Meet Emily Dhue | Director, Writer & Filmmaker

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

Hi Emily, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
If I have to define “success” as one concept, it would be having fun with a purpose. That’s what drives me as an artist and how our production company, SpaceFish, thinks through success. We’ve been intentional about building around that idea.
When I approach a project, first I want to know its purpose within the space the project wants to exist. What are we challenging here and how? Why are we really making this, and why make it now? How are we bringing a unique outlook to this theme? How do we build upon creators who’ve commented on this concept before us? Once we begin to think through these questions (and no, we won’t have all the answers) we begin to form our purpose and tighten it from there.

That’s when the fun really kicks in. Having a strong purpose gives me and my team the drive to execute at the highest level we can, but it’s important we don’t lose sight of the fun in doing that. As artists, we don’t need to take ourselves so seriously and we can’t forget that we’re just young and having fun doing this filmmaking thing that we love more than anything else. Zac Branciforte and Mariano Flores, my co-founders at Space Fish Productions, have really taught me how to do this and I’ve watched our team embrace this idea time and time again.

When we started making our new web series, Piss Party we saw a gap, where so much of what was being created was content and not art. The story is about the mysterious breakup of a pop punk band notorious for peeing their pants onstage. We embraced the idea because we wanted to make a story about the creative process, and about creating as a team, but it didn’t need to be serious, art often isn’t. Instead, we made piss jokes. I think there’s a whole lot of soul in that.

Having fun with a purpose fuels our engine, plus we see other artists coming back and being really eager to work with us again, just because they had such a good time. That’s one of the most important things I could ask for.

What is your biggest challenge as an artist and how do you set your work apart?
The biggest challenge to an independent filmmaker is always going to be budget, it’s not sexy but it’s the reality. When I was writing my short film BLITZ, I wanted to write it to be “do-able” at an indie level. I funded the whole thing out of pocket so we had to be thrifty. We filmed most of the short in the apartment of a recently deceased distant relative ­­–morbid, I know, but we saved on location budget. We drove to Charlottesville, Virginia, and back to New York to pick up gear rentals from my college film club, thrifted most of the costumes, and sourced our props from items the cast and crew owned. It was a huge undertaking but there’s nothing more rewarding than watching a concept you thought up alone in your room come to life with the help of a dedicated team and a little resourcefulness.

There are a lot of resourceful filmmakers out there –what sets my work apart is the combination of theme, fun, and color. I try to work with concepts that address themes that are both urgent and earnest. When I was writing BLITZ during the peak of the pandemic, speaking about both hyper-consumerism and the need to feel significant felt urgent and true to many people’s experiences at the moment. When I worked on Piss Party last year, we felt like we needed to make something that reflected the journey young artists were going through while trying to find their voice. I’ve found timely concepts important, but equally important that the concept is accessible.

No project is complete without fun. Part of the infusion of fun is just being self-aware in our work. It’s more enjoyable for the creator, and for the consumer. I believe cinema is a true art form, but it can always be a good time. Color has become incredibly important to me in linking fun and theme. I carefully palette all my work, and try and think through what color means in the world, and for the characters while keeping the world lively and bright.

I’ve learned there’s no easy road to filmmaking; artists have this insane passion to make their convictions into a concrete product comprised of light, movement, and sound. There are sacrifices for sure, but they aren’t a burden to me, I find the compromises worthwhile and the risks worth taking.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It depends on what you’re into! It’s New York so there certainly is something for everyone. I love the comedy scene here and would encourage everyone visiting to see a stand-up set in the West Village. My favorite places to “wine and dine” are Baby Brazza, Zest, and Fiaschetteria. Tompkins Square Bagels is a must for me on Sunday mornings. Needless to say, there’s a ton of great live theater, but if you’re a movie-goer like me, I recommend seeing a screening at Nighthawk or Village East by Angelika. People may not think of green space in NYC outside Central Park and Prospect Park but there are some other cool spots I really like -my favorites are East River Park and Pier 64.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Zac Branciforte and Mariano Flores -my co-founders at Space Fish Productions. I truly can’t think of a more supportive, dynamic, and genuine team. When we started Space Fish we knew we wanted to keep making fun and thoughtful art and we dove head first into that mission.
Our team complements each other in terms of skillset and we consistently push each other to be better. We each bring our own backgrounds to what we do, Zac brings acting perspective and altruistic outlook to our projects, Mariano brings them to life with his technical knowledge and cinematic eye, and I specialize in applying unconventional concepts to concrete products.

My first short BLITZ wouldn’t have been possible without this team, Zac believed in the script from the start, and Mariano, the DP on the project, truly brought my vision to life. I was also fortunate to work with the amazing leading actors Deana Taheri and Christian Schulte; their dedication to the project and willingness to fully embody the characters gives the short its heartbeat. The film has been recognized by several film festivals including Indie Short Fest, New Creators Film Awards, Art Film Awards, and New York Independent Cinema Awards.

Our latest major project Piss Party is a testimony to our teamwork. It was a true guerilla-style shoot- we had virtually no budget and shoestring crew. We made it work with our resourcefulness and support from other artists in our community. We released it on YouTube so it could be accessible to everyone; It’s our love letter to young artists creating a space for themselves in an ever-changing cinema-scape.

Website: spacefishproductions.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e_dhue/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLG9bXK3hVrnd-24Xcr3ZUg