After months of anticipation, the #Crazy8sFilms18 jury has selected the Top 6 projects out of a record 228 applications that will advance to production. Thank you again to everyone that applied!

First our video pitch jury, Bill Hurst, Karen Lam, Mathew Parry, Heath Affolter, Paul Armstrong, Stephanie Halber & Alicia Bernbaum selected the Top 42 to pitch in person out of the 228 applicants. Our in-person pitch jury, comprised of Amanda Tapping, Christine Haebler, Zach Lipovsky, Kaare Andrews, Sabrina Furminger and Lawrence Le Lam then narrowed this down to the Top 12 Semi-Finalists to advance to the script stage.

In mid-December they were paired with their story editors to hone their scripts. Many thanks to this year’s expert team of story editors: Ric Beairsto, Brian Casilio, Bill Hurst, Sara Graefe, Kat Montagu and Rudy Thauberger. The 12 Semi-Finalists then had until January 3 to get their final scripts in to the jury.

On Sunday our in-person pitch jury met to make their decisions. Again this year the scripts were all exceptional, and we want to congratulate all 12 Semi-Finalists for making it this far. But in the end there can only be 6 Finalists.

We are now pleased to introduce you to the 6 teams who will be making their short films in just 8 days starting on Feb 9 through Feb 16 through Crazy8s! Be sure to watch them at the Gala Screening February 24. Tickets go on sale early February!

In the meantime you can support the films getting made and the Gala screening by claiming great perks in our Crazy8s Annual Indiegogo Campaign.

Or by attending the 19th Anniversary Crazy8s DGC Fundraiser Screening at the RIO Theatre January 25 screening 8 classic Crazy8s films.

Here are the #Crazy8sFilms18 TOP 6 FILMS!

Bordered – Director & Writer Anaïsa Visser, Producers Darren Devlin & Marco Bososw

A US Border Patrol Officer apprehends two refugees fleeing the US into Canada and struggles against his duty and his haunted past.

CC – Director & Writer Kailey Spear & Sam Spear, Producer Natasha Wehn

After an AI nanny assaults her employer, an investigative team must determine what caused the attack.

Extra-Ordinary Amy – Director Christopher Graham, Writer Zlatina Pacheva, Producer Kris McRonney

In this fantastical tale, a young girl struggles with the loss of her parents in a freak accident but learns to embrace what she truly loves, dancing, and its chilling consequences.

Gemini – Director & Writer Mily Mumford, Producer Phil Planta & Mayumi Yoshida

In a very near future two VR gamers coincidentally meet in real life and through their interactions expose the dark side of virtual reality and gaming.

Shuttlecock – Director & Writer Melanie Jones, Story by Melanie Jones & Rhona Rees, Producer Kristyn Stilling, Associate Producer Amelia Morris

Washed-up badminton star Winnie will stop at nothing to reclaim her Olympic dreams by playing a match against her former rival while a video crew documents her desperate attempt to prove glory should have been hers.

Small Fish – Director & Writer Maxime Beauchamp, Producer Kent Donguines & Mackenzie Stannard

In a world where only the biggest fish in the sea survive, Laurie, an amateur painter, struggles with success as she finds herself becoming more and more like the tiny fish she puts to canvas.

Break a Leg to all the Teams!

The post Crazy8s 2018 Top 6 Finalists appeared first on Biz Books.

After much deliberation, here are the #Crazy8sFilms18 Top 12 who will advance to the script stage of the filmmaking competition.

Bob  – Director & Writer Graeme Achurch & Daniel Jeffery, Producer Geoff Manton

In a Twilight Zone-esque scenario, Bob awakes to discover his whole world is stuck operating backwards. But when the chronology of the film reverses, it’s revealed that Bob is the one who the world perceives as backwards

Bordered – Director & Writer Anaïsa Visser, Producers Darren Devlin & Marco Bossow

A US Border Patrol Officer apprehends two Syrian refugees fleeing the US into Canada and is forced to choose between his duty and his sense of compassion.

