Best known for her roles in Teen Wolf and Criminal Minds, Dakota Gorman is attaining more attention in Hollywood with her new creative endeavors as a director. She recently made her directional debut, All About Sex, in the Gravitas Ventures film. The movie takes us on a journey illuminating the flaws of the human condition and the inevitable mistakes we make in life as we forever grow into ourselves. What’s more than creating an influential movie is that Dakota is inspirational as she is an active volunteer with Water Drop LA helping her local community. Take a journey with Jejune to learn more about the up-and-rising director in the interview below.

Where are you based?
Raised in Los Angeles, currently living in New York.

When did you discover your passion for filmmaking?
When I was born, both of my parents were actors and huge film buffs, so there was never really an “ah-ha” moment or piece of work that ignited that passion. My fascination with filmmaking in every capacity feels to have been planted before I was cognizant and fostered throughout my entire life. That being said, I’m also not someone who knew without a shadow of a doubt this was what I wanted. There were definitely moments where I had to take a step back and assess if this was really what I wanted to prioritize and devote myself to, but the foundation for that love has always been there, even if it was periodically dormant.

Who would you say are some of your biggest influences?
This question is always hardest for me to answer, so to name a few, broadly, standing out to me at this moment -- Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Nicole Holofcener, the Duplass brothers, Wong Kar-Wai, Greta Gerwig, Todd Solondz, Larry Clark, and honestly my good friend, Nic Murphy, especially when it comes to the influence around “All About Sex” (some of his shorts include “Spice Islands” and “Everyone Agrees It’s About to Explode”). I think there’s something to be said for being equally as influenced by the people around us rather than just isolating it to artists with already established careers. I’m also recently obsessed with the show, “Dave.” I think it’s a must-watch, it balances comedy and the hard truth of reality brilliantly. Everything from the writing, characters, and execution is so uniquely specific. The feature film, “Burning” by Lee Chang-dong also hit a sweet spot with me.

Another major influence specific to “All About Sex” is Ann Lupo’s film, “In Reality.” Her film gave me the confidence and motivation to get up and make it happen, versus waiting for the “right time,” a bigger budget, or name actors. There are so many talented people out there eager to work (in front of and behind camera). Sometimes it’s about finding those people and creating a new team instead of trying to tap into pre-existing ones.

How would you describe your style of filmmaking?
I love to genre blend. Creating tones, plots, etc. that are hard to place into one category, characters that constantly teeter between good and bad, likable and unlikeable, trustworthy and suspicious. I’d say one consistent is striving to build a very raw, honest reality, even in surreal or heightened moments. I’m definitely influenced by the mumblecore style as well as European and Asian filmmaking. Their way of storytelling feels like a world of its own and they don’t shy away from giving breathing room to their stories and characters, which has always appealed to me and something I hope to refine with my own work overtime.

Where do you find writing inspiration?
Real-life. My writing is strongest when I am deriving inspiration from personal encounters, conversations, and experiences, or hearing stories first-hand. Obviously, all of those elements become either mashed together, escalated, or approached in some fictionalized way, but the specificity of how people move about the world and their experiences, including our own, is an invaluable resource. One concept that’s circulated around me a lot is that, “It’s about input rather than output.” With a lot of creatives, the more we take in from life, the more we are able to generate.

Before you were a filmmaker, you were also an actress. Did you fully transition into directing or do you still take on acting roles?
I don’t think the two careers are mutually exclusive. I’ve had different opportunities come up throughout my life so far that have sparked new forms of curiosity, and I’m lucky in that it’s been a broad path. One that I hope to continue expanding. Each facet of this industry feeds a different piece of my personality so it’s nice to be able to have that flexibility, and in my opinion, makes me a stronger creator on either end.

How did you go about directing your first film, and what went through your head?
I was curious to see if what I was imagining in my head when writing certain pieces would translate on screen. Early on I found myself having to explain a lot of what I was writing because the overall vibe was just misunderstood, more often than not. When I had the opportunity to direct “All About Sex,” I thought it was the perfect chance to put this curiosity into a tangible experiment, to see if what I could create would land with people. And if not then I would know. At times it was terrifying, but it wasn’t that self paralysis type fear, it was more of an adrenaline rush. I didn’t second guess, I learned to trust my instincts and the people around me and to just be grateful we were all getting to create something, which is very special on its own. Admittedly, in the back of my mind, there was this little voice that would emerge whispering, “I have no idea if this is going to be something actually good, or a total utter disaster.” Since this is the first thing I ever directed I had no prior context to compare it to. I’m really excited about how it turned out though, I had such a fun time on set, which I believe shows on screen. Even though directing was essentially brand new, I felt completely in my element and remember thinking, “I hope I can do this as many times as possible in this lifetime.”

