Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Dreamcatcher’s Travis Burns

Travis Burns is delivering a killer performance in the EDM slasher film, Dreamcatcher. Best known for his starring roles in SAF3 and Neighbours, the Australian actor is showing off another side to his artistry and craft, making his first foray into the horror genre.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Travis about Dreamcatcher, collaborating with writer-director Jacob Johnston, and an exciting new project he’s working on.

PC: Tell us about Dreamcatcher and your character.
Travis: Dreamcatcher centers around my character, Dylan. It’s about him and an event that he’s involved in, which becomes a big catalyst for the film. Something goes wrong, and it sends Dylan and a bunch of friends down a spiral of mayhem, violence, blood, and guts.

Dylan himself—he’s very charismatic, he’s very spiritual, but he has a troubled past, which has brought him to where he is right now. He’s obsessed with his music and his craft, but it’s not about that anymore, which he doesn’t like. He needs to change that ASAP. He takes full control and takes it to the next level.

PC: There are a lot of different layers to your character, Dylan. How did you prepare to step into his shoes?
Travis: Firstly, I went to my acting coach, and we sat down for about ten hours. The first question we asked was: “How did Dylan get to where he is at the beginning of the film?” We created a backstory to figure out how he got to this point. We came up with a few things like when he started off his career, it was all about the music. Then, as he got more famous, so to speak, and gained global recognition, that’s when he got a publicist and manager. It became more about the business, and less about the music, which he didn’t like. Going into the film, he had to change that; he had to put his best foot forward to change that.

PC: There are a lot of really intense moments, especially with your character. For you as an actor, how do you allow yourself to go to those darker places?
Travis: It’s all about the feeling on set. Writer-director Jacob Johnston gave me the permission to really go after what I was going for, which was absolutely phenomenal. Having that freedom allowed me to take it to different levels.

PC: This is your first foray into the horror genre. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway for you as an actor?
Travis: Look, I watched Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer when I was a teenager, and I would always get scared. [laughs] As I grew older, I wouldn’t get as scared. I’m excited to be on the other side filming the movie and watching how they do the jump scares. If I’m being completely honest, I got scared about two or three times while we were shooting [laughs]—I can only imagine what the audience is going to feel like when they’re actually watching it—but I honestly thought that I wouldn’t get scared. I’m like, “This is all make-believe. It’s fine. I’m scaring people.” But yeah, I definitely got scared a couple of times, and seeing the special effects, the stunts, the blood, and the guts—it’s really exciting. It was a new experience for me.

PC: One of the reasons why this film works so well is the chemistry you see on screen. How did you and the rest of the cast build that bond?
Travis: The first couple of nights, we had this big Winnebago that we all had our lunch in because it was raining while we were shooting. It was perfect for all the cast to get together and chat. I was like the DJ off-set as well. Zach [Gordon] never heard of Melbourne Underground, which originated in Melbourne, Australia. I remember playing that and we ended up having a dance party. It was so cool.

PC: This is Jacob Johnston’s full-length debut as a writer-director. What was it like working with him?
Travis: He was amazing. If I’m being completely honest, he’s one of my favorite directors that I’ve worked with thus far. I really trusted him on set, and I trusted him to push me in ways that I didn’t know that I could go. I really trusted his direction. I learned so much as an actor in so many different ways. He was so into it.

PC: You’ve done a lot of television throughout your career. What has the transition been like going from the small screen now to the silver screen?
Travis: Big. It’s definitely very different to what I’ve previously done—that’s why I wanted to do it so badly when I was offered it. They called me personally, which normally doesn’t happen. They usually go through your manager or agent and then they call you. They called me and I was like, “Yes, I’ll take it. Yes, yes.” They’re like, “Do you need to speak to your agent?” I was like, “I don’t care. I’ll do it. I’ll do it.” Then I called my manager and said, “This is the project they offered me. I’m so ready for this.” This character was so complex, and I was so excited to figure out who this guy is and how he got to where he is. For me, as an actor, that’s all I want to do: research, research, and research. It’s exciting to figure out new things.

PC: There are a lot of important themes that the film touches upon. Was there one in particular that hit home for you?
Travis: Well for Dylan, in particular, if you want something, go out and get it, no matter what. No matter what it is, just go out and get it.

PC: The film is out now, what do you hope audiences take away?
Travis: I hope they’re on the edge of their seats. I hope they pay attention to the small details, because the killer gets revealed pretty early on, if you can pick up on it. It’s super exciting to try and figure that out.

PC: Besides Dreamcatcher, what’s next for you?
Travis: COVID has given me a lot of time to reflect and figure out what exactly I want to do. During that time, I’ve been developing a golf brand called Kjøre, which will be launching soon. It has apparel and accessories, which I’m super excited to do. In the meantime, I’m auditioning. It’s hard with COVID because there aren’t a ton of people shooting. The industry is taking a hit, but I’m hoping it gets back to normal soon.

To keep up with Travis, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Dreamcatcher is now available on Digital and On Demand.