CC – Director & Writer Kailey Spear & Sam Spear, Producer Natasha Wehn

After an AI nanny attacks her employer, an investigative team must determine what caused the attack.

Defence – Director & Writer Hannah Drew, Producer Shiva Kashi

Alexa Wyatt is a good daughter, and an even better soccer player. But when her obligations to her family come into conflict with her duty to her team, and her best friend, Wyatt must decide where her loyalty and love truly lies.

Extra-Ordinary Amy – Director Christopher Graham, Writer Zlatina Pacheva, Producer Kris McRonney

A young girl who is unknowingly death incarnate must accept who she is in order to continue doing what she loves: dancing

Gemini – Director & Writer Mily Mumford, Producer Phil Planta

In a very near future two VR gamers coincidentally meet in real life and through their interactions expose the dark side of virtual reality and gaming.

How Did We Get Here? – Director & Writer Laura Adkin, Producers Lisa Durupt & Victoria Angell

In the wake of a young intern’s sexual assault and subsequent attempted suicide, the people around her must confront their own demons and realize the role that their inaction played in the tragedy.

Imperfect Harmony – Director Tricia Collins, Writer Jennifer Laporte

In a world where people turn into musical instruments instead of dying, a shy teenager discovers that she is turning into a cello, which might be her ticket to finally being accepted by her parents and peers.

The Jobs We Don’t Want – Director & Writer Larke Miller, Producer Justine Warrington

A reptilian shape-shifting alien, who’s lost everything after Pluto was stripped of planet status, winds up working on an organic walnut farm in Northern California.

My Blue Balloon – Director Trish Neufeld, Writer Steve Berry

In a palliative care unit with her mother, Sarah finds comfort in a shiny blue balloon floating on the ceiling. The balloon becomes a metaphor for healing when it unexpectedly comes back to Sarah in a different form.

Shuttlecock – Director & Writer Melanie Jones, Story by Melanie Jones & Rhona Rees

Washed-up badminton star Winnie will stop at nothing to reclaim her Olympic dreams by playing a match against her former rival while a video crew documents her desperate attempt to prove glory should have been hers.

Small Fish – Director & Writer Maxime Beauchamp, Producer Kent Donguines

In a world where only the biggest fish in the sea survive, Laurie, an amateur painter, struggles with success as she finds herself becoming more and more like the tiny fish she puts to canvas.

Congratulations again to all the Top 12! Top 6 Announced January 9, 2018.

The post Crazy8s 2018 Top 12 Announcement appeared first on Biz Books.

This year, Crazy8s hit a new record of 201 video pitches, and after reviewing them tirelessly over the past 2 weeks, the Pitch Jury unanimously decided to choose 42 film pitches to advance to the live-pitch stage!

The live pitches will be held November 25 & 26th, in front of a new jury of film and TV industry professionals. The Top 12 final pitches will then advance to the script stage, announced November 27th!

Here are the Crazy8s 2018 Top 42!

In alphabetical order by Film Title:

@Eloise – Director Jesse Boyko, Writers Jesse Boyko & Jenna Mae Diamante – SciFi

Black or Blue – Writer Murry Peeters – Drama

Bob – Directors Daniel Jeffery & Graeme Achurch, Writers Graeme Achurch & Daniel Jeffery, Producer Geoff Manton – SciFi / Comedy

Bordered – Director / Writer Anaïsa Visser – Drama

The Candy Bar War – Director / Writer David I. Strasser, Producer Jessica Randall and Graem Luis – Historical Drama

Cat in the Postman’s Bag – Director Kaio Kathriner, Writer Tom Malenica – Comedy

CC – Directors / Writers Kailey Spear & Sam Spear, Producer Natasha Wehn – SciFi / Drama

Cherry Blossoms in March – Director / Writer Riley Rheyan, Producer Thomas Emann – Art House / Drama

