Interview with Travis Betz - Joshua
By: Marcus Ingelmo

Evil Dread: Hi Travis, how are you doing today?
Travis Betz: Pretty swell. Been drinking a lot more lately, so that helps.

ED: It usually does. I must say that JOSHUA is one of the best, if not the best, independent films I've ever seen due to the fact that it had such a strong story which was really scary. Do you think, as a filmmaker, that you have to be a bit scared of your own creation in order for other people to later be scared by it when seen on screen?
TB: It's always interesting to see what people will be afraid of. I've had some people tell me they had nightmares for weeks after Joshua..and I've had other people tell me not only was it NOT scary but a complete waste of celluloid. When I write anything I try to come from a place that is very personal to me. I think about what is out there in the world that terrifies me the most. All the unanswered questions about human nature and how far we are willing to go for truth of self. I scare myself by trying to write characters as real as I can. Getting inside the head of the three main characters in Joshua was an experience like no other. One of the scariest things you can do is sit inside the head of your own characters..but to be honest, it's also damn fun!

ED: JOSHUA was your first feature length film. Did you feel comfortable directing it and did you have a clear vision of what you wanted to do from the start?
TB: I was TERRIFIED! The first day of shooting was an internal nightmare. I started second guessing myself and wondering what the hell I was doing! Luckily I was surrounded by great people who were very supportive. By day two I was already easing into it. The rest was a blast. I would imagine it's like training to be a pilot. You start learning on the simulator and the next thing you know you're behind the yoke high in the air. It's fly or crash time. As for a clear vision..yes. I went in knowing exactly what I was trying to do and how I wanted to do it..then I learned never to do that again!

Indie film is so unpreditctable. If you fight change you're shooting yourself in the foot. What might have seemed brilliant in your head while storyboarding is not always the case when you get on set. That's not to say my vision wasn't met,(I believe it translated very well) but I learned to free myself up and never to be married to just one idea. Or if I was married to it, to make sure that the idea liked to swing!

ED: How did the story that is JOSHUA come about and how long did it take to write it? Would you say that you were inspired by anything special at the time when you wrote the script?
TB: I'm not exactly sure how it all happened. I just remember walking down the hallway when I got the first nugget of the idea. I wrote it down quickly and built on it from there. I always keep a pen and paper on me because things will just spark sometimes, and if I don't write them down I'm fucked. The script took me about 3-4 months to complete. I wrote the first draft quickly and then did a few rewrites. I don't think there was any one thing that inspired me at the time. I just knew I wanted to make a film..a good film.

ED: Where did you shoot the film and was there any special reason to why you picked that location? Also, how long did it take to shoot it, and did things go smooth on the set?
TB: We shot in my hometown of South Bend, Indiana. We did it there for two reasons. 1. Aesthetics. 2. CHEAP-AS-ALL-HELL! The community was excited by the idea of a movie being filmed and helped out were they could. I often wonder if they would have been as eager to pitch in if anyone had actually read the script. It's a very brutal story..ah.

We shot for 22 days. As for the set and its smoothness..well we were making a no-budget indie horror, so very rarely was anything smooth. Not to say that in a negative way. We hit just about every speed bump known to man, but I really think those challenges and moments shaped the film. I am a very big believer in less is more.

ED: Was it hard to work on a low-budget or did you feel that the script was strong enough to be able to come out all right? If you were given more money and could change stuff in JOSHUA, would you do it and if so, what would you have done differently?
TB: I would not say it was hard working with a low budget. I actually prefer it. "Whatever jerk-off! You only say that cause nobody ever gave you a million dollars!" Oh..yeah, OK, that's probably pretty true. But I am a firm believer in the (as said above) "less is more" concept. Having next to nothing to work with forces your mind to take the shapes you have and make them into something different and interesting. A million dollars might buy you a circle, so you go and buy the circle. And there it is. All predictable and round..just like you knew it would be. But if you only have a buck fifty to your budget then you can't afford the circle. Instead you get a couple squares and a triangle for cheap and from that you figure out how to make a circle. To me this is a much more satisfying process as a filmmaker, but I also feel the audience appreciates it more because they are treated to something different. And that is my metaphor for the day.

As for the script..I wrote Joshua specifically for a low budget. This is a character piece and relies heavily on the actors. I wanted to create the mood of the film through them and less through gimmicks or monsters. I was confident we could shoot the movie for no money as long as we had great actors.

The dangerous question here is if I had more money would I have done anything differently? Obviously if we had a bigger budget there would be differences. Most certainly I would have had a private trailer with a hot tub and go-go dancers. You know, it's easy to sit here with the movie finished and say "I wouldn't have changed a thing. Everything that turns up on screen is exactly how I intended it..brilliant!" But that is not the case. I'm always wishing I could have done something better or maybe solve certain problems in a different way.

It was my first feature film so basically it was my film school. I learned so much on this shoot that it's easy for me to want to go back and fix things..but I didn't have that knowledge at the time and so I did my very best with what I had at the moment. For that I am proud. Now it's all about looking forward and taking the next film to the next level. We should constantly be learning from every project we do in order to better our art.

ED: Tell us a little about the actors that are in JOSHUA, like where did you find them, did you have auditions and what type of people were you looking for to begin with?
TB: I want to marry them..perhaps on a sandy beach..somewhere romantic. I couldn't have been happier with them. Ward Roberts who plays Kelby did some of the most amazing things internally. The part could have easily been played over-the-top or "acted out", but we wanted to create a character who's entire real self was hidden deep inside him and screaming. Ward took that idea and ran with it. It's a blast to watch him through out the movie as he works hard to keep his mask of sanity on. I had gone to college with Ward and was involved in an improv troupe with him. I was very aware of his talent and actually wrote the part for him. It was the same with Jeremiah Jordan who plays Wally.

