This really moved me. Thank you for seeing not just the film, but the grief, the chaos, the reach. I made One Sweet Night during one of the hardest seasons of my life, and your words reminded me that honesty—real, uncomfortable honesty—can still find a home. You didn’t just watch the film; you met it where it lives. I gotta share this essay and talk more about it. but for now, just thank you. This is the kind of response that makes the whole brutal process feel worth it.
It was my honor to sit with both One Sweet Night and your story to write this piece. It really helped unlock my perspective on filmmaking and its 'messiness' in so many ways. You're a wonderful artist and I'm so inspired by your honesty. Thank you for your lovely words ♥️
When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait until my favorite movies/seasons of TV shows were released on DVD so I could see what kind of cast/crew commentaries were featured. I really miss that.
I think this also speaks so beautifully to the phenomenon of films being their own, completely independent organisms beyond the whims or visions of its hundreds of collaborators; faults and features all coalescing into matter-of-fact components, perfect for interpretation and reinterpretation.
I was listening to a podcast not too long ago (Intentionally Blank w/ Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells), and they were discussing Mary Poppins. Specifically, they were discussing Dick Van Dyke's character Bert, and how Van Dyke put on a notoriously awful British accent for the role. But then one of them suggested that the bad accent could be read as Bert, the character, only pretending to be being British, which is an interpretation that 100% works while also opening the door for similar diverse, enriching readings of Mary Poppins.
Artistic intent is important, of course, but we'd be wise to not forget about the role that accidents/the final, imperfect manifestation of a film also play in activating the polycameral potential of the mind and soul, which, in essence, is the one goal that I'd argue all films share. I think taking solace in that will be part of the great filmic healing.
This reminds me that just making and finishing a film is itself a miracle. Making it a good, or even great, film is just the icing on the cake. Because that requires a second miracle.
I’m about halfway though, this is such a good read. Very well crafted and dope quotable here. This is the type of analysis that inspires artist to create! And of course this also enriches my own viewing of One Sweet Night. 🙏🏽
welp Sophie I managed to hold it together until the very end of this and then the tears came. just like your Jeremy Strong/ Kieran Culkin piece, I feel seen in a way that almost makes me feel naked - not objectified - but that beautiful space when vulnerability is accepted with the kind of tenderness that transforms you or at least gives the person a newfound strength to keep going because they know at least one person "gets it." I can relate to Andrew's story so much. And it has increased my longing for a world where stories like this are not only known but championed. Where it is common for what you and Ira Glass call "the gap" to be a public part of the artist's journey so that when triumph is achieved - when a work of art delivered - it is not just us, artists, that celebrate. A couple years ago I was part of a short film that had its own costly shortcomings (about 40k worth) - a month after its humble festival "circuit" - the director and I grabbed a coffee and while discussing another project, we briefly came to the same conclusion about our first one together - we focused on the wrong actor. It was a story we had both helped cowrite but was clearly in the somewhat needy hands of one of the actors who called the piece - "a vanity project." Trust me when I say there was nothing about the story that should be looked at through the lens of vanity. It was a heavy subject cobbled together right outside the periphery of a global pandemic and it was more or less based on a "true story" at that. But none of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth as I learned SO MUCH as a storyteller, an actor, a screenwriter, and a producer. In fact I wish all artists a chance to fail - to fail big. Because it is in that failure you strengthen your resolve to make sure that next time - you soar.
TAYLOR!! So so so grateful for your openness and vulnerability and for sharing this story with us. This is exactly the type of stories we need. You're an absolute gem and gift to us all!
okay now you're just trying to make me cry more lol. this post definitely got me in my feelings and I'm excited to see what thoughts in essay form come from it.
I have struggled with speaking of my art with friends, family, coworkers and so on. The irony is that artists should speak with passion about their work but the environment wasn’t always conducive for an everyday artist to climb the ladder of routine. When the internet exploded and we got all these apps it’s truly opened the doors for us to be honest about the work we make, the mistake along the way and the honest parts of human nature that make our projects a reality. Unfortunately, and I believe evolutionarily, we haven’t really grasped that the old way of Hollywood filmmakers holding back the truth behind their work are going faster than we can digest.
What I love most about your essay is how concise you share this new eternal truth—we can be honest with each other about work we love. That transparency and authenticity the younger generations value is the new way. Getting others interested in your work is a way for your work to be better understood, digested and given the opportunity to stand the test of time.
