Filmmaker, Director, Actor & Writer Josias Tschanz
Our lives are influenced by our environment and what is around us. When alterations to these environments occur, challenges lie ahead to drive us down our destin pathway.
Meet Josias Tschanz, who as a young boy had to face many challenges in a far a way country that he was not accustomed to. Find out what he did and how his path has led him to his many adventures and successes. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
WMIFF MAGAZINE - Tell us about your film "Neutral Territory. How did the idea come about to write this story and what steps were taken to make it come alive?
Josias Tschanz - I always wanted to make a film about cultural boundaries, as this was always a big issue in my personal life. I unwillingly moved to a little town in Northern British Columbia as a young teenager and had to adapt to a new culture, different traditions and learn a new language. I felt torn between two worlds for a while and went through a little bit of an identity crisis. I think it was much the same for the rest of my family, especially for my dad, who had such high expectations before we first immigrated to North America.
Casting my dad to play my father in the film was very special because added a lot of realism to the story. Both of our characters are mainly fictional, but there are certainly some aspects that are factual and based upon our true personalities.
We shot parts of the film on the ranch that I grew up on and I ended up casting some old High School friends of mine who played supporting roles. The entire experience felt very close to home for me.
It was very important to shoot the film that year because there was a big chance that my parents were going to sell the ranch. Joel Mark Harris did a great job turning the story into a solid screenplay in less than two months.
It has been three years since the making of my film. My sisters have since moved back to Europe, but my parents are still here but they plan to move back to Switzerland this fall. Ironically, I am the only one in my family who will remain in Canada.
Looking back at it now, moving was the best thing that ever happened to me. It really connected my family in so many ways, as well; it encouraged me to combine my two biggest passions in life, film and traveling. I have lived in five countries and have visited over forty others since we immigrated. I truly feel blessed to have had such an opportunity to see so much of the world. The entire experience has made me grow a lot as a person and as an artist.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - Who were some of the main cast and crew members for your film "Neutral Territory" How was your personal experience working with each and every one of them?
Josias Tschanz - Working with such a talented cast and wonderful crew, truly was a real gift. We all lived at my parent's ranch for 2 weeks and became our own “little family”. Since we worked off of a very low budget with limited time to shoot “Neutral Territory”, everyone worked extra hard to make the film come alive. Despite all the long hours, everyone was always in a good mood and we had a lot of fun together.
My dad, Hans Tschanz is a born "natural" despite not having much acting experience. I had casted him in another film a few years back entitled “Saskia’s Letter”. He did such a good job that the agents from the city asked me how to get in touch with him. Not too bad for a Swiss farmer, I’d say.
As far as the other actors in “Neutral Territory”, I would say that Brian E.B.Leslie is an excellent character actor and was able to turn character Benjamin Lyndon into a charismatic villain with several unexpected layers. Crystal DeBruyn did a tremendous job turning her character, Heidi Ford from a superficial city girl, into a caring strong woman. Rebecca was the hardest role to cast as we needed an artist that could both shine as a singer and an actress. After auditioning over fifty girls, Laura McCarthy stepped into the room and blew us away with her voice and her positive energy. She was definitely the perfect choice for the role and I am glad that she joined the “Neutral Territory” gang.
My crew was amazing, for example, Vince Arvidson is unlike any other DOP that I have ever worked with because he was extremely insightful and creative. The communication between a director and the DOP is key to make any of my films happen. At all times, Vince and I were always on the same page. Along with this, we were fortunate to have worked with and incredible camera crew to support us. I am ever so grateful to Adrian Konstant, Nobu Kita, Alex Smith along with the awesome and creative team leads, Sophie Buergin and Lisa Tschanz.
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Joel Mark Harris was not only the writer of the film, but also an executive producer. After having gone through a real roller coaster experience with “Neutral Territory” over the past three years, we now are reaping the benefits from the attention that the film is currently getting. It was a real struggle to get it here. Joel is one of my best friends and I will never be able to thank him enough for all the time and effort that he has put into this project.
Andres Santana is responsible for all of the sound and magic that you will hear in “Neutral Territory”. He worked closely with our sound house, Airwaves and spent a lot of time re-creating sounds and recording ADR. He did an incredible job and deserves a lot of credit. We have since become great friends and we are currently working on another project.
Bence Isler is the composer of the film and recorded all the tracks with an orchestra in Switzerland. The soundtrack of the film has been nominated on several occasions. With his magical touch, he was able to add the right tone and emotions to every single scene. He is an extremely talented young composer and I am certain that he has a bright future ahead.
We could not have accomplished as much as we did without the help of our local communities. We lucky enough to be given access to the local hospital, a ferry and a helicopter in Burns Lake and for this, we are forever grateful.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - What projects are you currently working on now or will you be in the near future? Other then "Neutral Territory" what other projects have you worked on in the past? Which has been the most challenging aspect?
Josias Tschanz - I am currently working on a documentary entitled “Kick” that we shot in South Africa last year. It is about violence and rituals that take place within the game of soccer. I was also in India for three months to set up the co-production of a film entitled the “Mind Reader”. As well, I have two feature films in pre-production here in Vancouver.
I have worked on a lot of short films, commercials, music videos and documentaries in the past. I have worked on projects in places like Japan, Mexico, Argentina and Europe. It has been an exciting adventure that I will never forget.
