Technology connects people around the world, but if humanity isn’t careful, its devices can truly control every aspect of people’s lives. Digital connectivity is more important than ever to society now during the current Covid-19 pandemic, as platforms are creating remote working learning and social opportunities. As people decide how they can spend their time in healthier ways, especially during the pandemic, they must also contend if they’re using technology to connect in more mindful experiences. The new documentary, ‘Screened Out,’ explores how devices have fundamentally changed the way people communicate and operate in today’s world.
The movie was written, directed and produced by Jon Hyatt in his documentary feature debut. He explores how people can reclaim their time away from screens, and develop healthy relationships with the technology that’s driving so much of modern culture. The filmmaker’s examination is being brought to life today, as ‘Screened Out‘ is being released On Demand, including on iTunes, in the U.S. and Canada by Dark Star Pictures.
‘Screened Out’ shows how all over the world, as the technology grows and advances, so does people’s addiction to their devices. So Hyatt and his family embark on a journey through the life-changing subjects of screen addiction, how the tech industry hooked global consumers and technology’s greater impact on people’s lives. From smartphones and portable tablets to social media, the tech industry has designed the immersive technologies to be fun. But the filmmaker questions if the devices are good for people, if society becomes too dependent on technology, and how the devices are impacting children and the world as a whole.
Hyatt generously took the time to talk about directing and producing ‘Screened Out’ recently during an exclusive interview over Zoom. Among other things, the filmmaker discussed that he was initially drawn to making the documentary after he witnessed his children having trouble detaching themselves from their screens, and grew concerned over their attachment and dependence on technology. He also noted that with the movie being released On Demand during the Covid-19 quarantine, the subject is even more relevant right now, as audiences are contemplating how many people are depending even more on their screens for survival.
The conversation began with Hyatt describing what inspired him to craft the idea for the documentary. “I was initially watching my children, and was worried about their screen time. It was really difficult for my kids to detach themselves from their screens,” he explained. “When they did actually detach themselves, they just wanted to get right back to their screens. That was very concerning to me, because it was different than what I experienced as a child, when I watched Saturday morning cartoons, and then played outside,” the filmmaker added with a laugh.
“I then started reading some books, one of which was ‘Glow Kids’ by Nicholas Kardaras, and it frightened me a bit,” Hyatt admitted. “But I said, ‘This might be a good idea for a documentary,’ because we were trying to do a horror film at first. But I thought, this is kind of scary, in regards to real life. So we ended up making the documentary instead.
“We then took a step back and thought, this isn’t just about children; this is about all of us. At the time, I was checking my Facebook about 100 times a day, like most people do,” the director also divulged. “Since I kept getting drawn back to my screen, I thought this was a bigger issue, and we wanted to get some answers.”
Hyatt then delved into what his helming style was like on his documentary feature debut. He noted that directing a documentary “about something that doesn’t involve you is different than when you make one that does. When you make a documentary about something that you go through and are a part of, it’s a taxing process. I was withdrawing from screens while I was making the movie, while trying to make a great film at the same time,” he explained. “I was also talking to people from both sides. I was talking to people in Silicon (Valley), and trying to figure out the angle of the story.”
But the helmer reaffirmed that the filmmaking process “was a great experience, and I had a fantastic co-producer, Karina Rotenstein, who really helped out with everything. She’s a great filmmaker; her film, ‘Edith+Eddie,’ was nominated for an Oscar. She stepped in and really helped the process of making this movie in the editing room.”
In addition to directing the movie, Hyatt also served as a producer on the documentary, through his production company, Hyatt Bros Films. He then delved into what the process of also serving as a producer on the feature was like.
“I was lucky to be able to work with my brothers (Michael and Richard) on this, as well. They’re very talented tech guys. So they came on board, as well as Naresh Bangia, who’s an investor on the film, and an executive producer. They all brought a breath of fresh knowledge of the tech space,” the producer shared.
“So the other producers kept me focused on certain things, as there’s the directing mind and the producing mind. The editing process is when you really get into the producing mind. You wonder, how do we make this film digestible for everyone?,” Hyatt added.
Doing research into the world of changing technology was another element that aided the helmer while he was crafting the idea for the movie. “Looking at what withdrawing from screens was doing to me was crazy, and also realizing what it was doing to my children, was an eye-opening process. Children don’t react well when you try to remove the video games that they’ve been playing for awhile, and putting down new rules in the house,” he pointed out with a laugh.
“Going to Harvard and the Boston Children’s Hospital, and also talking to people at the Seattle Children’s Hospital, was also helpful in the research process. I also spoke to people who have been in this space for a long time, like Adam Alter,” who’s a marketing author and professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, “who say that excessive screen time is an issue.” Hyatt added that “Being in the room with them, and hearing the wealth of knowledge that comes from them, really does affect you.”
Speaking of Alter, ‘Screened Out’ features interviews with several experts who have knowledge of how digital technology is affecting and influencing people, especially children. The filmmaker then delved into what the process of determining who he would include in the movie, as well as what they would discuss, was like.
“We talked to a lot of different people for the film, but we didn’t include everyone we interviewed in the final version of the film. There were so many people we spoke to across the United States, Canada and even parts of South Korea for the film,” Hyatt shared. “So it was a very lengthy process figuring out who would best fit into the story.
“We looked into a lot of different issues, including data privacy, and there was so much information that people had to share. So we really had to squeeze it down into behavior addictions; otherwise, the film would have been really overwhelming,” the director pointed out. “So we wanted to keep it compact, and talk about how this technology addiction was affecting our families and friends.”
Hyatt then delved into how he also worked with several directors of photography (DP) on the documentary, including Joshua Ausley, Bruce William Harper and Daniel Smukalla, and also served as one of the cinematographers himself. He explained what the process of deciding how he would shoot ‘Screened Out’ with his fellow DPs was like during production.
“I was looking at Bruce William Harper, who’s a fantastic Toronto cinematographer in the indie world. He has worked with me on some of my other projects, including my horror shorts, like ‘Woods,’ so I knew he was fantastic to collaborate with,” the filmmaker gushed.
“There were also times when I was in North Carolina, Michigan and other places to get something, and Bruce would be working on another project. But I knew that I could capture what I needed on my own, as I’ve done DP work before,” Hyatt shared.
“But I do prefer to have a DP. That way, I can focus on the interview a little bit more. But there is something about conducting interviews without anyone else in the room,” the helmer admitted. “It’s good either way, but I was unbelievably happy to have such an experienced group of DPs who helped out on the project.”
Besides serving as the director, as well as one of the producers and DPs, Hyatt also edited ‘Screened Out.’ He revealed that “It was very tough to edit the final version of the film. I think we had about 70 or 80 hours of interview footage that we had to squeeze down to 70 minutes, so editing was a long process.”
The filmmaker added that “working with Karina, who’s just excellent at going over what works, and picking out the soundbites that fit into the story, really helped a usually difficult process…But I think the long days paid off.”
With ‘Screened Out’ being released On Demand today by Dark Star Pictures, Hyatt feels that the digital distribution model is beneficial for a documentary like this one. “I’m not sure what the release would have turned out like if Covid-19 wasn’t happening. There was a theater roll-out planned by our incredible team at Dark Star before the quarantine. But they pivoted really quickly, and decided to do a digital release now in the U.S. and Canada, because this is the way to go right now,” he noted.
“We had a plan, and didn’t want to sway from that plan. Time will tell how the release goes, but I think we’ve been drumming up a lot of interest because we’re all stuck at home with our screens right now. People find the subject to be really relevant right now,” the director also pointed out. “So I hope that people will check out the film.”