5 Questions with Sean Patrick O'Brien
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
I got my first camera at seven years old, and never stopped making things since. I went to film school at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan where I directed five narrative-based short films. Only recently, I started working in new mediums like experimental films and documentaries.
I never thought of myself as a documentary filmmaker, but two of my favorite films are music based documentaries, which are Original Cast Album: Company by D. A. Pennebaker, and Stop Making Sense by Jonathan Demme. I have taken great inspiration from both of those films while making introducing... juan wauters.
2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
Me and my friend Peter, who was actually one of the sound guys on the movie, saw Juan Wauters open for Mac DeMarco back in September 2018 at the SummerStage in Central Park. We had no idea who Juan was, but we were captivated by his performance, specifically of his cover of the song "James Brown," initially by Nancy Dupree, which plays a pivotal role in my film.
That night, we left Central Park singing that song. A few days later, I flew to Ireland. I was still singing the song. Then back in New York, on my way to the 9 to 5 office job I was working at the time, the song was still stuck in my head. I thought, "Hey, somebody's gotta make a movie about this guy, he's really interesting!", so I messaged Juan on Instagram. Next thing you know, we met up to get dumplings together in Koreatown on one of my lunch breaks, and he agreed to let me make the film. That's how it all started.
Personally, I feel the best way to get into an artist is by seeing them live. I think there can be a level of disconnect sometimes if you're listening to an album from a band that you're hearing for the first time. By seeing an artist perform, it feels more personal. I hope that this film captures some of the magic I initially felt when seeing Juan perform for the first time, and I hope it's a way for people to get into his music.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?
When my team showed up to the concert, we were alarmed by all of the neon wrestling gear surrounding the venue. It looked very cool, but we just didn't expect it to be there during the concert. The venue had booked a Luchador themed dance party immediately after Juan's concert, so the entire room was covered in Luchador masks. We were hoping to station a camera in the sound booth, but all you could see from there was a wrestling ring hanging from the ceiling. You can see the ring in one of the shots of the film actually. Thankfully, the staff was super accommodating and let us film using one of their scissor lifts. Maybe one day I'll attend one of their Luchador dance parties. In a post-COVID world, that sounds pretty fun.
On top of that, the stage was painted black an hour before everyone arrived at the venue, so it was sticky. That's another thing you can hear in the film, someone saying how sticky the stage is. So, overall there were definitely some hurdles in filming the concert––but what a cool venue this was! Visually, the setting looks interesting, and I have so much appreciation for everyone at Three Dollar Bill for agreeing to let us film there.
The easiest part was working with my crew. Shout out to Donell Clark, Peter Angelinas, and Antraniq Gharibian. They are all so calm and fun to be around, so even though I was running across the venue to make sure everyone was set equipment wise. It all kinda felt like we were watching and enjoying the concert together. Also, working and interviewing Juan was great. No challenges there. Juan is so kind!
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy has been an obsession of mine lately. I re-watched it at the start of quarantine, and I can't get enough of it. I believe it's a perfect film. It's a crowning achievement in cinema, and I would argue it's Al Pacino's best performance. It also has been the subject of many late night eBay purchases. There was so much merchandise when the film came out, with very little interest from the public, so a lot of it is just sitting there online cheap. It's nice getting into something niche when the rest of the world doesn't care about it anymore.
5) What’s next for you?
My DP Donell and I really enjoyed making the film. He always says "When's the next doc?", so I'm brainstorming some ideas of what our next subject could be.
I'm also hoping to develop a feature film next. I loosely adapted an article into a screenplay about a failed CIA mission in the 1960s, where they tried to blackmail the President of Indonesia with a sex tape. The style is more Looney Tunes than Argo. It’s a comedy where reality falls apart at every turn.
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