I understand how many people love sharing themselves and their process, but it makes me livid that we don't allow more room for those that don't. My personal life isn't for sale, and I feel like I'm wasting an audience's time with my raw work. I'm desperate to do my best work and find the best way to advocate for that. Honestly, I love adding mystery and "friction" to that process. For me, that feels natural. That feels authentic. When I wrote about the perils of the filmmaker-as-influencer model, I was thinking about this lack of mystique, but felt it was a concept so long discarded it didn't make sense including. So thanks for proving me wrong.
Thank you, Rob. Mystique is both nowhere and everywhere in film marketing - in that contrived way that sometimes works (like with Longlegs) and other times doesn't take. I do think there are good ways to share process, such as spotlighting the contributions of your crew, for example, as someone suggested to me on reddit today. What I don't trust is the constant validation-seeking posts, looking for praise at every mile marker. It's millennial-coded, participation trophy behavior - draining for both the audience and the artist.
If there is one advice I've always hated it was to "share your process". I never was that much interested in anybody's "process" (except the greatest of greats, but even then, it was not that much about "process" and more about craft) that it always baffled me why would anybody be ever interested in mine.
Plus, I've always loved the mystique of the Golden Era of Hollywood - everything felt elevated, dreamy, magical. Now everything has been reduced to mumblecore aesthetics - very unattractive.
And while I am a naturally gregarious person in general, having a somewhat mysterious, elevated, heightened presence feels very appealing to :)
Love this. I long to be mysterious. I wish more people wanted to find their own meaning in art instead of wanting it spoon fed to them through the process and ugh "story" of the work
This was really excellent. If everything is designed to be known and known instantly, what real hope is there for the evolution of human knowledge, human expression, and on and on and on? What you said about the Google search of the term "mystique" is disheartening.
Thanks, Alexander. I believe culture feels stuck / stagnant for exactly the reason you point out. It's a lame, frustrating state of affairs, but I'm hopeful - we can't stay stuck forever.
Is commenting on this post a violation of my mystique? Shall you, dear reader, wonder if i’m typing this on a lake in Uzbekistan or at a foot spa in the Valley?
Excellent piece! I agree 100%. Personally, I have no interest whatsoever in knowing Banksy's identity, for instance. I also find it difficult to believe in some characters when the actors who play them have their lives so exposed. A dose of mystery is so important.
And I will add in 2026 and beyond for filmmakers (or any artist) one of the paths (not the only path) is to create your connection/relationship with your audience before you release your film (creative project) but let’s not mistake that as meaning simply/blindly “sharing your process” via the platforms in an influencer-esque manner. Creating a connection with your audience by being mysterious is 100% one way to do it. And there are many other ways each artist will individually find as their way to connect with their audience.
Thank you, Julian. To be fair, even I'm not 100 percent convinced it's the way to do it, but mystique is "a" way - one that happens to appeal to me, and serves many of the films I love well. One thing we can all perhaps agree on is that the influencer model is tired and played out - we all see through the performative authenticity at this point. Some people enjoy it still, I'm sure, but I'm not one of them, so I'm exploring possible alternatives.
Nice Read, however the thing about today's film making is that as you said, its become so accessible from cameras to editing softwares to publishing to the world (socials) that people want instant dopamine hits and the "build in public" doesn't just come out of nowhere, its because many have achieved great work but they never had an audience to show it to. You can have the greatest magic trick in the world but if there is no one to see or know your name, then its worth nothing.
So it's a very grey area between over sharing and keeping the best for the last, while totally mesmerizing the audience.
Also, this hurts more to indie film makers who do not carry the huge budgets, so they try to do everything to get to as many eyes possible, in a way sharing their journey along the way for the "final act".
Who is right or who is wrong, there is no real answer to it, but yes, the artistic mystique has deifnitely reduced.
I understand how many people love sharing themselves and their process, but it makes me livid that we don't allow more room for those that don't. My personal life isn't for sale, and I feel like I'm wasting an audience's time with my raw work. I'm desperate to do my best work and find the best way to advocate for that. Honestly, I love adding mystery and "friction" to that process. For me, that feels natural. That feels authentic. When I wrote about the perils of the filmmaker-as-influencer model, I was thinking about this lack of mystique, but felt it was a concept so long discarded it didn't make sense including. So thanks for proving me wrong.
