“Procrastination is part of the process.”

– Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky (@DarrenAronofsky) is the founder and head of production company Protozoa Pictures. He is the acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker behind both cult classics and blockbusters, including Pi (which earned him a Best Director award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival), Requiem For a Dream, The Wrestler (the third U.S. film in history to win the esteemed Golden Lion award), Black Swan (which won Natalie Portman the Academy Award for Best Actress and garnered four other Oscar nominations), Noah (His biblically inspired epic that opened at number one at the box office and grossed more than $362,000,000 worldwide), and his latest, mother!, a psychological horror-thriller film starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

In this episode, we explore a wide range of topics, including:

His creative process and “nomadic writing”

Work environment and highly unusual desks

The “Month of Fury”

How to navigate tough conversations over creativity and control

Psychedelics

Dealing with critics

And much more…

Many thanks to Peter Attia for making the introduction — check out his three previous appearances on this show here.

Please enjoy!

#263: Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky — Exploring Creativity, Ignoring Critics, and Making Art https://rss.art19.com/episodes/d1969bd1-650c-448e-b4a2-273e3d81619b.mp3 Download

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Want to hear another podcast with another award-winning movie maker? — Listen to my conversations with Robert Rodriguez. In this episode, we discuss the making of From Dusk ’till Dawn, Sin City, and what it means to be the “Wizard” of Hollywood (stream below or right-click here to download):

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky — Exploring Creativity, Ignoring Critics, and Making Art (#263) https://rss.art19.com/episodes/a1a49bef-971a-4c1c-b9af-216fd217e7c7.mp3 Download

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

Connect with Darren Aronofsky:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Show Notes

Darren tells us about his peculiar, one-of-a-kind desk. [07:50]

How does Darren’s “nomadic” writing process differ from project to project? [11:26]

How is screenwriting like sculpting? [14:39]

Darren tells us why it only took him about 18 hours to write the draft for Pi. [15:30]

For contrast, Darren walks us through the formation of the draft for mother! and how years can often pass between an idea for a film and its end result. [16:27]

The sometimes fine line between genius and madness. [18:17]

Psychedelics and nature as therapy. [23:30]

On the benefits of fasting. [27:21]

Why Darren believes in being up front with people from the very beginning — as illustrated by his first conversation with Mickey Rourke. [31:40]

What does Darren want the audience to take away from his films? [39:32]

What are the ingredients that create emotional engagement in a movie? [42:43]

The experience that got Darren involved in storytelling. [45:05]

Darren’s life-changing experiences as a 16-year-old “concrete jungle flea” in Kenya, and kayaking next to glaciers in Alaska. [49:38]

How does Darren respond to public perception and criticism? [52:06]

Why does Darren not consider himself a “real” writer? [56:09]

As an aside, here’s why you shouldn’t stay awake for six days straight. [59:11]

How does Darren stay creatively focused without sacrificing balance in other areas of his life? [1:02:16]

The schedule of a filmmaker. [1:06:43]

Resources for aspiring filmmakers and the real secret to gaining an audience. [1:09:20]

Darren’s history with the game of Go. [1:13:19]

The unwritten rule of people watching in New York City, and why Darren laments the advent of Wi-Fi on the subway. [1:18:33]

Darren talks about his first time in Tokyo. [1:21:40]

Darren explains the three rules behind a “Month of Fury.” [1:22:48]

How does Darren write heavily visual components into his screenplays? [1:28:11]

Why mother! required an especially long time to put together. [1:30:43]

The importance of boundaries and constraints in any art form. [1:32:49]

The origin ideas behind mother! and what Darren hopes people take away from seeing it. [1:35:28]

On feedback loops, climate change, and coping with the guilt of being an accidental litterbug. [1:36:49]

What potential mother! viewers should know before going into the theater. [1:39:49]

Career advice Darren might give to a new filmmaker who wants to avoid being chewed up by the industry. [1:46:18]

What would Darren’s closest friends say is the superpower behind his success? [1:50:08]

How is Darren’s teaching process like playing Dungeons & Dragons? [1:53:31]

If Darren himself could no longer make films, how might he focus on teaching others to do so in six months? [1:55:23]

Top scriptwriters Darren recommends for inspiration. [1:59:03]

Parting thoughts. [2:01:34]

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