Horror movies &stuff Interviews filmmakers Richard and John Chance
We recently chatted filmmaker duo Richard and John Chance, who were the braintrusts behind the recently released to DVD post-apocalyptic horror/thriller "The Veil". In this interview, the duo talks about their relationship, their future filmmaking goals, and the state of the horror genre in general.
MR. H:Even though we assume that you're most likely brothers, just for the folks out there...tell us what is the relation between you and Richard
Richard:Yes we are brothers; I am the senior by four years
MR. H:Are you guys originally from the UK?
Richard:Yeah, we were born in the UK I was born in Wiltshire and John in Crawley, so both southerners.
John:...We live in Essex now though, for the last twenty years which is about an hour and half drive from London.
MR. H:How'd you get your starts in directing feature films?
Richard: For us it began with a short film called 'The Beast' a film that never got completed and we caught the film bug there. Then we began filming the first shots of 'The Veil' in December 2000 but getting started in the filming business is a difficult process here...
John:...There's two ways of going about making a film in the U.K it’s generally I feel a harder place to get films out there starting out. You can start the old fashioned way as a Runner and work your way up for what could be a many number of years to hopefully get to a position where you can get some kind of control in a film. Or, secondly...just going out and making one! This is what we did.
There's a lot learning curves but now even two years after we completed The Veil there's things we’ve learnt that we'll do better next time round. We're just a few guys who make films; Richard Michael and I do most the things in the film, all the processes. Pre-production, Production, Post-Production, getting it out festivals and promoting it! It's a lot of hard work! We've had some help from friends and family as extras too but I must admit I think we both feel we would like to do just the creative side of it.
MR. H:Tell us a little bit about your feature horror movie "The Veil".
Richard:The story of the Veil is basically about an airborne virus that is set loose on a small town, a group of SAS men sent into the town on a recognisance mission three days after the incident has taken place to search for survivors. They discover that there are no survivors that are uncontaminated and that the virus has altered the inhabitants making them aggressive and dangerous. The unit become trapped when their temporary sanctuary becomes a prison, and the inhabitants besiege the house. The story is told through a series of flashbacks...
John:...over the course of the film we see via flashback the characters sacrifices they've had to make to survive and arrive at where they are now in the present time Isolated in the house.
'The Veil' is quite different to other Zombie films that the disease is SO contagious masks have to be worn at all times, this I feel was unique. It's a film you have to watch closely too.
MR. H:Is "The Veil" your first ever feature film?
Richard:Yes, it is the first film we completed and is our debut feature, we have made one other short film, which is a half an hour long and are working post production on another, but we are currently looking for funding for another feature at the moment.
John:'Chainmail' was our other film; it was more linear horror than all the different facets The Veil has. Our next Feature will be a progression in our films; we feel the only thing stopping us in budgeted restrictions...So we are open to Agents out there or a Studio to take us on! We've got lots of ideas for other films and we're hard working!
Richard:Yes...'The Veil' was our experimental piece; a film we made with NO money- if our next film has a budget the possibilities would be endless.
MR. H:What do you like and appreciate the most about the horror genre?
Richard: It's simplicity, how you can effortlessly escape when watching a horror movie. That however long the horror movie lasts for you will be entertained and thrilled without totally losing your sense of control or your sense of reality...
John:...There's a lot more involved in Horror films too...like the Comedy film has to have a comedic delivery we have to have a horror delivery! But when you get a result its very satisfying. For me it's creating your own world within a film and the audience are taken on a journey. And what we enjoyed was not following any rules like you have to make a film that's 90mins long and within 30mins this should happen etc. We're not here to satisfy everyone we're not after that, we're after the audience that wants a film that makes you think and question things; we want to bring that to our films.
MR. H:You guys are doing the whole multi-tasking thing with this movie. You both wrote it, directed it, and star in it. Does that ever get exhausting?
Richard:No not personally, I always have the next project in mind and continue to work on that, John on the other hand gets the pleasure of editing the films once they are made, so he doesn't see the light at the end of the tunnel as early as I do. I think I get a sense of momentum, with one thing achieved I can move on, but with the Veil wasn't finished for him until quite a bit later due to our primitive, buggy editing packages we were using at the time...
John:...It was a film we made over four years while we were all working jobs. I think it was about a year or so in to the film (I was 19!) I could see that we were really onto something...then I took on a lot of things to support it because I believed in it, it became most of my life for the next three years! I think you have to have a lot of determination and passion for what you are doing and keep at it not lose hope...most of all not everybody's going to help or have time to, so you have to rely on yourself more than anything.
In all fairness Rich directed this one and wrote it, but we did collaborate ideas a lot then I became assistant Director, and editing ideas certainly influenced parts in the film. Now we direct films together I think it works out pretty well.
MR. H:When you guys get your big break and begin climbing up the ladder as far as being involved with pictures go, are you gonna try and get one of those double deals like Michael Scheerer and Peter Roesch (House Of The Dead 2) or Patrick Melton and Jeremy Dunstan (Feast and Saw 4), where you both get the opportunity to work on projects together 90% of the time? Or will you guys each kind of do your own thing?
