MAKE, a feature-length documentary film that probes the motivation behind a creative life and what drives artists to create has premiered on Vimeo. Specifically looking at how success, failure, egos, dollars, followers and awards can distract from a healthy creative vision for artists, the film features a diverse cast of celebrated creatives, including graphic designer Aaron Draplin, the musicians in Sylvan Esso and filmmaker Reed Morano.
“It’s so easy to be blinded by dollars, followers and awards,” says Daniel McCarthy, the film’s executive producer. “It’s a pitfall that is more evident in today’s culture than ever before, but it’s also an issue as old as time itself. Instead of asking ‘what’, we as artists need to be asking ‘why’. Our hope is that MAKE will force creatives to question their motives and find a more freeing and healthier vision of what it means to be an artist.” Other graphics people among the dozens interviewed for the documentary include Kyle Steed, graphic designer and muralist and Danny Yount, graphic designer and commercial director.
In the film, the ever outspoken Draplin asserts: “If no one ever looked, I’d still be making cool shit with my buddies. You know what I mean? That’s as honest as I can be. Before anyone was interested, that’s what I was doing. I had a great life.” Producer McCarthy is the CEO and founder of Musicbed, which provides music to top filmmakers, brands and agencies.
