Sean Baker described his film The Florida Project (2018) as his first industry gig, despite already having directed many others. Even though this film was low-budget compared to most films, it had an industry-standard film crew that was not used to working the way Sean learned. In the DP/30 interview on The Florida Project, Sean described being concerned for his job at one point. He would change things in the middle of filming so much he started to cause part of the crew to wonder if he even knew what he was doing.
The lack of certainty of the outcome caused the most concern in Sean's directing. Sean Baker thrives on being in the moment and going with the flow of things. If something stops feeling organic to the story, he makes a change and goes in a different direction. One can imagine this not being easy to work with. In an industry anchored in milking every ounce of tested IP (intellectual property) and filtering every beat of a story through countless test groups and writers, embracing someone running purely on what feels right in the moment would be difficult. I kid you not; the script for The Florida Project was completely changed halfway through shooting. As he was re-writing, he told one of his crew members, "There's that moment where I think I realize what the movie is about. And it usually takes about halfway through production to realize.”
So, how could one apply this to their filmmaking? Or should one even attempt it? I understand not everyone is a Sean Baker. He can get away with such extreme changes because he is exceptionally talented at what he does and works with micro-budgets compared to most nationally renowned Western filmmakers. But we can certainly take lessons from Sean. His approach is most accepted because his cast and crew get on board. This is likely one of the reasons Sean likes using non-traditional actors in his films. People looking at cinema with fresh eyes are often more willing to try new things, bringing new perspectives and ideas that can transform a project.
While making my documentary Paxson: A Home in Common, I found how important it was to trust one's feelings and be willing to change. Initially, the documentary was supposed to tell a different story, highlighting the world of the oldest client in the house, Forrest. What became apparent was that if I wanted to be true to the story, I would need to change focus. This was about two years into the production, and I must say, having the courage to pivot was one of my life's most difficult creative decisions. Even at the end of the creation process, with my last edit of the documentary, I still struggled to entirely embrace the change of direction the story took, making more cuts of Forrest's footage than any other character. But in the end, it was this trust in my instincts and openness to change that led to the most authentic and powerful story.
This feeling one gets in creative pursuits is not always easy to follow. It requires letting go of one's ego and being willing to explore the unknown. The most crucial factor in being open to your feelings is providing room for your emotions. It is so easy to use a script or a production plan as a way to coast. As a society as a whole, I believe we are often encouraged to bury our personal feelings in pursuit of "getting the job done." But if you see cinema as an art form, as I do, we can never afford to be closed off from this crucial tool of the artist. This heightened awareness of our emotions is what will lead to more authentic and powerful storytelling.
While shooting The Florida Project, Sean Baker was in the middle of a scene when a crew member looked up and saw a rainbow, brilliantly framing the hotel where the story takes place. Though he was shooting a scene at the time, Sean stopped everything as soon as he was informed about the rainbow. Within minutes, he and his crew set up a shot that has become the pinnacle image of the movie: the main character stands with her friend as they watch the rainbow, talking about finding the treasure at the end. This scene came to be because The Florida Project had a whole crew that had bought into Sean Baker's philosophy on filmmaking. They saw an opportunity and went with their feelings, even though it required them to drop everything to capture the moment. This philosophy I am speaking of will not always work and requires a much more tuned-in leader to be successful. The result, however, can be what makes cinema magical.
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