Chloé Zhao reflects on career during Dodge College Master Class
The acclaimed director visited the Folino Theater for a Master Class where she discussed her career as a filmmaker and the making of her Oscar-winning feature “Nomadland.” Photos courtesy of Gustavo V
In Chloé Zhao’s experience, crafting a film doesn’t always involve elaborately-designed productions and nuanced planning. Sometimes, determining a take is as simple as seeing how someone responds to being filmed on an iPhone.
In her Academy Award-winning film “Nomadland,” Zhao utilized non-professional actors to surround the film’s star, Frances McDormand, who plays a widow-turned-nomad named Fern. In doing so, McDormand would improvise quick, on-the-spot responses to what her non-professional scene counterparts would provide, with Zhao determining which non-professional actors would be suitable for a scene based on how they responded to being filmed on an iPhone.
Such an anecdote was provided when, on Oct. 20, following a screening of “Nomadland” in Dodge College’s Folino Theater, Zhao participated in a Master Class with Chapman students, faculty and guests. Throughout the conversation, the filmmaker detailed her journey of becoming a successful filmmaker and the productions of some of her biggest features.
These unique experiences were long leaps from the director’s original consideration of becoming a manga artist. While storytelling became a passion of Zhao’s, her realization of her filmmaking career becoming a reality didn’t fully hit her until she began working on sets at New York University. Echoing a sentiment all Dodge College students surely have heard before, Zhao described that one’s film school classmates will act as one’s first collaborators.
“Those people are going to be the ones you know from the beginning,” Zhao said. “Really, really cultivate those friendships.”
During her discussion, Zhao emphasized both the importance of making films personal and having a clear passion for a project and, additionally, looking at how a piece of one’s work can be approachable by others. When making “Nomadland,” Zhao reasoned that audiences seeing a high-profile actor like McDormand in situations they had never seen her in before would provide an interesting draw to the film’s story.
“You kind of have to ask yourselves, ‘Why would anyone come watch my movie?’” Zhao said. “Yes, your passion’s important…but you have to think about how you can capture someone with one logline, one image.”
“You kind of have to ask yourselves, ‘Why would anyone come watch my movie?’ Yes, your passion’s important…but you have to think about how you can capture someone with one logline, one image.”
Following “Nomadland,” Zhao directed the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Eternals.” As a superhero film, it marks a sharp career shift from the realistic and dramatic “Nomadland.” To Zhao, both genres are of equal importance and passion, even commenting that the divide between the two cinematic genres is “silly.” In fact, the director mentioned that her favorite film character is Darth Vader.
“I’ve always wanted to make fantasy, sci-fi films…,” Zhao said. “I treat them equally, with the same kind of reverence, as I do ‘Nomadland.’”
Zhao’s advice during her conversation was partly directed towards the non-necessity of extensive preparation. While the filmmaker advised knowing the contexts of scenes and engaging in some background work, Zhao highlighted saving extensive planning for later into a film’s production. Compared to shots that are planned and anticipated, any spontaneous or unplanned developments occurring during a take are always more magical, according to Zhao.
The director’s advice surrounding “Nomadland” stood out to students the most, including the director’s iPhone experiment story, which resonated with first-year graduate film production student Tim Tsai, who enjoyed seeing Zhao provide valuable advice and answer student questions.
“(The Master Class was) such a great chance to learn more about how to work with non-actors,” Tsai said. “I think she gave some really good tips about using iPhones and seeing who’s flinching and who’s not. It’s great getting to know that. I think it can be helpful in the future.”
Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Master Classes are available to all Chapman students and alumni. Seats are available either on a first-come, first-served basis or by lottery system, depending on the Master Class. Dates, times, upcoming guests and additional information can be found in the lobby of Marion Knott Studios or on theDodge College Instagram account.