SXSW Interview: “The Way We Get By” Director Aron Gaudet

Please elaborate a bit on your approach to making your film.

Coming from television news, the first thing we knew was that we didn’t want our film to feel like an 80-minute news story. We wanted to shoot it differently, and we wanted the story to breathe and have a very cinematic feel to it. We also wanted the characters to each tell their own story, rather than utilize narration. This meant relearning some of the skills we might use in telling a television news story. We also decided early on that we would shoot with two cameras and use tripods whenever possible. With my friend and accomplished photojournalist Dan Ferrigan operating the second camera, we had a strong three-person crew.

We started to joke that since our three subjects didn’t move very fast we were able to stay ahead of them and find beautifully composed shots that they would then walk through. It became this sort of leapfrogging technique that Dan and I would use to follow our subjects around. I really hoped to make our characters forget the cameras were there and create an intimate atmosphere they would feel comfortable in. I am really thrilled with the results too, as one of the first comments from viewers is usually how intimate and honest the film feels. A big part of that was also Gita’s interviewing technique. She really has a gift for getting people to open up to her.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in developing the project?

I think the biggest challenge was finding funding. Getting potential funders to understand that the film is about so much more than just senior citizens shaking hands with troops was a very tough sell. Convincing them that the film was really about life and all the struggles that present themselves each day, and how these simple handshakes dramatically change the lives of the greeters as well as the troops in really emotional and poignant ways. Needless to say we were rejected from nearly every funding source. But when we needed the money the most, we were able to find an executive producer to come on board with the funding to finish the film.

The other big challenge was just the sheer amount of time it took. After being accustomed to working for a day or two on a 30 second promo, it was very hard to work for four years on something that never really seemed to have a defined finish line. More than once we wondered if we were crazy for pushing forward. Only now after sticking with it and seeing all the hard work pay off, do we fully understand the reasons for never quitting on a project.

How do you define success as a filmmaker, and what are your personal goals as a filmmaker?

Right now, just being considered a filmmaker and working full-time as a filmmaker is a success for me. After trying to make the switch from television for so long, I really feel like I have a very rewarding job. Also, having the opportunity and the knowledge now to do it all again, feels like a success. I know I have learned so much through this process, and I’m excited to put all of these ideas to work in our next project. That leads to a personal goal of just growing with each project—Challenging myself and stretching in terms of what I think I am capable of accomplishing. There are also so many things we would do differently next time around right from the start that would make the whole process easier.

The biggest success for our film to date, was finding out it got picked up for a national television broadcast on the acclaimed series P.O.V. on PBS. We had gotten a chance to visit P.O.V. early in post-production, and had decided it would be the perfect place for the film to broadcast. We then sunk into a deep depression thinking we didn’t have a shot with such a competitive selection process. When they called to say we had been accepted I think Gita may have wet her pants! Don’t tell her I said that.

What are your future projects?

My first project is doing whatever it takes to get “The Way We Get By” out to as large an audience as possible. Right now, that feels like a big and altogether different project than actually making the film. In television, distribution is done for you. In the film industry, and especially independent film, distribution is a little like the “Wild West”…anything goes right now if it works for you, and gets your film in front of an audience. I find that very exciting. I know many filmmakers see it as a very grim time, but to have that power and control over your product is something we need to take advantage of. We are really working very hard at developing a marketing and distribution plan that will maximize the exposure and awareness of “The Way We Get By.” The P.O.V. broadcast will definitely help to achieve this.

In the meantime, I am also working on finishing a couple of screenplays that we would like to produce. One takes place in a small town in Maine, and we’re hoping to trade in on some of the goodwill we’ve built up there to make an inexpensive narrative feature. And we’re also developing a couple documentary projects, so I guess we’ll see what comes together first.

Watch “The Way We Get By” trailer here.