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HDD Interviews Morgan Spurlock and His 'Comic-Con' Star Holly Conrad
Fri Apr 06, 2012 at 12:45 PM ETTags: Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
Note: Since we talk specifics about 'Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope' in the following interview, it might be wise to read my review of the film in the Bonus View section of the site first.
When the world's biggest geektastic comic book convention, Comic-Con, is held in San Diego, California each year, those of us who do not attend typically only hear about the stuff that goes on in Hall H – the celebrity-filled movie-centric frenzy. What we don't get to see is what goes on at the rest of "The Con" – which is exactly what the exceptional documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock is showing us in 'Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope.'
Spurlock is a major comic book geek. His passion for the convention shines throughout the film even though he doesn't make a single appearance in front of the camera. While he's usually front and center for his docs, this time around he's letting everyone else convey their love for The Con, since these are his equals in geekdom. There is a great amount of interview footage with celebrity geeks in attendance, but the majority of the film follows six specific fans attending Comic-Con with unique purposes. Joining Spurlock for this interview is one of the six main "characters," Holly Conrad, an aspiring make-up and costume designer who went to The Con to show off her unique homemade and animatronic costumes of the main characters from 'Mass Effect 2.' Enjoy!
HDD – Luke Hickman: Hello, Morgan! Let me start off by telling you that I really enjoyed the film. I want to know how you chose the six main attendees that you followed and if there are any plans to follow them around Comic-Con again in the future.
Morgan Spurlock: We basically put out a big casting call - once we knew the movie was happening - using mailing lists from The Con and other cons. Ain't It Cool News – Harry Knowles, who was an executive producer on the film – sent out a blast about the casting call via his site. Then we just got bombarded with about two thousand people sending letters and videos, wanting to be in the film. And from there we whittled it down to stories of people who were going to achieve certain goals, or to make sure that certain things didn't happen – like with Chuck Rozanski wanting to make sure that his business was going to stay afloat in light of the faltering paper comic book business. We just wanted to make sure that we found the most interesting folks. I think the cast that we got was really amazing. We got fortunate with the people we got – with Holly, Skip and Eric, Anthony Calderon … With this year we will probably try and shoot with a couple people. It will kind of depend. What I'm hoping is that we can have a few big screenings of the film at Comic-Con. If that happens, we will definitely shoot that and the Q&As after. We will probably do some checking in [with the characters] over time. That's the thing – Holly's career has just taken off in the two years since we shot with her. To see what happens with her post-this film, I think, is going to be really really exciting.
HDD: Being someone who attends Comic-Con each year, how did you manage to fly under the radar and keep people from knowing what you were doing?
Morgan Spurlock: I think that people knew we were making a movie. Anyone who lives in that community or submitted videos knew there was a film being shot, but we didn't make a lot of noise about it. I don't make a lot of noise about most films I make just so that it doesn't cause a lot of distraction. I try to keep things under wrap as much as we can with the exception of, you know, telling who we need to tell to get it executed. It wasn't like we had one or two people – we had a crew of 150 people making this movie. It was the biggest crew I've ever had in my life. We had 15 full-time cameramen, another ten field producers with them that, at any point, could pick up a second camera. There were anywhere between 15 and 27 cameras rolling at once. We shot 650 hours over the six days – a day on each side of The Con. There was a lot going on, so it wasn't like we were invisible. Lucky, 150 in a field of 150,000 is still very small.
HDD: How did it feel to not be in your movie?
Morgan Spurlock: It felt fantastic! It was great! I highly recommend it! (laughs) I'll do it as often as I can. With this film, we went to a lot of investors trying to make this movie and there were a lot of people who said, "We will give you the money to make this film – but only if you're going to be in it." I was like, "Well, great – but we'll find the money somewhere else." We basically walked until we found an investment team that wanted to get behind the movie that we wanted to make, that wasn't going to force us into making something that we didn't believe in. With this film – I'm a fan. And I am very obsessive over certain things in this culture. But there are people who are much more emblematic of this kind of passion than I am. We wanted to make sure that those were the people who were front and center in the movie. It was the right choice.
HDD: How do you feel about the comic book aspect of The Con dying off a little bit?
Morgan Spurlock: The only aspect of The Con that's dying off is people buying physical paper comics – just like every book store in America is dying off. Barnes and Nobles are going away, as are Borders bookstores. People just don't buy print comics. I read more comics now than I ever have in my life. As an adult, I download and read more comics on my iPad than I ever did as a kid because it's even quicker to get them. I don't have to go to a comic shop, I can go right online and buy five comics without ever leaving my apartment. The accessibility and interest level in comics is greater than ever before and it's reaching an ever grander audience. What is dying is people buying paper anything. For me, I think that side of The Con is an argument that is a bit insular in its viewpoint.
HDD: In the film, you touch on how Hollywood, television and video games have been dominating The Con over the last few years. How do you feel about the balance shift in that direction.
Morgan Spurlock: You have to think. The DC booth is still one of the biggest boots that's there – as is the Marvel booth. The Dark Horse booth is a big booth. ... The smaller artists on comic alley are always going to have smaller booths and a smaller presence because they don't have the dollars to jump up and be as loud as someone else. The people always say – and this is something that I don't completely agree with – "Movies are completely dominating Comic-Con now." Hollywood dominates the press of Comic-Con now; they don't dominate Comic-Con itself. If you go to Comic-Con Hall H, which is where they do these large movie teasers – which holds 6,000 people – there's still 144,000 people at The Con that aren't in Hall H. The movie portion is still a smaller portion of the giant con, it just dominates the media because Angelina Jolie just showed up for a press conference and what are you going to write about? You're going to write about Angelina Jolie showing up for a press conference. That's news – much more than the small comic book purveyor who's launching his new title. For me, I think that comics are still part of this – and they're still recognized as part of it – but it becomes a financial battle at that point. You're never going to win a battle against Rockstar Games. They have the biggest video game title in the world, so what you do is think, 'How can I still offer unique and creative opportunities to these people?' That's the thing, they (meaning the heads of the convention) easily could have gotten rid of these people years ago. If Comic-Con didn't care about comics and just cared about making money, then they would have gotten rid of these smaller places and let in the big giant studios and just let them dominate The Con. I think that [Comic-Con] recognizes that the heart is still those folks and that's why they are still dedicated to making sure they have a presence.
