Eight years after the last controversy-flanked season of “Project Greenlight,” the show still thrives on movie magic and the drama that follows.
Max debuted a revamped version of the docuseries on July 12, this time led by Issa Rae’s production company Hoorae. Rae, Kumail Nanjiani and Gina Prince-Bythewood act as the official mentors, meeting up to select a female first-time feature filmmaker to direct a script they’ve commissioned by an outside writer. They land on Meko Winbush, a writer, director and editor with extensive experience making trailers and short films.
Notably, after the selection process is complete, Rae jets to London to shoot “Barbie” and Nanjiani enters production on “Welcome to Chippendales.” Their screentime drops dramatically after the first episode. Prince-Bythewood remains more involved thoughout, regularly making time to call Winbush while editing her own film, 2022’s “The Woman King.”
It’s mainly a group of development execs from Hoorae, alongside two producers from CatchLight Studios, who work with Winbush to make the film a reality — with the former seeming less than thrilled to be there. Rae’s team makes more than a few complaints about Winbush, who does admit throughout the series that she can be a stubborn communicator. At the same time, their biggest frustrations center on the script, which Winbush did not write. During the pre-production process, while working to settle logistics and to select key cast and crew members, Hoorae goes back and forth about the script with Winbush, who says she was not made aware of the script’s problems ahead of time.
Here, Winbush breaks down her experience directing the film, which is titled “Gray Matter” and is now available on Max. And for the spoiler-averse, she also shares her feelings about how she’s portrayed from the beginning to the end of “Project Greenlight.”
How did it feel to watch “Project Greenlight” now that it’s been a year since you filmed the show and your movie?
I’m still processing it. I definitely feel like there were some some missed opportunities, and things I wish would have been highlighted more. A lot of people worked really, really hard on the film, and I felt like that wasn’t showcased often enough, or in a positive light, like: “This is what a production designer does; this is what a costume designer does. Are you into fashion or interior design? This is a job you could do.” So much time was spent on script stuff, and not enough time on the things that I think are interesting. And it was not an easy shoot. With the hours, the time constraints, having the documentary crew there, everyone had to do double the work.
This percentage of my brain is constantly aware that there’s a camera right there and that I’m recorded. There’s definitely a lot of energy spent on that, when I could have been using that energy on so many other things on set. It was always this concern about everything you do and say. How might this be weaponized for some bizarre narrative? Unfortunately, some of my fears were not unfounded.
I don’t ever want to sound ungrateful by any means. This is a golden opportunity. I directed a $5 million film, and that’s obviously a dream come true. It was tough, but there was a lot of fun at the same time.
Since you were selected as a director, it was surprising to see how much writing you ended up doing. How well was it communicated to you ahead of time that you’d have to work intensely on the script?
It’s not uncommon to do tweaks, but usually, the script is in a very good place while you’re in pre-production. I was like, “Dope, there’s going to be a script completed and I just get to focus on directing!” So I definitely was surprised when I finally did get the whole script and saw the shape that it was in. There were parts that weren’t finished. I’m not gonna lie; I was a little a little disappointed. I never imagined it would take over the whole pre-production process.
It just kept pulling me away from other things. So much of writing is thinking, and just because you’re not typing doesn’t mean you’re not writing. You need time to focus solely on that, which was difficult while trying to be available for the crew, and having the cameras around and still learning. One thing I learned is that I would never, in the future, agree to do a film that close to shooting with a script in that condition.
How did you feel about the mentorship you received from Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani and Gina Prince-Bythewood?
I spoke to Gina the most. She checked in quite often even though she was in the middle of “The Woman King.” There were the phone calls that were done on camera for the show, but she would also call me on weekends, and it was really nice to be able to ask all my filmmaker questions.
With Kumail and Issa both being actors, it was nice to ask those actor-y questions. Kumail recommended a book called “Directing Actors,” which I thought was super helpful. I texted him while editing the film, asking, “Are there times when you’re watching yourself in a scene and you’re like, ‘That’s the take you used?'” His advice was, “If you watch the scene back and it feels like you’re watching a movie, then you’ve done your job. Move on.” They all they all offered insight in their own way.
So you did feel you got enough time with them, despite their commitments to other projects?
Yeah. And it’s hard, because you never want to feel like you’re bothering someone, so I was sparing with how often I did reach out. At the same time, I had Jeanette Volturno and Yolanda Cochrane, the CatchLight producers, who I leaned on for almost everything. They were accessible, and have done so many large films, so the advice they would give me was priceless and coming from a really good place. I always felt super comfortable going to them with issues or questions.
You had a bit more friction with the producers from Hoorae, Issa Rae’s production company. How do you feel about your work with them now that you’ve seen the show and had time to process?
Some things are just differences in personality. Some people just get you and your communication styles more than others. It was a lesson in dealing with different personalities, because I think I am fairly good at getting along with with everyone, but there was some frustration about the way I communicate. I’m not particularly loquacious, apparently, and to put people at ease, it is helpful to over-explain, but I don’t like doing that so much. I’m always suspicious of the person in the room doing the most talking, and I never want to be that person. There were people I meshed a little bit better with, who understood me and were more helpful in some instances, but I think I think we got to a good place.
What are the biggest lessons you’ll be taking to your next film?
I learned so much in dealing with a studio and their expectations. Being clear on my vision and coming in with a script that is in a good place is a big thing. And making sure you have a decent amount of pre-production time and time to shoot the film. Shooting a film in 18 days is tough, and I would like to not have to repeat such an intense schedule. I would love to have the time for more takes, but at the same time, knowing that I can do it is like, “Now imagine what I could do with just two more days!”
And obviously it’d be super nice to do it without cameras everywhere, and people getting annoyed with you for unplugging your mic when you have a private conversation with the actors. And not being so paranoid about everything I’m saying or doing.
Do you stand by those moments where you took off your microphone?
Actors are quite insecure, a lot of them, and you have to be able to build trust. They knew I was mic’d, and I could tell they didn’t like the cameras. So I would unplug my mic, and then the conversation flowed a lot easier. Obviously the show didn’t like that, but at the end of the day, I was getting paid to direct a movie, and I’m trying to get good performances out of the actors. I tried to be agreeable 90% of the time, but I also needed to do what was best for the film and the actors and the crew. And for myself. I’m not a robot. I’m human and I have needs. And I know people thought that I hadn’t directed a lot before, but I’ve done a ton of directing, so that was kind of a weird discovery.
Is there anything else that happened on camera that you were worried about, or that you want to clarify?
I have an NDA, so I’m not really allowed — or I don’t really know how much I’m allowed to comment on the questionable editing that was in it, if that’s saying anything. But I will say, anything suggesting that I’m not dedicated is obviously inaccurate. I’m very good at time management and multitasking. I have spent a decade doing trailers, and all of that is hitting deadlines. All of that is doing notes for weeks, and 20, 30, 40 versions of one bit. So things suggesting otherwise rubbed me the wrong way.
What’s next for you? Do you want to continue making studio films after this, or would you rather go back to the indie space?
I think there’s a there’s a happy medium in there. I would love to direct a script that came from me, or a script that I feel on a cellular level. Making movies is super hard and you want to work on a project that you have so much passion for because that’s a year or more of your life. So I look at other the trajectory of Christopher Nolan or someone like that, who started with smaller films and eventually got to bigger ones. Same with Gina. There’s a balancing act.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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