Could you tell us about your film, All About Sex? How was the creative process?
Fast and surreal are the two adjectives I always circle back to when thinking about the start-to-finish process of “All About Sex.” It was one of those moments in life where there was enough drive on our end to squeeze through the small window of opportunity to make it happen, in big part to the head producer, Nicole Rio, who really gave this film its legs. Through all three stages (pre-pro, production, and post) it was about making quick, definitive decisions and learning as we went, which meant being flexible. We focused on making the most out of the resources we had (time, money, creative planning, calling in favors, etc.). It was an enormous amount of work in a very concentrated amount of time, and I’m still shocked we were able to collaborate with so many wonderful people that really just wanted to be a part of the family we were making.

All About Sex is in part based on your life, but it deals with navigating adulthood and how crazy this time in your life feels. How is All About Sex both relatable yet unique to your experience?
When all the specificities of the film are stripped away, it’s ultimately a story about figuring out oneself through a myriad of experiences. What we perceive as successes or failures, and how to cope with the things we may regret so that they don’t manifest into shame that we end up carrying with us. It’s about not getting what you want in life, and that being okay. When things don’t go how we want or anticipate, it doesn't have to be considered a loss, it could be us gaining something better, even if we can’t see it in the present moment. So while certain elements in “All About Sex” are a reflection of my own experiences, the core emotions are something I think are pretty universal.

Being in your mid-20s feels like it's the end of the world sometimes (or the end of your youth), yet you’ve only just begun to live. What advice would you give to those who are in their 20s feeling disorientated?
Therapy. I hope mental health treatments can become more affordable and accessible to people. I truly feel like not having a healthy outlet, support or tactics is what perpetuates the depression and that sensation of helplessness that comes out of feeling disoriented. If therapy isn’t something on the table, I think it becomes about reminding yourself that everything is transitional, and finding that positive reinforcement wherever you can. Books, podcasts, meditation, etc. A big one I default to is Abraham Hicks (takes a moment to adjust to the vocabulary, but it’s worth it). Zach Galifianakis’ interview with Sam Jones is another top choice for me. And Steve Martin’s book “Born Standing Up.” For people who want a more pragmatic, tactful approach, Mel Robbins’ book, “Stop Saying You’re Fine.” All of these references I mention because they specifically speak to feeling lost or stuck, but in a very uplifting, honest way.

Before All About Sex, you wrote AFTERMATH, a haunting thriller. How did you go about creating a horror script? To what extent does it differ from other projects you’ve taken on?
For Aftermath, the director approached me wanting to collaborate. At the time, his strength was structure and mine was dialogue so we balanced each other out really well. That script was actually a lot of fun because we drew inspiration from real events, which to me is incredibly terrifying because we weren’t trying to think of something scary, these instances actually existed and to me, there’s nothing more horrifying than the thought of, “This can happen to me.”

Are there any other film projects you’re excited about that you’d like to share with Jejune?
There’s a lot I’m taking on, but at the forefront would be this project I’m attached to direct called “Late Bloomers” (written by Sam Kozé and Gary Alan Wright) about a group of teenagers that form a very fun, reckless bond through a cancer support group. I’m so in love with this project because it really speaks towards balancing out one’s pessimism and optimism, and the challenge of doing so when up against something as heavy as death. “All About Sex” producer, Nicole Rio and I partnered up again to put this film together. At the moment, the project got delayed due to covid, but I’m hoping we can generate some more momentum soon because we have a great casting director on board, Steven Tylor O’Connor, who connected us with talent that I’m incredibly excited to work with. And our cinematographer, Leonidas Jaramillo, is out of this world.