HDD: Holly, can you tell me how working with Morgan Spurlock has changed your career? I noticed on your website that you have some big projects coming. Can you talk about some of those?
Holly Conrad: After the movie was filmed, we were still pretty much trying to make it. It was off-and-on, so I ended up moving to L.A. and getting out of San Bernardino – which was nice. [Me and my team] ended up going to Bioware and making a bunch of suits for [them], which was really cool. We did the live-action trailer for them ... and a few official Femshep costumes, so I got to walk around as Femshep, which was very cool. Pretty much, it's just been freelance things. I just did a project with (inaudible) and got to do production design and make monsters. I'm, more or less, just looking for more cool design positions like that in the future. I'm still doing what I love to do while still trying to make it.
HDD: During the close of 'A Fan's Hope,' it says that you're working on the 'Mass Effect' film. Can you talk about that?
Holly Conrad: Obviously, it takes a while for these things, so once it actually does get into motion, I'll be hoping that I get to learn more about [my job] because it's going to awesome once it actually does go forward.
HDD: Do you have a comment about the controversy of the 'Mass Effect 3' ending that's been all over the internet lately?
Holly: That's actually a big deal. It's been all over my feed recently. I've been meaning to make a video about it. I think, honestly, that people are jumping the gun on the ending. How I feel about it is that we haven't really seen how Bioware is going to conclude everything. Maybe they'll add a DLC, maybe they'll have another game. We just don't know. Being upset about an ending, I understand. I cared about the characters as well, but I think there's a lot more to it that people are jumping the gun for. We should just wait it out and have fun playing the game. (laughs)
HDD: Thanks! Morgan, did you use any product placement to fund 'Comic-Con?'
Morgan Spulock: Yeah. Didn't you see? The whole thing was brought to you by DC and Marvel! (laughs) Oh, and George Lucas and Lucasfilm, apparently! (laughs) I remember when we first started making this film - we were also in the process of finishing 'The Greatest Movie' - you would just walk into the building and think, 'This is a clearance nightmare. We're not going to worry about any of that. There's no way.' … Once we got permission from The Con to shoot there, all of that got piggy-backed in – which was great. Could you imagine having to try clearing a movie like this? I would take you ten years!
HDD: Was it easy getting all of the celebrity interviews for the film?
Morgan Spurlock: The minute we knew we were going to The Con, we got the book with all of the scheduled panels, trying to see who would be there. We just started chasing them immediately, calling their agents, calling their managers, calling their publicists. The response was overwhelming. Most people said yes. There were some people who said no – like maybe if it was somebody who was there to promote a studio film who, when they're there, have a very limited window of what they want to accomplish that usually has to do with a release that's coming out in the next two to three weeks or two to three months, so they're doing nothing but press that's going to drive to that window – but most of the folks that we got on there were people who had a real relationship with Comic-Con in the past and could speak legitimately and openly, as well as heart-warmingly, about their experiences there.
HDD: How was it going from weightier content to something fun and playful like 'The Greatest Movie' and this?
Morgan Spurlock: This is something that I'm passionate about. This film spoke to every little bit of fanboy inside of me, every bit of my geek obsessions, so to get to make a film like this – not only make a film like this but get to make it with Stan Lee, with Joss Whedon, with Harry Knowles – it was a dream come true. To have things fall into place the way they did, to have the cast that we did, to get the access that we did – it was a really special project in so many ways. I felt very fortunate to get to make this movie.
HDD: How did you get this great list of producers?
Morgan Spurlock: The whole idea of the film came from a conversation that I had with Stan Lee. It was Comic-Con 2009, I had just been hired to make 'The Simpsons' 20th anniversary special for Fox, so we were down there casting 'Simpsons' superfans. We were trying to find people who could come out and wax rhapsodic about their passion and love for all things Homer. That night – Friday night of that Con – I went to a party and met Stan Lee. I went to Stan just to tell him how much he changed my life as a kid, how I read his comic books in West Virginia growing up basically gave me the courage to tell my own stories, how they motivated me to want to be a creative person, and he was like, (in a Stan Lee voice) "Oh, Morgan, thanks! That's really nice of you. You know, we should make a movie together. We should make a documentary! We should make a documentary about Comic-Con!" And I was like, "That's a great idea Mr. Lee! That's amazing!" (laughs) I literally took it to heart. (laughs) I met his producing partner Gil Champion and literally five minutes later I said, "Stan and I are talking about producing a movie together." He goes, "Listen. If you want to do that, we're in." So I saw Peter Micelli, an agent for CAA also at the party, and he said, "How was it meeting Stan?" I go, "It was incredible. We want to make a movie about Comic-Con." He's like, "Great! You should meet my other client who's coming into town tomorrow." Cut to tomorrow and I'm having breakfast with Joss Whedon. I said, "Stan's in. Here's the movie we want to make …" and we fleshed out the idea a little more – we want to follow people into Comic-Con and tell a little more of their experiences. Joss is like, "I love it. I'm in." And I literally went from my breakfast with Joss to find my friend Mark Wytullarde who is on the board of directors for Comic-Con. I called him up and said, "Where are you? I want to come find you." So I found him, told him that we want to make this film, that Stan Lee's on-board, Joss Whedon's on-board, here's what we want to make the movie about, and he goes, "Listen. I've worked for Comic-Con now for the past two decades and literally every year someone has come forward wanting to make a movie and we've said no – but this time it just might work." Lo and behold, a year later we are there making the movie. It was remarkable.
