When Shatara Michelle Ford’s “Dreams in Nightmares” premieres Thursday night at the BlackStar Film Festival, it will, like all productions, be the result of the work of many. In the case of the “Test Pattern” filmmaker’s sophomore feature, it will also be the result of the work of many people who united together behind a set of “production community guidelines” that Ford and their producers shared with the cast and crew during every step of the film’s production.
These guidelines were originally shared in the official press notes for the film, but they were so striking, so heartening, that IndieWire is now sharing them in full below. And while one of the tenants of these guidelines holds that mistakes will be made — and Ford is quick to note that these concepts “aren’t perfect” — there’s much here that any production (hell, any workplace) could and should be inspired by.
“Film sets are specific, unique, short-term micro-worlds composed of human beings with various degrees of experience, skill, needs, wealth, and power,” Ford wrote to IndieWire. “Film sets are formless until the production creates the form. There’s a ‘standard’ way of doing things, which your typical production defaults to, without asking, ‘Why does it work this way,’ and ‘Is doing it this way helpful to us?’ For me, in all environments, I immediately question what ‘standard’ means, who it leaves out, and how we adjust to the most vulnerable around us.”
The filmmaker continued, “One of the things I love most about being a director who also produces is being able to put into practice the values I possess as a person. I believe accessibility and inclusivity on film sets start the second the production interrogates the ‘standard’ as foundation to build upon something tailored for the individuals who are showing up to work. My producing partner Pin-Chun Liu and I are constantly asking each other, ‘How do we make everyone feel safe and supported to do their best work?’ We also spend a lot of time evaluating how things went. Taking our lessons learned into further practice.”
Ford added, “These community guidelines came out of our reflections after making ‘Test Pattern.’ These guidelines are expectations and openings and reminders. They are re-framers. They also aren’t perfect… but no one and nothing is. All we can do each day is try to do better.”
Per its official synopsis, Ford’s second film sees the filmmaker expanding “their scope to put their singular cinematic stamp on the American road movie. The film follows three black queer femmes in their mid-thirties as they road trip across the Midwestern United States in search of their friend who has seemingly disappeared off the grid.”
The new film stars Denée Benton (“The Gilded Age”), Mars Storm Rucker (“A Strange Loop”), Dezi Bing (“Wig Out!”), and Sasha Compère (“Single Drunk Female”), with a supporting cast that includes Charlie Barnett (“Russian Doll”), Molly Bernard (“Younger”), Alfie Fuller (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Jasmin Savoy Brown (“Yellowjackets,” ”Scream”), Regina Taylor, and Robert Wisdom (“Barry,” “Blackbird”).
“The sets and working environments of ‘Dreams in Nightmares’ were crafted to instill a sense of community and mutual respect. We traveled together through airports and drove together in cars, moving through geographies with quantifiably fewer black femme or trans bodies than coastal cities. We were always watching out for one another,” producer Adam Wyatt Tate wrote to IndieWire. “As a white cis male, I quickly recognized that I could equally contribute to the community by not only bringing my best filmmaking efforts to the table, but also simply being physically present with our more vulnerable community members.”
He added, “That we never experienced outside interference, judgment, or threats in these spaces is a testament to the manifesto’s proposals working as intended. Further, our community became so bonded that there were true moments of ‘all hands on deck’ that organically appeared — a specific example being the labor for the beautiful production design of Kel’s florally-accented home. The results were unlike any movie set I’ve worked on. Holding space for vulnerability, understanding, and being present for one another — simple steps with impactful results.”
Ford’s film premieres Thursday, August 1 at the BlackStar Film Festival as the opening night pick. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution. Read the guidelines Ford and their team used to make “Dreams in Nightmares” below, exclusive to IndieWire, along with some new stills from the film.
Production Community Guidelines
The email below was sent out the first morning of each new city we traveled to. Every morning we gathered in a circle and said our names, pronouns, and had a check-in before we had a safety meeting. —Shatara Michelle Ford
This is a queer, black-led, POC-centered professional film set with an emphasis on equity, respect, and community care. Our community guidelines are as follows:
We will be pragmatic
Indie film shoots are fragile, resource-strapped productions full of interconnected moving parts. What holds them together are the people who make them, and their willingness to adjust to the ever-changing, unpredictable conditions and circumstances.
We will make mistakes
Because we’re human, and being human is so hard. Therefore embracing the mistakes made by ourselves and others is the obvious way through! Grace and humility are key.
We will speak with care
We all deserve to be engaged in a respectful manner. Having said that: It’s an indie film shoot. Pressure is on, tempers will flare, misunderstandings will occur. Grace and humility help here too.
We will seek to understand
When confronted by a decision or interaction that doesn’t make sense, take the opportunity to enquire before assuming.
When making decisions that affect the group, we will center the most vulnerable around us
Consider how your own social positionality relates to the group beforedeeming something safe, easy, or fun. Moreover, recognize when you sit in a privileged position in a given space or situation and ask how you can be supportive or useful?
- Vulnerability is encouraged.
- Know your own boundaries and limitations.
- Honor the pronouns of your community! If you are unsure, always ask! If you make a mistake, it’s cool, because we’re human!
- Let us know when you need help.
