market films and direct music videos such as “Hammer and Sickle” by Neon Neon and “Ray Gun” by Ghostface Killa and BADBADNOTGOOD. He would later take on the role of producer with several feature films and shows including PBS and Variety’s “Actors on Actors,” which is now in its 15th season. 

“The idea was always to just spend as much time on set as possible, shooting as much as I could,” Schroeder said. “Through that process, I just kind of pieced it together and then was able to make this movie, my first feature ever.”

Throughout the duration of pre-production, the budget for “Ultrasound” shifted from $8 million to $2 million, and eventually, to under $1 million. This resulted in a quick 19-day shoot, which luckily allowed the cast and crew to narrowly avoid the national lockdown. 

“The whole time, I was regrouping and trying to figure out the best way to shoot it,” Schroeder said. “At one point, we were shooting (the film) in Canada and upstate New York. I think a lot of it had to do with prioritizing what was most important to tell this story, and that's kind of how we decided on shooting in LA.”

Director Rob Schroeder takes on his directorial debut with “Ultrasound,” a dark and grizzly science fiction film, premiering March 7. 

Throughout the film, one major area of focus was sound — specifically, amplifying the film score. Composer Zak Engel, who was inspired by film scores from “Blade Runner” and “Uncut Gems,” used a heavy mix of analogue sound, such as continuous pitches and vibrations, combined with digital synthesizers and acoustic instruments.

“The sound was sort of a character in the film, and the sound kind of advanced the plot,” Schroeder said. “You had to hear what was going on. So much of the story is about these sound waves.”

“Ultrasound” currently sits at 92% on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes. According to Schroeder, the critical acclaim is a bit of a double-edged sword.

“It's nice to get good reviews, because I think that means that whoever watched the film got what we were going for,” Schroeder said. “I also know that (‘Ultrasound’) is not for everybody and is kind of a different and odd beast. So when people don't get it, I'm fine with that too.”

Schroeder is currently writing and collaborating with Stechschulte on upcoming projects. He hopes to lean more into the genre of horror in the future and eventually have the wrap party that was cut short. 

“Ultrasound” will be playing at Brain Dead Studios Monday, March 7 as well as at the Laemmle Theater in Glendale March 11. The latter will be accompanied by a Q&A with Schroeder.