STEP BY STEP
By Chris Tocchet
I have never been very talkative or outgoing but listening to people’s stories and experiences have always fascinated me. Understanding how people live their lives, make the decisions they do, and carry themselves through difficult situations is remarkable to me because it’s so different for everyone. Distinct human behavior is what I find most interesting – how two people given the same circumstances can have two completely different stories.
I grew up in a creative household. My dad is an illustrator and currently the Director of the School of Design at the University of the Arts. My mom is a graphic designer who has worked with some pretty big household names like M&M’s and Campbell’s Soup. Saying I have some big shoes to fill is an understatement.
My passion for photography began when I was eight-years-old. My dad got me a small point-and-shoot camera for Christmas. From that point on I was taking pictures of everything – school trips to family vacations – I have it all. Not too long after that, I wanted more technically and creatively. I upgraded to an entry level DSLR that also had video capabilities. While this wasn’t the reason I got the camera, it would soon become the main reason I picked it up.
Throughout my childhood, high school and even now in college, soccer has also been a huge part of my life. My passion for film had me recording things that I loved and knew. Early on, I started making videos of myself playing soccer – shooting, juggling, dribbling, and celebrating goals! While these videos of myself were fun, I realized I wanted to do more. I wanted to tell stories about people I was interested in, to get in deeper to understand them, but I also wanted anyone who looked at my films to relate to the stories and enjoy the experiences with me. This is when I became interested in documentary filmmaking.
I love being able to tell someone’s story, show what makes them unique, and reveal who they are from a new perspective. Sometimes the process leads to stories I wasn’t aware of before I started the project. I have become extremely passionate about this kind of filmmaking and want to continue working in this format and seeing where it takes me.
With this Internship at JTWO, I hope to develop my passions further, learning and collaborating from the creative people all around me and leaving my mark on the projects we work on.
This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.