Cloaks and Daggers – Directors Kristina Hampton & Jordan Dueck, Writer Kristina Hampton, Producer Jonathan Chawla – Drama

The Companion – Director / Writer Michelle Brezinski – Comedy

Concrete – Director / Writer Milton Ng – Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Comedy

Dazzle Ships – Director Kristyn Stilling, Writer Jasmine Pullukatt & Kristyn Stilling, Producer Jasmine Pullukatt – Comedy

Defence – Director / Writer Hannah Drew – Drama

Extra-Ordinary Amy – Director Christopher Graham, Writer Zlatina Pacheva, Producer Kris McRonney – Dark Comedy / Horror

Film-Making The Musical – Director Ed Witzke, Writers Ed Witzke & Matt Ewart, Producer Ed Witzke & Matt Ewart – Musical

The Future of Me – Director Ray Raghavan, Writer Ray Raghavan, Producer Haydn Wazelle – SciFi / Drama

Gemini – Director / Writer Mily Mumford, Producer Phillip Planta – SciFi

Girl – Director Kathleen Mann, Writer Alison Brierley, Producer Alison Brierley, Producer Kathleen Mann – Drama

Girlship – Director Lucie Guest, Writer Lucie Guest, Producer Synnöve Godeseth – Comedy

The Hermit’s Couplet – Director Alex Miro, Writer Alex Miro, Producer Stefania Indelicato & Amanda Konkin – Comedy

Hero Singh – Director / Writer Jasleen Kaur – Comedy / Drama

How Did We Get Here? – Director / Writer Laura Adkin, Producers Lisa Durupt & Victoria Angell – Drama

Imperfect Harmony – Writer Jennifer Laporte – coming of age fantasy

The Jobs We Don’t Want – Director Larke Miller, Writer Larke Miller, Producer Justine Warrington – SciFi / RomCom

The Long Halloween – Director Akash Motwani, Writer Akash Motwani, Producer Satinder Dhillon – Drama

Long Way Down – Director/Writer Michael P. Vidler – Drama

My Blue Balloon – Director Trish Neufeld, Writer Steve Berry, Producers TBC – Drama

My Life with John Paul II – Director Ricardo Plaza, Writer Ricardo Plaza & Bobby Gorman, Producer Ryan Silva & Bobby Gorman – Comedy

Nut-Cracker – Director, Writer Jennifer Nicole Stang – Action / Comedy

OCD: Obsessive Christmas Disorder – Director Ellie Harvie, Writers Brenda Whitehall & Lynda Finch – Comedy

The OOO Block – Director Erik Horn, Writer Erik Horn, Producer Amanda Verhagen – Comedy

Power – Director / Writer Crystal Lowe, Producers Ashley Alexander & Phil Planta – Drama

(?) Questioning – Director Harrison Houde, Writer Kim Chinchilla, Producer Kimi Alexander – Dramedy

Shuttlecock – Director / Writer Melanie Jones, Lead Actor Rhona Rees – Comedy

Small Fish – Director / Writer Maxime Beauchamp, Producer Kent Donguines – Visual Drama

Sophie in the Mirror – Director Greg Melanson, Writer Ren Kennedy, Producer Nadia DiMofte – Drama

Sparks! – Director Hayley Gray, Writers Hayley Gray & David Chin, Producer David Chin & Tina Korki – Comedy

Suburban Desert – Director Shelby Wilson, Writers Shelby Wilson & Matt Seeley, Producer Justin MacGregor & Matt Seeley.- Action Thriller

Take Shelter – Director / Writer Jesse Pickett, Co-Producers Kathleen Mann & Brigitte Patenaude – Post-Apocalyptic

The Traveler – Director / Writer Kay Metchie, Producers Valerie Lopez & Hannah Kess – Action / Thriller

Vivid – Directors / Writers Athena Russell & Tiarra Sulyk, Producers Athena Russell & Tiarra Sulyk – Drama / Fantasy

Waiting for Ganesh – Director / Writer Jacques Lalonde, Producer Arun Fryer & Pat Bermel – Musical Comedy

Break a leg to all the filmmakers!

