Travis Interview: Melissa Stephens
“It was important for me to make this because it was an opportunity for me to trust and believe in myself, professionally and personally.”
TW: sexual assault
As soon as I finished watching Melissa Stephens and Leslye Headland’s Travis, I immediately started it over and watched it a second time.
The first watch was all emotion: apprehension, rage, heartbreak, exhaustion, relief. A man, Jeremiah, is meeting up with a woman, Brie, for coffee but it quickly becomes clear he wants to Talk About Something. And it’s not just anything, it’s that he wants to try to make amends because he thinks he sexually assaulted her in college. Yup. Phew. Deep breaths.
The second watch, I took in all the details. How it’s filmed in one take, which only increases the intensity and dread. Or how the sound design starts to get loud and buzzy and overwhelming when “it” is being talked about. The story is powerful enough on its own but this careful attention to detail makes it so much more.
About Travis, Stephens said:
“I didn’t think what happened to me was sexual assault for a long time, no matter what anyone else said to me police, friends, therapists. Women are assaulted in a variety of different ways and have a variety of different reactions, mine was not an uncommon one. When I finally accepted the truth of my experience, it was a revelatory moment, and a starting point for recovery for me. I wanted to write a female protagonist, who undergoes that same journey. In real time and in one shot. The piece isn’t about forgiveness, even if one of the characters is seeking it, it’s about Brie coming to an understanding and hopefully beginning a journey of repair.”
In this #MeToo era, Travis couldn’t have come at a more important time. Women are still coming to terms with their pasts and figuring out how to take control of their futures and this film so perfectly captures that conversation — all the words said and the silences in between.
You can watch Travis now below, please do! And then read our interview with writer/director Melissa Stephens below.
Melissa Stephens is a comedian, writer, and director from the Peach State. She is a founding member of IAMA Theatre Company, has been a member of Groundlings’ Sunday Company, and regularly performs stand-up around Los AngelesHer directorial debut, Peen, was a Vimeo Staff Pick, and the short series she has written and directed, Finding The Asshole, was chosen to show at Slamdance and is currently in development with Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) producing. Melissa is a writer for the AMC series For Life, which comes out in 2020 and is excited to direct her first feature this year, along with all of her other irons in the fire.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved with filmmaking.
Melissa Stephens: When I moved to Los Angeles I quickly got involved in the comedy scene here. It was right around the birth of Funny Or Die and the whole internet world really. I was always making my own stuff, even theatre (IAMA Theatre Company) but comedy really pushed me more into creating my own content — specifically filming my own content. For many years I made a lot of stuff (most of it’s not usable) but little did I know I was slowly curating my creative aesthetic as a director.
I never considered myself a director. I didn’t even think it was an option or something I would want. My friend Kulap Vilaysack (amazing creator, director, writer, actress) suggested I direct my first short and from there I was off to the races. It was like everything that led up to that moment clicked. It was easy for me to drop acting because I finally realized that was not what I was interested in anymore and maybe wasn’t what I was interested in all along. My dad used to say me all the time, “You could work behind the camera, you’d be a great director.” — I used to get so offended by it, like he was telling me I’m not going to make it as an actor. Now I look back and laugh because he saw in me what I couldn’t even see. I’m grateful for everyone around me who have been my creative angels.
Tell us about Travis and why it was important for you to tell this story.
MS: I made this movie as an amends to myself. For all the times I haven’t believed me. It was important for me to make this because it was an opportunity for me to trust and believe in myself, professionally and personally.
The film being one continuous moving shot made it feel extra intense and made me feel even more present as a viewer. Can you explain why you decided to shoot it this way?
MS: This is fantastic news that you responded to and felt this layer of the film. The purpose of this is the psychological journey of Brie and Jeremiah. I wanted the audience to feel immediately that this wasn’t a normal coffee. That there was an undertow pulling you towards something terrifying, almost an under current of a thriller.
The sound design was also incredibly powerful. The layers of noise during specific moments really bombard the senses. Did you always know you wanted this element or did it evolve during the editing process?
MS: I am so ecstatic that you caught this. You’re the only one so far who has mentioned it. My sound designer Michael Eichstedt is amazing. I have worked with him on all of my films. I am very sensitive and specific about sound design and I wanted it to add this layer to the piece. He really gets my tone and is very inventive. I love collaborating with him. It took us a while to get there but we were patient and in the end we got this beautiful sound design. My favorite is what he did with the end credits sound design.
Can you tell us about some/all of the other amazing women who worked on this film?
MS: I had a very female heavy crew which was fantastic and something I was aiming for when we were crewing up. Christine Adams was my DP and operated the Steadicam. Our collaboration was really fun and she is brilliant. She was thoughtful, did amazing preparation and brought her everything to set. I met her on my previous short where she did the Steadicam for a dance sequence and I was blown away by her. A badass creative female Steadicam and now my DP on Travis. Yes please.
Olivia Riportella was our gaffer and she did a fantastic job bringing to life the color scheme and tone I was looking for. What I loved about her, similar to Christine, was her interest in what I wanted to create a color wise. The collaboration between the three of us was very fluid.
Katie Dehombre is my costume designer for everything I do and I hope to use her forever and ever. She is an artist and I love having her brain on set.
Tia Naayem has worked with me a few times and she is an amazing first AC and focus puller. For one shots like this it’s so important to get that right.
Lizzy Walker was a phenomenal 1st AD and made the shoot run smooth as silk.
Alyssa Fritz, the colorist, her attention to detail was amazing.
Erica Armendariz, hair and make up was great.
Everyone on the set male or female really brought their A games. It was the smoothest set I have worked on yet, and has me really excited for the next one.
Who are your favourite women working in the film industry?
Leslye Headland, Kathryn Bigelow, Ava Duvernay, Debra Granik
What’s the best advice about filmmaking you’ve ever received?
Leslye Headland said to me “That a film set is like being at an airport.”
Finally, recommend one #MUFFApproved** film for our blog readers!
Sleeping With Other People, directed by Leslye Headland.
