Lessons on creativity from Steven Soderbergh
A few super smart lessons from this interview on Charlie Rose with director Steven Soderbergh, screenwriter Scott Z. Burns and Dr. W. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University.
1) When creating something, make a list of things you DON’T want. Helps you avoid cliche’s.
2) Come prepared, but be present in the moment and be poised to adapt. Dr. Lipkin talks about how interesting Soderbergh’s process is and he shares how Soderbergh is really present on set and adapts scenes as he feels them in the moment. Burns has a great quote about Soderbergh’s style as well, “Make the movie on that day and not before.” That is, don’t go in so scripted that you can actually create in the moment.
This is a major insight into getting real authenticity and high results. Too often we get caught up in the process or the end goal that we can’t see outside the plan to realize we need to change course. (This part of the conversation starts at 16:40 in the interview, but gets into it deeper at 20:50).
