It’s commonplace for directors to want complete artistic control of their productions. But achieving that goal itself requires skill and determination. Photographer turned filmmaker James Demitri is a case in point. Located in Sydney Australia, during the pandemic Demitri, working as a solo filmmaker, created an astonishing black-and-white movie— “Misplaced”—that was chosen as the Best Feature Film at the Paris Cinema Awards, at the Master of Cinema Awards, and at the Cannes World Film Festival. The film isn’t in distribution yet, but the trailer gives evidence of the film’s quality. An interview with the director follows below.
Interview with James Demitri
MobileMovieMaking: How did you develop your skills as a moviemaker?
Demitri: They are the result of many years of experimentation. I started off as a graphic designer for a music label doing design, then I did fashion photography for about 20 years, and along the way I always tried to create some videos or write film scripts etc. Making films has always been my passion, but 20 years ago it wasn’t an affordable option for me. Unlike now when you can literally pick up a smart phone and create something.
MobileMovieMaking: What led you to the idea for “Misplaced”?
Demitri: I am an only child and very close with my parents. I have always imagined that the day they are no longer around will be the saddest day of my life. Just over a year ago a friend’s mother passed away, and when we were talking about how he felt, a lot of the same feelings and emotions were coming up for him as what my own fears were. Grief is something most of us have either dealt or will deal with at some point in our life, be it a parent or friend, or partner, a death or a separation etc. it’s a subject most people can relate to. So when I spoke to Matt Levett (lead actor) about it, I was coming at it from a very sentimental place, it felt very personal and very raw, and he totally got that and managed to evoke that feeling in his acting.
MobileMovieMaking: How did you plan the shoot?
Demitri: Initially I set out to make a visual poetry piece with accompanying images, but then it evolved into what it is. So when I was writing it I treated it like journal entries from the main character, where he speaks about his deepest thoughts, his grief, his memories etc. I then added the narrator’s part to give it a different dimension. So I would send Matt these diary entries I had written and then we would record the dialogue, and the same happened with the narrator part and the mother part. We were also in hard lockdowns due to the pandemic so a lot of dialogue recording had to be done via zoom, where I would be on there live with my actors, directing them to get the right level of emotion and they would record it on their gear and send it to me. It was crazy!
MobileMovieMaking: Could you talk about how you handled location scouting?
Demitri: Locations were something that I wanted to feel right. I wanted every shot of the film to look like a beautiful still image that you could print and put in a frame. I wanted it to feel pretty and also create a world where all of this happens. Not a specific era or time or place, just it’s own world. I had access to a few sets with great wallpapers and furniture through the studio I have worked with before and I begged and pleaded and they let me use those for a few scenes. We asked a church if they would allow us to shoot in there, and they did because it was literally me and Matt and my phone, no big lights or camera gear etc. That’s one of the benefits of using a phone.
MobileMovieMaking: What about casting?
Demitri: Matt is a great actor, and he has done a lot of TV and film stuff. I met Matt on the set of another production and we have become friends, so he is someone I felt would really do the project justice and I was really happy when he agreed to be a part of it. Taylor who plays the mom was also someone who when I met I knew was right for it. She has a very gentle energy which really works well for the “nurturing” mother character. Maximo who plays the younger version of the lead character was only 6 at the time, and he was just incredible! Very talented child actor who was really easy to work with, and working with kids is not always so easy, so that was great too. Then I looked online at a few actor websites and found John who does the voice for the Narrator and Azaleia who does the voice for the mother. Both of these talented artists had the right voices and emotion for the part so it was like a dream cast! The wife is played by a friend of mine “lady Madussa” who’s aesthetic is brilliant and fits the aesthetic of the film, and then Kate Box who plays the doctor, is also a friend of mine and has done a lot of TV and film work. Super talented group of people and all round nice humans! So it was a lot of fun to do.
MobileMovieMaking: How big was your crew?
