TRAVIS EZELL is a Portland-based screenwriter and filmmaker, currently typing up a bio about himself in the third person. Additionally, he works at LAIKA/house animation studio (although he makes live-action films, himself… don’t tell his bosses!). He has failed to complete education programs at both Portland State University and the Northwest Film Center, though he learned a great deal from both. He is, however, tired of using the third-person voice to describe himself and will now switch into first-person at the end of this sentence. I hope that’s not too confusing for you. Come on, try and keep up.
There are to date ten short films I’ve made that I’m proud of and call “my films.” Strictly speaking, I only directed nine of these, and it always trips me up to try and say “I’ve written ten and directed nine short films…” The outlier, Avalanche, was actually made for the now-defunct “Filmerica 72-Hour Challenge” (possibly because shooting and editing has gotten so cheap that even the 48-hour challenges seem reasonable and doable). It was made as a team effort, and we all pitched in in every job. Russ Calkins and I sort of helmed the effort, and we actually played rock-paper-scissors to determine which of us would be credited writer and which of us would be credited director. (I then wrote a comedy about a rock-paper-scissors tournament. They do say “write what you know.”) We both edited. It was both our baby. And so I’m the “writer,” and I did write the scenarios, the characters, and a lot of the dialogue, though I’ll be honest with you: almost all the best parts came out of improv. It’s comedy; that’s how it goes. Anyway, long story short, I have made ten short films to date, and at the time of updating this bio I am in pre-production on my eleventh, The World of Missing Persons.
In addition to my shorts (am I the only one who finds that phrase moderately humorous?), I have been writing feature-length scripts for three years now. In fact, I’ve twice been a finalist for the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters & Directors Labs, and I have submitted again this year with my most ambitious and ludicrous (and oddly, my most personal) script yet — perhaps third time’s the charm? The truth is, I’ve been saving TWOMP for last, and I don’t plan (at least not right now) to make another short for a while. Assuming the stars align (or rather, assuming they don’t tragically and astoundingly mis-align just right), after this I will be turning my focus on feature filmmaking. Fingers crossed. Knock on wood. Et cetera, et cetera.
What else might you want to know? I’m dating a lovely young lady — a scholar, a writer, and a soon-to-be English teacher. (It’s difficult dating all of these at once; please don’t tell any of them about each other.) I hate writing bios. I drink iced tea nine times out of ten, and whiskey one time out of ten (though I’ve been enjoying “real” ginger ale a lot lately). Look, this isn’t a dating profile. I’ve pretty much covered what I need to say. If you like resumes you can check out travisezell.com, and if you like unfiltered pedantic babble about movies, you’re welcome to check out my outlet for such things, my movie blog No Time For Love, Dr. Jones.
Primarily my energy is spent these days (mid-2011) racing against deadlines in preparation for The World of Missing Persons, and I’m also working hard on that third-time’s-the-charm script I’ve applied to the Sundance Institute with, a science fiction “bleak comedy” bitter-romantic end-of-the-world epic called One Day in the Future. The only reason I even made the time to write out this bio was the need to have iceninefilms.com feel like a complete page, no longer “Under Construction,” as these projects gain momentum and I am asking people to inspect my work and give me their faith, energy, time, or (most importantly) money. So I should wrap this up and get back to work, I suppose. How do bios always end? Oh, right, the third-person voice. Let’s go back there, then, shall we? (Ahem.)
Travis Ezell lives in Northeast Portland with his two cats, Spacecat and Jones, who do not pay rent, and a filmmaker friend, who does.
FILMOGRAPHY
- Joyriders (2005) [+]
- Amnesia Hotel (2005) [+]
- Avalanche (2005) [+] writer only
- Love is Suicide (2005) [+]
- Short Film (2006) [+]
- 1000 Pieces (2007) [+]
- Bathwater (2008) [+]
- Open (2009) [+]
- Every Room is Empty (2009) [+]
- Wyatt, Walk Away (2010) [+]
- The World of Missing Persons (2011) [+] in pre-production
For more info, please check the site’s front page, or find me on Twitter or Facebook. Also I’m on IMDb if that’s useful in anyway to you.
