Creative encounters of the informational kind: how filmmakers engage with information

Purpose This research paper investigates how information contributes to the creative processes of independent filmmakers, specifically how it influences their experience of having creative ideas that catalyze, change or evolve a film project. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with seven independent short-film filmmakers in the Washington, D.C. area. Participants visually mapped their creative processes and reflected on key moments when new ideas emerged. Applied thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in how information was encountered, generated and integrated. Findings The study identified six interrelated processes through which filmmakers engaged with information: attunement to the environment and project, drawing on tacit/prior knowledge, imagination, experimentation, social exchange and active information-seeking. A central theme was “resonance” – a felt sense that information was meaningful or creatively catalytic. Originality/value This research contributes to a more holistic understanding of information behavior in creative work, bridging information science, information philosophy and the philosophy of creativity. The study challenges traditional understandings of information, highlighting how creative practitioners encounter and generate information in intuitive, embodied and social ways. It also offers implications for how librarians and information professionals might better support artistic inquiry and creative discovery.