HDD: That's an awesome story. Thank you!
Morgan Spurlock: You're welcome. And thank you!
HDD: For all of our readers abroad, is there currently a plan to release the film outside the United States?
Morgan Spurlock: Absolutely! We're going to be announcing an international plan for this very soon. Right now it's just a domestic release, but the film is going to go international very very soon.
HDD: What's up next for you?
Morgan Spurlock: My next film, which we're finishing now, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21. It is a movie that we did with Will Arnett and Jason Bateman that looks at the magical world of manscaping, called 'Mansome.'
HDD: (laughs) I can't wait!
Morgan Spurlock: (laughs) It's special. It will be a very special film.
HDD: Who came up with that idea?
Morgan Spurlock: I think that idea was cooked up between Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Ben Silverman, then they roped me and I said, "That is a great idea. I'm in."
'Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope' is now playing in select cities, but will be expanding over the next several weeks.
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High-Def Digest's Complete Coverage of Sundance 2012
Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 03:10 PM ETTags: Sundance Film Festival , Sundance 2012, Aaron Peck, Luke Hickman, The Bonus View, Fun Stuff (all tags)
It's been almost a month now since Luke and Aaron visited one of the world's biggest and most prestigious independent film festivals. Over the past few weeks we've been releasing a long line of Sundance coverage on the main High-Def Digest page and over on The Bonus View.
Sundance routinely premieres movies whose hype continues all the way to award season. Movies like 'Precious,' 'Winter's Bone,' '(500) Days of Summer,' and 'The Guard' all recently premiered at the festival. After attending the festival Luke and Aaron have a pretty good idea of what movies will end up being talked about as the year goes on. If you missed any of our Sundance coverage here's your chance to catch up on it. Find out what movies will be hotly talked about for months to come. What movies might be around come the 2013 Academy Awards. And most importantly, what movies you'll be excited to see once they finally get released.
Aaron's Sundance 2012 Journals
Each day of the festival Aaron wrote a detailed journal entry chronicling the movies he'd watched, the celebrities he'd seen milling about town, and the overall experience of a film lover attending one of the best film festivals in the world.
Sundance 2012 Journal– Day 1: The festival begins; Aaron sees Malin Akerman standing in line for the premiere for 'Your Sister's Sister'; A very informative Q&A follows one of the best movies at the festival.
Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 2: A film festival is the only place strangers will ask you about the movies you've seen that day and how much you enjoyed them; Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, and Rashida Jones were spotted at the 'Celeste and Jesse Forever' Q&A; Snowpocalypse arrives in Park City and engulfs the town in towering mountains of white snow.
Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 3: Aaron is already starting to feel the all-too-familiar film festival burn-out as he starts skipping his planned movies for the day; 'Red Lights' turns out to be one of the most disappointing films at the festival; Later that night Aaron is treated to a great Q&A by Ice-T talking about his new rap documentary called 'Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap.'
Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 4: Aaron performs the fatal mistake of leaving the bus when he knows for sure it's going to take him to where he needs to go, but it isn't going fast enough; Josh Radnor is just like his Ted persona on 'How I Met Your Mother'; Aaron has one of his most uncomfortable moments of the festival when he watches a very sexually-explicit movie sitting just a few seats away from the main actress.
Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 5: A fight is picked about the silly way balloting is done at Sundance; Luke gets his haircut by the Axe people, but is booted from his seat so David Duchovny can come down and have a photo op; Aaron stays way too late to take in a screening of 'John Dies at the End' and regrets it the next morning.
Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 6: Ty Burrell, Vera Farmiga, and David Duchovny show up for the Q&A of 'Goats'; Mountains of free sandwhiches; and a Parker Posey nightcap.
Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 7: The third, or fourth, sighting of Brie Larson happens; Quentin Dupieux – director of 'Rubber' – uses Aaron's pen to sign autographs for fans; Aaron finally sees 'The Beasts of the Southern Wild' which is the festival darling, which will indeed be talked about when the Oscars roll around again; Finally, the night is spent watching Joseph Gordon-Levitt talk about his hitRECord.org project.
Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 8: Aaron laments about his busted camera and how bad his luck is with cameras at Sundance; Another festival darling, 'Smashed' is seen and liked; The festival comes to a close.
Sundance 2012 Interviews
Along with seeing movie after movie and taking in all that Sundance has to offer, Luke found time to interview some of the big names at Sundance 2012. Check out the chats below.
