Ad content continues below
Bradford Young: Ha ha, thats great.
Well as the human being reading it, there was a lot to anchor myself into, you know.
The material got me quick.
Im a real fan.
When you got together with Denis what were those discussions like?
When we first got together it was real just human.
Yeah, Ive got kids.
All those basic questions.
What kind of films do you like?
What are you into?
We had references, I was using (photographer) Martina Hoogland Ivanow as one of the big references.
Her book,Speedway, is a big reference to the film.
I think really what it was, was that bridge between the mundane and the spectacular.
Really just celebrating the ordinary, celebrating life.
What did you not want to do?
I mean they are brilliant.
There is not a better genre.
That is a great thing.
I still wanted to make a human drama.
Its about Louise and in that I feel like I have something to offer.
When you talk about human stories, I can really offer something.
I think thats really what Denis wanted.
Thats really what he inoculated me with.
Can you talk about the way you work on set?
In this case I was a newcomer to that collaboration.
Patrice and Denis have had an ongoing relationship for years.
We knew that quickly, that that was going to be okay.
It is our job to bring the nuance to the broad strokes.
It was very collaborative, we were all headed in the same direction.
Once we started going in that direction we refuse to let one another derail the process.
Thats not going to happen in the collaborative process where we are all invested in the same thing.
More importantly, we are all invested in Denis.
Yeah, I mean, that ship was an ashram.
That ship was a temple.
I think everything outside of the ship has a very medium gray feel to it.
It was just sort of ordinary and it exists with this hanging presence.
You are not sure whats going to happen.
I think I had to draw the connection between physical light and the light of extended consciousness.
It was really important for us to allow the audience to have that same feeling.
The audience had to feel the same relief.
That is probably what we were trying to do.
Im a person that loves incandescent lighting.
Im a person that loves incandescent lights, so LEDs always seemed very disingenuous.
That was a big revelation for me.
Im incorporating all into everything Im doing now.
(Laughs) I love the way you started that question, man.
Yeah, its at that level, man.
The matrix is upon us.
Yeah, we have had some real interesting discussions.
Theyre asking me to take that to the next level.
Hats off to them, a lot of respect for them.
These guys know exactly what they want.
The look of the film is going to be very interesting.
We are breaking a lot of rules.
At least for this film for sure.
Is that like a bucket list thing now, to have aStar Warsmovie on your resume?
No, Ill be honest, it wasnt.
Im happy with where its headed.
I feel like I made the right choice.
I feel like this is supposed to happen and Im rolling with it.
Im in some really, really very generous company with some generous filmmakers.
Speaking of bucket lists, is directing on your list?
Is that something you want to get into yourself at some point?
I do not have that in my bones.
That is for very special people.
I feel like Im trying to straddle both of those worlds, the art world and the film world.
But in terms of directing in its own context, no interest.
Thats honest enough and we will leave it right there.
Arrivalis in theaters on Friday (November 11).
