We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Hall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
From an early age, I knew I wanted to tell stories. I loved writing, drawing, music, anything that could be used as an artistic outlet basically. It was while watching The Wizard of Oz one evening that my mind was blown. Granted, this was an older movie, and I was basically watching it with my mom because it was one of her favorites. Despite that, I was captivated. The story was easy to follow, but had a lot of moving parts, the sets and costumes were over the top, the use of color (or lack of at times) was amazing, and ultimately it was the first time I can remember experiencing real cinema. It was at that moment that I had found my ultimate outlet for storytelling, and knew I wanted to be a filmmaker.

Growing up, we didn’t have a camera in our house, so I continued to write, draw, and always opting in to be part of a play or video project at school. Over the years, I sought out the education, built up my gear, found incredible people to work with, and have been blessed to make several award winning short films, preparing ourselves to make our first feature films. I would say that I started pursuing this path for my own desire and need to tell stories, but over the years of working with so many talented people and truly building a community of passionate artists, I continue to pursue this path for all of us. What we’ve started in middle Georgia is bigger than any of us. It’s a movement. We may look back on this movement one day, similarly to how we look back at the Seattle grunge movement. There are so many incredibly talented and passionate people down here chasing their dream, and I can’t wait for the world to see what they can do.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

In a time where there is more information and entertainment options available at the click of a button than ever before, it’s crucial to stand out. Even Hollywood keeps cranking out the same thing over and over again with reboots and sequels/prequels galore, causing the very few unique ones to pop a little more. The thing I love most is storytelling, so developing characters, situations, suspense, the journey, are all crucial to good storytelling. It may be a little more boring than constant punchlines, explosions, and jump scares, but overall I think it’s better storytelling. That is where I and my filmmaking colleague, John Carroll DeShazier, spend a lot of time and attention. If the audience doesn’t care about who they’re watching and what they’re watching, they’re not as invested, and there’s not as much weight behind the things that happen.
I’m certainly not going to state that we’re the strongest storytellers, cinematographers, or anything like that, but we certainly strive hard to develop the story itself. What’s been one of the best things about working with John is that you’ve got these two different guys that have had two different experiences in life. From being different races and being raised in those communities, to different professions and life experiences over the years, we both bring something different to the table and I truly feel that it makes everything more well-rounded. Not only working with him, but all the people we’ve met and started working with along the way has been so impactful on the overall experience. We’re working with seasoned actors, newcomers, experienced sound recordists, people setting up lights for the first time, and so on. The biggest thing about all that, is that no one has an ego and everyone’s main focus is the quality of the final product which is huge to me.
It wasn’t easy finding all of the people needed to make a film, but once the snowball started really rolling, it got a lot easier to grow. And when people see growth and success, it attracts them like a moth to light. I honestly can’t believe we have so many people working together now. It is emotionally overwhelming at times to know that these people want to be part of what you’re doing, and that they trust you and have your back. Words can’t express that feeling. The biggest thing I’ve learned along the way is that you can’t do it by yourself and you have to trust others to do what they’re supposed to. We’re all ingredients in this and we have to do what we do to create the quality outcome we want. While it’s so difficult to hand the camera over to someone else, trusting they will frame the shot and focus it right, as well as hand the microphone over to someone, trusting that they’ll get the cleanest audio possible, it’s probably the best thing you can do and has been made so much easier because of the quality of people in our group.
While we’re not yet cranking out big budget blockbusters, I think the biggest thing about our films is the quality of storytelling, and hopefully, you walk away feeling like you experienced the magic of cinema, as opposed to just watching twenty-four pictures per second fly by with no weight to them. Whether we make you laugh, cry, jump from fright, or sit at the edge of your seat, our goal and our brand, it centered on quality over quantity, and looking to reach as many people as we can to view our art. Art created by a team of incredible people, all adding their own flavor to it along the way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Although I now live in Warner Robins, Macon is still very much my home. I have really come to enjoy all the things that downtown Macon, specifically, has to offer. From its rich history and numerous tours, to being the home of the Allman Brothers Band, Little Richard, Otis Redding, Capricorn Records, and more, there’s not a shortage of things to do. My wife and I will often have what we call our “downtown weekends”, where we drop our little girl off with the grandparents and enjoy downtown Macon. Some of our favorite eateries are Downtown Grill, Michael’s on Mulberry, The Rookery, Tzango, and the infamous H&H Restaurant. Touring the Hay House (used in so many movies and TV shows), the Cannonball House, Rose Hill Cemetery, The Big House, and anything new we can find is always high on our list.

