Rebel Without A Crew: A DIY Feature with a Crew of One

Imagine shooting a feature film as a cast and crew of ONE. Writing, directing, starring, shooting, scoring, editing – every job behind the camera and in front of it. How crazy do you have to be in order to even think of pulling off something like this?

Jamie Stuart is one such mad man. His debut feature film A Motion Selfie is as DIY as you can get, with Stuart literally being a one man film studio.

Making a film on your own really screams out for using a smartphone, doesn’t it?

Well, Jamie decided to use a Blackmagic Pocket Camera instead, because he wanted a “more polished look” than anything he’d seen from that so far. Asking about the downside of using all his gear, he told us that “carrying the gear everywhere” was the biggest challenge…

He later added that the last scene of his film was shot on a smartphone. When Mathilda sent a video of herself it “really added to the film”, Jamie said.

Interview with Jamie Stuart

Who are you and why did you decide to become a filmmaker?

My name is Jamie Stuart, and I became a filmmaker because that’s all I can ever remember wanting to be.

What is the story behind your debut feature film? Why did you choose to make it as a crew of one?

The story behind A Motion Selfie is long and complicated, so I’ll try to simplify it. I grew up as an only child, and very often when I wanted to make short films, I was the only person around — so I got used to starring in my own work.

This wasn’t anything I ever considered pursuing professionally, since there’s really no context for it. When I began shooting Mini-DV, and creating shorts at film festivals and at press ops, I wanted to create narratives, and since I was working as a crew of one, there was nobody else to star in them except me.

This was made easier because those cameras had flip out monitors that turned 180-degrees, and I could see myself. I did so much of this style that I got really good at it — but I still never considered doing anything more with it. I aspired to be a conventional filmmaker.

After a feature I’d been trying to make for 6 years fell apart for the last time, I finally began to think that it would be really original to make a full-length movie starring myself. So in 2013, I committed myself to this goal, and in January 2015, I began production.

Why a silent film?

It is a silent film purely because of practical concerns. Based on my experience, the one thing that’s most difficult to do as a crew of one is record decent audio. You can’t focus on the camera and the sound simultaneously.

The solution I came up with was to eschew dialogue and ambient sound completely — and since I had already been composing the music for my films for a while, and I was a big fan of ‘90s music videos, I decided to cut the whole thing to an original score.

What were the steps which led you to make it?

Production began very quietly. It was such an unusual project that if it failed, I didn’t want people to know. I began talking to a couple of actors at the end of 2014, coming up with some rough character and narrative concepts.

Then, on January 3rd, 2015, I casually began shooting random bits and pieces on my own. Because my web videos had always been built in an improvised manner, I decided to continue with this approach.

So it took me a little while to figure out what I was doing.

What equipment did you use?

I shot the movie with the Blackmagic Pocket Camera in 1080p, 24p. I recorded RAW, then post-converted the footage to ProRes HQ using the Log gamma. A had a set of Samyang primes and a Nikon zoom, along with IR-blocking ND filters and macro diopters.

This was supported by a tripod, a small monitor, a 3 ft. slider, and a Steadicam Merlin. It was edited using Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Photoshop. The score was recorded with GarageBand. And it was color corrected with DaVinci Resolve.

What did you like about filming on your own? What were the downsides?

I like shooting on my own because I have complete control. It’s something I’m skilled at. The biggest downside is carrying the gear everywhere. If I do another feature in this style, I’ll make sure to budget for an assistant.

What advice would you give to other filmmakers, trying to make a film as a crew of one?

The best advice I can give to other DIY filmmakers is to practice. The more you shoot, the better you’ll get. There’s no need to rush into making a feature.

Take your time. Master your skills first. And speaking of taking your time, take your time making your films. Don’t rush a shoot. Do it right.

Has making the film changed your life in any way?

Making the film was like fighting a 3 1/2 year battle on my own for something that I completely believed in. Nobody thought I could do it.

Finishing the movie gave me confidence. And I have a great movie that’s the result. And I made some great friends working with the cast.

How successful was the film, personally and in gaining an audience for your work.

For me, personally, A Motion Selfie was a complete success. Artistically, I achieved everything I wanted. I wish that it had caught on with festival programmers sooner — I began submitting while the movie was in post production, and by the time it was done and I made my final submissions, nearly a year had passed.

I needed my freedom, and I couldn’t sit around waiting for it to catch somewhere, so I made the decision to put it online myself, which obviously affected its reach. I think people with find it in time.

Looking back on the movie, is there anything you’d have done differently?

There isn’t a single thing I would’ve done differently. A Motion Selfie is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

Thank you Pascal Schmidlin for doing this interview for us!

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