Meet the #Crazy8sFilms18 Top 12 in person at the Raindance Booze N’Schmooze – 7pm-10pm on Monday, November 27th at the Blarney Stone.

The post Crazy8s 2018 Top 42 Announcement appeared first on Biz Books.

New to VanChan? Here’s how it works.

Once a month, VanChan screen 10 short webisodes in front of a live audience, who vote on their favourite five webisode shows. The five shows with the most votes become the new VanChan primetime shows and are presented as such on the front page of the VanChan.ca website, and each primetime show is invited to make a follow-up episode for VanChan’s next screening on the following months. BUT these five primetime shows must compete for audience votes against five brand new pilots. Ten webisodes enter. Only five may leave. Every month.

In advance of the next VanChan screening on July 29th, we spoke to competing filmmakers Zia Marashi (How to Pick Up Women), Edward Bull (Shock Value), Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns (Budz) , John McCourt (Arrivals), and Zlatina Pacheva (Dear Diary) about their respective projects.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and your VanChan project?

Zia Marashi: My current project is a comedic web series entitled How to Pick-Up Women (H2PUW) – which tells the story of two lonely, single men and their journey to help one another find happiness. H2PUW is my third series entry into the VanChan competition.

Edward Bull: Hey, my name is Edward Bull. I’m a Director/Editor from Vancouver, BC and I’m here to present my labour of love, Shock Value IV: The Quickening. No relation to Highlander unfortunately. Shock Value is a series about a ’90s TV host named Daunch Newbeck, who essentially goes around and does the most shocking shit anyone can do – this goes on for about four or five minutes before the end credits hit the screen. That’s it. It’s a dose of insanity with a childlike innocence from the main character. The first one, he invaded a film set, ate someone’s puke, licked hair grease off a piece of plexiglass, before smoking crack and overdosing. It’s pretty tame compared to the rest of them, which says a lot.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: Rachel and Sarah are the dream team behind Life’s A Trip Productions, which also has two other series under its umbrella: At Your Feet about two young women who shine shoes, and Mom & Me (and everyone online) about a mother and daughter’s trials and tribulations in the online dating world. Most recently they are in post production for their first short film Esmerelda’s Castle that will premiere at the Reel World Film Festival this autumn.

John McCourt: Hello, I’m John and I’m an alcoho- Oopsie, wrong crowd.  So, um, I’m still John, but I’m a writer.  Also I make films.  Which is kind of the point of this Q&A, I suppose.My project for VanChan is called Arrivals and it’s about very ordinary people who have been snatched up by some unknown force from different eras of history and plonked back down in the present day with no memory of what’s happened to them.  Through a series of interviews we learn who they were, and who they are now.

Zlatina Pacheva: My name is Zlatina and I’m a Writer/Director/Producer and sometimes publicist in Vancouver. Dear Diary is a dramatic reading of my childhood diaries by my good friend and very talented actor Kris McRonney.

Dear Diary

What was the inspiration for making it?

Zia Marashi: H2PUW was originally created to play in the ‘Jameson Irish Whiskey – Tales Behind the Bar’ competition, were filmmakers where challenged to make short films set in the local bars of Vancouver. I have always been a fan of surrealist humorist and filmmaker David Wain, so I created H2PUW as an attempt to emulating his style of “courtship comedy” while doing my best not to imitate it entirely. H2PUW eventually went on to win Best Director at the Tales Behind the Bar competition.

