True Grit: An Interview with Zach Ramelan
By: David Briggs
(Originally posted January 31, 2012 on Tri-City Film)
After watching the short films of Zach Ramelan, one might envision a neon sign reading “Kafkaesque” appearing from psychic depths as an apt synopsis of his unique style. At times, his works border the fringe of strange. But this is good. His films make you reconsider your own expectations of narrative film. Works like Trigger, Mind Set, and Twisted present intense vignettes of a character in crisis, and before the three-minute alarm, present viewers with strange unforeseen conclusions. They are unsettling. By twisting audience expectations, Zach manages to create films that are unique in their ability to destabilize conventions.
Zach is aware of these attributes. He considers it a challenge to create stories that avoid the crisis of cliché while striving to produce a distinct cinematic style. For him, a film like Christopher Nolan’s Memento provides a cornerstone from which to construct his own visions. He doesn’t want to start with long expository outlines that lure audiences in. Rather, he prefers to get to the meat of the story within the first frames of the film. Once presented with an outlandish scenario, and the viewer is placed in medias res, he enjoys the challenge of taking the point of crisis as the
starting place on the road map to logical motivations andconclusions.
Zach is aware of these attributes. He considers it a challenge to create stories that avoid the crisis of cliché while striving to produce a distinct cinematic style. For him, a film like Christopher Nolan’s Memento provides a cornerstone from which to construct his own visions. He doesn’t want to start with long expository outlines that lure audiences in. Rather, he prefers to get to the meat of the story within the first frames of the film. Once presented with an outlandish scenario, and the viewer is placed in medias res, he enjoys the challenge of taking the point of crisis as the
starting place on the road map to logical motivations andconclusions.
In part, the themes he chooses for these films are based upon an object. For instance, Silver and Gold was inspired by an old radio he came across at a garage sale. A gun set in motion the strange tale Trigger. When asked why he chooses to base films upon certain found objects, Zach explains that the process fits well into his do-it-yourself philosophy. Working with low to no budgets, he realizes that ““If you have nothing, and you work from nothing, you can come up with the greatest ideas. That’s how I come up with the idea of building something off of one thing.” Certainly, this method contributes to the originality of the films, as these objects inform both the script and the aesthetics of the finished film. He plans to make a feature length film soon. Once he secures a dedicated cast, the project will unfold. He mentions that it’s tentatively titled Clementine. Perhaps William Carlos Williams was right, there are no ideas but in things after all.
Zach has always been interested in making films, and if you spend some time perusing his YouTube channel, you can watch the fruits of his labours. He also collaborates often with Torin Langen. This partnership was rewarded this summer with a silver prize in TV and Video Production at the Skills Canada competition. Competitors must first win regional, then provincial
competitions. As Zach explained to The Record’s Michael DeRuyter, the national competition “was intense.” Yet he and Torin managed to take second place. The prize testifies to Zach’s capabilities behind the camera. Whether making an industry film about careers in trades or a creepy short about a guy slaughtering his family, the end results are excellent.
competitions. As Zach explained to The Record’s Michael DeRuyter, the national competition “was intense.” Yet he and Torin managed to take second place. The prize testifies to Zach’s capabilities behind the camera. Whether making an industry film about careers in trades or a creepy short about a guy slaughtering his family, the end results are excellent.
The quality of Zach’s work has also been acknowledged at the Local Focus Film Festival. This annual event, hosted by the Multicultural Cinema Club, highlights the work of local filmmakers. His short film Roses are Red took home the People’s Choice Award. The film demonstrated a departure from his other shorts, which tend to focus on “one person, the protagonist who is always trapped in a certain situation.” Roses are Red broke this
trend because as Zach explains, “I wanted to challenge myself and experiment with a large group of people.” Putting together a period piece drama about WWII with little to no money is a challenge, and these challenges inspired some creativity. For instance, K-W Surplus was kind enough to lend him the WWII era costumes, which helps to heighten the production value. Directing the film also allowed Zach to delve into the technical aspects of filmmaking. He edited the film and added all of the effects in post-production.
trend because as Zach explains, “I wanted to challenge myself and experiment with a large group of people.” Putting together a period piece drama about WWII with little to no money is a challenge, and these challenges inspired some creativity. For instance, K-W Surplus was kind enough to lend him the WWII era costumes, which helps to heighten the production value. Directing the film also allowed Zach to delve into the technical aspects of filmmaking. He edited the film and added all of the effects in post-production.
Producing and directing these shorts have served as Zach’s film school, and he intends on creating more films in the near future. In fact, we won’t have to wait very long for his next work. He’s currently working on a short called 4 Point, a film about how a car accident changes the lives of four strangers. He is also branching into the horror realm with the upcoming film Grit. The trailer promises to deliver a “horrifying story” that is “based on true events.” Whether true or not, it’s sure to be more than a little strange. And following his habit, he promises to throw “a bit of a curve” to the audience’s
expectations.
expectations.