'Community's Alison Brie on 'Save the Date'
'Robot and Frank' Writer Christopher Ford
'The End of Love' Star and Director Mark Webber
Paul Dano and Jon Heder of 'For Ellen'
'For Ellen' Director So Yong Kim
'Frank & Robot' Director Jake Schreier
Jocelin Donahue and Frankie Shaw of 'The End of Love'
'Save the Date' Director Michael Mohan
Lizzy Caplan from 'Save the Date'
Luke's Sundance Reviews
'The Words' – 4.5 Stars
'Goats' – 2 Stars
'For a Good Time, Call…' – 3 Stars
'For Ellen' – 4 Stars
'Smashed' – 5 Stars
'Lay the Favorite' – 1 Star
'The Raid' – 4.5 Stars
'The End of Love' – 4.5 Stars
'Celeste and Jesse Forever' – 4 Stars
'Robot & Frank' – 3.5 Stars
Aaron's Sundance Reviews
'Safety Not Guaranteed' – 4.5 Stars
'Liberal Arts' – 3.5 Stars
'John Dies at the End' – 3 Stars
'Young and Wild' – 3 Stars
'Price Check' – 2 Stars
'Shadow Dancer' – 4 Stars
'The Surrogate' – 4.5 Stars
'Red Lights' – 2 Stars
'Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap' – 4 Stars
'The Beasts of the Southern Wild' – 5 Stars
'Black Rock' – 1 Star
'The Ambassador' – 1.5 Stars
'The Queen of Versailles' – 3.5 Stars
'Your Sister's Sister' – 4 Stars
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HDD Interviews 'The Double' Writer/Director Michael Brandt
Thu Feb 09, 2012 at 05:30 PM ETTags: Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
Now on Blu-ray, from the writers of '3:10 to Yuma' and 'Wanted,' is writer and first-time director Michael Brandt's 'The Double' - an espionage thriller starring Richard Gere and Topher Grace. In it, Gere plays a retired CIA agent who's called back into action when an assassin who he spent his career tracking resurfaces. Grace plays an up-and-coming young agent who devoted his collegiate studies to investigating the assassin's case. Both have to work together in a twisted journey to uncover the assassin's identity and stop him from taking out other government officials.
Michael Brandt comes from an interesting past in the movie-making business and took time out of his busy schedule to tell us about how he went from studying film, to editing, to writing and now directing. He also tells us how hard it is to break into directing and what it's like finally making that switch. Enjoy!
HDD – Luke Hickman: Hello!
Michael Brandt: Hey, Luke! How are you?
HDD: Not bad. How are you?
Michael Brandt: Well, I'm a little under the weather, so I hope that my voice will hold out.
HDD: Right now, I can understand you just fine.
Michael Brandt: Good.
HDD: Have you been doing a lot of these phoners today?
Michael Brandt: Actually, you're early on the list, so that's good. I don't know if by the end I'll be able to do the phone calls – but for now, I'm fine.
HDD: I watched 'The Double' Blu-ray last night and you put together this film independently, right?
Michael Brandt: Yeah. Hyde Park was the financing company. They finance their movies – most of them – through foreign sales. They actually have a fund out of Abu Dhabi that they use to finance their movies. It's independent, as in it wasn't a huge studio [film], but it wasn't like Derek Haas' mom or anybody like that [financed it] – just some sheik in Abudabi.
HDD: (laughs) That's awesome. You and Derek have been working together for some time now, right?
Michael Brandt: We've been working together since we were in college. We met at Baylor University in the early '90s, we were in grad school there together. I ended up in Los Angeles working as a film editor and Derek was working in advertising in Atlanta when he sent me what he thought was a completed script that was like 75 pages long. I said, "This isn't quite done yet, but it's really good." We'd tried to write some stuff together earlier in college and it was all terrible. So he sent me 75 pages of this great idea and I said, "What if this isn't the end of the movie, but the end of the second act?" I wrote the end of the movie and went back and rewrote some of the other stuff. The next thing you know, we had Brad Pitt attached to that thing and Gore Verbinski [set to direct], but at the last minute they left our movie to go do 'The Mexican' with Julia Roberts. So our movie didn't get made with those guys, but we were on the map in Hollywood. Derek moved out to Los Angeles and we got an agent. The rest is cinematic history, as they say.
HDD: What a cool beginning! Was your goal to always end up directing?
Michael Brandt: When I went to film school – Baylor is a really good technology school in terms of the technology of media. When I got there in the early '90s, we were already finishing up with high-definition television – and this was in like '92. The head of our department at the time had been Sony's head of new technologies in the '80s, so we would go to NAB (the National Association of Broadcasters conference) and run Sony's high-definition equipment for them. We knew more about it than they did. When I got there, thankfully, my interest was film and they were transitioning out of HD because they thought it was "old school" – like everyone was starting to do it – and were getting into this thing called non-linear computer editing. I had one of the first Avids ever made. We got it and I figured out how to take it apart and put it back together. I got really into the techie side of it. I went [to Baylor] wanting to be a writer/director and left there as an editor, which turned out to be the best move I could make because I moved to Los Angeles and within three weeks I was cutting a feature and within a year I was working for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez because they were all making the move to the Avid and I was one of the few guys who knew how to do it. It's funny looking back at how it all worked out. Then Derek and I sold our first script when I was working with Robert. That was a really long answer to a question that I can't remember.
HDD: "Was the goal to end up directing?"
Michael Brandt: Yep. And that's how I got there.
HDD: (laughs) That's awesome. So, how was it directing your first feature film, being the man in charge on-set?
Michael Brandt: Umm. There's great satisfaction in having the final decision go through you. I loved that. I loved knowing that fail or succeed, it was going to be on me - and also Derek. The nice thing about my personality in terms of creative collaboration is that I'm really open to input – and that's because I have a writing partner. You can't survive with a writing partner without being naturally collaborative. You have to have that mindset of "the best idea wins." That was something that I tried to bring to directing – "the best idea is going to win" – versus the guy who comes on set and everything has to be his way. What's funny is as I look back, there are times when I think that I should have stood up more for what I wanted specifically than I did. I should have been a bigger asshole than I probably was. Maybe there are some things in the movie that worked better in my own mind than when I watch it. Directing, all in all, is really fun because it's such a massively collaborating situation. It's also physically exhausting. It's a hard day, you never get to stop, and even when you're done you have to be thinking about tomorrow. Really, until you've [directed], you don't know just how mentally taxing the whole thing is.
HDD: How long was the process of making 'The Double?'
Michael Brandt: (laughs) Well, let's see. 12 years. We sold the idea as a pitch to MGM 12 years ago. Then we wrote the script, MGM got bought and sold and bought and sold and the script disappeared into their vault. We got the rights to it back and were able to separate the rights so that we owned them and Derek and I went out and got Hyde Park and [Richard Gere] attached. It was a really long process in some ways, but once we got Richard, the time from when we were shooting was seven months. That part was actually pretty fast.
