Filmmaker Nicholas Woytuk’s documentary short The Alchemy of David finds Photographer David Michael Kennedy, most known for his dusty, tactile album cover work for Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, reflecting on his place as an ageing artist in the digital era. It’s very much a celebratory work that champions the unique eccentricities of film photography, with Woytuk translating the spirit of Kennedy’s practice into the look and feel of his film by shooting the photographer on Black & White 16mm film stock. DN is excited to bring Woytuk’s film to audiences worldwide through our online premiere today alongside a conversation with the director where he delves into his ongoing relationship with Kennedy, the loose, unplanned approach he had to shooting the renowned photographer, and the decision to shelve the project for five months in order to gain a better perspective.
What drew you to tell David’s story?
I reconnected with David on a road trip during the COVID-19 pandemic. David’s philosophy on photography, visual arts, and living in a remote area of the US initially drew me in as a storyteller.
What came into focus as we began production was how David’s life as a working artist correlated with our worlds.
How did you approach the project? Did you heavily plan before meeting David or did you treat the process more organically?
Max Henderson, the DP, and I went into the project with very little foresight regarding production. We knew we wanted to spend the week with David and explore Northern New Mexico with him; we also knew we wanted to talk about his past and present works. What came into focus as we began production was how David’s life as a working artist correlated with our worlds.
Was the decision to shoot Black & White linked to David’s work?
We shot on 16mm Black & White film to honor David’s process. This made us slow down a bit and really consider each scene and how it would connect to the overall film.
How long were you with David conducting interviews? And how long were you constructing the results of said interviews in the edit?
We shot for seven days, conducting interviews each night with David. Once we got back to New York, we let the footage sit, we shelved the project. When you are that connected to a film, you need space from it, but once we hadn’t touched the project for about five months, we dove back in with new perspectives, and the edit came together extremely fast.
Interesting! What were the benefits you found in shelving the footage for five months?
Really it was about coming back to the film with an open mind. Most of the commercial projects I work on these days have such tight deadlines for post production, and it was really nice to have the time to take a step back. Getting back into the project, we realized that some of our initial ideas weren’t working. Ultimately this was what the film needed and both Max and I brought a newfound energy to finish the project.
Once we got back to New York, we let the footage sit, we shelved the project. When you are that connected to a film, you need space from it.
When you were with David, did you have a way of making him comfortable opening up both in front of and behind the camera?
David is a very hands-on DIY type of dude so involving him in the production was a big part of the process. Asking for his insight on how we would capture each scene really secured the trust between us. Also, helping out with some chores off camera like stacking firewood, helping organize his photos, digitizing his home tapes, for example, made our time with him feel more like everyday life and less like a traditional film production.
What do you think it is about David’s work that makes him stand out as an artist?
Again, David loves to be heavily involved in every aspect of his work. Hearing his stories about asking Bob Dylan to carry his strobes for a shoot, I immediately realized that his process is unique and that type of connective energy translates to his work.
Your filmmaking is so varied, working across music videos, documentaries and narrative work, on a broad level, what is it that attracts you to a project?
With every project that I work on, if I don’t wake up the morning of the shoot not feeling a bit nervous I’m doing something wrong. I try to push myself to keep learning, keep discovering what’s possible. That sometimes means failing, learning from the mistakes and adapting. I get excited about projects that have room to grow. Projects that can transform and mature throughout the process.
David is a very hands on DIY type of dude so involving him in the production was a big part of the process.
What’s in the pipeline for you next?
Well, it’s a balance. I have a ton of film projects that I would love to pursue, but I need to focus! I tend to get extremely excited about a project and what I have realized is taking time off and then coming back to the idea has been a good exercise. I am going to stay in the documentary realm, seeing how I can keep pushing my storytelling.
