In this exclusive interview, we delve into the creative mind of Neil Chase, an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Neil’s impressive body of work spans from the horror-western novel “Iron Dogs” to the apocalyptic thriller “Spin The Wheel.” As a co-founder of Brimstone Pictures, Neil has made significant contributions to independent filmmaking, earning numerous accolades along the way.
Gain valuable insights into Neil’s storytelling techniques, his approach to character development, and the challenges he faces in the ever-evolving world of film. This article offers a behind-the-scenes look at Neil’s creative process, his thoughts on the role of artificial intelligence in filmmaking, and practical advice for aspiring writers and filmmakers.
Could you weave a tale of your career journey and the steps that led you to your current destination?
I was a successful electrical engineer for twenty years. However, as time went by, I found that I had lost much of the love I had for engineering when I had first entered into the profession.
As someone who has loved storytelling since I was a child, I had discovered the joy of screenwriting and acting in my spare time. This helped fill the creative hole that was present in my life, as I worked in an otherwise very technical and “dry” field. As I found greater levels of success, such as winning screenwriting awards, becoming a produced screenwriter and being cast in leading and supporting roles in various movies, I found myself genuinely considering pursuing entertainment as a possible career path.
The opportunity actually arose when the company I worked for went under, I had a decision to make. Do I find another job in the engineering field and play it safe? Or do I risk it all to follow my passion as a storyteller?
Luckily, I have the most supportive wife in the world, who encouraged me to go with my heart. With that, I put everything I had into this new venture – becoming a full-time screenwriter, novelist, actor, filmmaker and story coach. It was extremely difficult at first because there was no steady paycheck (at times, no paycheck at all), and the risks often seemed to outweigh the rewards. However, I knew that if I gave it my all and always focused on telling the best stories possible, that I would find success.
Since that momentous decision, I have worked on over two dozen films (in various roles – writer, actor, crew member), published my award-winning debut novel and completed two more manuscripts, written almost two dozen feature-length screenplays (many of which have gone on to win at screenwriting contests worldwide), co-founded a production company Brimstone Pictures, and began giving back to the creative community and other emerging writers and filmmakers through sharing my experiences, insights, and lessons learned on my blog, www.neilchasefilm.com.
Today, I am a filmmaker, screenwriter, author, and actor, as well as a story coach and script doctor, working with other writers and producers on their projects.
I’ve given multiple workshops and taught screenwriting classes as well. In the last two years, I’ve expanded my repertoire by adding “film director” to my title. My feature film, Spin The Wheel (which I also wrote and acted in) is a supernatural thriller that can be seen on various streaming platforms as of May 2024. In addition, my company is currently in the middle of production on our next feature film, a military action-horror called Contamination.
None of this would have been possible if I had returned to the “safe” profession of engineering. My new career path was full of hurdles, setbacks, and years of frustration – wondering if I’d ever live up to my own expectations and dreams. I don’t know if I’m there yet, but I do know that I’m on the right path and I’m so much closer than I was. It was the right decision for me, and it has brought me closer to my family and to my purpose in life.
Who or what spark lit the fire in you to chase this career?
My wife, Christina, has always encouraged me to follow my dreams. And in doing so, she has been able to start following hers as well. We are not only partners in life but in our company, Neil Chase Film. She continues to inspire me daily with her incredible work ethic and positive outlook.
As far as film and writing, my inspirations are as varied as the content of my work. The Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Stephen King, Alexandre Dumas, Guy Ritchie, Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, Kathryn Bigelow, Alfred Hitchcock, Denis Villeneuve, and Akira Kurosawa are each huge influences in terms of storytelling, character development, dialogue, and the ability to paint incredibly vivid pictures through their words.
But overall, my family is my biggest motivation for everything I do. I want to do right by my wife and children, as well as my parents. They have all always been there for me and pushed me to be the best in whatever I do. My wife and my parents have sacrificed so much to help me get to where I am (and where I’m still going), and whatever success I attain is thanks to them.
What three character traits have been pivotal in your journey to success?
Curiosity is the biggest driver
As an independent filmmaker, curiosity can be the thing that makes or breaks a project. For example, for my last film, Spin the Wheel, our budget was miniscule, and we simply couldn’t afford a specialized production house to come in and do our visual effects (VFX). As a result, some of it was done by our lead camera operator, Martin Truscott, and the rest was undertaken by my co-star, Brandon Horth, and myself.