HDD: Was it hard landing Richard?
Michael Brandt: You know, landing any actor for your first directing gig is a huge challenge. I've been trying to direct my first movie for six or seven years and it's hard to get somebody who's worth enough financially, to a financier, to commit to a first-time director. The script kinda spoke for itself, it's pretty strong – it's an interesting character for a guy like Richard to play. Our agent sent it to him and I heard he liked it, so I conned my way into a meeting at his house and after a couple of hours with my "dog and pony show," he was in. He was really open-minded and didn't care that I hadn't directed before. He embraced that and actually never took advantage of the power that guy like Richard Gere has on a relatively small movie. That was nice. He championed me and Derek all the way through it.
HDD: Once you had him, was it easy casting Topher Grace, Martin Sheen and Odette Yustman?
Michael Brandt: Yeah. Once you get a guy like Richard, you now have a certain amount of cache on the movie. You then get attention from agents and actors around town. And Topher - we needed that second guy though. There are a lot guys around that age group who could've played that role, but Topher, I thought, was an interesting choice because - he's obviously funny. He can pull off comedy easily. But the times that he has done drama, I've been impressed. I've always been impressed with what he did in the Weitz brothers movie ['In Good Company'] and also the Soderbergh movie he did – I can't remember the movie, I have too much cold medicine in my brain.
HDD: 'Traffic?'
Michael Brandt: Right! I'm also inherently fascinated with watching funny people do serious work. It seems like there's a tension there to it, like if you watch Patton Oswalt – the funniest guy on the face of the Earth – in 'The Fan' and watch him play drama, there's something even more dramatic about it because you realize that there's a pain behind the comedy to begin with. I thought Topher would be – (SPOILER) nobody would think that there's an additional twist at the end of the movie if we cast Topher, so that meant a lot (END SPOILER). Talking with him about how I saw the character and how he saw the character, it felt like a natural fit.
HDD: With you being a techie, were you involved with the Blu-ray conversion process?
Michael Brandt: I'm a tech person, but certainly limited. Any of that kind of stuff is beyond me. I'm not quite as techie as I used to be. No, I wasn't involved [with the Blu-ray], but I was involved in all of the actual post [production]. In terms of editing, I actually did some editing myself. I really thrived on that whole process, but the actual transfer and all that, that was not me.
HDD: With technology moving at a rapid pace, is it hard to keep up with it? Do you want to keep up with it?
Michael Brandt: That's it. I would like to be more involved with it, but the truth is that my life right now is as a screenwriter and director and also the father of three little kids. It's seriously hard enough just trying to figure out if the Lakers won last night.
HDD: I've got tell you before I get kicked off the phone that I'm a huge fan of '3:10 to Yuma.'
Michael Brandt: Thank you! We're working with Jim Mangold on another project right now that – since you liked 'Yuma' – you might really like as well.
HDD: Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Michael Brandt: Um. All I can say is that it's a sports movie.
HDD: Well if you're saying that it's got a '3:10 to Yuma' element to it, I'm in.
Michael Brandt: Thank you very much!
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Sundance 2012 Interviews: Paul Dano and Jon Heder of 'For Ellen'
Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 02:30 PM ETTags: Sundance Film Festival , Sundance 2012, Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
So Yong Kim's 'For Ellen' stars Paul Dano as a one-hit-wonder rock star whose 15 minutes of fame are just about up. Along with the loss of his dream, he's about to lose his wife and daughter in a nasty divorce. Trying to aid him on this rough road is his inexperienced lawyer played by Jon Heder, who not only does everything he can to help him with the legal matters, but shows his compassion by trying to help him out in his personal life too. Paul Dano and Jon Heder teamed up to talk with me about their film right after the second screening of 'For Ellen' at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival last week.
HDD – Luke Hickman: Hey, guys. How's it going?
Paul Dano: It's been great. We've had a couple of really good screenings and today things are finally getting to slow down a bit. We get to hang out and chat with our friends about the film.
HDD: Have you gotten to or will you get to go out and see any films?
Paul Dano: I haven't gotten out to see anything, but hope to start seeing some tonight now that my press duties are finishing up.
HDD: What about you, Jon?
Jon Heder: I'm leaving today – but I saw 'Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie.' It was fun. Interesting to see at Sundance because it's not what you typically see here – but that's what's fun about the festival, you can see all sorts of different stuff.
HDD: You haven't been here in a long time, have you?
Jon Heder: It's been eight years.
HDD: Paul, you were here -
Paul Dano: It's been a couple years, but I've now been here two or three times.
HDD: 'For Ellen' – great movie.
Paul Dano: Thanks!
HDD: What drew you to it?
Paul Dano: I knew So [Yong Kim], the director, a little bit and she sent me the script to read more as a friend. She said, "I wrote this character," gave [the script] to me, and I thought, 'Wow. This is an amazing part.' I immediately saw the character and what he looked like – the clothes and everything – I thought, 'I'd really like to do that. It feels like something that I know I can do – I'm not 100 percent sure that I can do – but I think I can.' It just felt like a different role for me, so I talked to her and we decided to do it together. It was such a delicious part. He's got a lot going on, an interesting guy. So it was great, a lot of fun.
HDD: What challenged you? You say that you weren't 100 percent sure you could -
Paul Dano: I just think that he's a lot different from me. I'm not a guy who wear a red leather jacket and tight pants who curses people out. He's sort of aggressive and agitated. He drinks a lot, smokes a lot, and is really a hard rock kinda guy – not me, but it felt like somebody that I should play.