Aaron Gaffey (who plays James) was not so lucky. We put him through some torturous auditions along with Christy Jackson (Amelia). What was great is everyone meshed extremely well together. So not only did I end up with a great cast, but life long friends. I always look for people who not only have the chops as an actor, but people I can share a beer with. It's very important to me that filmmaking be fun. There's no better art that allows such amazing collaboration!

ED: You movie got picked up by Fangoria Gorezone, how did that happen and how has the response been after that the film was released?
TB: I sent the script over to Tony Timpone when we were looking for help financing. He really liked it and got me in touch with a few people. We never saw any money from it (as we ended up funding it ourselves) but we established a nice relationship with them. When the film was in its rough-cut stage we sent it over and they really liked it. From there they helped us find some finishing funds and the rest is history.

As for the response..it's been interesting. We've gotten some really great reviews! Right off the bat we were getting praised. It felt really good. Then the inevitable happened..I started finding negative comments. Not just negative but downright cruel. Since then I have learned to enjoy both the positive and the negative. I made a movie where I had no money and took some risks..some people are gonna love that and some are gonna hate it. Regardless, I feel I'm a better filmmaker for it.

ED: What would you say makes JOSHUA such a good film and why should people see it?
TB: Reasons to see Joshua:
By Travis Betz

1. A true indie horror. Loads of passion.
2. It's different..odd and unique. (so says my mom at least)
3. The filmmakers are really cool people.
4. The filmmakers are deep in debt and don't eat much.
5. Our main focus was telling a good story.
6. The bible actually warns against seeing it..which means you really should see it.

ED: What do you feel about horror movies of today, do you watch a lot of new horror films and what's your general view on things? Have you seen any good new horror films recently?
TB: Digital video has revolutionized movie making..especially the horror genre. It's allowing talented filmmakers to make films whom otherwise would not be able to. For that I am very happy. My concern is all the shit you have to wade through to find the gems. Since it's so easy to shoot a movie (yes, I know it's not EASY, but compared to ten years ago people..whoo) I feel story is suffering greatly. Either people are rushing to get into production or they are simply making cookie-cutter films for profit. That goes for Independents as well as Hollywood. "But Travis, it's a BUSINESS." Yeah yeah yeah..I know it is..so then make it your BUSINESS to make good films. Yeah! Take that!

But seriously. Horror fans are going to support horror no matter what. We love the good and the bad..it's the mainstream audience that is getting cheated. All they are exposed to is the over-hyped regurgitated films that get wide release. Sad for them. All in all I LOVE the fact that so many people are creating.

ED: When looking back on things now, did JOSHUA come out the way you first had thought it would? What kind of expectations did you have to begin with, if any?
TB: I think anyone who says their film came out the way they expected is a dirty dirty liar. There are just too many elements from script to edit. That being said, it's all part of the adventure. The important thing is to be open. You know your story and you understand the themes...so now it's time to play. If you nail an idea down to tightly it will have trouble breathing other ideas to life. You are leaving yourself open for disappointment. I had very high expectations with Joshua, and I would get angry when things didn't go exactly how I envisioned..but once I learned to let that go and just flow with it..well, I'm very happy with how it all turned out.

ED: Was it hard to get someone to finance the film? How did you go about doing it and was it difficult to get from the original idea to the finished product?
TB: We found a few people willing to finance the film..but that meant getting rid of attached director (ME!!!). So instead we decided to raise it all privately. Friends, family and gobs and gobs of credit card debt.

ED: What scares you on film? Which are the scariest movies you've seen and why would you say that is?
TB: Ghosts. Ghosts scare the living piss out of me. Monsters and madmen don't do it..but you stick a ghost in the room. The Changeling, The Others, The Innocents, Ju-On, The Haunting (original), Let's Scare Jessica To Death, Session 9..ghosts. Fucking scary. I guess it's because it's not death that I am truly afraid of, but whatever it is that happens after.

ED: Have you started working on anything new since the release of JOSHUA?
TB: You bet your sweet ass. I'm one of those people who can't sit still when it comes to creating stuff. Currently I am in post-production for an experimental love story I shot. Also I am in pre-production for a couple films (none that have financing yet). Also, to keep the creative juices flowing, I do a web series called THE RECEPTIONIST. I post a new short film every week. You can check it out here: and there's also my website (which is a work in progress) travisbetz.com

ED: Are you still promoting JOSHUA?
TB: Trying. Although we've had a great response we're still this little unknown indie. We have zero dollars for advertising, so we rely heavily on word of mouth. If you like it, tell a friend! And then write your congressman about issues that really matter.

ED: What kind of films would you like to be making in the future?
TB: All kinds. I LOVE horror, but I also love film in general. I want to tell all kinds of stories. Generally I always come back to the dark and twisted, but I refuse to put myself in a box. As for the type of horror I am into..I love it all. Most important to me is a good story and good characters. I will always strive for that with my films..but damn it if I don't love the schlock as well as the masterpieces!

ED: Anything else that you would like to add and say to the readers before we wrap this one up?
TB: If you have a story to tell, then get out there and tell it! Make love to your camera and for God's sake DON'T use a condom! Take risks. Be honest. Rock & roll!

ED: Thanks a lot Travis, it was a true pleasure. Keep up the great work!