Edward Bull: There is such a saturated market of safe content right now that nothing seems to stand out or take any risks. Everyone is just trying to grab the broadest audience they can, that usually means going with safe storylines that are predictable, tiresome and boring. Back in the 90s there was a wave of counter-culture that gave birth to some truly great content. Kids in the Hall, Mr. Show, South Park and even The Simpsons was against the grain at the time, that’s to name a few. While I don’t see that too much now, I do see it coming back in the not-too-distant future. Being on the forefront of that next wave is important to me.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: Rachel and Sarah are friends in real life, and also actresses in real life. They began writing down all the funny stuff that happens to them on the day to day because they thought, “Hey, if Broad City can do it”… so they started filming sketches and Budz was born.

John McCourt: My own alienation, if I’m being brutally honest. And a desire to comment on various aspects of our less-than-perfect society through the lens of a true outsider, someone displaced in time as well as location.  Topics I try to cover in various episodes are things like gender issues, xenophobia, the absurdity of the West both provoking and arming its supposed enemies, and how milkshakes are possibly the most delicious things ever invented but they will kill you first chance they get.

Zlatina Pacheva: I filled notebook upon notebook with dramatic retellings of my adolescent life as a teen, and I never thought I’d actually do anything with them. I can only imagine what my 16 year old self would be writing about me if she knew….

Dear Diary was inspired by two things: 1) Michael Shannon’s Funny or Die Dramatic Reading of a Sorority Letter (found here). 2) My boyfriend stumbling on my diary late last year and reading aloud from it.

Shock Value IV: The Quickening

What has been the most rewarding part of making it?

Zia Marashi: Making new episodes every month. I find the exercise of filmmaking to be very therapeutic. I use each new episode as encouragement for free self-expression. I won’t be surprised when VanChan turns into an official Art Therapy clinic.

Edward Bull: The audience reaction. Plain and simple. The laughs, gasps, groans. Having people say “I’ve never seen that before”. Taking the risk and having it pay off. In Shock Value 2, he cuts his penis off, puts it in a blender and drinks it. It’s all shown on camera. I had no idea how the audience would react. I knew they had never seen that before, but I had no idea how it was going to be received. It turned out to be the biggest laugh/groan/overall positive reaction that I’ve gotten for one of my projects.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: The catharsis of turning the disappointment and pain in their lives into art and having a laugh about it.

John McCourt: Meeting and working with some amazingly talented people, and then quite often getting drunk with them.  I came to this filmmaking lark a little later in life than most but the vast majority of the people I’ve met and worked with have been the most incredibly welcoming, helpful, supportive and unselfish folks I’ve ever been lucky enough to meet.

Zlatina Pacheva: Hearing that people connected with Dear Diary on an emotional level. The teenager trapped inside of me always gets warm and fuzzy hearing that other people struggled with the same things I did growing up. That’s the only reason I ever really have the impetus to make things anyways – to connect with people and relate to them emotionally.

Arrivals

What has been the biggest challenge and how have you handled it?

Zia Marashi: Schedules & Locations. Everyone filmmaker and actor are so busy in the Vancouver that its hard to schedule people to the same day and it is very difficult to find a location that will let you shoot there for free. This is the downside to the film boom in the city.  

Edward Bull: The first three went pretty smoothly. The last one however, we were having a tough time finding actors willing to do it, due to the shocking content. While audiences and actors like the end result, convincing them to film it is another thing. I think more than a dozen actors passed on Shock Value 4. Which is fine by me, because the actor that did take the role, Dahlia Raphael Kerr, was exactly what I had in mind for the role.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: Money. We’re poor. We make this series out of love, shoe strings and favours. Yes, it is challenging, but where’s there’s a will, there’s a way and you can expect more Budz down the pipeline.

John McCourt: Time. There’s never enough time. My cast and crew all volunteer their time and talent but we all have jobs and other projects that take their toll, especially on our time.  And money: we have no money.  Please give us money.

Zlatina Pacheva: Honestly, Dear Diary was one of the smoothest projects I’ve ever worked on. We had a small crew of people who knew exactly what they were doing. We shot season 1 in one day and our Cinematographer Ian MacDonald provided all the gear. We borrowed sound gear from a friend and just sat down for a few hours and shot it with a teleprompter. The signature pink lighting is thanks to the amazing Aly Berube.

