We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mitchell Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mitchell below.

Mitchell, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful creative project I’ve worked on so far has been the short that I wrapped last summer and have been editing since, titled ‘The Minnesota Goodbye.’ It’s presented in the vehicle of a return-to-form noir thriller about a married couple working for a crime syndicate in prohibition era Saint Paul, MN—but at its core, it’s a drama about interpersonal connection, communication, feminism, patriarchy, and the differences between inner confidence and outward strength; an adult’s coming of age tale, that point in our lives when we process the experiences of our teens and 20s, when our youthful naivete begins to dissipate, and we start to understand the world in a new way.

I wrote a very different, more action-packed version when I was a young adult, and since then, I’ve been through many different drafts and styles. As the years passed, the story’s tone matured and darkened, and its themes clarified themselves to me. There’s something very profound about understanding your own subconscious through this method; it’s like 4D journaling (as is having talented actors study your characters and insist you’re wrong about this or that during the rehearsal process). In order to finally produce the film, I had to boil it down to its essentials of character and emotion to make something I could shoot on a very tight budget with only a few locations, and I think this helped the script tremendously. It also improved my writing abilities in general.

In telling this story, I was able to process some very painful things and express warnings about them to others. The domestic abuse I grew up watching my mother endure, abuse which I later experienced myself, and my misfortune of being in the crosshairs of greedy, dishonest authority figures all came through. And it meant the world to me that the film’s lead, Alice Piar, could share the meaning it had for her, as well.

The production was a culmination of many years of studying and practicing my craft. After I started preproduction in 2016, I realized how much I still needed to learn in order to do the film justice, and this eventually pushed me to return to film school after a hiatus of almost two decades. My general visual style largely emerged the way it did because of how I wanted to shoot this particular piece; it’s what helped me understand that I had a passion for cinematography in the first place, which is why I decided to be my own DP for it. Seeing my progress reflected in each shot was very exciting; it let me know I’d reached a level of skill that I felt comfortable marketing without imposter syndrome.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I identify as an “artist” through and through, and I choose that term carefully knowing it is a broad and sometimes loaded one. Throughout my life, I’ve come to understand what other artists mean when they say they must make art or die. I could not imagine my existence without every one of the creative endeavors in which I take interest, and I cannot imagine my future without the continued potential to explore new crafts and concepts.

As a very young child, I started drawing and wanted to be a cartoonist. In 5th grade, I discovered I could write fiction at a college level and thought for years I would be an author. Around the same time, I discovered my passion for acting but didn’t piece those things together despite my fascination with making-of documentaries of my favorite films. It wasn’t until 8th grade, when I first picked up a video camera (it was 1998, and cameras were not so easy to come by), that I quite suddenly realized how much power I held in my hands, and that with the language of cinema, I could bring stories into what I’ve always felt were their most tangible forms; and I’ve been passionate about filmmaking ever since.

I’ve grown my skills through a combination of self-study and school, and I continue to practice between professional work and personal projects. Film production encompasses most of my favorite art forms, so I find it fulfilling to specialize in multiple departments. If I’m in the mood for photography, I can be a DP; when I want to delve into character psychology with actors, I can direct. If I’m feeling interior or fashion design, I can help in the art department. When I want to draw, I can work on the storyboard. When I’m compelled to write, I generate new work for a whole team; I’ve got more ideas than I’ll likely ever be able to produce in my lifetime, and that’s how I like it.

I am most proud of my work in screenwriting, directing, and cinematography, and especially of doing all three on my recent noir drama, ‘The Minnesota Goodbye.’ I’m always looking to meet more producers, editors, colorists, actors, musicians, painters, and poets. I love meeting others like myself, as well; I very much enjoy taking off one or more of my hats to collaborate with other visionaries and help bring their ideas to life. For me, building art (or even discussing it) with fellow creatives is a uniquely meaningful type of connection.

My styles tend toward moody, dreamy, or gritty, but my tastes are much broader, and my goal is to write, direct, and shoot at least one critically successful film in each genre.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

If we’re talking about working within the existing framework of a given society, I would say it depends to some extent on which society and how much funding they provide for the arts. In the U.S., where I live, I believe it’s best to persuade clients and consumers of the benefits of staying within their local economies whenever they are able. The population of my particular city carries a deep appreciation for locally made goods, including art, and this encourages clients to source from local artists, which in turn fuels appreciation of their brands, of or our community, and of art in general. I believe this cycle is one of the most effective ways to grow an artist economy and encourage artists to practice and show their work, and all it takes is a gradual shift in cultural mentality. I believe this is true any place with relatively little community funding for artists.

Now, if we’re asking what types of changes to societal frameworks would increase support for artists and nurture our creative ecosystems in an ideal scenario, the broad answer is to implement structures that provide resources and time for artists to hone their crafts without substantial cost to them, and provide the general population with the resources and security to consume, utilize, and enjoy art. While this sounds daunting in our current political climates, it is thankfully accomplished through similar gradual shifts in community mentalities. Imagine how much richer our cultures and economies would be if our governments considered art to be of the same importance as the public infrastructure which makes cities aesthetically pleasing. This infrastructure could include additional government funding programs, non-profits fueled by community interest, community resource libraries, higher wages for the general population, free or reduced healthcare or housing costs, and/or some type of universal basic income.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Absolutely. Learning in film school about the various grant foundations within my community was a game-changer, as was the popularization of crowd-funding platforms such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe. I’ve also had surprisingly good luck reaching out to local business, city offices, and historical societies to ask for resources for no-budget projects, especially filming locations. And don’t underestimate what you can accomplish with some savvy thrift store shopping.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.foolsparadisepictures.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchell_amber_brown/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchell-brown-829988281/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MWB_FoolsParadisePictures

Image Credits

Actors/Models, In Order of Appearance:

Alice Piar
Jay Kistler
Ella Rose
Kyla Hovey