Much like this essay, which I do believe will stand the test of time.
This was beautiful. Thank you for helping save cinema!
Wow I was just having a conversation this afternoon about this very subject. We were discussing the turmoil of making a movie (short or feature) the post-production malaise, the self-loathing. The hopelessness. How we've changed since our film school days to now. But also realizing that this business has this outward facing image about success, and "making it", what that is supposed to look like. It seems that showing and analyzing the process is a welcome part of the public discourse now. I'm new to Substack so I had thought of doing a post on Substack about my experiences with the process since I was in film school over 20 years ago, to now. It would probably sound like a therapy session. This is a long-winded way to say thank you and appreciate the candor of this post. Definitely feel seen.
I shot my first feature for $4k without a crew. I also did all the post. Both picture and sound. The whole thing took almost a year and a half. It's festival run will end in August.
Thank you so much for such an insightful and understanding essay Sophie. And the acknowledgement that this is a brutal and anxiety-inducing vocation and that that's ok!
This is excellent Sophie - thank you so much for such an insightful and understanding essay. It is crazy how much doubt we can feel as filmmakers and also I appreciate the acknowledgement that this is a brutal and anxiety-inducing vocation and that's ok!
Such a brilliant post – so many great points, it was a joy to read. I feel like overall people tend to expect life to unfold like a simple narrative and that what we are served in the film industry too; if you do your best, you will succeed, get what you want, move from one step to another. The parts not fitting the narrative are just wiped away. Life is much more complex, and art can and should challenge us.
Obsessing over (the outside perception of) wins and losses at the end of a creative journey kills our ability to see the art and the artist. Really enjoyed this. Thank you. A love letter to creators, but also a challenge to the rest of us to exit paradigms that don't get us any closer to sustainably championing creativity and great art.
This really moved me. Thank you for seeing not just the film, but the grief, the chaos, the reach. I made One Sweet Night during one of the hardest seasons of my life, and your words reminded me that honesty—real, uncomfortable honesty—can still find a home. You didn’t just watch the film; you met it where it lives. I gotta share this essay and talk more about it. but for now, just thank you. This is the kind of response that makes the whole brutal process feel worth it.
It was my honor to sit with both One Sweet Night and your story to write this piece. It really helped unlock my perspective on filmmaking and its 'messiness' in so many ways. You're a wonderful artist and I'm so inspired by your honesty. Thank you for your lovely words ♥️
you elevate film criticism and industry knowledge into an art with how you write about both and this piece really blew my mind.
This is exactly what I was trying to say! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. ♥️
i loved this essay so much.
When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait until my favorite movies/seasons of TV shows were released on DVD so I could see what kind of cast/crew commentaries were featured. I really miss that.
Same, Robin!!
I think this also speaks so beautifully to the phenomenon of films being their own, completely independent organisms beyond the whims or visions of its hundreds of collaborators; faults and features all coalescing into matter-of-fact components, perfect for interpretation and reinterpretation.
I was listening to a podcast not too long ago (Intentionally Blank w/ Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells), and they were discussing Mary Poppins. Specifically, they were discussing Dick Van Dyke's character Bert, and how Van Dyke put on a notoriously awful British accent for the role. But then one of them suggested that the bad accent could be read as Bert, the character, only pretending to be being British, which is an interpretation that 100% works while also opening the door for similar diverse, enriching readings of Mary Poppins.
Artistic intent is important, of course, but we'd be wise to not forget about the role that accidents/the final, imperfect manifestation of a film also play in activating the polycameral potential of the mind and soul, which, in essence, is the one goal that I'd argue all films share. I think taking solace in that will be part of the great filmic healing.
This reminds me that just making and finishing a film is itself a miracle. Making it a good, or even great, film is just the icing on the cake. Because that requires a second miracle.
Oh my goodness YES!!! One tiny thing can literally detail the whole project.
I’m about halfway though, this is such a good read. Very well crafted and dope quotable here. This is the type of analysis that inspires artist to create! And of course this also enriches my own viewing of One Sweet Night. 🙏🏽
Thank you so much Miguel!!