HDD: I truly loved your drunken lonely rock star moment in the bar. That was my favorite sequence in the whole film because it said everything without saying anything.
Paul Dano: Yeah yeah yeah. My favorite sequence in the film is when I go to Butler - or Jon's character's house - for dinner and then go to the bar. Our sort of strange dynamic see-saws. There's a bit of levity, then all of a sudden – "Ooh. That was mean."
HDD: Jon, what drew you into this dramatic role?
Jon Heder: I loved the script, thought it was a chance to play a great role that was certainly a departure for a lot of roles that I've played. It was a chance to work with a director like So. After having read the script and watching some of her past films and knowing that Paul was attached, I thought, 'This would be a great project to work on – great people and the opportunity to return to independent filmmaking.' I'd done other independent films, but nothing of this caliber. I was excited to get to do this sort of project.
HDD: Paul, you've worked with younger kids before. Was it any different this time around? The scenes between your character Joby and Ellen are awesome.
Paul Dano: Thanks. That's great. You know, it always seems like it's going to be a little bit of a pain or something, but then you realize that they just keep you honest. You are kind of caring for them in the scene. Like if we're walking down the street, you're paying attention to them in a way that is the character, but you're also thinking, 'I gotta make sure this kid doesn't run out into the street.' It helps you lose self-consciousness and you forget that you're acting. You're taking care of a kid at the same time, so I actually really enjoy it. And [Shaylena Mandigo] did a great job. She's a local girl in the city of New York where we filmed. We went to the school where she goes and observed kids in kindergarten, first grade and second grade, talked to some girls and asked Shaylena to do it. We started hanging out in front of the camera just talking – and those are our scenes.
HDD: Jon, was there anything that challenged you with the role?
Jon Heder: I certainly felt the pressure of trying to create a character that's not trying to make people laugh – which is what I'm used to doing – but at the same time, what I felt was most challenging was learning to trust my instincts. Because of So's filmmaking style, she would just let the camera roll. She wouldn't give you tons of direction, but she'd talk with you a lot about the character. For a scene, it would contain skeleton dialog and she'd say, "Let's just get this together," and it very much required me to jump into character and work my way – we didn't have any marks or anything. We didn't really have any hardcore studio direction, if that makes any sense. That was a challenge, but it was very rewarding and refreshing to do it.
HDD: Did this process change the movie at all from script to screen?
Paul Dano: The script was great. I don't think So needed to do anything. In fact, when I first saw it, I said, "You can take some of that [improvised] stuff out. Your script is good." The film did change from script to final cut - a little bit – but not a ton.
Jon Heder: It was very much how I pictured it.
HDD: Is it hard as an actor to trust in your director, that what you read and what you envision is what you're going to see in the end?
Paul Dano: That's the most important thing and the hardest thing about being an actor. You step away from the film and it goes on and has this other life in the editing room. Sometimes you see it and you're really proud of who you worked with, other times you see it and you're like, "Oh, that different than I thought it would be." But that's what you try and work with people whose films you like. I liked [So's film] 'Treeless Mountain' a lot. I thought it was an interesting film with a very good script, so you trust that and choose to go for it. You can't worry about that on-set.
Jon Heder: It's true. I just trust them and put it in their hands. I do my part and trust in whatever happens – especially with this project because it is so different from projects I've done in the past. With some, it's a little easier to predict what it's going to be like. So, she doesn't do a lot of cut-aways. She lets the camera keep rolling. It's interesting to see the film and see what she used – hearing my voice but not seeing myself. She made some really cool and interesting choices. You've really just got to trust. For me, I shot it and didn't see any of them for a long time. I was really excited to see the film.
HDD: What's up next for you guys?
Paul Dano: I have a film coming out in March called 'Being Flynn.' It's me and De Niro, based off a memoir called "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City" – another fantastic work. The film is really good. Focus Features is releasing it in March. Hopefully they'll get it out there a little bit and people will see it. For De Niro, it's his best work in a while. He's great in it.
HDD: I've really liked Focus' film slate recently. Look forward to seeing it. What about you, Jon?
Jon Heder: I'm still in the middle of promoting the 'Napoleon Dynamite' animated series for Fox, which has been great.
HDD: How has it been revisiting your iconic character?
Jon Heder: It's been really fun. It was nice to have a seven year break, then revisit it. It's like a reunion being back together again with the other cast members and the writer and director. It's really fun because it's a totally different process to do an animated show. So there's that and another independent film that I'll be shooting this summer called 'Alive and Well.'
HDD: Can you talk about 'Alive and Well?'
Jon Heder: I can't because we're still trying to secure the rest of the cast. Rob Rugan, first-time director and commercial director, is great. I've met with him several times and I'm excited to work with him and really look forward to it.
HDD: Are you shooting to bring it here next year?
Jon Heder: I don't know what his plans are with it, but it would be great. It would be awesome. It's really fun to come here with a film.
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Sundance 2012 Interviews: 'For Ellen' Director So Yong Kim
Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 02:00 PM ETTags: Sundance Film Festival , Sundance 2012, Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
Sundance veteran So Yong Kim has returned for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival after a several-year break with her latest film, 'For Ellen.' 'For Ellen' stars Paul Dano as an aspiring rock star named Joby whose had a taste of success, but his fifteen minutes of fame are almost up. Pouring salt on the wound is his soon-to-be ex-wife. While losing his dream career, Joby is about to lose his wife and daughter, Ellen, also. 'For Ellen' takes you through a few heartbreaking days of Joby's life as he says goodbye to his career and his family. So Yong Kim took a few minutes out of her hectic Sundance schedule to tell me about her film, her inspirations, and how she landed Paul Dano for the key role.
HDD – Luke Hickman: How has the festival been for you so far?
So Yong Kim: Good.
HDD: This isn't your first time here, right?