Demitri: The crew was me. Thats it. I had no hair/make up on it. I had no lighting people etc. It was all me. When I first decided to make this film I wanted to prove to myself that I could make a film where the story and emotion were paramount. I really do believe that the story, how truthful it is, and how deeply it can effect people is one of the most important things about any movie. The gear you have available to use, should not stop you from creating something you can be proud of. In the past I have spent a lot of time chasing tech, and trying to find great lenses and cameras, instead of making something! This time I did not want to do that. “keeping the crew simple” meant I could do things without having to rely on a lot of other people, which a lot of the time is the reason small productions don’t get finished.
MobileMovieMaking: Why did you decide to shoot using an iPhone rather than a traditional camera?
Demitri: Using an iphone gave me the advantage of being able to use what I had. I know all mobile filmmakers say it but it’s true. Instead of waiting around to make something with a more traditional camera I did it with an iPhone—mainly using the native lenses—and it worked. It also allowed us to film in places where we would not have been able to with a lot of gear. Certain shots would have required a crane etc. where as with a phone I could just place the phone on a pole and swing it into place from a high angle. As far as disadvantages, there really aren’t that many. Other than the depth of field I found it very easy. .
MobileMovieMaking: Did you use any other gear?
Demitri: As I said I wanted the film’s focus to be the story and what it wanted to say, not the gear. So I made a point of using the bare minimum. Other than the phone, I used a small slider, a gimbal with a home-made counter weight, some clip on lenses (like the ones you buy in a pack of 8 for $30 or something), a Ulanzi anamorphic lens for a few shots, an ND filter, and Filmic Pro. For editing I used Premiere Pro.
MobileMovieMaking: During the shoot, did you encounter any unexpected problems?
Demitri: It all went pretty smoothly. The only issue I can think of is when Matt and I and my small backpack (containing all my gear) hiked out for about an hour to the middle of some sand dunes to shoot one scene. It was a super hot day, and Matt had to wear a thick jacket etc. we had to keep wiping off sweat, and then I lay down on the sand dunes to film a scene from a low angle. When I got up, I had been bitten by something and my knee had a lump that was growing fast. Matt looked at me and said “Ummm… Maybe we should walk back?” And I said, NO WAY! We hiked out for an hour and we are getting the shot! lol. So we did.
MobileMovieMaking: What was your approach to editing?
Demitri: I did all the editing and effects in Premiere Pro. I wanted “Misplaced” to have a very filmic quality to it, but I found the phone footage was very sharp, so I played around a lot with small levels of blur and grain to take some of that away. I also found the Filmic Pro footage worked really well with Premiere.
MobileMovieMaking: How did you develop the soundtrack?
Demitri: I was looking for a very particular style of music. Classical, but also very emotional and no lyrics. I found a lot of music I liked on spotify for inspiration when I was writing the film (Jacob David, Andrea Vanzo, Goldmund), and then when it came to putting the soundtrack together I reached out to those artists, I sent them a couple of clips explaining the concept etc. and they were incredible! they all said yes, and allowed me to use their incredible music.
MobileMovieMaking: Because we’re showing only the trailer, can you tell us something about its production?
Demitri: The trailer was something I felt was very important for the film. I wanted it to create the atmosphere of the film but not give any story away. So I selected some clips that I felt created a nice flow for the first half of it, then I found a few cool lighter “click” sounds that I cut together repeatedly and edited clips in faster cuts to create tension for the second part of it, building it up to a climactic cliff hanger!
MobileMovieMaking: We know that “Misplaced” has been highly successful on the festival circuit. Will this lead to theatrical and/or online distribution?
Demitri: We are in discussions about distribution but nothing has been agreed on yet. Either way though the film will have a release. If you are in Sydney the film is having its festival premiere screening for the SF3 film festival on the 27th of February, so people can look on the SF3 site and grab some tickets to see “Misplaced” on the big screen!
MobileMovieMaking: Can you tell us anything about your next production?
Demitri: I am now writing two projects. One is intended for production with a producer later this year, and the other project might be another phone film which I am very excited about!
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You’ll find more about “Misplaced” on the film’s website and on Instagram. To keep up with the director check out his website and Instagram page.
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The editors of MobileMovieMaking have chosen the trailer for “Misplaced” as the Mobile Movie of the Week.
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inspiring!