The biggest challenge at this point is finding time to make Season 2!

How to Pick Up Women

What other web series do you enjoy as a viewer?

Zia Marashi: I am a big fan of Wainy Days, Half in the Bag, Gigabots, You Suck at Photoshop, Ozzyman Reviews… Web Series have definitely evolved its hard to say what a web series is anymore…

Edward Bull: I’m a big fan of Tim & Eric and the various shows they do. Seems like I go for comedy when it comes to watching a web series. With short-form episodes, comedy packs the most punch. To get someone to laugh, you need a few seconds. To get someone to cry, you need a little longer. I need a bit of time to get invested in a drama.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: Whatever Linda, That’s My DJ, Bar Belle.

John McCourt: Does Alan Tudyk’s ConMan count? Because with the number of projects I have on the go at any one time I barely have time to go to my day job these days, sorry.

Zlatina Pacheva: From VanChan I love anything Bitchpop does, as well as Shock Value. I also really love Inconceivable – Joel Ashton McCarthy and his team are great at telling stories!

What are the three most important elements for an effective web series?

Zia Marashi: The three most important elements are: Good Sound. Charismatic Performances and a strong Social Media presences. In regards to the last one, the world is bombarded with shitty content all over the Internet that ‘the bar’ has been lowered significantly. Have you seen YouTube lately? We need more people to know about the quality of work there is out there.

Edward Bull: A lot of us who make web series’ don’t have the money or the resources to make something that can go against the mainstream competition. In order to stand out you have to get creative. Diversify yourself with a unique visual style, for example; Shock Value looks like a VHS tape. Make something high concept, you may only have a few seconds to engage your audience. If the concept is more engaging then you have a better chance at audience retention. TAKE RISKS, if it’s a bizarre idea that you aren’t sure of, shoot it anyway, there is enough room online for your risky shorts.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: 1. Makes you laugh 2. Quick bite size goodness 3.Good writing/execution be that production through to performance.

John McCourt: What are the three most important elements for an effective web series? Not just for an effective web series, but for any dramatic art: story, emotion and, for me at least, humour.

Zlatina Pacheva: In my opinion (this may differ for others): 1) Short. 2) Simple. 3) Good sound (even if the picture quality isn’t 100%, good sound always goes a long way).

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“Don’t become obsessed with perfect. Sometimes great is good enough. .”

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What books and authors have been influential to your career so far?

Zia Marashi: J.R.R. Tolkien, Douglas Adams, John Swartzwelder, Chuck Palahniuk, Woody Allen, Masashi Kishimoto & Bryan Lee O’Malley.

Edward Bull: This one is going to be pretty obvious, but I read Rebel Without A Crew in 2008 and loved it. That book still sits on my shelf. Rodriguez is just the proof that you can make an awesome feature without a huge pool of resources.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: All the power house ladies: Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, Broad City Gals, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig. We pray at the altar of Jill Soloway and her entire empire.

John McCourt: My incredibly short career as a writer/filmmaker? The usual suspects, I suppose: Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., and Douglas Adams with both his H2G2 series and the Dirk Gently novels.  Iain M. Banks’s Culture novels have certainly been an influence too, Cheradenine Zakalwe’s journey in particular being an important touchstone for me.

Zlatina Pacheva: Can I say Harry Potter? Those books have influenced everything I do…

But in all seriousness, I’ve learned a lot from reading Syd Field’s screenwriting books and absolutely love Directing Actors by Judith Weston. A cinematographer friend once lent me the book Master Shots which is a great resource as well!

What’s the most important lesson that you’ve learned in your career to date?

Zia Marashi: Don’t become obsessed with perfect. Sometimes great is good enough. Also, personal relationships are more important than the art we devote our time too.

