Tracie Laymon’s MIXED SIGNALS won the 2018 Women Texas Film Festival’s Leader Award last month (the Leader Award is the equivalent to the Best Director nod at other film festivals), and for good reason. Laymon’s film is a clever and organic response to the #METOO times we are living in. A young man and a young woman struggle to communicate – with the respect and emotional awareness not previously “required” by men in a larger sense – how they feel and what the social-sexual boundaries are when the male thinks there is a mutual attraction. As “they” say: it’s funny AND it’s true.

But WTxFF’s Leader Award also goes to a filmmaker that is the best definition of that on a set and throughout the creative process, and Laymon, who, while young, has already had extensive experience on a number of film, TV, and video sets of differing levels of production budget – gets it. A couple minutes into a conversation with her can tell you that her experience navigating those waters has taught her much in how to properly and not-so-properly steer that ship so she can get great shots and footage and yet, maintain a happy and healthy crew.

And that is something worth calling attention to and honoring, as WTxFF did.

 

1 MIXED SIGNALS fairly or unfairly could be described as a comedy for the #METOO era. Can you give an argument for AND against that assessment?

For: Having personally experienced sexual assault, as well as sexual harassment in the workplace, I very much respect how tough and traumatizing it can be. Comedy has always been my coping mechanism for dealing with difficult issues.  MIXED SIGNALS addresses the confusion that can lead to unwanted advances in a very comedic way. I think a comedic approach can release tension around sensitive subjects, so we can let our guard down and just talk about it.

Against: MeToo is about sexual harassment and assault, as well as using one’s position or power to intimate people into sexual activity. It’s an extremely important movement and I’m so grateful for it, but MIXED SIGNALS is a little different because the characters don’t have any bad intent. It shows how well-intending people can misread what seem to be clear signals. We see situations through our own POV, and because of that, we sometimes see what we want to see. This happens to both men and women and I’ve been on both sides of this scenario.

 

2 But seriously, going forward, will this be required viewing for anyone talking you out on a date (like, they would be stationed in front of a monitor or lap top in your apartment or the lobby of your apartment building (if there is one) before heading out? 

That’s funny, but perhaps it’s not a bad idea. It’s good to really consider what signals we are sending. I know I can be a confusing person.  It takes me a while to open up to new people on any sort of intimate level, and people may feel friend-zoned when in fact, I’m just trying to build some trust with them. Rushing or pressuring me in that early stage of figuring things out can really sabotage the whole thing for me.

 

3 MIXED SIGNALS won the 2018 WTxFF Leader Award (Best Director) and it was stated that the award wasn’t simply about what wound up on the screen, but also was influenced by how it got there, so to speak. You have had experiences working in various levels of production – from TV to indie – at varying budgets. What has made the biggest impression on you that you took forward when you were running your own sets both on the positive side (to emulate) and the negative side (to stay away from)?

Safety first.  The lives and well-being of the cast and crew are #1. No shot or project is ever worth someone getting hurt.

I discourage any type of gossip. It doesn’t help anyone and damages the very relationships we are all working hard to build. It creates an atmosphere of mistrust at a time we need to trust each other in order to work quickly and efficiently and create together as a team.

I always try to hear people’s concerns and suggestions. I know I don’t have to take suggestions if they don’t work or aren’t aligned in the end, but I try to hear people and I want the cast and crew to always feel open to bring things up. You never know when a question or concern or someone’s idea could be the very thing that unlocks the answer and makes something work better.

If anything goes wrong in any regard, then as a leader, I am responsible for the decision-making that has led to the problem. And when things go right, I know I could not have directed or created anything without the team who supported me. For this reason, this Leader Award belongs not only to me, but to the amazing cast and crew of MIXED SIGNALS.

 

4 The past couple of years has been an intense period, discussion-wise and with literal actions being taken when it comes to the politics of dating in terms of harassment and assessment of responsibility when it comes to communication. The film plays this for laughs in many ways, but did the development and creation of the film also inspire unexpected reflection and coloring of your opinion(s) about the subject? If so, how, and if not, why not?

Absolutely. The strangest things happened. When I was casting and read women with certain types of physical attributes, reactions were “I blame her. She’s such a tease!” When I read men who were larger in stature, the reaction was “He’s aggressive! It’s his fault!” Little things such as what the female character was wearing also played a major part in who viewers chose to blame. I found this a bit depressing and shocking in 2018, honestly. I wish we lived in a world where we could all judge people purely based on the content of the character, but I learned that we aren’t there yet.

Making the film, I really tried to put myself into the male character’s POV. In doing so, I had more empathy for men and realized how confusing my own signals can be, even with the best of intentions. I think if both men and women worked harder to step into one another’s shoes more often, then we might have hope of communicating better and truly understanding one another.

 

5 Winning an award for filmmaking is quite a validation following the struggle to get something made and the continuing effort to forge a career. Even though this is still very fresh, what are your initial thoughts regarding what it means to you as you move forward in your filmmaking journey? 

It may seem ironic, but Women Texas Film Festival was the first time I didn’t feel like a “female filmmaker”. I was just a filmmaker. Period. Like everyone else at the festival. There was such a feeling of belonging, strength, camaraderie and confidence. It was really affirming being acknowledged for many of the specific things I work so hard for and value so much. Now that I’ve felt and experienced this, there’s no going back. I can take this experience and these things with me, wherever I go… every meeting, every festival, every project, every story… And I very much intend to.

 

6 Popcorn or Candy?

Both!