Thank you, Rob. Mystique is both nowhere and everywhere in film marketing - in that contrived way that sometimes works (like with Longlegs) and other times doesn't take. I do think there are good ways to share process, such as spotlighting the contributions of your crew, for example, as someone suggested to me on reddit today. What I don't trust is the constant validation-seeking posts, looking for praise at every mile marker. It's millennial-coded, participation trophy behavior - draining for both the audience and the artist.
Well said, and I love the idea of highlighting the whole crew's contributions as a way to both educate and build intrigue.
If there is one advice I've always hated it was to "share your process". I never was that much interested in anybody's "process" (except the greatest of greats, but even then, it was not that much about "process" and more about craft) that it always baffled me why would anybody be ever interested in mine.
Plus, I've always loved the mystique of the Golden Era of Hollywood - everything felt elevated, dreamy, magical. Now everything has been reduced to mumblecore aesthetics - very unattractive.
And while I am a naturally gregarious person in general, having a somewhat mysterious, elevated, heightened presence feels very appealing to :)
So thank you for writing that!
Thank you, Piotr. Here's to all things dreamy and magical!
Love this. I long to be mysterious. I wish more people wanted to find their own meaning in art instead of wanting it spoon fed to them through the process and ugh "story" of the work
The millennials especially. A generation that cannot tolerate ambiguity. Thanks, Hebkid.
This was really excellent. If everything is designed to be known and known instantly, what real hope is there for the evolution of human knowledge, human expression, and on and on and on? What you said about the Google search of the term "mystique" is disheartening.
Thanks, Alexander. I believe culture feels stuck / stagnant for exactly the reason you point out. It's a lame, frustrating state of affairs, but I'm hopeful - we can't stay stuck forever.
Is commenting on this post a violation of my mystique? Shall you, dear reader, wonder if i’m typing this on a lake in Uzbekistan or at a foot spa in the Valley?
Quite the opposite. Your mystique meter just shot through the roof.
Thanks as always and ditto to mystique, especially regarding the process.
A ditto to unexpected beauty, right back at you
Excellent piece! I agree 100%. Personally, I have no interest whatsoever in knowing Banksy's identity, for instance. I also find it difficult to believe in some characters when the actors who play them have their lives so exposed. A dose of mystery is so important.
PS: Where is Shelly? ;)
Where IS Shelly?? That is a mystery.
Really enjoyed this piece!
Thank you, Alessandro!
Agree with you and mystique is 💯🚀
And I will add in 2026 and beyond for filmmakers (or any artist) one of the paths (not the only path) is to create your connection/relationship with your audience before you release your film (creative project) but let’s not mistake that as meaning simply/blindly “sharing your process” via the platforms in an influencer-esque manner. Creating a connection with your audience by being mysterious is 100% one way to do it. And there are many other ways each artist will individually find as their way to connect with their audience.
Thank you, Julian. To be fair, even I'm not 100 percent convinced it's the way to do it, but mystique is "a" way - one that happens to appeal to me, and serves many of the films I love well. One thing we can all perhaps agree on is that the influencer model is tired and played out - we all see through the performative authenticity at this point. Some people enjoy it still, I'm sure, but I'm not one of them, so I'm exploring possible alternatives.
Nice Read, however the thing about today's film making is that as you said, its become so accessible from cameras to editing softwares to publishing to the world (socials) that people want instant dopamine hits and the "build in public" doesn't just come out of nowhere, its because many have achieved great work but they never had an audience to show it to. You can have the greatest magic trick in the world but if there is no one to see or know your name, then its worth nothing.
So it's a very grey area between over sharing and keeping the best for the last, while totally mesmerizing the audience.
Also, this hurts more to indie film makers who do not carry the huge budgets, so they try to do everything to get to as many eyes possible, in a way sharing their journey along the way for the "final act".
Who is right or who is wrong, there is no real answer to it, but yes, the artistic mystique has deifnitely reduced.
Have a good one.