The Sand, The Skateboard, and the Escape

“Paradise Found” is a Reckless Magazine original film set in the sandy desert landscape of Southern California. The videographer and editor of the film, Logan Maclachlan, gives us a behind-the-scenes perspective of how “Paradise Found” came to life.

Glamis Sand Dunes, USA

What is "Paradise Found" about?

“Paradise Found” is a short film about a man finding an escape from the desert, and letting go of structured feeling and thinking.

What kind of planning went into the making of this film?

Rick and I came up with this concept over a few months, and while we always knew we wanted it to be based in the desert, we were never too sure on where our character would escape to. While he didn’t escape to anywhere in particular, I’d like to think that by finding that skateboard, it allowed him to escape and let go of the worried thoughts holding him in the desert.

How did you go about choosing the types of compositions, movements, and lighting of each shot during filming?

My compositions varied, as I wanted to focus on emotion and Chase’s feelings, but also capture the vast, emptiness of the dunes. I also overexposed a little on purpose to exaggerate to heat of the desert, as well compliment the haze filter I was using in some shots. Movement also varied quite a bit, while most of the shots were just slow pans and static shots, I also spent some time running around with chase to create the shots that built up to the climax of the song.

What did you enjoy most about shooting "Paradise Found"? What were some struggles?

I had to great time shooting “Paradise Found,” for so many various reasons. I had never been to the Glamis Sand Dunes before, and really enjoyed being able to create in that unique landscape. I also had a great time as usual shooting with Rick and meeting and working with Chase for the first time. I couldn’t have asked for a better team, everyone had a drive to create and helped bring our concept to a reality. There were struggles however, varying from heat, to high winds, and unexpected last minute location searching. In the end it all worked out, and the obstacles that seemed big to us back then were in reality nothing to worry about.

When editing, how did you pick which shots to use?

Before I event begin editing, I always go through every single shot I got and separate the best ones. What I do to determine a good shot from a bad shot is by looking at the technical aspects, like the stability of the video, the accuracy of my focus, the composition, ease of movement, and of course, exposure. There’s also the factor what emotion, and what the shots make you feel when you see it, and that played a big part in my shot choices.

What were some of the biggest hurdles during editing?

I had some hurdles when editing this project, as I ran into an unexpected creative block halfway through the process. While I did have a set shot list, and knew how I wanted to edit it, I was having the hardest time trying to figure out how to flow from the desert to the skate scene. I also spent a lot of time fine tuning the audio, as I felt it really elevated the atmosphere of the dunes, and built great dramatic tension.

Overall, how do you feel about the whole process from beginning to end? Was there anything you would have done differently?

If I had to change anything about the process, I would choose another road to film the skate scene on, as well film this during the winter when it isn’t insanely hot in the desert. Overall everything went great and I’m stoked on how the final product turned out.

What's next for you?

Next on my plate is more projects with Rick, including more video shoots and photo shoots. I’m real excited for the next month, we got a lot on our plates. In addition to that I plan on taking a trip soon, and making a short nature film along the way. I’ll also need to start contacting artists on creating a short soundtrack for it as well. Overall just trying to stay creative and busy!