From student to DoP: meet young filmmaker Otis Tree

The Big Lebowski (1998) is set in sun-soaked Los Angeles in the US, not drizzly, grey London in the UK. But for his first feature, Big Smoke, graduate filmmaker Otis Tree is channeling the spirit of the Cohen Brothers' cult slacker movie in a new direction. "It's a comedy-horror, where the characters are constantly paranoid, second guessing themselves," says Otis of Big Smoke. "The Wicker Man is another big inspiration. The film is set on winter solstice and we're going for that pagan atmosphere, despite the modern, urban aesthetic."

East London-born Otis bagged his first festival screening, at the BFI Future Film Festival, aged just 13. Since graduating in summer 2020, he's already clocked up some impressive accolades, winning the 2020 Emerging Talent award at Brighton's CINECITY Festival for his short film, Destructors, and working under DoP Ben Wheeler on a high-end TV production for Euston Films. We asked him about the insights he acquired as a student and how he's used them to launch his film career.

You're currently working on your first feature film, Big Smoke. What stage are things at?

"I've written the whole film – it's gone through a few drafts – and I've shot a short self-funded 'proof of concept' film that captures the essence of what the feature is about. I'm now pitching to different places. The biggest challenge is the initial wall between you and the industry. It seems insurmountable at first but it's a slow climb. You've got to keep those contacts going and keep pestering people."

Can you tell us more about your visual and technical considerations for the film – and how you're building on what you've learned from your previous work?

"I've usually shot totally handheld. I started out as a 'run and gun' filmmaker and I'd shoot the script entirely in order. With this one, almost every shot is from a tripod, with limited camera movements. I'm trying to do things simply. When I look back at my final graduation film, Destructors, the opening scene had something ridiculous like 100 shots in it. This time I'm trying to do things in three shots maximum. Rather than moving the camera, I'm zooming with the lens. I've watched a lot of Stanley Kubrick films, paying attention to the methodical nature of his camera placement and how long he forces you to watch a shot. As a young filmmaker you're trying something new every 30 seconds and one of the biggest things I've learned is the importance of tonal consistency. Generally, as an artist, I want to be more reserved. Instead of using fancy camera tricks, I'm focusing on performance and character."

You recently had the chance to shoot promotional stills for Big Smoke using the Canon EOS R5. What was that experience like?

"I had the Canon EOS R5 and the Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM lens. I loved the simplicity of that. I just had it by my side throughout the whole shoot. I'd watched lots online and read up about the R5 beforehand so was really excited to try it for myself. It was incredible. Having a camera that capable at that size is amazing. The size really changes the way you can shoot, giving you more speed and versatility and being less intimidating for the actors, which allowed me to capture beautiful candid moments. The autofocus also blew me away – the fact that at f/1.2 it stayed on someone's eye no matter what they did or where they went, was crazy. And the results from the RF 50mm F1.2 lens were tack sharp."

Which university course did you do and what did you learn from it?

"I never went to university to learn filmmaking. There are so many resources online that I'd already taught myself all the software I'd ever need to know. It was about having the time to make mistakes and practise the artistry of filmmaking. I started on a moving image course, which took an art-based approach, but I wasn't totally happy so I switched to a more industry-focused course at a different and smaller, more personal university, the Screen and Film School in Brighton. On my previous course there was no indication about making money when you left, which could be a damaging ethos. Learning how to sell myself and how to fit into the money-making machine of the film industry was really helpful.

"Something I've taught myself from a really young age is to recognise my self value. There are a lot of young filmmakers out there working for free."

Obviously you're still in the early stages of your career but can you pinpoint your style as a filmmaker?

"It's still changing but, in general, once it's gone through those three intense stages of writing, shooting and editing, my style always ends up being more ethereal and dreamy than I imagined it would be at the beginning. I like shooting on film, and although that doesn't particularly translate into low-budget filmmaking as it's so expensive, I'm quite often in pursuit of some of those characteristics, shooting a lot on vintage glass and veering away from an over-sharpened look. I shot Destructors on expensive lenses for Super 35 that I borrowed from the university but previously I've bought cheap £20 plastic lenses online."

It must have been strange launching your film career in the middle of a pandemic – how have you dealt with that?

"There are positives and negatives. Going to online festivals isn't the same but the world being on ice since graduating has given me lots of time. I've been getting consistent freelance jobs in between lockdowns – I've shot music videos, assisted photographers shooting stock images and even documented the restoration of an art piece. If I'd gone straight into the 'real world', it would've been pretty intense, and I might not have had the time to write the feature and do the proof of concept like this."

What's your advice for a student filmmaker who's a few steps behind you in the journey?

"Appreciate everything you've got at university – the kit, the care, the people around you. I think what has paid off the most for me is maintaining connections. It's good to find yourself a mentor figure but also to stay in touch with your peers. You never know where you'll all end up!"