Travis Gordon, the award-winning creator of several independent fantasy and sci-fi feature films and webseries, is based in Ottawa. He talked with us this week about his latest project, SPELLFURY.
IFP: Tell us about your current project.
TG: We’re currently working on a live-action fantasy adventure show called SPELLFURY, I’m writing and directing it.
IFP: What is SPELLFURY about?
TG: It’s the story of a half-elf’s journey to find the identity of her father’s murderer. She meets up with a band of misfit adventurers who try and help her solve the mystery.
IFP: What was the inspiration for your project?
TG: I’ve always been a fan of the fantasy genre and wanted to do something fun after an eight-year struggle getting our latest feature film done (Mass Stupidity).
IFP: What do you want to tell the audience in your story?
TG: The theme of the show is teamwork: good teamwork leads to success; bad or no teamwork leads to failure. It’s something I feel strongly about.
IFP: How do you feel your project fits into its genre?
TG: It fits in quite well, it’s pretty standard high fantasy action.
IFP: What other projects have you done? Which was your favourite?
TG: In the last 12 years I’ve finished three feature-length films (Zarko, Idiot and the Scorpion, Mass Stupidity) and won a Bronze in Dramatic Shorts at the 2008 Worldfest Houston International Film Festival for a sci-fi short called Revelation. We produced an amusing online space comedy called S.E.X. (Star Explorer Xenolith), which was about an angry drunk’s journey tracking down his girlfriend who he think has been kidnapped. Although I’d have to say my latest film, Mass Stupidity, is my favourite; we’re sending it off to film festivals right now.
IFP: What is your favourite genre in television?
TG: Anything with a fantasy or sci-fi flavour, I’ll watch. I like Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Legend of the Seeker, stuff like that.
IFP: How do you think webseries differ from traditional television and film?
TG: You have more time to tell the story in film and television. Online, you have to grab the audience instantly and don’t let go; if it get’s boring they’ll click away. I almost think it’s more the editing style of Saturday morning cartoons. They realize that kids have a low attention span, so they edit quick and the action is nonstop. I think, to be successful online, that’s the way to go.
IFP: Tell us about some of the challenges you have encountered in making SPELLFURY.
TG: Drumming up money for any project is very hard. Winning the award at Houston has made things a little easier, but we’re still on a shoe-string budget. That makes things tough. It forces us to be creative, though.
IFP: Name your favourite television show and why.
TG: That’s tough. I don’t watch hardly any television nowadays because I don’t have time, but I’ll buy old shows on DVD. I bought season one of Roswell last month and I’m ashamed to say I was hooked on it. I watched the whole season in, like, three days. LOVE anything by Joss Whedon. Also, just bought The Venture Bros.: Season Three, I’m just starting to watch them.
IFP: Name your favourite showrunner and why.
TG: It has to be Joss Whedon. He’s such a great storyteller, with such a great team of talented artists around him.
IFP: What artistic accomplishment are you the most proud of in your career so far?
TG: Probably getting the Bronze Remi in Houston in 2008. It’s nice to get some recognition for our work.
IFP: If you could be a Lovecraft/Mythos monster, which one would you be? Why?
TG: I’ve actually never read any of his work, I’m not a big book-reader, although I’m aware of the “Cthulhu Mythos” and the effect his work has had on the fantasy horror genre. Movies and television are more my thing, although I think I’ll read some of his work in the near future.
IFP: Please tell us about your upcoming projects.
TG: We’re hoping to get Mass Stupidity into a film festival shortly – still polishing it up with my postproduction teammate Robbie Drebbit (he does a lot of the visual effects for us). Probably be working on SPELLFURY for the next few years. I’m really enjoying this project.
IFP: What is your dream project?
TG: I’m doing it right now: SPELLFURY!
Bio: Travis Gordon is an award-winning* filmmaker based out of Canada’s Capital (Ottawa). His feature films generally are action-comedy (Mass Stupidity) or horror-comedy (Zarko). His latest monthly online show is called SPELLFURY, it’s a fantasy action show about a band of misfit adventurers who must face a terrible evil that threatens the realm of Spellfury. The episodes are available to watch free at www.spellfury.com
*2008 Bronze in Dramatic Shorts winner at Houston Worldfest)
