Today we’d like to introduce you to Mac Shoemaker.
Hi Mac, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story begins in Northern California, specifically in the Bay Area, even more specifically in San Ramon. I have been around films my whole life, as a young kid I was immediately drawn to big blockbuster films like Pirates of The Caribbean and Jurassic Park. I would watch these films over and over again and are still some of my favorite movies to this day.
My first experience with filmmaking was really more of video making. I just wanted to film my buddies and I going on fun trips. I really got into it when a company called GoPro started making action cameras and it was the perfect camera for the type of travel videos I wanted to make. To this day, I still attest GoPro to drawing me towards filmmaking (along with my consistent exposure to movies).
I went to college at the University of Colorado, Boulder where I studied film production and business. Now, this was my first real chance to actually dive into narrative filmmaking, not just simply recording memories, and I was hooked immediately. I will admit I was more drawn to the camera and camera operation than I was actually interacting with my actors. For that reason, I thought that I wanted to become a Director of Photography rather than a Director.
After college, I made the move to Phoenix, AZ where my mom’s side of the family has lived for years. It was here that I really cut my teeth in working on set. I was able to secure a job on a feature film down in Tucson called “The Wall.” I did all sorts of things on that shoot, I was a Car PA, I was a stunt driver, I was a grip, and I was a best boy. Really, it was whatever they needed me to do on that specific day.
After what I had learned on that shoot and others I did in Arizona, I felt confident that I knew enough to move to LA and succeed. After moving to LA I was able to secure a job at Panavision, which is the largest camera rental house in the world. Now, it was through working at Panavision, with constant exposure to everything camera and camera operation, that I realized that my talents lie within storytelling. I still feel like camera composition is something I have in my arsenal, but visual storytelling as a whole is really what I want to do, so I decided to pursue the Director route.
From there I knew I needed to start making my own films, the right way. So in comes the “Treehouse,” which will be my first real professional-level film. The entire crew is comprised of either students from AFI or my fellow co-workers at Panavision. We have shot everything that we need up until this point and I am feeling very confident about this film. We will be submitting to film festivals during the next cycle, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think that some of my biggest obstacles was really just deciding what it was exactly I wanted to do. For many years I thought I wanted to be in the business industry. It wasn’t until I began working on my minor in college for business that I knew I didn’t want to do that. Then once I figured that out, I thought well maybe I wanted to be on the business side of film. But, soon after I knew that I wanted to be in film production instead because of how much I didn’t like my business classes. Then, I thought I wanted to be a director of photography… and I can go on and on.
Really, at the end of the day, I was just too afraid to admit to myself that being a director is really what I wanted to be. It just took me some time to admit that to myself. But, once I make my mind up about something, I pursue it with great vigor. It’s just about allowing myself to get to that point.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think from a directing standpoint, I have a unique ability with composition and finding the frame that I am looking for. Most directors come up usually through being an actor or a writer. But I came up through the camera department, which is quite uncommon. But, because of this I have an intimate relationship with cameras and camera operation that sets me apart.
But, where I struggle as a director is communicating to actors what exactly I want from them. See, never once have I acted. So when I speak to my DP, I can speak their language and help them understand exactly what I am looking for. But, when I speak to my actors it has hard for me to communicate to them in an effective way because I don’t know how they think. I am planning on beginning acting classes soon in order to strengthen my skills in this area.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
What a tough question. I truly had a beautiful childhood and I thank god (and my parents) as often as I can for giving me and my friends the experience that we had.
I think if I had to chisel it down to one, it would be going up to Twain Harte with my family during the summers. Twain Harte is a small ski town up in Northern California named after Mark Twain and Bret Harte. In the town is a small lake that is formed out of a reservoir. In the corner of the lake is a massive piece of granite that functions as a border for the lake. On the massive rock are diving boards and a snack shack near it where we would get burgers, fries, and chocolate malts. It was just the perfect slice of Americana, like something you’d see out of a movie.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidcactus_/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kidcactus_?si=929Fv92NSYN5R62B
Image Credits
Ethan Taylor (Instagram: my_namesethan) Patrick “Red” Chua (Instagram: theredselection)
