5 Questions with Pham and Mitch deQuilettes
Mitch deQuilettes
Pham
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
Pham: I first got into filmmaking because I was terrible at skateboarding. My friends were learning how to kick flip and I could barely ollie so I decided to pick up a camera instead.
I got really into the Girl/Choclate skate videos that Spike Jonze and Ty Evans were making at the time. It was cool to see them push the boundaries of what a skate video could be.
I recently got to work with Ty on We Are Blood as a cam op/editor which was pretty rad to go full circle. Dudes definitely influenced my work ethic and editing style. Thanks Ty!
Mitch: I've been interested in filmmaking since I was 12. I'm from a rural lake town outside of Seattle, Washington and there wasn't much to do other than sports, drugs, or sit in front of the television. My parents were divorced, and my Indonesian father was the "fun" dad on the weekends and we'd watch 'R' rated films together to connect. He showed me films like Ghost In The Shell, Fight Club, True Romance, and The Craft. One time he took me to the theater to see Kill Bill Vol. 1. I instantly became obsessed with the editing, shot choices, and Tarantino's ability to create drama through referential satire. I didn't know how to put what I just said into words back then, but nonetheless, I was inspired.
2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
Mitch: I always need to be doing something towards creative growth. So when quarantine happened I felt I was either going to be delving deep into the Criterion Channel or burying myself in a passion project. Pham and I were newly roommates, and he was shooting a photo series of friends through windows. I suggested that we do a video version of his project with no expectations. In my head, I thought it could maybe help us pass the time because we had no idea how long this new reality would last.
Pham: Depression/anxiety is one hell of a beast and I think this project was born as a defense mechanism towards that hahah. It was more of a way to get out of the house and have some sort of routine in a time of so much unknown. I think at first we used it as a reason to check in with friends, but once the story began to form we became a lot more deliberate.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?!
Pham: I don’t think it really came together until we had about 85% of the footage shot. It took us a while to see the pieces we had and put it together in a way that could we were stoked on. There was so much sad or depressing stuff being put out in the media, I think it became super important and challenging to create something with a different tone. One that didn't ignore the severity of the pandemic but just switched the perspective that we were all focused on.
Mitch: Probably getting on the same page thematically. We have two different styles of how we approach projects. Pham is from documentary world, and I’m from fiction land. I think usually we would have had more pre-pro time to be on the same page, but the necessity to keep ourselves busy to reduce stress during these times was king. But because we are different, I think the final piece turned out super unique.
The easiest part was getting out of the house to shoot with someone I respect and enjoy. Pham has an empathetic eye who understands how to capture pure moments. Which made the shooting process super fluid.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
Mitch: I’ve been deep into 90’s anime films lately. A gem I recently found is called ‘Memories’. It’s a three part short film anthology. Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) directed one, and Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue) wrote another. The editing and camera perspectives created to engulf the viewer into these surreal worlds are masterclass.
Pham: I haven’t been watching too many movies lately which is weird. I think I’ve been trying to find inspiration from elsewhere like books, tv shows, or video games. I’ve been watching this TV show called “alone” where people survive in the wilderness alone and holy fuck its much more than a reality show lol. Also Red dead redemption 2 and ghost of Tsushima have rocked my world. Video games can be a cinematic and rewarding experience too lol.
5) What’s next for you?
Mitch: Releasing a music video next month, and will be directing a short film I wrote over quarantine by the the end of the year.
Pham: My work life has been rocked a little so just putting my focus into my mental and physical health and being open to inspiration in whatever form it comes in. I’ve been gravitating much more to photography also as Its much less crew intensive and can be safe and all that fun stuff.