Edward Bull: Don’t stop making stuff. I direct and edit at least one short a week. Are they all amazing? No, but some are good. You never know. When I stop consistently making stuff, I’m in a rut and I stop for years. It sucks. Trust the ideas in your head and MAKE THEM!

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Patience is a virtue. And have a life and other pursuits that bring you pleasure and happiness. We strive to be well rounded people who can talk to our partners about other stuff than our work over dinner.

John McCourt: Trust your instincts, but be able to justify them.  And not just to yourself – as the three-hatted writer/producer/director of Arrivals, if something’s not immediately clear on the page or whatever, I need to be able to explain to cast and crew why such a thing is a thing in the first place.  I’m sorry, that was incredibly vague, wasn’t it?  Luckily they usually know what I mean. Usually.

Zlatina Pacheva: My career thus far has been quite short, but the main thing I’ve learned is to work with people you like on things you’re excited about. It’s easy to get caught up in want to be a part of everything, but sometimes you really need to prioritize and only say yes to things that give you butterflies of excitement (I guess filmmaking is a lot like dating in that respect).

What advice would you have for anyone who wants to create a web series?

Zia Marashi: Challenge yourself to be small & different. Use one location, one-two actors and make it as far away from your view of the world as possible. Don’t be afraid to be entertaining.

Edward Bull:  Online tutorials about filmmaking won’t help you much, there is no quick way to get good except to go and do it. Get out there and film. Know cinematography. Know editing. Know it all and practice it.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: Just do it.

John McCourt: Do it.  Get it clear in your head what you want to do, what you want to say, find kindred spirits, and do it.  Beg, borrow or steal what you need and do it.

Zlatina Pacheva: Just do it! Cliche, I know, but find some people who are interested in doing indie work (Vancouver is brimming with these types of humans), write your script, and you’re golden! Don’t be afraid that it may not be as good as things you’ve seen – you always have to start somewhere.

Where can we find out more about you and your project? 

Zia Marashi: We are mostly hosted on vanchan.ca – we haven’t really expanded to social media yet.

Edward Bull: Every Tuesday we release a new short on our Youtube page: Barebone Pictures. Myself, Parker Thompson and Ryan Scramstad started a production company a few months ago and have made over twenty-five shorts since then, including Shock Value IV: The Quickening. We have a website: barebonepictures.com. Our Facebook page is: Barebone Pictures. Follow our twitter @BareboneTweets. Our bizarre shorts are on youtube, and as I mentioned, the channel is Barebone Pictures.

Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns: www.rachelcairns.ca /http://atyourfeet.show/ /http://momandme.show/ / http://yourbudz.com/  Facebook: @atyourfeetshow / @momandmeandeveryoneonline  Instagram: @the.rachel.cairns @sarahhemp @momandme.series

John McCourt: You can follow me on Instagram at @ThatGuyMcCourt where I post various random pictures of what I’m working on.  Arrivals itself has a Vimeo page and of course the ubiquitous Facebook page.

Zlatina Pacheva: Check out my Instagram: @littlezeeproductions and Twitter: @littlezeefilms. Dear Diary is also up on YouTube.

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Thanks to Zia Marashi, Edward Bull, Sarah Hempinstall and Rachel Cairns, John McCourt, and Zlatina Pacheva for speaking with us!

Check out the next VanChan event on July 29th at TABU at The Waldorf in Vancouver. Doors are at 7PM. Screening begins at 8PM.

Tickets are $8 in advance on Eventbrite or $10 at the door or $ for Students (with Student ID).

Interested filmmakers are encouraged to enter VanChan through Film Freeway!

The post The Biz Interview: VanChan July 2017 Feature appeared first on Biz Books.

Camping Trip is a new short film in development that promises to subvert the story of two young lovers, their RV, and an unexpected (and deadly) visitor while offering up some good scares in the process.

