Quyen Tran, ASC, on directing and shooting episodes of the Netflix limited series Maid

Cinematographer Quyen Tran, ASC enjoys telling stories that are
compelling and have impact and meaning. Q's previous work on the
show Unbelievable led showrunner Molly Smith Metzler and executive
producer John Wells to ask her to shoot Maid, a limited series for
Netflix. Maid deals with the complex issues of poverty, domestic
abuse, the working poor, addiction, single parenthood and mental
health. With amazing performances by Margaret Qualley, Andi
McDowell and young actor Rylea Nevaeh Whittet, the series handles
all of these heavy and heartbreaking issues with sensitivity,
peppered with moments of levity and joy. For Q, shooting Maid was
incredible, and incredibly challenging. It was her first job during
the pandemic, beginning in August of 2020, and the crew had to
quarantine for two weeks in Victoria, British Columbia, wear masks,
get frequent COVID tests and follow strict COVID protocols. Quyen
thought she would only do the pre-production and shoot the pilot
because she didn't want to leave her family for very long. Quyen
shot extensive tests for the look of Maid. She knew it would be
primarily handheld, which creates intimacy and forces a personal
perspective on the viewer. Q decided she wanted to use the Alexa
Mini and Panaspeed lenses because of the vintage, soft look, and
they allow for close camera to subject distance. As part of the
pre-production process, Q created a look book for the whole series
that the other DPs could pick up and reference. After shooting the
pilot, Q returned to Los Angeles. Then, right after the holidays,
director/executive producer John Wells asked Quyen to come back and
direct episode eight of Maid. Although Q had a little bit of
experience directing, it was very scary for her to even think about
directing in a narrative format. She never went into filmmaking to
become a director, and never had the desire to be one. But she knew
she could do it because she was so familiar with the characters and
the story. As both DP and operator on the show, Q already had a
rapport with the actors, but now as a director, it was about
discussing the motivation of why their characters were doing
certain actions. She also had to keep three year old actor Rylea
Whittet engaged with the action. As Maddy, single mom Alex's
daughter, Rylea is in nearly every scene and Q often entertained
her with piggyback rides and games. For her directorial episode,
Quyen camera prepped everything and storyboarded the entire
episode. One of the most visually interesting and challenging
elements in the episode Q directed is the couch that literally
pulls Alex in and swallows her. Q and the production designer
worked together for about three weeks to create the couch that Alex
could sink right into and disappear. During the pandemic and in
their down time, Quyen and her friend and fellow DP, Jeanne Tyson,
found a passion for making sourdough bread. They started
Doughrectors of Photography and in exchange for a donation to the
LA Food Bank or other charity, patrons receive bread, cookies or
other goodies. You can check out Doughrectors of Photography and
find out how you can donate and get some delicious baked goods on
Instagram at @doughrectorsofphotography Find Quyen Tran:
https://www.qtranfilms.com/ Instagram: @qgar You can see Maid on
Netflix Find out even more about this episode, with extensive show
notes and links: http://camnoir.com//ep155/ Sponsored by Hot Rod
Cameras: www.hotrodcameras.com Sponsored by Assemble: Assemble has
amazing production management software. Use the code cinepod to try
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