We spent countless hours watching YouTube tutorials, experimenting through trial-and-error, and trying to learn how to create the VFX we needed in our film. For first-timers, I’m so proud of what we achieved. We even won an award for Best VFX at a film festival! And thanks to my never-ending curiosity, I’ve been learning more about the craft ever since.
The importance of having a thick skin and never giving up
The film industry is cut-throat and rejection is the norm, especially for those of us at the indie level. Coming from a totally different background, I didn’t have the benefit of industry friends and connections, or even a proven track record. I had to build all of those from scratch. And I learned quickly that, although the quality of my writing was such that I won awards early on, it would get me only so far. The rest was up to me.
I’ve had a number of scripts optioned or championed by directors or producers, but the stark reality is that very few ever get off the ground. It wasn’t until I partnered with like-minded people who also never took no for an answer that I saw my greatest successes thus far. Bottom line, failure is inevitable – it’s the lessons you choose to take from it that can make all difference for the next time.
Imagination is key in storytelling and filmmaking
Every great story, character, line of dialogue, and action scene start in the mind’s eye. Each of these can be (and has been) duplicated, but the first idea must come from somewhere. Luckily, I’ve always been blessed by a great imagination – almost to the point of having too many ideas and not enough time to get them all down on paper.
I don’t know how it is for other creatives, but for me, it always starts with the question, “What if?” Every one of my stories began that way, except one feature script which began life as a dream. I woke up at 3am with a vivid scene playing out in my mind as if I was watching a movie in my dream. I knew right then and there that if I didn’t get up and write as much of it down as I could that it would all be gone by morning. So that’s what I did. And now that award-winning script is on my production company’s slate of future films. That’s the power of imagination!
One important lesson I learned over the years is that real opportunities are rare, and many times in our lives, we don’t recognize them as such until it’s too late.
When you stroll down memory lane, is there anything you’d do differently? Or some wisdom you wish you’d had before diving in?
One important lesson I learned over the years is that real opportunities are rare, and many times in our lives, we don’t recognize them as such until it’s too late. This is why, when the opportunity presented itself to start my production company, Brimstone Pictures, with my partners, Preston Ewasiuk and David Heacock, I took it. We were each frustrated with the lack of quality genre films being made in our neck of the woods, especially as it was during the pandemic and the film industry here in Canada essentially shut down.
We made a few short films mainly to keep busy and have some fun, but when those shorts won awards worldwide, we knew we had something special. But more than that, we realized that if we pooled our resources, we could stop waiting on others to make our films and make them ourselves. That’s how our first feature, Spin the Wheel, came about. I wish I would have decided to take this leap sooner, but then I wouldn’t be with the people I’m with now. Opportunities are only such if the timing and conditions are right.
Can you paint a picture of what a regular day at the office looks like when you’re working on a project?
If I’m writing, then a typical day starts out with taking my youngest daughter to school, followed by a workout at the gym – where I use the time to plan out the next parts of the story I’m working on. Once I get home, I’m ready to review the previous day’s pages and make whatever small changes are needed. Only then do I feel ready to tackle the next pages.
I tend to work quickly when working on a new feature script, taking anywhere from a few weeks to a month or two to get the first draft done. If it’s a short story or script, on the other hand, it can be done in a day or two – whereas a novel will take months. My process is to constantly go back and review the previous pages, and adjust as the story or characters demand, so that by the time the first draft is completed, it more feels like a second or third draft.
I also have to make time in the day to work on my website, where Christina and I work very hard to create new content and update old articles. And I try to create a new YouTube video each week, where I share my thoughts on everything from the latest films to writing tips to the latest film trends – always from a storytelling perspective.
And finally, I work daily on our film projects at Brimstone Pictures – whether that’s taking meetings with my partners or investors, fleshing out a script, working on post-production for something we’ve already filmed, planning out filming days on a current project, or working on development or pre-production on our next film. We always have something on the go, so there’s a good chance it’ll be some combination of all of the above in a given work week.
What are the trickiest hurdles you face in your job, and how do you tackle those curveballs?
Time management is easily my biggest challenge, next to making money of course! With so many irons in the fire, it’s easy to get overloaded and have things fall through the cracks. Luckily, I have some fantastic partners to work with, who each take on a share of the burden. And with this kind of work, you always have to keep your eye on where the next paycheck will come from, and how to best monetize the projects you’re already working on.
You’ve worked on an array of projects. What’s been your all-time favourite project so far in your career, and what made it so special?
