The Art of Collaboration: What the Heck Does Building Churches Have to Do with Making Movies?

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Today's missive comes to you from Lovere, Italy, where I’m celebrating my mom's and my son’s birthdays. This trip has given me the opportunity to disconnect for a few and genuinely reflect on what amazes me about this crazy business we've all gotten into and I've found myself with some surprising thoughts.
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During my time here, we visited some breathtaking cathedrals, particularly in Bologna. As someone who doesn’t really go in for organized religion, I was nonetheless struck by the awe-inspiring nature of these churches. Walking into these incredible spaces, it’s easy to see why people have historically found solace, inspiration and awe within their walls.
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What resonated with me the most however was the sheer number of artists and craftspeople involved in actually building these structures. Each cathedral stands as a testament to collaboration—hundreds of skilled individuals came together to create something greater than themselves. In any singular chapel, you might find frescoes painted by 3 or 4 renowned artists, and intricate woodwork and stonework requiring meticulous effort from dozens of extremely skilled craftspeople. In total, the collective effort is palpable.
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Walking thru these spaces I was struck by how it reminded me of the filmmaking process. Like these magnificent churches, a film is a collaborative effort. It takes a diverse group of creatives—writers, directors, actors, cinematographers, and various technicians—working together towards a common goal larger then themselves: to create something that inspires and evokes a feeling, thought, or belief in its intended audience.
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While I would never claim that the thrillers and dark comedies we're developing even vaguely resemble these monumental works of spiritualism and art, both endeavors do aim to elicit something from the people engaging with them.
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I may only be aiming to entertain you for 90 minutes, rather than save your soul from eternal damnation, but there is purpose to that, in this life at least.
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And so while it would be absurd to don the mantle of those that created these amazing heaven bent stone testaments to faith and power, I do see myself (and all the other makers out there) as being part of a long and remarkable creative tradition of collaborators who came together to make something grander than themselves, something whose sum is greater than its individual parts.
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See you back in NYC next week!

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