Caddo Lake Directors Talk Working With M.Night Shyamalan

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Caddo Lake Directors Talk Working With M.Night Shyamalan

As I delve into the captivating world of filmmaking, I find myself utterly enamored with the wisdom and insights shared by the visionary M. Night Shyamalan and his dedicated collaborators. The passion and dedication to crafting an unforgettable audience experience that these artists exhibit is nothing short of inspiring.

This article contains major spoilers for
Caddo Lake
.

The recently released “Caddo Lake” is a captivating sci-fi thriller, masterfully directed by one of the genre’s legends, M. Night Shyamalan. Currently streaming on Max, it weaves together two seemingly unrelated narratives, connecting them with the trademark twists and turns that fans of M. Night have grown to love. Perfectly timed for the Halloween season, “Caddo Lake” offers a tantalizing blend of mystery and intrigue for sci-fi enthusiasts.

Game Rant recently conversed with directors Celine Held and Logan George of ‘Caddo Lake’, delving into various aspects of the film. They shared insights on their collaboration with M. Night Shyamalan, capturing scenes at the lake locale, and hinted at potential future endeavors. For the sake of clarity and conciseness, this conversation has been condensed.

Caddo Lake’s Directors on Coming Up With the Movie’s Concept

Q: How did you come up with a concept for Caddo Lake?

Origin: The inspiration for this project stemmed from a photo I discovered on Reddit featuring Caddo Lake. In May 2020, we were residing in a tiny studio apartment and yearned for a change of scenery due to the photo’s captivating allure. We found ourselves compelled to visit it personally, as it seemed otherworldly and offered an environment ripe for cinematic exploration unlike any we had encountered before. During that time, our discussions often centered around our parents due to the pandemic, which made us reflect on parental relationships in general. Given our inability to physically embrace them during those challenging times, we were reminded of the profound impact parents have on our lives.

George: In 2019, my mother passed away. Celine shared some conversations she had with her, these extended chats filled with stories from my mother’s life. I discovered that there were some of those tales I hadn’t heard myself. It was as if I were listening to a different person, which sparked a question for us: How well do you truly know your parents? They’ve led lives full of experiences that remain largely unknown to us, making us ponder the vastness of what we don’t know about one of our most personal relationships. This could be anyone who raised us – it might be your mom, dad, or chosen family.

We found a sense of something with this lake as our base; we spent numerous days out on it, living there for roughly two to three months while working on our script draft. During that time, we often got disoriented and felt lost. We were using small kayaks and heard tales from locals who lived near the lake about how easily one could get lost.

On certain islands, some individuals find themselves stranded until dawn because they can’t locate their way back. There was an area around this lake that seemed to confound us, as we struggled to understand it. It was filled with mysteries, like its hidden paths and turns. We often compared it to the enigmatic aspects of our parents’ lives we had briefly explored earlier.

A: How does it feel collaborating as co-directors? Do you each handle distinct tasks, or is all work shared equally?

In my opinion, This setup enables us to be completely ready for any scenario. Questions like “Why is the camera positioned there?” or “What’s the purpose behind that dialogue line?” might arise occasionally, and yes, disagreements can happen too. However, this process effectively ensures that everyone involved aligns their thoughts and ideas.

Working independently as a director can be challenging, but discussing our ideas together greatly assists us. Ideally, during filming, I’d dash to our Director of Photography while you sprint to the actors, ensuring we communicate the same instructions. This shared understanding results in a unified vision and helps us achieve alignment. However, it’s not just about having a clear plan – the flexibility to seize those spontaneous moments that add magic to the movie-making process is equally crucial, making each production exciting.

George often observes distinct elements or has varying interests in a shot or scene, necessitating frequent prioritization. When we yell “cut,” it’s almost unnecessary to discuss further; we both understand the outcome. Writing follows a similar pattern. By the end of drafting a script, there is no uncertainty about who authored which scene because it has been exchanged and bounced between us so many times.

Shooting On Location in Caddo Lake

Q: Did the movie’s plot deviate much from the original script as you were filming?

In the original version, it’s stated that changes were indeed made. Many aspects that come to mind now are elements that underwent adjustments during post-production, and we managed to modify them through additional filming. To illustrate, consider the scene where Ellie dashes out to the dock only to discover the boat is gone, leading to a heated exchange with Daniel. Originally, it was raining in this scene.

We discovered it wouldn’t drizzle, so we had to capture footage during those dry spells. Another aspect that evolved as filming progressed was the depth of Daniel and Ellie’s bond. It grew so intense on set that we felt compelled to include a scene to conclude their relationship. This additional scene was shot later, as it significantly altered the direction of Ellie’s character arc.

George: The weather had us completely at its mercy, given that most of the movie was shot on the lake. As our team worked, we transformed various locations due to us trudging through the swampland and the actors treading in a specific area, stirring up plenty of mud. What began as shallow water soon became two to three feet of thick, unyielding mud. By take six, it had become almost impossible to move as we did during take one.

