Gia Coppola

We the Creators is a profile series focused on iconic women within the entertainment industry. Every month, we talk to these powerful women about their projects, musings and inspirations. This month, we interviewed photographer and director Gia Coppola. Gia recently released her sophomore film “Mainstream” starring Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, and Nat Wolff; it tackles the uncomfortable subject matter of what it means to live “online” all the time.

What is your creative process for starting any project, whether it be a movie or a music video?

I watch a lot of movies, read a lot, and just try to get in the character’s head. Where are they coming from and where are they telling me where to go? But, at the same time, I also think it’s really important to try and take a break — let life inspire you and just be in the world and notice how you connect to the material in that way.

What kind of stories are you personally drawn to?

I love a heart-breaking love story. I love love stories and love triangles and things like that. I also love Pixar films! I feel like fairy tales and Disney films simplify life in a way that kids can digest it, but it touches our inner child. And they actually deal with quite meaningful and profound ideas. But that’s the real challenge: taking these bigger ideas and trying to streamline it into something very simple. It’s actually a good exercise for when I do a project: can I explain it to my little cousins? Because it helps me get reacquainted with it in a different way.

Is there a story that you’d recreate if you could?

I love Frankenstein. I feel like I would love to do that.

Do you ever look at Shakespeare or Greek mythologies?

I got a bunch of Shakespeare’s plays — like, the kids’ versions — so I was like, “Yeah, I’m gonna read a bunch of Shakespeare!” And then, of course, I never did it. But I do love Shakespeare. I love when I see modern representations of it. I’d love to read more plays in general. Sam’s so good about that. And my grandpa once gave me a suitcase full of one act plays because he was like, “These are the best sort of tools for writing, if you can practice making a one act play.”

What is your rehearsal process like with your actors?

It’s a lot of conversation. Talking about how we relate to these characters, sometimes Jungian practice (where you just try to tap into your unconscious), and just try and find ways to be completely uninhibited and free by getting away from anything that makes you self-conscious.

Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than being in front of the camera or acting in general. I feel like I am just very set in my own ways and I don’t know how to act. But with that, my acting coach sometimes makes me be a part of the rehearsal. And it’s my least favorite thing to do. But it’s important to kind of get in the mindset of the actors. You have to kind of understand that they’re carrying so much and they’re the face of so much – and that maybe a certain behavior is really just stemming from being afraid – so being in their shoes really helps figure out the solution to what to do. It’s something I don’t enjoy doing, but if it’s part of learning, I will do my best.

When you’re wrapping up these projects, are you able to kind of sit and watch what you’ve just created? Or are you kind of like, “Okay, what’s the next project? What am I onto next?” What is your transition period like, having just come off of Mainstream?

I’ve only done two films and each one had a very anxious feeling of, “I just want to get this off my chest and move on. What’s the next thing that I can jump into?” But then you’re not coming from a place of “what really interests me?” and what feels like it’ll be nourishing to me. It’s this own journey in itself of, “I need to get my hands in as many different things to figure out what’s the thing that I’m willing to live in for a long period of time.” Because with movies, especially as director, you’re in it for years and years and years, and you get so sick of it, but you have to stay in it. And, yeah, by the time you’re done with it, you’re just so over it.

But I also feel like with whatever project I do, I feel very inspired to do whatever’s the antithesis of what I just did. Palo Alto is very dreamy and quiet, so then I was really responding to satire and something loud and annoying. And now in response to that, I feel like, “Oh, I just want to do something very tranquil and pretty, like down to nature and simple.”

How do you stay grounded when you’re working with sensitive topics, like our relationship to social media?

You don’t. It takes over you, which is why when I was working on Palo Alto, I was like, “Why am I feeling so insecure?” Like, why is my skin breaking out, why am I being impulsive, and it’s — oh, I’ve become a teenager. And then with Mainstream, it’s such a dark world to be in. To be absorbing so much social media and feeling addicted to playing video games, trying to really understand what people are so drawn to. But I wanted to do that in order to get out, because I had all these questions that were hovering over me. I think I really had to dive in deep and now I don’t feel as tethered or despairing when it comes to pop culture or social media anymore, which is good.

Is there anything that you’re watching or reading or listening to that inspiring you at the moment?

I’m very fascinated by podcast culture and I’ve listened to some really amazing fictionalized podcasts. I think it’s so cool because you don’t need the budget and you can be totally fantastical and go wherever you like, since it’s all auditory. I haven’t really dabbled in it, it’s just interesting to think about the script process and like, “Oh, how do you reshape this?” for a podcast. I love the Appearances podcast and The Passenger List. But in terms of movies, I’ve been on a real 80s kick (Risky Business) and erotic thrillers (Body Heat, American Gigolo).

Sara LiJuly 11, 2021