Leading the way on Camping Trip are Vancouver talents Amy McLeish (Director), Jaden Braunwarth (Producer), Zlatina Pacheva (Writer/Producer), Kevin Rigney (Director of Photography), Matt Popp (First Assistant Director), Ainsley Barteluk (Production Designer), Hannah-Rose Brearley (Key Costumes), Jenny Zheng (Propsmaster), Christopher Graham (Set Decorator), Emily Walsh (Hair & Makeup), and Tina Marie McCulloch (Casting Director).

We caught up with Zlatina Pacheva and Kevin Rigney to hear more about their horror-fueled ambitions for the project and their crowdfunding campaign.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and your involvement with Camping Trip?

Zlatina Pacheva: I’m a writer/director/producer in Vancouver. I wrote Camping Trip a few months ago and approached the very talented Amy McLeish to direct. She’s brought together an amazing team and I’m now assisting Producer Jaden Braunwarth with pre-production duties.

Kevin Rigney: I’m Kevin Rigney, playing the role of Cinematographer for Camping Trip. Amy (Director) and I will be working closely together to create the look, style and feel of the movie. I love this genre, very excited to be working with a very a talented group of women on this. I’ve been working in film for 10 years and these independent projects are my favourite place to be. When I have the opportunity to work with friends and we get to create something together, I find that to be very rewarding and special.

What should audiences expect from Camping Trip?

Zlatina Pacheva: An unconventional plot with all the blood and guts you’d expect from a typical slasher film. We’re subverting gender depictions while also ensuring the film is scary and super fun. Also, our team is 70% women so we hope the female voice rings loud and clear throughout this – it even starts with an excerpt from a Sylvia Plath poem so… ya know.

Kevin Rigney: I think the technology driven youth of today will get a bit of a connection out of the film, It may make them think twice about social media.

Why do you think the horror genre has remained so popular?

Zlatina Pacheva: Having grown up watching horror movies every weekend with my best friend, I think the main reason is because it’s just so damn fun. Nothing brings people together like cowering under blankets or screaming your face off in a movie theatre.

In a more psychological vein – this Vice article discusses how horror films are a sort of cathartic release for those struggling with anxiety. As someone who has always been anxious, I can wholeheartedly relate to this.

Kevin Rigney: It’s really a way to experiment with the audiences fear, horror has evolved a lot with technology and it leaves people wanting more each time. If you go back 20 years, you didn’t really get to see the actual violence, now a days people want that pay off I think.

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“Nothing brings people together like cowering under blankets or screaming your face off in a movie theatre.”

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Which horror films have influenced you the most?

Zlatina Pacheva: Carrie, Scream and the original Poltergeist stand out as front-runners. I also love The Exorcist, IT, Insidious, The Ring and more recently, The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

When writing Camping Trip, I was very inspired by All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, Stage Fright and Addams Family Values (haha…but seriously).

Kevin Rigney: I really like classic horror and zombie films. The Shining, IT, Halloween, The Thing, Hellraiser and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. New age stuff; It Follows, 28 Days Later.

What are the three most important elements for a successful horror film?

Zlatina Pacheva: In my opinion: Good music and sound design, a mysterious villain or tormenting force, just the right sprinkle of comedic relief.

Kevin Rigney: Give as little information to the audience, to keep them guessing. Put the actors in a remote area with no help nearby. Lots of blood.

What books and authors have been influential to your career so far?

Zlatina Pacheva: Screenwriting – pretty much anything by Syd Field. Directing – Directing Actors, On Directing Film, An Actor Prepares. General – The Film Club by David Gilmour, Film Art.

What’s the most rewarding thing about your career right now?

Zlatina Pacheva: Working with passionate, talented humans who want to make movies for the sake of the love of movies and nothing else.

Where can we find out more about you and the Camping Trip campaign?

Zlatina Pacheva: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Indiegogo.

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Thanks to Zlatina Pacheva and Kevin Rigney for speaking with us!

You can support Camping Trip right here.

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