Nathan Fielder Negotiated a 'Kill Switch' on 'You Can See Everything'
Key Points:
- Before filming the documentary "You Can See Everything" about Elizabeth Holmes, co-director Nathan Fielder negotiated a "kill switch" with A24, allowing them to stop the project at any time if they felt the story wasn't unique enough.
- Fielder was initially skeptical due to the many existing works on Holmes' scandal, including podcasts, books, and other documentaries, and wanted the freedom to abandon the project without financial or creative pressure.
- The "kill switch" provision gave the filmmakers creative freedom and reduced stress, enabling them to explore the story purely out of curiosity without external oversight.
- Both Fielder and co-director Lance Oppenheim saw the arrangement as a way to test the project without commitment, with the understanding that if it didn't work out, they could simply stop filming.
- The flexibility provided by the kill switch was crucial, especially given the tight timeline before Holmes was set to go to prison, and it ultimately allowed the documentary to come to fruition.