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I think that every project is challenging in its own way. I once dealt with a real “prima donna” a few years back. It was the cat that was used in “X-men 2“. This cat showed up in a limo and had a real attitude problem from the very beginning. It took constant snack breaks and didn't want to cooperate. Another challenging experience was my first car explosion, which we did the "old school" way. We filled up the car up with gas cans and got the stunt coordinator to shoot at it. It was definitely not the safest experiment, but the result was outstanding. The real challenge in the independent film world is to get your project financed. It is getting harder and harder to find a market for filmmakers and to find support for Arts in general. I am hopeful that better times are ahead for independent film, but it doesn't look too bright as of now.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - Can you tell us some of the most memorable moments on the set of "Neutral Territory". Were there any learning experiences that you acquired from making this film that brought forward to the next?
Josias Tschanz - There were so many memorable and amusing moments. I remember shooting the flashback at the cabin with Laura McCarthy. It was our character's "make out" scene. We had candles everywhere and it was such a romantic setting until I noticed three pack rats behind her head staring at my face. The crew noticed it too but we didn't tell Laura because we didn't want to freak her out. It was definitely uncomfortable. Another funny moment was the coffee machine incident. We needed the coffee to spill on my character's (Henry) face. Since the machine didn't work properly, my cousin positioned himself under the table, took the milk in his mouth, and spat it at my face from under the camera. It looked realistic but it was disturbing that he kept spitting milk at me for 20 takes. Brian E.B.Leslie was amazing during the "Schwing" (Swiss wrestling) match. He has such a great talent for improv and made the whole crew laugh.
The most emotional scene for me personally was the hospital scene. Seeing my real dad, Hans Tschanz lying there dying was quite intense. I hope that I will never have to go through that in real life. It broke my heart.
It was an amazing experience to work with a helicopter. The pilot, Klaus Posselt was very patient and gave us all the shots we required. I had to communicate with Vince (DOP) via walkie talkie.
I learned a lot from this film and I am very proud of the crew I worked with. I will definitely work with them again. Producing, directing and acting in the film was a lot of responsibility. I barely slept during the shoot and it was too much for my first feature film. I did not really have a choice for “Neutral Territory” but it was a real challenge.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - Have you submitted "Neutral Territory" to film festivals and if so, how has it done on the Festival Circuit? What do you and the others from your film get from doing these submissions?
Josias Tschanz – So far, the films has been well received. We have been selected into thirteen film festivals from all around the globe, including New York City, Beijing and Lucerne. We have been nominated for thirteen awards and so far we have won Best Cinematography at the Treasure Coast Film Festival in Florida.
It has been a real blast for the cast and crew to be a part of the festival circuit and we have all met a lot of intriguing people. We are all looking forward to World Music & Independent Film Festival in August and we want thank everyone there for supporting “Neutral Territory”.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - Who are some of your biggest influences? If you had an hour to work with one of these people, what kind of questions would you ask or what would you tell this person?
Josias Tschanz - There are many filmmakers that I admire and would love to have a word with. Directors like Jean-Luc Godard were a big influence when I first studied film and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's work has been my more recent inspiration. I like character driven films that allow you to explore a person's journey. Of course I appreciate more complex films that push the envelope, but it still requires a certain aspect of reality to keep me interested.
Christopher Nolan would be a Hollywood director that I would love to meet. My two new feature films that are in development right now are both psychological thrillers and I am sure that he would be the right person to ask for advice on that matter.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - What kind of cameras did you work with on "Neutral Territory"? Were you involved with the editing process and if so, how long did it take you to complete? How did you know when you got it "perfect"? Are there any parts that you wished you had kept or added that you may have cut?
Josias Tschanz - We used the RED MX camera. It was always my first choice for “Neutral Territory” and I am very pleased with the look that we achieved. Again, Vince Arvidson our DOP deserves a lot of credit for that.
I was involved with the editing process and spent a lot of time discussing each scene with my editor Angus Bungay. Gus did a wonderful job cutting scenes out and adding the right amount pacing and movement to make the film come alive. I am very pleased with his work and am grateful for all these countless hours that he put into making the film for what it is today. I can't thank him enough for his commitment and dedication.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - Can you tell us about your film back ground and where it all started?
Josias Tschanz – Since I was a young child, I always wanted to tell stories. I started out staging plays or circus shows and made my parents watch them. I then got a tape recorded and recorded my own talk shows. My sisters were often my victims and had to appear as my guests on the show. When I was about 11 or 12 years old, I finally got my first video camera. I made documentaries and short films. One of these documentaries included our immigration to North America. It was a very emotional time for me saying goodbye to all my favorite places, my dog, my friends, my extended family, etc. When we got to Canada, I got a new camera and continued to make films and documentaries throughout high school. When I moved to Vancouver, I studied film and theater at the University of British Columbia. After my graduation, I founded Counting Ants Productions and started producing films, music videos and commercials.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - Where can people find out more information about you and your film "Neutral Territory"?
Josias Tschanz - The film's website is www.neutralterritory.net and we are also on IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1653028/ and our facebook fanpage is http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Neutral-Territory/133289250068891.
My production company's website is www.countingants.com and my personal site is www.josiastschanz.com.
WMIFF MAGAZINE - Do you have any additional comments for the viewers?
Josias Tschanz - I would like to thank all whom have supported “Neutral Territory” and independent films for that matter.
Without many of you out there, my dreams would not be coming true.
I hope to see many of you Washington, DC at the 2nd Annual World Music & Independent Film Festival in August. It should be a lot of fun!
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Neutral Territory"
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