Our next Filmmaker of the Week is the one and only Alex Mitchell! Alex is a multidisciplinary artist and technician based out of Calgary, Alberta. While the majority of his time on set is spent as a member of IATSE 212 and ICG 669—as a location sound mixer and digital image technician, respectively—he continues to maintain his practice as an independent filmmaker and writer. His company, DCPi Film Services, has served the Canadian screen industries for over a decade and he looks forward to continuing that support for years to come

Alex will be leading the upcoming Digital Bolex workshop at the CSIF office. Click here to get your tickets.

CSIF: Tell us about yourself; what do you do in the film industry?

ALEX MITCHELL: I’m a multidisciplinary artist and technician employed in every stage of production on shows that range from corporates, commercials, documentaries, independent films, prestige television, etc. The majority of my employment is spent either as a location sound technician or a DIT though!

CSIF: How did you get started in filmmaking? Why did you decide to work in the industry?

AM: Got in to SAIT and U of C right out of high school and kept taking every weekend and evening gig I could. I eventually made a name for myself and had enough momentum that I was able to subsist on my film work alone, and that’s when I left my day job(s) and incorporated. Been working in film ever since!

It’s hard to say why I decided to get in to film. I just always enjoyed films and goofing around with cameras when I was a kid, and it seemed like a lot more fun than engineering—noble a profession as that may be.

CSIF: What movie(s) inspired you to work in the film industry?

AM: Sam Rami’s The Evil Dead was a big one, and I don’t think I’m alone when I mention how inspirational the BTS content on the The Lord of the Rings DVDs was. Watching the Directors’ Label collections with Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, and Chris Cunningham also really blew my mind when I was a kid.

CSIF: What kinds of stories are you interested in telling?

AM: I genuinely don’t know how to answer this question. There’s an apocryphal story about Bob Dylan performing “Maggie’s Farm” at the Newport Folk Fest for the first time, and how people were absolutely incensed that he was moving away from the affectations and grammar of the folk genre towards something more energetic and pop.

Taking it at face value, it always kinda stuck with me how impressive it was for him to shift his career like that and I’ve always appreciated the same kinds of shifts from filmmakers like Danny Boyle.

I guess what I’m saying is that tastes change and the kind of stories I’m interested in telling will hopefully change and evolve over the years, and that I’m still figuring that out for myself.

CSIF: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about working in the film industry thus far?

AM: How important it is to turn down work. Maybe it’s a champaign problem but if you have a good head on your shoulders and commit to showing up then people will probably keep hiring you until you drop dead on set. It sounds great because hey, who doesn’t want that kind of job security in this economy?

But at the same time you have to actively carve out time for yourself and the things that matter to you outside of work— even if it’s just different kinds of work (like writing your first feature or something).

CSIF: What advice do you have for others looking to work in the film industry?

AM: I’d have to be real with them; working in film is extraordinarily taxing. A lot of people are going to try to give you advice about establishing yourself but I think it’s even more important to take concrete steps to ensure your mental and physical wellbeing over the span of your career.

Set important, tangible long term goals; eat healthy and exercise; read books; maintain relationships inside and outside the industry; learn to advocate for your needs in a diplomatic but firm way; go to film festivals; stay humble but confident; etc.

CSIF: What is a film that you wish you made and why?

AM: Like, someone else’s film? As in, I wish I’d made Green Room? Hahaha, I already have enough FOMO when it comes to following through on my own ideas, let alone wishing I’d made someone else’s.

Favourite movie(s): Changes all the time. One I always keep coming back to is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast—the animated one. I know there’s a lot you can say about how backwards its politics are but it’s one of a few animated films ever nominated for best picture and it’s not hard to see why. The animation is exquisite and the music may be some of my favourite in Disney’s history… maybe tied with The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Favourite movie snack(s): Peanut Glosettes and it’s not even close.