Filmmaker Aaron Mull was back visiting his hometown for the premiere of his most recent film. “Squatch,” which Mull directed, opened to a full house at the Golden Belt Cinema 6 on June 8.
Mull’s most recent endeavor is about park rangers relocating a Sasquatch when a tech giant threatens to destroy its natural habitat. The film stars Great Bend locals, Marcus Mull, Lyle Jones, and Aaron Clark.
“We just took it on as basically a passion project, and just decided to do it,” Mull said about the film. “It was all self-funded, and everyone on board were friends of mine. So, it was more of just a fun project.”
The film was shot in a little over a week in Great Bend and on the east coast in North Carolina. The crew operated on a small budget and with heavy coordination between the cast and crew’s full-time jobs.
“We shot 10 days in North Carolina back in last May, and then we shot over Labor Day weekend in Great Bend. We did about a three-and-a-half day shoot for some of the Midwest scenes. Lots of little pickup scenes here and there, inserts and stuff like that, but overall a 10-to 11-day shoot,” Mull said on the production’s length.
Production challenges
A passion for filmmaking is not without its challenges, though, and the filming presented a few to the cast and crew.
“It was difficult. The heat was difficult with Aaron Clark, who was in the Sasquatch suit. That was probably the most difficult thing for him, just not dying every day. But, you know, little things like that we look back on and laugh at now,” Mull said reminiscing.
Before “Squatch,” Mull had made the documentary, “The Dolly Madison Murders,” delving into the background of the unsolved murder case in Great Bend.
“I was nine when it took place, but I remember always seeing the composite sketch all across town. And my grandparents lived right behind there.”
Mull said his goal was to get the story out there to a larger audience and bring awareness to it. Mull talked of the challenges of making a documentary covering such difficult subject matter.
“The tough thing with that is trying to gain the trust of people that you want to interview.”
Future projects
Mull also spoke of future projects and where he aims to take his filmmaking career next.
“I want to do every genre, if I can keep doing these passion projects that kind of help fuel and fund the next one,” Mull said. “It would be really fun to be like, ‘Yeah, I’ve made a horror film, I’ve made a comedy, I’ve made a cheesy, Christmas Hallmark style movie. So, I am eyeing each of them.”
Mull’s next big undertaking in the coming future is a return to the true crime documentary genre.
“I’ve been following another case for the better part of three years that, if it pans out, it’s a little bit more active, but it will be a pretty wild story,” Mull said. “So, I’ve been waiting for life to happen with that case, and that’s kind of why I took on ‘Squatch’.”
Fulltime gig
When he’s not making movies, Mull currently works as a producer for soccer.com, one of the largest retailers for soccer in the country, based out of Hillsboro, North Carolina. “I make commercials with different athletes mainly centered around products.”
“I was out in Rio shooting with Neymar Jr. about a month ago now, which was a cool trip, and got to meet Messi and just all these huge soccer stars.”
Where it started
Mull started his filmmaking journey in his youth making short movies for fun and to put on the internet. What started out as fun, eventually grew into a real passion for the art of film as Mull himself grew into adulthood.
“Just being a young kid with my sister and neighborhood friends running around with my parents’ camera.” “It all happened at the time with YouTube starting up, making a channel, and having the ability to put things out there.”
Mull offered advice for aspiring local artists in Great Bend.
“Just do whatever it is you’re interested in. Even if it’s not filmmaking, any artistic endeavor, just do it wholeheartedly,” Mull encouraged. “If you’re wanting to do filmmaking, run around and make movies, just right there in Great Bend.”
“The Dolly Madison Murders” can be streamed on Plex or Tubi and “Squatch” is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video. To keep up with Mull’s recent projects follow him on Instagram, @aaronmullfilms.
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