英文

• About You & Your Journey
  Please introduce yourself to our community. Who is Elliott, and what led you into filmmaking? How would you describe your creative style and the kind of stories you're drawn to?

 

 

I’ve been creating in one way or another for about 15 years. I stumbled my way through a university degree, music videos, tours with bands and eventually found my way into 3 key niches - fitness + sports, travel + adventure and automotive. That’s where I’ve been for the last couple of years - I love to bounce between them as it keeps me fresh with new ideas and stops me from getting too comfortable in the zone that I’m in. 

 

 

Lately though I’ve been drawn more to stories - while I love fast cuts & mashups, I’m starting to find myself drawn more towards things that move me, and give me the opportunity to move others. If I can create films that other people relate to, films that people are moved by or films that people can see a bit of themselves in, then I’m happy. 

 

 

• The Origin Story: From Personal Dream to Film

l "Last year I bought myself a car that I'd been dreaming of for over 10 years — and stepping behind the wheel sparked my desire to tell this story."
Can you share more about that moment? How did your personal connection to cars and childhood memories (Need for Speed, Tokyo Drift) evolve into the concept for The Dreams We Kept?

 

 

Like a lot of other kids, I grew up absolutely fascinated with cars. I remember so clearly waking up early on a Saturday morning to play Need for Speed with the volume down low, staying up past my bedtime to watch Fast & Furious on TV and stopping dead in my tracks when I saw a cool car drive down the street. 

 

 

Last year, I bought a car that I’ve been dreaming of for over 5 years, and it gave me the chance to look back and reflect on my journey so far. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and reflecting on how far I’ve come - the whole journey with its ups and downs has been a blessing but I’m happy to be where I am today. 

 

 

I had been wanting to create a really cool automotive spec ad for a while, and I think this gave me the boost that I needed to set this project in motion. So I guess in some ways yeah it’s just a cool spec ad - but in a lot of ways it’s a piece of me. 

 

 

• Why Vespid? Choosing the Right Glass
  You shot the film with DZOFILM Vespid primes. What drew you to these lenses? Were there specific optical qualities — like skin rendering, bokeh, or contrast — that made Vespid the right fit for the mood and atmosphere you wanted to create?

 

 

I went back and forth a fair bit on what I wanted to shoot this project on lensing wise - would it be anamorphic or spherical - cinema or photo - and eventually landed on the Vespids. I had seen a lot about them online, and after using them on a project mid last year  I decided to buy myself a set and couldn’t imagine looking back. The  perfectly imperfect quality that they bring to the frames, especially in early or late light is second to none. They have such incredible character to them that I think a lot of modern lenses are lacking - and given that this project was to be rooted so deeply in nostalgia, having something with this much character seemed the perfect choice. 

 

 

 

• Bringing the Vision to Life: On Set in Queenstown
  This was your most in-depth production to date. What was the shooting experience like in Queenstown? How did the Vespid lenses perform in real-world shooting conditions — whether it was car mounts, low-light scenes, or capturing intimate character moments?

 

 

I absolutely love New Zealand. I’ve been over there so many times in the last few years for one reason or another, and I keep finding myself being drawn back. I think that is a big part of why we decided to shoot the project over there instead of at home - there is so much natural, raw beauty in every direction that tied the project together so nicely. 

 

 

The Vespids were fantastic here - being that I had to bring everything over to NZ by myself, I didn’t have much in the way of room to pack things. So being able to bring an entire set of cinema lenses with me, and still having the quality that I do with the Vespids was a blessing. I was seriously impressed with how easy they kept up with what we demanded - we ran so many different rigs while we were there - from handheld, to gimbal, to car mount. Having the versatility that we did with those lenses made this project what it was. Not to mention being able to fight for us in the conditions - 90% of our shooting was in low or natural light, so having the ability to stop open and flood the sensor with as much light as possible made our shooting windows much wider. 

 

 

• Collaboration with Cody Bryce
  You co-directed with Cody Bryce, working closely from concept through shooting. How did you two collaborate to ensure a unified visual language? Did the consistency of the Vespid series across focal lengths help streamline your creative process?

 

 

I first met Cody a few years ago after sending him a message out of the blue on instagram. I knew I was going to be in NZ for a while around November, so I sent him a message to see if he wanted to hang out. After a bit of back and forth, Cody was picking me up from the airport in Queenstown and we were up for the adventure of our lives. A few years later and we’re still working together and I wouldnt have it any other way.

 

 

I think Cody loved the DZOs as much as I did - he was so surprised by the character these lenses developed and how it turned every shot into an instant movie. 

 

 

• Balancing Passion with Purpose
  The Dreams We Keptlives in a beautiful space between a personal passion project and a spec ad for your portfolio. How did you navigate that balance — staying true to your artistic voice while also creating something that resonates with potential clients? Any advice for fellow filmmakers trying to do the same?

 

 

I think one of the best parts about this project was that it wasn’t attached to a client - as much as we wanted to make sure that it resonated with potential future clients like Porsche, the most important thing was staying true to the original concept and vision. 

 

 

Not every project can be like this - as filmmakers a lot of the time we are at the mercy of what the client wants, but this time was special in the way that we had complete control.

 

 

The best thing you can do for yourself as a filmmaker is to align yourself with clients, crew, cast etc. who share your vision and your goals - who you see eye to eye with and trust your creative intent. 

 

 

• Advice for the Community
  For young filmmakers dreaming of producing their own passion projects on a limited budget, what lessons from this journey would you share — whether it's about gear choices, building a team, or protecting the creative vision?

 

 

When it comes to passion work - dream big, but start small. I like to think that while this project was still small in the grand scheme of things, it was a big undertaking for such a small crew, and I’m incredibly happy with how it turned out. 

 

 

Not every project has to be Ben-Hur - start small, on projects that allow you to flex your creative muscles, learn, and grow. Scale as you see fit - the more you learn, the more you’ll find yourself comfortable taking on bigger projects. If you can continue to create things that challenge you and satisfy you, you’ll learn so much more than you can imagine. 

 

 

Work with people that make you happy and align to your vision. This project would not be anywhere near what it is today without my people - and I think a lot of other people would say the same about their own projects. Working so closely with Cody, Ash, my cast (Kim, Caleb, Chris and Charlie), talent agencies and casting director I learned so much but above all I had a good time. I’m doing this for the love after all - and if there’s no love in what you’re doing then you’re wasting your own time. 

 

 

I always say, make a mess and clean it up as you go. Don’t feel the need to be perfect from the start and certainly don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Making mistakes is how we learn - and some of my biggest lessons have come from some of my biggest mistakes. 

 

 

But above all, love what you do, and don’t be afraid to chase the projects that make you happy. 

 

Original commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4OdCF4d0bA  

Breakdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1NOVu8Vz38