Actor, producer, and director Colton Tran chatted about his new movie “Snow Falls.”
He started his film career at the age of 12 being mentored and taught the language of Final Cut Pro; he was instantly hooked on the filmmaking process and quickly became fluent.
Tran grew up in Utah and as his passion for film began to grow, he continued to direct, produce and edit all of his own independent films. Immediately after graduating high school he directed a short film called “Unpleasantville.” That film toured the nation in the film festival circuit, which gained recognition from managers and agents in Los Angeles.
“All of the legwork and production of things from last year is starting to pay off,” he said.
‘Snow Falls’
The synopsis of “Snow Falls” is as follows: After a winter storm strands five friends in a remote cabin with no power and little food, disorientation slowly claims their sanity as each of them succumbs to a fear that the snow itself may be contaminated or somehow evil.
“This film was so close to all of our hearts, it was such a spontaneous move,” he said. “It was a crazy whirlwind of an experience. It was really cool to shoot that, and once the pandemic hit, I was in post-production editing, which was neat. We sold it, Lionsgate bought it and now it’s out.”
“It is available on Amazon Prime and on Apple TV+, where it’s in the Top 50 Horror Films list on there,” he said. “All of us are very proud of this film, we shot this movie in six days, and that is unheard of especially for a first feature film. I am excited for people to see it, and it is based on the German Sleep experiment, which is about sleep deprivation and hallucinations mixed with the winter and hypothermia,” he elaborated.
“This movie deals with how your mind can be your worst enemy. This was the first time I directed myself in a film, and it was a lot of fun,” he added.
‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’
He also played the role of Reece in three episodes of “The Sex Lives of College Girls” on HBO Max. “That show was so much fun to be a part of,” he said. “I was shooting it on an off for five months.”
“It may be campy but the humor is on point, funny and punchy. Those girls were awesome and so much fun to work with. Season 3 got picked up so people clearly enjoy it, which is good,” he added.
The digital age
On being an actor and filmmaker in the digital age, he said, “I started doing it when I was 13 years old in Utah, that’s when everything started going digital. It is interesting, there is so much more competition since anyone can pick up a camera and shoot. I think the digital age is really amazing, and you have to utilize the digital and media world that we are living in right now. That way, you can bring more eyeballs to your movies.”
“Being an actor and filmmaker in this era is really cool. You are able to market and promote things so much easier. Now, things are more accessible and you can have more fun with it,” he added.
Dream Loud campaign
He opened up about being a part of Brad Everett Young’s Dream Loud campaign, which works on preserving arts and music programs in schools. “Brad is great,” he said. “We should do another photo shoot soon. It is always great what he is doing with Dream Loud, it is such a great concept. Brad knows so many people and now, he has become one of my very good friends. Brad is a really good guy.”
‘The Bell Keeper’
This movie follows a group of friends who travel to a secluded campsite to film a documentary. What they find is something much more sinister than they could have ever imagined. “The trailer will drop soon, and it looks amazing,” he said.
It stars Randy Couture, Kathleen Kenny, and Mike Manning. “Randy Couture is a huge MMA fighter so this movie called for a lot of action. I’ve known Mike Manning since 2012 since we shot the Disney movie ‘Cloud 9’ together. I love Mike,” he said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Tran said, “Control.” “As a director, there is a lot of control revolving around my life. A lot of people linger in a space where they don’t have control over something and they waste so much time,” he said.
If he were to do any track and field event, he noted that he would do the “pole vault.” “I would probably try that because it looks so horrifying yet it’s intriguing,” he said.
In swimming, he listed the butterfly as his favorite stroke, even though it’s a challenge. “Swimming will get you fit really fast,” he admitted.
Regarding his definition of the word success, Tran said, “Accomplishing your goals, and then, setting loftier goals once you reach those. Success is something you need to appreciate and remember what it is, and appreciate your past.”
To learn more about Colton Tran, check out his IMDb page and follow him on Instagram.