I’ve been lucky to work on a number of amazing projects, but I think my latest feature, a military-horror called Contamination, is my favourite thus far. Though we’re still in the middle of production, it’s been one of the most ambitious films I’ve ever been part of. Despite our low budget, we’ve managed to put together a private jet, ex-military vehicles, civilian vehicles, full costumes, amazing props and screen weapons, as well as a huge variety of locations no one here has used before, such as local airports, biomedical labs, university buildings, decommissioned mines, and a few other spaces no one would think of for this kind of film.
I’ve been lucky to work on a number of amazing projects, but I think my latest feature, a military-horror called Contamination, is my favourite thus far. Though we’re still in the middle of production, it’s been one of the most ambitious films I’ve ever been part of.
Not to mention an amazing cast and crew, which includes actual members of the Canadian military, both active and retired, and some truly amazing stunts people – all of whom both train the cast and appear in the film themselves as actors. We wanted to make this look and feel as legitimate as we could, and to us, that meant the right people, the right equipment, the right locations, and an emphasis on practical over CGI. It’s been a ton of work just getting this far, but the atmosphere on set is always so positive, it feels more like having fun with family than grinding through just another movie.
How do you keep your finger on the pulse of the latest and greatest in your industry? Any tips to share with our readers?
Technology changes so quickly these days that it’s hard to keep up at times – especially with AI. It’s being used for everything from writing to editing to generating images and music and more. The bright side for those worried that it will replace human beings is that AI is only as good as the sum of its inputs. And thanks to that, it not only makes errors constantly, but it will never be able to create something truly original. That’s left to mere mortals like us.
As far staying up to date, go where the knowledge is. And right now, that’s in niche groups on social media, such as Facebook groups, Discord chats, Reddit groups, and so on, as well as various YouTube channels dedicated to those specific areas. I’ve learned a ton about editing and filmmaking just from listening to other creatives who are kind enough to share their knowledge. And it’s one of the main drivers for me paying forward where I can with my own articles and YouTube videos as based on my first-hand experiences.
What wisdom have you gleaned from your peers throughout the years that still resonates with you now?
One lesson I learned early on in this business was from Kenneth Barr, a great filmmaker and dear friend who passed away just as his career was starting to blossom. To me, he was the epitome of a true indie filmmaker – a “never say die” attitude mixed with raw talent. And like most indie filmmakers, his biggest challenge was often not enough money or resources – and yet, he managed to make his films at a high quality. The lesson was simple – if you don’t know it, learn it. And if they tell you, “You can’t do it” – go out and prove them wrong.
What advice you have for those starting on their journey in this sector?
When you’re starting out as a filmmaker or storyteller, it’s easy to fall back on what others have to say, especially if they have more experience than you. While I encourage everyone to listen to any advice that’s offered, especially by those with real-world experience under their belts, always keep in mind that the stories you want to tell are yours. Trust in yourself as a storyteller. Your instincts were what created the script or novel in the first place, and it’s okay to disagree with other people on the elements of that story or the changes they would like to see.
One rule of thumb I adhere to is that one person’s viewpoint is subjective, but if two or more people bring up the same concern, then that’s something worth investigating.
Any finally, what five words sum up your career so far?
Never quit. Onwards and upwards!
Biography:
Winner of the Arthur Rosenfeld Award for Excellence in Dramatic Writing and the MICO Award for Innovation, Courage and Excellence in the Film Arts, Neil Chase is a filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, novelist, and story coach from Edmonton, Canada. With numerous produced screenplays and acting roles, along with forays into voice over work, audiobook narration, motion capture, teaching and mentorship, and even a stint as a radio host, he’s busier than ever doing what he loves. His directorial-debut feature film, Spin the Wheel, can be seen on streaming platforms worldwide, and he’s currently filming his next feature, Contamination.
With over 100 writing and film awards, including top prizes at FilmMakers International Screenwriting Awards, American Fiction Awards, Script Summit, FilmQuest, Screamfest, Cinequest, Las Vegas Film Festival, West Field Screenwriting Awards, Hollywood Horrorfest, and the Global eBook Awards, among many others, he’s motivated to keep bettering his work and sharing what he’s learned with other aspiring writers and filmmakers through his website and his YouTube channel!
Discover more about Neil Chase using any of the links below
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeilChaseFilm
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neilchasefilm/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NeilChaseFilm
- X/Twitter: https://x.com/Neil_Chase
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilchasefilm/
- Website: https://neilchasefilm.com
