When you get home from a long day of work or spray and open up that browser ready for an even longer night spiralling down a YouTube black hole, it’s easy to forget that the content you’re consuming has been created by somebody. Countless hours of planning, executing and editing goes into every video we see.
There’s few people in the world with a visual portfolio that stretches as far and wide as that of the incredibly talented Selina Miles.
From the early days of working with Ironlak, to Sofles Limitless, and a new feature film “Martha: A Picture Story” – the relentless work ethic and drive of this production powerhouse is unparalleled.
When the screen fades to black and all you see is ‘Shot/cut: Selina Miles’ you know it was good.
We got in touch with Selina to talk past, present, and future.
What’s your name, where are you from, and what do you do?
I’m Selina Miles, I’m a filmmaker from Brisbane, Australia.
How’d you get into film making? Has it always been something that interested you? Tell us a little bit about the early days of Selina Miles.
Growing up I had a part time job in a video store which was huge because I could rent as many movies as I wanted and watch movies all day at work. But I never was a cinephile or someone who imagined they would have a career in film.
I didn’t go to film school.
I really discovered filmmaking through graffiti.
Growing up in Brisbane, many of my friends were involved in graffiti and I began shooting them very much as a fun hobby. I made some videos and through that got a job editing online content for Ironlak! That was a fantastic entrance to the industry, as Lak came with a ready-built audience that would watch what I edited every week and encouraged me to keep going.
You’ve now got a pretty extensive portfolio working with some of the worlds best artists, what are some standout projects to you?
Shooting in Iceland with Guido van Helten was an amazing experience. Guido and I have worked together all over the world but that trip was extra special.
Also, travelling to various street art festivals has been really special. I have gotten to go to places that I never imagined possible, like Tahiti or Russia.
I can’t do this interview without asking about Sofles Limitless. How was that? Any stories?
Sofles Limitless was a really unique project and I really have that project to thank for opening doors to where I am today.
Four artists (Fintan Magee, Treas, Drapl and Sofles) took over a huge abandoned warehouse in Brisbane and we shot a giant time-lapse over 10 days.
It was intense work but it paid off,
the video has over 12 million views on Youtube.
We were really just kids mucking around but created something that really resonated with a lot of people, I think because it showed how graffiti pieces are made and the work that goes into them.
You’re always on the move, what’s your favourite spot / spots?
Lately I’m basing myself in New York but will always come back to Australia for the summer!
New York is one of the world centres for both film and graffiti so it makes a lot of sense for me right now. I love the dynamism of New York and love the very humbling experience of competing on an international level.
There are so many talented people in New York so getting a foot in the door is very hard but very rewarding.
I also have a soft spot for the Pacific Islands. I think a lot of Australians don’t realise how many amazing places there are only a few hours flight from home, they don’t know that instead of going to Bali with every other tourist they could go to Samoa or the Solomon Islands or Vanuatu and experience amazing culture and some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world.
How do you balance passion projects with projects that are paying the bills? I’m guessing this has merged for you but I know it wouldn’t have always been the case. Any tips for aspiring film-makers trying to make it out there?
I’m actually running some workshops in Australia during my visit about this very topic!
Obviously everyone is very different and there’s so many ways to go about things, and no two people will have the same path. But I do think that one of the pillars of success is really believing in yourself and allowing yourself to take risks and do things that scare you or that might not work. Because that’s when the magic happens.
You just released ‘Martha’. Undeniably one of the key documentarians of early graffiti culture. Tell us about the doco. Where can people watch it?
Yes! “Martha: A Picture Story” is my first feature documentary and follows the life and work of Martha Cooper.
Martha is unique in a few key ways, firstly that she was one of very few professional photographers interested in graffiti in its formative years, so she captured a really important and special moment in the evolution of the art form.
Secondly, she’s still going today – 35 years later, travelling the world and shooting street art.
Photo: NINJA K.
I don’t think any person has witnessed as much graffiti and street art being made than Martha.
And finally, because she’s a woman. Female documentarians are still rare in graffiti these days and were even rarer in the 1970s when she started. So there’s so much interesting material to work with in her personal story.
The film is showing at festivals around the world at the moment and will be out in cinemas in Australia late this year, and early next year for the rest of the world.
You’re in New York at the moment. You mentioned you’re looking for the next project. Are there any dream projects you’ve been wanting to do?
Yes! What I learned from making Martha’s documentary is that anything is possible.
I never thought I would have the means or skills to make a feature, and now that I have, I’m trying to maintain that momentum and ambition and keep looking for projects that are challenging or that push the envelope.
Some ideas are more crazy than others. I find the best thing to do is to write a treatment for all of them, even if you’re the only one that will read it. Writing the treatment is the first step in getting the idea out of your hand and into the world so that others can understand it, and so that you can see if it’s really viable or not.
To see more from Selina Miles you can catch her here:
Instagram – @selinamiles
Website – selinamiles.com/
Youtube – youtube.com/SelinaMilesMedia
Vimeo – vimeo.com/selinamiles
For more information on “Martha: A Picture Story” visit @marthathemovie