During production, there was a significant amount of spontaneity when setting up certain scenes. Originally, we intended to film these scenes as planned, but by the fourth day, due to unexpected weather conditions, the entire location transformed into a mud pit. This forced us to rethink our approach to filming the scene. Additionally, we provide our actors with a fair degree of freedom when interpreting their lines. We don’t cling tightly to specific dialogue. As long as the core message of each scene is conveyed and it feels genuine from one moment to the next, we are open to script alterations based on the dynamic of each scene. If the dialogue doesn’t seem authentic, we revise it accordingly.

Caddo Lake’s Payoff Should Feel Satisfying for Audiences

As a passionate film enthusiast, I’ve always wondered about the intricate process of crafting a captivating narrative. In the act of constructing a movie like this masterpiece, what techniques do you employ to determine how much of the story should be revealed and how much should be left for viewers to unravel on their own?

George: Essentially, it’s quite personal and open-ended, allowing viewers to have their own ‘aha’ moments. The core surprise of the plot and the way the characters intertwine was a careful balance. We didn’t want the audience to feel deceived or as if we were withholding information once they figured out the twist.

As a devoted spectator, I believe our strategy was to expose as much as we could while maintaining a keen awareness of the amount of information revealed in each character’s narrative arc. The goal was to create an experience that felt like a rewarding epiphany rather than a revelation beyond reach. Instead of leaving you thinking, “I never had a chance to solve this,” it should have been more like, “I saw those clues all along, and now I’m fitting the puzzle pieces together.

Informed: Logan and I crossed paths at NYU quite some time back. His exposure to a course on game design significantly impacted the creation of this script, as seen in Celeste’s red hair. Interestingly, both actresses who portrayed her at different stages, Diana Hopper and Lauren Amber, sport red hair. This was a point of discussion frequently due to Logan’s concern that we might be giving away too much from the start.

George: The concept is similar to playing a video game. You want to believe that, armed with all the necessary information provided by the game, you as the player could successfully perform that jump. If you don’t manage it, it’s your fault, not the game’s. I believe this sense of control can also be experienced when watching a movie’s story unfold.

Working With M. Night Shyamalan

Q: What was it like working with M. Night Shyamalan, who produced the movie?

Night: The night has been nothing short of remarkable since the very start. He went through the script numerous times. Our roots lie in independent filmmaking, and I don’t think we’ll ever outgrow that, it’s part of our identity, but he read it, and he said that his producer, Ashwin, had also read it, yet Ashwin didn’t quite grasp it. Night was instrumental in ensuring that the audience could empathize with our characters and comprehend the major surprises. He likened it to performing a quadruple black flip of twists. If the audience only witnessed a fragment of that, they would merely see one flip.

George: He made clear that earning credit for pulling off a quadruple flip instead of just a simple one is important. Therefore, he allows the audience the necessary space and time to fully appreciate all the surprises and turns. He’s exceptionally eloquent, particularly during post-production. He can swiftly identify an issue and rectify it. Above all, he values the audience’s enjoyment of the movie. Unlike some filmmakers who might say, “This is my film, take it or leave it,” George is different. He seems to want every viewer watching his film to have the most emotionally rewarding, enjoyable experience possible.

In our production, there was one aspect that we were particularly passionate about preserving as significant within the narrative. Upon examining M. Night Shyamalan’s body of work, it’s rare to find a singular force orchestrating the twists. We aspired for Caddo Lake to emulate this pattern. This family finds themselves ensnared in something extraordinary, and we intentionally chose not to elaborate on its mechanics because they are irrelevant to the tale. This was an area where Night and I engaged in numerous discussions about whether to introduce a character or an external force driving these events.

George: In the end, we found it was moving the narrative too far from the emotional aspect, which we noticed at the script stage. It always seemed almost irrelevant. Instead, we aimed to emphasize the concept that these characters are simply carried away into a different realm.

Q: What is your biggest takeaway from working with M. Night Shyamalan?

The statement conveys that there are numerous insightful points he made which will remain etched in our memory. One such point is his ‘face up, face down’ metaphor. To explain, using the movie The Sixth Sense as an illustration, face up represents “I see dead people,” and face down signifies that Bruce Willis’ character was actually deceased. Although we didn’t fully understand this in the film, we plan to incorporate it significantly in our future work. Additionally, we discovered through testing screenings of this movie that Night values the audience’s perspective immensely, which is a lesson we will carry forward with us.

George: What I appreciate most about him is his readiness to adapt when necessary. He’s not hesitant to alter things that require change, which is a positive trait. This renowned filmmaker, who essentially functions as a mastermind, intriguing to witness, even though he sometimes repeats the same mistakes, acknowledging that certain strategies aren’t effective… observing these adjustments in real-time was genuinely entertaining.

Q: What’s next for you both? Are there any details of upcoming projects you can share?

Currently engaged: At present, we’re juggling several exciting projects. One of them is our upcoming feature film, while another passion project involves exploring unique locations.

Our debut movie, titled Topside, is set deep within the labyrinth of tunnels beneath New York City. In contrast, our second production, Caddo Lake, unfolds in the enchanting waters of a lake that captured our hearts. For our third creation, we’ve developed an unusual fascination with mines. More specifically, we stumbled upon this specific mine, which has inspired us to craft a tale within its depths. It seems like we are intentionally challenging ourselves to make filming more challenging for our cast and crew. Who knows, one day we might even take on a project set on Mars!

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Caddo Lake is streaming now on Max.

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2024-10-18 13:25