So Yong Kim: It's my second time. I believe I was here in 2006.
HDD: What were you doing in the interim?
So Yong Kim: Let's see. I made my second film, produced my husband's film, and had two babies.
HDD: That will surely strip you of some time.
So Yong Kim: (laughs) Oh, yeah.
HDD: I really enjoyed 'For Ellen' and I'm curious to find out how much of it came from your own life. Or did you simply just write it all fictitiously?
So Yong Kim: No. I'm not like that. (laughs) I find writing so difficult. I started with this memory I have of meeting my father for the first time. Because my parents divorced when I was very young, like a baby or something. I don't know what made me do it because I don't ever think about him, but at the specific time in my life [when I wrote it], I was going through a little crisis about being a parent. We'd had our first daughter and I kept feeling like I wasn't a good enough parent. Then I started feeling insecure about being a filmmaker. I used that memory as a starting point and put a lot of my own insecurities and anxieties and bad habits into the character. It's a very personal film for me because whenever I see the film, there all these habits and narcissism that Joby has that I must have too. It kinda triggers something within myself.
HDD: And I think that's what makes it so good. It's natural and real. One of my favorite scenes is Joby's drunken jukebox rock star moment. From me to you, thanks for keeping the uncut moment in there. It's powerful.
So Yong Kim: Thanks! He's up there by himself, it's sad, he's in a small town.
HDD: It's an unforgettable scene – and Paul Dano pulls it off. How and why did you cast him?
So Yong Kim: I was really lucky and fortunate that we have some personal friend connections. I worked with his girlfriend Zoe [Kazan] on his second film and I felt comfortable enough. It was really nerve-wracking to ask him, "Hey, would you read this?" He really responded to the script and we started talking about the character. It seems like, upon reflection, it was organic.
HDD: This is the second film I've seen in two days where a child actor gives an amazing performance.
So Yong Kim: Great! Was the other one 'Beasts of the Southern Wild?'
HDD: No, but I hear the same thing about that one. The other one was 'The End of Love' by Mark Webber.
So Yong Kim: I hear that it's amazing.
HDD: The footage between him and his son is brilliant. And I have to say the same about the material with Joby and Ellen in 'For Ellen.' Was it hard to get a great performance out of Shaylena Mandigo?
So Yong Kim: My second feature was working with two young ladies. They were four and seven when I was working with them. I found that working with children is just such an enlightening experience. Luckily, I had that experience before working on this film. We knew that we were going to shoot a lot of footage because there was a kid on set, so basically we tried to roll camera as much as we could on-set and set up situations where she felt very comfortable, where she could feel like herself.
HDD: Is it difficult shooting with children?
So Yong Kim: No. Actually, no. There are challenges, but they're different challenges compared to working with [adults]. I wouldn't call it difficult. You have to be more playful and be on your toes a lot. If it's not working, then you have to switch to some other tactic - but I think that's also the same for adult actors.
HDD: How quickly did you shoot the film?
So Yong Kim: It was 18 days.
HDD: Wow!
So Yong Kim: Yeah, we had to shoot a lot each day.
HDD: Where did you shoot? Because it looks blistering cold.
So Yong Kim: New York. It was a lot colder than [Park City, Utah]. I was nervous about screening it here because the audiences are coming in from the freezing cold and seeing this frozen landscape that makes then feel colder than they did outside. I don't know if it's working for the film or against it.
HDD: If you were trying give it a frigid mood, then I think you served your purpose. You nailed it!
So Yong Kim: (laughs) Great!
HDD: So what's up next for you?
So Yong Kim: I'm working on another film about family, but it's more of an ensemble of characters. It's about this mother and her relationship with her two sons and daughter. It's about her and her connections with them.
HDD: I'm noticing a reoccurring theme involving family. Has parenthood changed you?
So Yong Kim: Yeah – but you know what it does? Parenthood makes me more focused on what I really want to do and what kind of stories I want to tell. I'm really thankful because I feel like I'm learning so much from them and I hope it comes through in my films.
HDD: Where are you at in the process with your next film? Are you working hard on it? Or will it be a while before we get to see it?
So Yong Kim: Probably not. For me, the script tells me, "Ok. I'm ready." So, it's kinda getting close to that, but not quite yet.
HDD: The reception of 'For Ellen' seems to be going strong right now. The fact that your Q&A before our meeting today went long is a testament of that.
So Yong Kim: (laughs) Yeah. The theater staff literally had to push us out. (laughs) So far, both screenings have been fun. The questions have been fantastic, insightful and thoughtful – not the generic usual. It's been quite good.
HDD: I'm embarrassed for the filmmakers when riffraff audience members ask silly questions.
So Yong Kim: Yeah, but it's a good starting point. I'm terrible at asking questions. When I'm on the other side, I get so nervous. "Excuse me. So, uh, how did you work with the actors?" (laughs)
HDD: I'm the same way. I don't ask questions in public Q&As. I save them for the settings like this – conversation. I could chat with filmmakers like you all day long.
So Yong Kim: Me too. I prefer this to a lot of people with their eyes on you.
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Sundance 2012 Interviews: 'Frank & Robot' Director Jake Schreier
Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 04:30 PM ETTags: Sundance Film Festival , Sundance 2012, Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
Just like his friend and collaborative screenwriter Christopher Ford, Jake Schreier is a first-timer at the Sundance film festival. He and Ford grew up in the same part of the bay area and became friends at NYU film school. 'Frank & Robot' is also his first fully produced feature length film. Just a day and a half after the world premiere, right before the film was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Samuel Goldwyn Films, Jake sat down with me to talk a little bit about 'Frank & Robot' and his filmmaking experience.
HDD – Luke Hickman: I was at the premiere of 'Frank & Robot' in Salt Lake City the other night – awesome movie.