To cool off and have a drink, you can stop at pretty much any establishment and they’ll be able to pour your favorite cocktail. I often find myself at The Hummingbird, The Rookery, or Reboot Retrocade & Bar when I need to quench my thirst. Speaking of Reboot, what a great way to spend a few hours. They have a bar and a building full of classic arcade games, that still only run a quarter or two to play, for the most part. As a filmmaker, I may walk down to Coke’s Camera to see if they have anything interesting in the shop like a lens or light or something that may be unique. And one of our recent favorites has to be Fresh Produce Records, which is an old school vinyl shop full of awesome classic records. There’s just something special about the sound from old records that can’t be duplicated nowadays. I feel the same about lenses too, which is why I think I have an obsession with vintage lenses, even if I’m using a newer 4K camera. Maybe I just have an old soul. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s so many people that have been supportive of me and of this journey, but there have certainly been pivotal moments along the way. As I previously stated, my mom was responsible for my first real introduction to the art of cinema/film/movies. From there, a foundation of interest and drive was created. Later, my dad would enroll me in Boy Scouts, where I learned a lot about leadership, accountability, and just overall a different type of mindset on how to view things. There’s been no greater filmmaking teacher in my life than the team over at Film Riot. Their YouTube channel has taught me so much, without ever stepping foot into a film school. When I finally had the equipment and the guts to make my first film, my best friend, Lewis was right there to help. Neither he nor I really knew what we were doing, but God bless him, he was a huge help.

After making my first film, I met Terry Wilson with Middle GA Talent Agency and was exposed to a plethora of local artists that I didn’t know existed. Her network and her support would create the launching pad for so many productions and artists. My little girl, Kenzie, has now acted in one of my films and has shown an interest in different aspects of the filmmaking process. She’s only 8 at the time of this interview, but her understanding and supporting what daddy is doing truly means the world to me.

I could go on and on about the amazing people I’ve been blessed to work with both in front of and behind the camera, but there is one that has been crucial to my growth, and this entire movement. John Carroll DeShazier and I met on another local filmmaker’s set. He was the first one I ran in to that had watched Film Riot and other similar channels that I was also learning from. After inviting him to be the cinematographer for my second short film, it was on from there. He constantly pushes me to create, improve, and always has my back. I like to think I do the same for him. Between the two of us, we have films planned all the way out through 2024 and beyond, constantly coming up with new ideas and thus even more projects. We combine our gear, our knowledge, our experiences, and our pool of people to create films in an area that isn’t exactly booming yet.

Lastly, and most importantly because I don’t want to have to sleep on the couch any more than I already have to, I have to give a huge shoutout to my wife, Lauren. When we met, I told her of my dream of being a filmmaker and she never questioned it, doubted it, or belittled me. I know it sounds crazy for a grown man to say he wants to make movies for a living, but she stayed anyway. The worst part of making films is honestly the time away from her and our little girl. But when I’m away all day or multiple days, she handles things so I don’t have to worry about something not being done at home while I’m away. She’s been my rock for so many things, and if it weren’t for her belief in me, I don’t think I could’ve ever picked up a camera to begin with.

Website: http://mayhemproductions.net

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mayhemproductionfilms

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ9_tgegdmJGDzupE9zl6sg

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