Embracing Chaos

Senior Samson Lothschutz utilizes force to create emotionally compelling pieces of art

All I remember from my first day at Santa Clara is staring at an IKEA cabinet I had just assembled. That image is ingrained in my mind, not because the cabinet was grandiose or awe-inspiring, but because of the emotional baggage I associate with this moment. College represents a massive life change and for some mystical reason, I associated that with an exceedingly mundane object. 

My friend Samson Lothschutz, an up-and-coming filmmaker, describes moments like this as having “force.” According to him, “force” has to do with visual compositions which evoke strong emotions or implications. His mission is to recreate emotionally powerful moments for his audience through composition, just like a still-life painting or a well-timed photograph.

Now a Santa Clara senior, Lothschutz has been writing, directing and filming shorts since he was 15 and has learned a significant amount about his creative process along the way. He has discovered, through trial and error, that movie magic is just as much about embracing chaos as it is trying to control it.

Filmmakers often start out with a very controlled environment. Lothschutz’s earlier films consisted of only one actor in a room and included little dialogue–focusing instead on his creative strong suit: composition. He knew he could tell a story simply through an actor’s interaction with the space around them.

But as Lothschutz continued to make films, he realized it was impossible to perfectly replicate his artistic vision on screen. There were simply too many uncontrollable variables. Actors may get sick, public shoot locations may be too busy and you might miss golden hour. All are difficult to fully control. In the end, it’s best to work with these factors rather than fight them. 

Chaos and collaboration can also work synergistically. Lothschutz mentioned that he became more open to this concept after hearing how David Lynch, director of “Twin Peaks,” was known for embracing spontaneity and had even given a clumsy set dresser a role as the main villain.  

As time went on, Lothschutz began to encourage crew members to add their own creative touch to his films–opening up a new realm of possibilities. Soon he had soundtracks written and recorded by friends along with natural improvisational dialogue from actors. Each member of the team collaborated to make a cohesive piece of art–like an anthology of creativity. Lothschutz later told me that his most recent project, “The Pieces I Am,” would not be as good if he had tried to do everything himself.

“The Pieces I Am” centers around two former lovers, Samuel and Charlotte, who look back on their relationship together and try to discern what went wrong. The short film explores themes of compatibility and inevitability through philosophical questions: Are we ever truly independent? Are we just going to turn into our parents? Can people change? Lothschutz uses a Tarantino-esque non-chronological structure and tells his story through the character’s memories and flashbacks.     

“At Santa Clara it may feel a little out of the ordinary to pursue a profession in the arts. But I truly believe that we all have a story to share with the world through artistic mediums.”

Sometimes, the only thing holding us back is a perfectionist mentality. Once we relinquish control and allow chaos into our creative process, we have infinite potential.

Check out Lothschutz’s new romance film, “The Pieces I Am,” at Santa Clara’s Genesis Film Festival on June 14. More information can be found on the communication department’s website.