I really agree with your take on why some filmmakers choose to share their process.
As someone who was psychologically drawn to a career built around being the invisible thread holding a project together - aka the producer- I had to push myself to join Substack and document my journey toward making a feature. It definitely pushed against a growth edge, but doing it within a community has been incredibly valuable.
I’ve always admired Virgil Abloh’s approach to sharing his process - there was a generosity to it, an understanding that transparency could actually inspire others. I’m not interested in sharing everything, but I do think there’s something meaningful about opening up parts of the process, especially the emotional side.
As much as I’m drawn to mystique, a lack of transparency can sometimes feel a bit old guard-and at times, it’s been a way of keeping people out. To me, thoughtful transparency isn’t about visibility for its own sake-it’s about access. It shows other filmmakers and producers what’s possible, and opens the door a bit wider.
Agree that the line between “mystique” and gatekeeping is thin and faint. I also like hearing about other’s processes! Appreciate this thoughtful response and you.
I love this post, your dialogue with Alex Rollins Berg’s post, and his comment here, too! I think the process sharing posts that really resonate with me are the ones that are vulnerable and help us feel less alone about our own challenges and experiences. It feels encouraging and educational. And generous, as Victoria Michelle Miller said. Anyway, I love this piece of writing and also the way folks are engaging with it in the comments.
Thank you for this eloquent description of your process. I am in a similar boat (with the exception of motherhood. As a dad of a 31 and a 28 year old, my perspective has shifted) and just did a similar post, yet nowhere near as insightful as yours. Good luck with your film!!
I love everything about this! And I’m always down to help create a space for baby making artists to unpack all the things around motherhood— the blessings, the curses, good/bad/ugly.
Love this, Emily! It's true, there are no rules in this crazy liquid landscape - it's all spaghetti, as you hilariously say. I like what Victoria notes here about "generosity" being a key component.
So much of my POV is tangled up in my own contrarianism, the fact that I was born in the 80s, and therefore remember a world before the internet, and that I have witnessed the depletion of mystique in favor of soulless metrics and oversharing. I'm happy that smart, thoughtful artists like yourself and others are engaging in the convo. I hope it leads us to a balanced middle ground - one that blends the best of the old world and the new.
Balance is the goal, I agree! A friend with an admiral worldview once described millennials as “a magical bridge from the past to the future.” As a fellow 80s baby, it’s hard to see our context in the current world with such optimism — but something to aim for!!
I really agree with your take on why some filmmakers choose to share their process.
As someone who was psychologically drawn to a career built around being the invisible thread holding a project together - aka the producer- I had to push myself to join Substack and document my journey toward making a feature. It definitely pushed against a growth edge, but doing it within a community has been incredibly valuable.
I’ve always admired Virgil Abloh’s approach to sharing his process - there was a generosity to it, an understanding that transparency could actually inspire others. I’m not interested in sharing everything, but I do think there’s something meaningful about opening up parts of the process, especially the emotional side.
As much as I’m drawn to mystique, a lack of transparency can sometimes feel a bit old guard-and at times, it’s been a way of keeping people out. To me, thoughtful transparency isn’t about visibility for its own sake-it’s about access. It shows other filmmakers and producers what’s possible, and opens the door a bit wider.
Agree that the line between “mystique” and gatekeeping is thin and faint. I also like hearing about other’s processes! Appreciate this thoughtful response and you.
I love this post, your dialogue with Alex Rollins Berg’s post, and his comment here, too! I think the process sharing posts that really resonate with me are the ones that are vulnerable and help us feel less alone about our own challenges and experiences. It feels encouraging and educational. And generous, as Victoria Michelle Miller said. Anyway, I love this piece of writing and also the way folks are engaging with it in the comments.
Thank you for this lovely contribution :)
Thank you for this eloquent description of your process. I am in a similar boat (with the exception of motherhood. As a dad of a 31 and a 28 year old, my perspective has shifted) and just did a similar post, yet nowhere near as insightful as yours. Good luck with your film!!
Oh I’ll check that out soon! Thanks for reading, Michael
I love everything about this! And I’m always down to help create a space for baby making artists to unpack all the things around motherhood— the blessings, the curses, good/bad/ugly.
Yes!!!! Thanks for leading the way, Brooke
Love this, Emily! It's true, there are no rules in this crazy liquid landscape - it's all spaghetti, as you hilariously say. I like what Victoria notes here about "generosity" being a key component.
So much of my POV is tangled up in my own contrarianism, the fact that I was born in the 80s, and therefore remember a world before the internet, and that I have witnessed the depletion of mystique in favor of soulless metrics and oversharing. I'm happy that smart, thoughtful artists like yourself and others are engaging in the convo. I hope it leads us to a balanced middle ground - one that blends the best of the old world and the new.
Balance is the goal, I agree! A friend with an admiral worldview once described millennials as “a magical bridge from the past to the future.” As a fellow 80s baby, it’s hard to see our context in the current world with such optimism — but something to aim for!!