Jejune loves that you actively volunteer with Water Drop LA. Could you tell us about this nonprofit and your role in it?
I can’t say enough great things about Water Drop LA. It was started by a handful of USC students, which to me is so cool, because it reinforces important themes I like to speak on, such as putting action behind desires of our own volition, and not being dissuaded at the idea of being “new,” “inexperienced,” or “too young.” My friend, Nic Murphy (who I mentioned before) is the one who invited me to join. I love the Water Drop structure because it feels very intimate. It’s a small group that’s divided up so that every 2-4 people have their own streets that they’re responsible for. We spend a few hours every Sunday passing out water, Gatorade, snacks, clothing donations, etc. to the homeless community on Skid Row. They also partner with other smaller organizations that handle animal vaccinations and other animal services. I genuinely look forward to every Sunday, which I know is maybe an odd thing to say because in an ideal situation everyone would have access to basic necessities, but because Nic and I worked together on the same blocks, we really got to know what certain people needed and when you can make these small changes in someone’s life that mean so much, it’s a very amazing thing to be a part of.

Many communities across the world do not have access to clean water, despite it being a fundamental human right. What do you believe we can do to address this pressing issue?
Clean water is one of the resources that’s so easy to take for granted. Sometimes individuals aren’t willing to sacrifice their own convenience, even in small ways. But if that shift can start to happen, even subtly, it will have a huge impact. There are so many great organizations that target the issue of clean water. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking even 15 minutes to an hour out of your day or week to do some research. Spread the word. Post about it. Donate money. Donate time, whatever you can do. I’ve seen people on their birthdays set up accounts linked to a nonprofit where instead of gifts they ask people to donate under a link connected to their name, I think that’s pretty awesome and a good incentive to get people involved. And cutting back on our own excessive use. Getting a reusable water bottle is a huge way to cut back on the build-up of half-full water bottles that just get tossed. I don’t have the answer for a larger scale solution, but I know for a fact we as humans tend to underestimate the impact a single person can make, so if there’s somewhere to start addressing the issue, yourself and those directly around you are the easiest places to begin.

Lack of clean water has been a huge problem during the pandemic. What would you like the general population to know about this and how can we help?
With Water Drop LA specifically, they can always use more volunteers. It’s so easy to sign up online, every Tuesday a new link goes up. If you don’t want to go alone, bring a friend, your roommate, your partner. I promise this is the most welcoming group of people. I know they are also looking for others to come in and help take on some more leadership responsibility so that they can continue to grow this amazing organization that they’ve created. Helping spread the word would mean so much. In my mind, I’d love to see the organization get some sort of sponsorship or partner up with a specific water brand and/or Gatorade-type company because that is the hot item out there and seems like the logical next step to helping the organization evolve. There was talk about expanding into other areas, including New York. Having recently moved I would love to see someone who hears about this step in and help make that goal a reality.

How do you use your platform to advocate for causes dear to you? Why do you believe it's important for artists to do so?
I’m just getting back into social media. Speaking candidly, I cut it out years ago because it gave me so much anxiety, which I’m getting better at managing now. But I think it can be a great resource to show people how / where they can get involved. Sometimes that’s the biggest hurdle, of just not knowing where to start and being overwhelmed by that. Artists with large followings can spark that motivation towards action. There’s A LOT to sift throughout there, it’s easy for things to go overlooked. Using a following to focus attention on important causes, people, small businesses, etc. is an enormous asset.

How are you staying positive during the lockdown?
Reminding myself that time is valuable. For many of us, we’ve been given an opportunity to re-approach how we spend our time and what we prioritize in a completely different way. That may not be an easy thing, but I think there’s a way to look at that as something exciting. I’m really big on spirituality and being aligned with our instincts and inner selves, and one thing that I’ve needed to constantly remind myself is to “lean into the unknown.” When our stability is stripped it’s easy to expect the worst, but there is definitely a way to train ourselves to look at the change of any caliber as the potential for something better. For me, it’s been decluttering my life (physically and mentally). Reading more. Getting better at cooking. Basically asking myself, what will make me feel lighter and happier in this moment? Then doing that thing.

What's your motto in life?
I’m stealing Nike’s, “Just do it.” Our lives are a result of our own actions and choices. It’s really easy to make excuses and accept them as reality. We are much stronger, more empowered, and more capable of changing whatever we want in front of us than we give ourselves credit for. And our society’s addiction with age needs to go away. Whether you’re 10 or 70, we all have different timelines, we all experience things in different ways. You are never “too young” to take things seriously, to succeed, to love. And never “too old” to go after the things that fulfill you or spark your curiosity.

To keep up with Dakota Gorman, follow her on the platform listed below:
https://www.instagram.com/allaboutsexmovie/
Twitter - dakotagorman
Instagram - dakotagorman

Expanding Creativity with Dakota Gorman