September 26 2011

IMS sat down with director and PFD Studios’ Chief Creative Officer, Quan Hoang, to talk about his latest project — IMS Films and the inspired-by-design showcase being hosted by the center this Thursday, September 29th.

International Market Square is a Design Center. Why produce films and host a showcase?

We really wanted to inspire people to consider design in a way they never have before. Stories are a fundamental way of connecting with people. We couldn’t think of a better way to represent International Market Square’s artistic culture and sensibilities than to throw an event for the Twin Cities all about stories inspired by design.

What vibe were you shooting for the films you directed?

For Perfect Fit, I really wanted to tell the story of a free spirit not held back by her lack of sight. How does she live her life and interact with the world? She has a really interesting freedom of not being tied to normal social rules and etiquette and that’s a story I wanted to share.

For Super Designers, it was all about awkward moments between interior designers and their super hero clients. I love awkward moments. You have all these scenarios of really demanding “special” clients and designers who have to solve their problems. How do you deal with people with super needs? Awkward moments, of course.

As you see it, what is the responsibility of the director in a production?

I’ll half-quote Francis Ford Coppola, who believes the job of the director is to choose. When you’re making a film, there are thousands of choices to make — between sound, lighting, a bit of performance — a good director makes good choices. When you roll indy-style, this is even more important, because time and budget are usually such an issue, you often get only one chance to shoot…so cherish it…and do a good job.

How hard is tying it all together — sound, art direction, the edit, music?

It’s an amazing challenge getting 5 million ships heading into the same port at 5 million knots. If you do your job right, they all get there at once and the collision is epic magic, but you have to know what the hell you’re doing. It’s just like a jaded copywriter told me once, “If it were easy, everybody would do it.”

You directed a bunch of Twins spots. What’s the difference in directing those versus longer content pieces?

With a 30 or 60-second spot, you’ve only got that amount of time to tell your story, so everything is condensed and simplified to its purest form. It’s a precise formula of entertainment meeting a call to action. Film shorts; on the other hand, give you time to express your character’s intentions without squeezing it.

What’s it like working on a limited budget versus a national brand TV spot?

The more limited you are with budget, the more you get to be creative. I’d rather do a low budget project. It’s like a beater car. You get your best friends to help you push it up a hill so you can all have a great ride when it comes back down.

Do you have any director do’s or don’ts?

Do: Pick the best talent you possibly can in casting.
Don’t: Believe that you have the power to fix bad acting with your directing. Egos break projects. Don’t let them trick you into getting bad talent. Talent reigns.

When did you know this is what you wanted to do?

A storyteller? I think I knew I wanted to be a director when I was on the set of my first short. It made me feel like a kid. When you’re little, you’ve got your GI Joes and Barbies and you go on these crazy adventures with your friends. Making films is like that. It’s still about sharing stories, just on a bigger scale. I haven’t found that feeling in anything else I’ve done.

What’s your dream project?

To tell my parents story.

If you were taller, would it change your work?

Probably. I’m this way because it was meant to be. And I’m not short, I’m concentrated.

Indeed he is.

IMS welcomes the public to this first-of-its kind film showcase event. Guests will enjoy the comfort of viewing the films in designated showrooms of International Market Square and be treated to a Red Carpet Awards Ceremony hosted by broadcasting icon, Robyne Robinson.

The event is free to the public and will be held Thursday, September 29. Film viewings begin at 7PM. For more information or to RSVP to the event, please visit IMSFilms.com.