In a dimly lit editing suite that has been the birthplace of countless cinematic revolutions, Steven Soderbergh is once again defying convention. The Oscar-winning director is deep in post-production on his latest film, the espionage thriller Black Bag, but his mind is already racing towards the next project, and the one after that.
Retirement is not a word in his vocabulary. "I'm like a shark—I have to keep moving," he states with a characteristic blend of seriousness and wit. "The moment I stop, I'll sink. This isn't a job; it's a compulsion."
The Soderbergh Process: No Second Guessing
Forget the traditional Hollywood development hell. Soderbergh's method is a masterclass in efficiency and trust. He greenlit Black Bag, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, based on a single phone call with screenwriter David Koepp. There was no script, no treatment—just a compelling pitch.
"That's all I need," Soderbergh explains. "A great idea from someone I respect. We don't need a 50-page document to tell us if something has potential. We just need to start." This instinctual approach has defined a career built on creative risk-taking, from Sex, Lies, and Videotape to the Ocean's franchise.
Embracing the Algorithm: AI as a Creative Partner
While many in Hollywood fear the rise of artificial intelligence, Soderbergh leans in. He reveals he used an AI programme to analyse the first cut of Black Bag, not to dictate changes, but to gain data-driven insights.
"The AI flagged a moment where it predicted a 10% drop in audience engagement," he shares. "I looked at the scene and thought, 'The machine's right.' It was a fascinating tool that confirmed a gut feeling." For him, AI is not a threat to creativity but a new instrument in the filmmaker's toolkit, much like the light metre was for photographers.
A Relentless Creative Engine
What drives a filmmaker to maintain such a relentless pace over four decades? Soderbergh describes it as a constant, low-grade hum of anxiety—a need to solve the next creative problem. He is already preparing two more films for after Black Bag wraps, proving that for this visionary, the work itself is the reward.
His final thought is a challenge to the industry itself: "Stop talking about making movies and just go make them. The tools are there. The only thing stopping you is you."
