The title of  Lauren Evans’s Instagram series—”#WaitingforGodot”—clearly identifies a key source for the project. But as Evans explains in the following interview, a personal experience triggered what has become an epoch with 1,155 episodes at the time of this post!

MMM: Tell us something about yourself.

Evans: I was in Toronto and trained at the George Brown Theatre School. In 2007 I moved to LA, where I began to get roles  in independent dramatic and horror films. But just recently I landed the lead role in a comedy that shoots this winter.

MMM:  How did you develop your filmmaking skills?

Evans: Entirely intuitively. It was the accolades from other accomplished filmmakers who gave me the confidence to even call what I do ‘Filmmaking’. I still consider myself an actor first and foremost, but I understand that storytelling is an innate urge and will manifest in the avenues you drive it down. I just happened to open up an additional avenue upon which it could move full throttle.

MMM: Are there any filmmakers who influenced your work?

Evans: I don’t ever think about replicating anyone else’s style. But my movies have been called “Lynch-ian.” I love David Lynch, Terrence Malick, and Jim Jarmusch. Krzysztof Kieslowski’s work is like a rocket to another dimension. Also Luca Guadagnino’s ability to take us deep into the hearts of his actors is always an ecstatic experience.

MMM: How did you come up with the concept for your Instagram series?

Evans: #WaitingForGodot was born from actually waiting in real life for a casting director to meet me at a café on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood. I just sat there, bored, and wondered, “What if I made a Vine movie like I was ‘Waiting For Godot’?” Samuel Beckett’s play has been in the forefront of my consciousness since I read it in high school.  Because “Godot” was a frame of reference through which I interpreted all of my life, I went ahead and did it and here we are. I am still as in love with the themes of the play and how they illustrate our lives moment to moment—unbeknownst to us.

MMM: Do you think people need to be familiar with Beckett’s play to understand your series?

Evans: Not at all. Most of my viewers are being introduced to Beckett’s infamous work through my project.

MMM: I notice that the episodes aren’t numbered.

Evans: Viewing the episodes in any order aligns complete with the essence of Beckett’s work. In fact, it makes “Godot” more accessible.

MMM:  Without giving away too much, could you summarize the theme of the series?

Evans: While some critics of Beckett’s play see “Godot” as a reference to “God,” my interpretation is that the play is about a coping mechanism that we employ to take us from one moment/day/week/month/life to the next.  We are waiting for something that matters.

MMM:  Why did you choose Instagram as the platform for your work?

Evans: It’s easier to use the music I want to use on Instagram. But ultimately I intend to post the series on YouTube.

MMM: How do you want the audience to react to the series?

Evans: I never know what to expect from the audience. People sometimes laugh when I’m being serious, and then they take it seriously when I’m going for humor. But for the most part because I’m creating something which requires you to respond intuitively and emotionally with visual metaphors, I think people watch because I’m capturing moments that they recognize. And that is EXACTLY what I’m going for. I’ve been asked if it’s my real life and the answer is “no.” Although incidents will be inspired by where I am personally, it’s universal moments I am after, including those that are dull or frustrating. Moments that usually go un-witnessed interest me the most—when we think no one is watching.

MMM: Could you talk about your cast and crew?

Evans: I am my own cinematographer 99% of the time. As for the cast, the most recent episode featured Russell Dunca, a fellow actor and filmmaker whom I met when he hired me as an actor for his own webseries ‘The Agency.” But almost always the cast consists of me and strangers who either consent to be on camera or remain anonymous because I shoot them from behind or too far away to be identified.

MMM: What equipment do you use?

Evans: The camera is an iPhone 6s.  I added a tripod late last year. Before that I just used whatever was around to prop up the camera.

MMM: What about location scouting?

Evans: I shoot anywhere that’s legal. If I’m driving and see a location that inspires me, if I have time I’ll pull over and shoot or make a mental note to come back. It’s a real love-affair with Los Angeles. My relationship with the City has become nuanced and deep through this project. There are dirty underpasses and thresholds I’ve fallen in love with because of how they came alive for me during a shoot. There are places you might not even notice driving by. Bland commercial spaces are often quiet and well lit at night, which is very conducive to my needs as an actor/filmmaker.

MMM: Are there any big challenges in the production?

Evans: Being a self-trained filmmaker, often as I’m editing I’m giving my inner director of photography (DP) notes about what to do or not to do next time. Part of my impetus in creating an ongoing series  is to “get it right.” The learning curve is unending and steep. But it feels inevitable and effortless when I sit down to edit. The shadows that I captured in episodes 1152 and 1153 were a challenge. I wanted to capture them a different way than what I actually shot, but when I sat down to edit—using the Splice app—the result was better than I originally envisioned.

MMM: What about color correction?

Evans: Sometimes I use an Instagram filter. Really simple.

MMM:  Could you say something about the soundtrack?

Evans: For most of the episodes the music is meant to reinforce the narrative. I’d rather not be too on the nose with my intention and just leave space for how the sound injects itself into the viewer’s subconscious.

MMM: What advice would you give to someone who would like to begin making movies for Instagram?

Evans: Approach it like it is a feature film. Edit later. You’d be surprised at how much life 58 seconds can hold.

MMM: Can you give us a preview of your future work?

Evans:  I hope one day to create a television series from which this is a launch pad, at least conceptually and thematically.

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You can see more of Evans’ movies on Instagram: @yeslaurenevans