🙏🏽, of course! Excellent work.
welp Sophie I managed to hold it together until the very end of this and then the tears came. just like your Jeremy Strong/ Kieran Culkin piece, I feel seen in a way that almost makes me feel naked - not objectified - but that beautiful space when vulnerability is accepted with the kind of tenderness that transforms you or at least gives the person a newfound strength to keep going because they know at least one person "gets it." I can relate to Andrew's story so much. And it has increased my longing for a world where stories like this are not only known but championed. Where it is common for what you and Ira Glass call "the gap" to be a public part of the artist's journey so that when triumph is achieved - when a work of art delivered - it is not just us, artists, that celebrate. A couple years ago I was part of a short film that had its own costly shortcomings (about 40k worth) - a month after its humble festival "circuit" - the director and I grabbed a coffee and while discussing another project, we briefly came to the same conclusion about our first one together - we focused on the wrong actor. It was a story we had both helped cowrite but was clearly in the somewhat needy hands of one of the actors who called the piece - "a vanity project." Trust me when I say there was nothing about the story that should be looked at through the lens of vanity. It was a heavy subject cobbled together right outside the periphery of a global pandemic and it was more or less based on a "true story" at that. But none of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth as I learned SO MUCH as a storyteller, an actor, a screenwriter, and a producer. In fact I wish all artists a chance to fail - to fail big. Because it is in that failure you strengthen your resolve to make sure that next time - you soar.
TAYLOR!! So so so grateful for your openness and vulnerability and for sharing this story with us. This is exactly the type of stories we need. You're an absolute gem and gift to us all!
okay now you're just trying to make me cry more lol. this post definitely got me in my feelings and I'm excited to see what thoughts in essay form come from it.
That Oscar speech hit me at the right age growing up and has meant so much to me ever since.
BOBBY SAME!!!
I have struggled with speaking of my art with friends, family, coworkers and so on. The irony is that artists should speak with passion about their work but the environment wasn’t always conducive for an everyday artist to climb the ladder of routine. When the internet exploded and we got all these apps it’s truly opened the doors for us to be honest about the work we make, the mistake along the way and the honest parts of human nature that make our projects a reality. Unfortunately, and I believe evolutionarily, we haven’t really grasped that the old way of Hollywood filmmakers holding back the truth behind their work are going faster than we can digest.
What I love most about your essay is how concise you share this new eternal truth—we can be honest with each other about work we love. That transparency and authenticity the younger generations value is the new way. Getting others interested in your work is a way for your work to be better understood, digested and given the opportunity to stand the test of time.
Much like this essay, which I do believe will stand the test of time.
This was beautiful. Thank you for helping save cinema!
Ivan, this made me emotional - thank you 🥺🥺
Wow I was just having a conversation this afternoon about this very subject. We were discussing the turmoil of making a movie (short or feature) the post-production malaise, the self-loathing. The hopelessness. How we've changed since our film school days to now. But also realizing that this business has this outward facing image about success, and "making it", what that is supposed to look like. It seems that showing and analyzing the process is a welcome part of the public discourse now. I'm new to Substack so I had thought of doing a post on Substack about my experiences with the process since I was in film school over 20 years ago, to now. It would probably sound like a therapy session. This is a long-winded way to say thank you and appreciate the candor of this post. Definitely feel seen.
Thank you so much for sharing!! I think starting a Substack to let this all out would be wonderful. We need more of these stories.
I shot my first feature for $4k without a crew. I also did all the post. Both picture and sound. The whole thing took almost a year and a half. It's festival run will end in August.
Thank you so much for such an insightful and understanding essay Sophie. And the acknowledgement that this is a brutal and anxiety-inducing vocation and that that's ok!
This is excellent Sophie - thank you so much for such an insightful and understanding essay. It is crazy how much doubt we can feel as filmmakers and also I appreciate the acknowledgement that this is a brutal and anxiety-inducing vocation and that's ok!
My absolute pleasure, Poppy ❤️
Such a brilliant post – so many great points, it was a joy to read. I feel like overall people tend to expect life to unfold like a simple narrative and that what we are served in the film industry too; if you do your best, you will succeed, get what you want, move from one step to another. The parts not fitting the narrative are just wiped away. Life is much more complex, and art can and should challenge us.
Obsessing over (the outside perception of) wins and losses at the end of a creative journey kills our ability to see the art and the artist. Really enjoyed this. Thank you. A love letter to creators, but also a challenge to the rest of us to exit paradigms that don't get us any closer to sustainably championing creativity and great art.
Beautifully said, Rose ♥️ Thank you!