Richard:We will stick together. Obviously try and get the best contract deal that we could…But we would be cheap, we would only need equipment and a small salary to live on to begin with…
John:We don't ask for much.
MR. H:."The Veil" seems to be in the vein of films like "28 Days Later". Does apocalyptic horror appeal more to you guys as opposed to straight-forward horror i.e. slashers, ghosts, demons, etc?
Richard:I like the basic concept of demons, but my favourite horror films are "The Shining" and "The Thing" as well as the original version of "The Haunting." These films are more psychological, they threaten the character's mind first rather than the threat of physical violence. The use of isolation and mistrust within the story...On the surface "The Veil" would seem to be a similar to "28 Days Later", but it is an intelligent horror, for those that understand the movie and the meaning of "The Veil", on the surface the story may appear simple but this is not the case...
John:...Hold me back Rich I'm going to have a rant!
I think anyone's assumption that "The Veil" is like "28 Days Later" are wrong. The only same difference is its England. Theirs is 28 days later ours is 3 days later (how else to explain the course of time of a lethal disease?) ours is airborne virus and are forced to wear masks theirs isn't.
It wasn't a re-hash of any other movie or remake. Our film was always our own and I'll fight for it. I was reluctant to see that movie until about two to three years ago because we started ours first! We began filming 'The Veil' in December 2000 and it was completed in January 2005. If we had any inspiration/influence it would be Peter Jackson's 'Bad Taste' a nod to them with what you can achieve with no money.
It's only because we're not a studio in London and can't finish a film in three months because we have to work that ours wasn't out there sooner. Zombie films are very en-vogue now! We were trying to bring something original to which was becoming an almost un-original genre…now there's probably too many on the bandwagon now.
The Apocalyptic theme is very interesting but all areas of horror are interesting- the unknown for instance is a scary thing in itself
MR. H:When was "The Veil" completed and how long was the process of finding distribution for it?
Richard: Too long.
John:Good answer...It was completed 2005 we then tried some festivals and went straight to work on next film which was 'Chainmail'. We eventually found Distribution through Brain Damage films around 2006 finally released it now. Throughout the months that followed we told them what we had been doing, that we had done another short film that got into some festivals in 2007 and that we were obtaining quite a few reviews for The Veil in the meantime. Then I think knowing that we were busy with things made them make there mind up to putting it out- it's quite different from what they normally have on there label. We'll see how the DVD goes with them as time goes on.
MR. H:Do you guys have a sequel or two in mind? Usually apocalyptic horror films are always set up for a sequel or potential trilogy.
Richard:We have an idea for an epic zombie movie. One that could be based on a follow up idea of the contagion spreading. But not a trilogy really though I wouldn't rule one out. We have ideas for a vampire film and other ideas out of the horror genre, thrillers and action movies.
John:We've always had another 1 or 2 more in mind and one more I think is from the same mould (world we created in The Veil) but would also stand as it's own film...these all date back from around the same time we wrote "Veil." But I think we'd like to release those a bit later on when the Zombie film isn't so popular. Maybe we'll surprise you later on in time. We have plenty other ideas to try in the meantime. And those films will be slightly more expensive to make!
MR. H:Now are there any women in this film, because when reading he cast list it's you, your brother Richard, Michael Himsworth, and Martin Dorkins. What was behind the decision to go with all guys for the main characters?
John:Those are just a few of the main characters, when you watch you'll see the quite a few more! But the four suggested are what the story generates around they are 'Beta Team' in the movie. There is also 'Alpha Team' and 'Kappa Team' all male again! There are only three women in this movie...if you say to someone you're making a movie the first assumption is porn! And when you say horror they think you're a weirdo! Also we would often film very late in our town which was a problem. Good old mum was game for it though!
Richard:Yes, availability of actors. We used what we had, and neither my brother or I had steady girlfriends at the time, or they would have appeared in it I'm sure.
MR. H:What is your respective takes on the horror genre currently, and the direction it's going in with the flood of remakes of both american and foreign horror?
Richard:The quest for new ideas often makes way for a rehash of old ones, "The Veil" was our attempt at what could be done on no budget, it was experimental, we attempted not to copy what came before but obviously were influenced by films which had proceeded it. The film market is driven by money, our film didn't have those hang-ups. There are rarely any new ideas in any genre only new ways to tell old stories, I believe it's inevitable that some of the best and worst horrors will be remade, whether they will be improved upon is another matter.
John:It's definitely the most popular it's been in years. Maybe they shouldn't be so intent on making everything that doesn't need to be. Some have been really good mind you, I liked 'The hills have eyes' and 'I am Legend'.
MR. H:What's next on the plate for both of you guys as far as horror films are concerned?
Richard: Our short film that will be finished soon it has aspects of horror in it though it's primarily a sci-fi piece.
John:Yes it's called 'The day I tried to live'. Which should be wrapped up and out to festivals in the next couple of months we hope. We'll keep update the latest developments on our website.
Richard:Our next horror outing will most definitely be a vampire movie, obviously we have approached it from a different angle, the script's done we just need funding to get started. So if any one has a few thousand to spare and want to have a hand in film making then contact us.
End. Check out our review of "The Veil" Here
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