Pro Hello: Pleasure Craft
Matt Ching and Derek Hanson met in 2009 at the University of San Francisco while surfing at Ocean Beach, where their obsession with surfing and love of filmmaking sealed their friendship. They moved to Hawaii after school to pursue surf-filmmaking, but realised they'd rather be surfing than baking in the hot sand with a camera, and perhaps it was best to separate their careers from their hobbies.
Matt moved to New York to enter the visual arts and post-production field, while Derek moved to Los Angeles to get into shooting and production. In 2018, the pair reunited over beers and had the inebriated idea to join forces and start a directing duo. It turned out to be a good idea!
Here, Matt and Derek delve further into their creative relationship, and the projects they're glad they united on.
LBB> What do you do, and where are you based?
Pleasure Craft> We are a directing duo who also run a one-stop-shop creative studio and post house. We're based in NYC, but are expanding our studio to Lisbon / EU soon!
LBB> What recent campaigns might we know you from, and what was your input on these campaigns?
Pleasure Craft> Oakley's 'Crush The Ordinary', Instagram's 'Yours to Make', Jellysmack's 'Go Bigger' and NFL's 'Shop' were all campaigns that we conceptualised, directed and produced all the way through to post. Check them out below! Our favourite jobs are when we act as a one-stop-shop, helping to formulate the creative with the client and agency, directing, and finishing out as a VFX post-house.
LBB> How did you first get into the industry, and how did you realise what you wanted to do?
Matt> We were both obsessed with film and the visual arts as kids (I used to make skate videos and music videos with imaginary friends and stuffed animals on a Sony VCR Handycam), but we entered the industry from two opposite directions. I did live visual projections for concerts, then motion graphics and freelance editing.
Derek> I fell in love with film and photography in school and always had a fascination to learn how movie magic all comes together. I started in production doing shoots as a gaffer, AC and then DP.
LBB> Tell us about your journey so far.
Pleasure Craft> Our professional journey began in 2018 when we decided to join forces by bringing together our individual skill sets and building on our long-standing friendship. This foundation has been crucial to our overall success, as having a good partner is invaluable when navigating the ups and downs of the industry.
We started out by directing and handling all the VFX ourselves, and over time, we've grown our company into a full-service creative studio capable of tackling a wide range of projects. It's been a wild ride, but our passion for film keeps us going, and we feel truly blessed to have met so many amazing people along the way.
We started out by directing and handling all the VFX ourselves, and over time, we've grown our company into a full-service creative studio capable of tackling a wide range of projects. It's been a wild ride, but our passion for film keeps us going, and we feel truly blessed to have met so many amazing people along the way.
LBB> What projects / campaigns that you’ve been involved in have been the most personally satisfying to work on, and why?
Pleasure Craft> The recent project of ours, Oakley’s 'Crush the Ordinary', was truly a dream to work on. The entire team was incredibly easygoing and just a pleasure to collaborate with, making the process smooth and enjoyable. We feel the final project came out very close to what we had envisioned in the early conceptual phase. Plus, we've been rocking Oakley since we were kids in the early 2000s, so getting the chance to work with them was a dream come true!
LBB> What’s been your proudest achievement?
Pleasure Craft> The overall growth of the company into a directing duo and full-service creative studio. What started as two buddies playing around with cameras has transformed into a legitimate operation, and while it caused some grey hairs, it was absolutely worth it.
LBB> What do people (clients, agencies etc) come to you for specifically?
Pleasure Craft> Our speciality lies in creating surreal visual worlds, seamlessly blending live action with CGI while infusing a bit of humour - so hopefully, that's exactly why they're coming to us!
LBB> What are your strongest opinions relating to your specific field?
Pleasure Craft> We believe that VFX should always serve the story you're trying to tell, enhancing the narrative rather than overshadowing it. Visual effects are most powerful when they are thoughtfully integrated and driven by the needs of the story. We avoid using VFX just for the sake of it, as our focus is on creating a seamless experience where every element has purpose and meaning.
LBB> What sort of projects really get you excited at the moment?
Pleasure Craft> We love projects that have an x-factor, something that elevates them above the ordinary. I think this is in part because it reminds us of the magic and wonder we once felt as kids. It taps into that inner child that used to get caught daydreaming during class.
LBB> Who are your creative heroes, and why?
Matt> I’ve been a fanboy of Chris Cunningham since the 9th grade. It’s incredible the way he so intimately tethers visuals to audio with such a beautifully twisted approach.
Derek> One of our first definitively bonding moments was when we watched 'Baraka' by Ron Fricke together in college. That film (and his others, like 'Koyaanisqatsi' and 'Samsara') left a lasting impact on me. Ron’s ability to say so much with no words made me realise how powerful the art of film can be. 'Baraka' is still our favourite film to this day!
LBB> Outside of the day job, what fuels your creativity?
Pleasure Craft> Getting outside, drifting on an aimless walk, going for a bike ride, going for a surf... We’ve found that when our brains go into autopilot mode and there's some physical exterior stimulation, that this allows the deep recesses of our thoughts to bubble up. A big modern day creative trap is trying to find inspiration on our screens. Turn those devices off and get out there!
