Life on a String

Life on a String was born out of the research I began for a different documentary. While seeking out West African immigrants in Los Angeles, I stumbled on Gary Jones’ puppet studio at the Nate Holden Performing Art Center. I was fascinated with the puppeteer I met inside: a man who was full of passion, energy, and love for an ancient art. I kept coming back to talk to Gary because I wanted to understand what drove him to pursue what I considered a peculiar passion. Gary opened my eyes to the presence of puppetry in today’s society and more research ultimately led me to check out the Bob Baker Marionette Theater where I met Cain. Cain truly enjoyed his art and I could tell that from the moment I saw him perform. Right away I was fascinated with this young, Latino puppeteer that was the only one smiling while performing. In Cain I saw someone who found hope and purpose in puppetry. Even though I previously had no interest in puppetry, I felt an immediate bond to these two men because I saw my own artistic journey in their passion and dedication.

Though Life on a String focuses on puppet artistry, it is a film made to inspire all artists and assure them that their work carries the ability to impact others. My hope is that this doc showcases the incredible benefits of art for people of color who are often marginalized and discluded. It shows how an African-American and a Latino puppeteer use art to fight the stereotypes placed on their communities. It’s an example of how artists can’t help but create in order to communicate and hide from the struggles around them.
o achieve the impact I desired, the filmmaking process had to be raw and on the fly. I spent several months getting to know Gary and Cain, learning who they were and what they loved. I wanted to make sure that when the crew was added to the picture, that I knew how each of these characters behaved so that we would move to their rhythm without disrupting their daily lives. As a director, it was important to me that the story followed the characters and felt like a slice of life, so I specifically filmed long takes in order to allow the subjects to forget we were filming as best as they could and let their lives unfold as authentically as possible.

In post production, we focused on discovering the arc of these characters in a way that would help audiences connect with them on a personal level. For editing we faced the challenge of telling the story of two very different people in very different places in their life. In the end, it was their shared unwavering passion for puppetry that tied them together. For sound, we explored the small intricacies present in marionnettes and wand puppets, remaining subtle while creating distinct sounds for each of their locations. For the music, the composer was given the tremendous task of composing classical, jazz, and traditional film score for the picture. It was important that this wide array of different styles all feel like they belonged in the same world. These characters are eclectic and we wanted to make sure that was illustrated in the choice of music we composed for the film. The process of bringing Life on a String to the screen was truly a team collaboration from start to finish.