Jake Schreier: Thanks!
HDD: This is your first feature, right?
Jake Schreier: Yeah. There are a lot of firsts here. It's my first feature film, [Christopher] Ford's first feature film, and the production company's first feature film. First-time cinematographer, first-time DP, and first-time composer.
HDD: For being a first, it's fantastic – especially when you look at the abbreviated time frame in which it was conceived.
Jake Schreier: Yeah, but that's probably true of a lot of other movies here at Sundance. We're probably not too unique in that regard. I actually think that 'Bachelorette' shot after us. They used a lot of our crew – and our James Marsden.
HDD: You crew is awesome at multitasking – now they can get double exposure during the same year at Sundance. There's a lot of folks doing that here this year.
Jake Schreier: From our movie, James Marsden has two movies here and Susan Sarandon has three here, even though she's not physically here in person.
HDD: Is she out filming?
Jake Schreier: I think she's shooting 'Cloud Atlas' with the Wachowskis. Have you heard anything about that one?
HDD: I just saw some concept art that went online that looked pretty amazing.
Jake Schreier: Right!
HDD: I like those guys. I even defended 'Speed Racer' when that came out. That's how much I enjoy their movies.
Jake Schreier: (laughs)
HDD: Back to 'Frank & Robot.' You and Christopher Ford have been buddies for a long time, how is it working together? Has it always been a working friendship?
Jake Schreier: Kind of. We became friends in film school and have always had fun making movies together. We had this big group of friends in college and we all worked together, so it wasn't always just about the work.
HDD: And you worked on the short film version of 'Frank & Robot' with Ford too, right?
Jake Schreier: (laughs) Yeah. I produced – which in film school doesn't mean very much. It basically means that it was my uncle's house that we filmed in. That was the big thing that I brought to that table. I had to earn my credit.
HDD: (laughs)
Jake Schreier: A lot of people have said, "You should put the short film on the DVD of the feature film." We say, "No, no, no, no, no! Let's not give the illusion that we were brilliant filmmakers in college. It's pretty bad to go back and watch the version that we made."
HDD: But some of us love seeing those types of special features – even if they are bad!
Jake Schreier: It would be very humbling to put that on there. Maybe we should just put it on YouTube so it's not completely attached to the feature film.
HDD: What's next for you now?
Jake Schreier: I've been so focused on getting this thing done – since it's been such a rushed film – that I don't have anything locked in yet. I have some ideas, but I'd like to get this finished before getting into my next project.
HDD: Do you write also?
Jake Schreier: Nope! That's why I have Ford.
HDD: Do you guys foresee a future of working together?
Jake Schreier: Yes! It was fun for me to be able to be there developing the script from the beginning and getting a sense of how it works. Ford, from what I hear, is much more involved in the production than other writers. He was on the set everyday. He was almost like my story-checker. He had this list of key moments in each of the scenes, and it's such a rush making a film this way that checking in with him about each moment kept us on track. He would let us know if he got the key story moments that we needed. Having him around was a huge help. But I guess it works different ways within the industry. You hear these stories of directors saying, "You gotta keep the writer off-set!" They'd push him away once they got the script out of his hands, but Ford and I worked together on the film the whole time. If only I could have gotten him away from the craft services more. (laughs) I got very skinny during production and he gained weight.
HDD: (laughs) You've got to take advantage of it when it's available to you. That's what I'm doing the whole time I'm up here at Sundance.
Jake Schreier: Oh, yeah.
HDD: Having lost weight, how stressful was the shoot on you? Were the days long?
Jake Schreier: No more than any other union production. We didn't really go into overtime but maybe by half an hour or an hour here and there. We pretty much kept to the schedule. We worked in a way that was pretty smart that allowed us to stick to the actual schedule rather than hoping for the best, trying to shoot too much and not getting everything that we needed. We took a smart hack-saw to the script and cut it down to the really just the minimum of what we needed because that's what we knew we could achieve properly in the limited time that we had. It's better to do that than miss out on some other things. If we'd stretched ourselves too thin, we could have missed out on some opportune moments.
HDD: How hard was that to cut it down?
Jake Schreier: It was really more of a writer's challenge, but it made things better. Too many times we want to strive for limitless freedom, as much freedom as possible. But there isn't necessarily a great track record for those who get to have that freedom. I think that there can be inherent problems in having no limitations because that lack of limitation can force you into a bad way of thinking. Film is such a compromised medium to begin with. Unlike writing a book, you have to compromise on everything because you have to do it all in real life. Everything – like rain in a shot or no rain in a shot – is all working on compromise. Finding a way to make things better it an important part of the process.
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Sundance 2012 Interviews: Jocelin Donahue and Frankie Shaw of ''The End of Love'
Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 03:30 PM ETTags: Sundance Film Festival , Sundance 2012, Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
In Mark Webber's 'The End of Love,' Webber plays a version of himself who's coping with the passing of his girlfriend, the mother of his two-year-old son. The film stars Webber and his real son Isaac. Frankie Shaw is the mother of Issac and appears in flashbacks as Isaac's mother. It's fun because Issac's parents are played by Issac's real-life parents. Jocelin, however, is one of the few actors in the film not playing his/herself. After speaking with Mark Webber about his directorial debut at Sundance, I was given the opportunity to speak with Frankie and Jocelin about their roles in the making of 'The End of Love.'
HDD – Luke Hickman: Frankie, as a mother, how hard was this process – allowing Mark to use your child as the driving force in his film?
Frankie Shaw: Do you want an honest answer?
HDD: Completely honest.
Frankie Shaw: So, I read the outline. It was six pages. And I thought it was like. "Whatever – this totally isn't going to happen. This isn't going to be a real movie. This is someone with a little 5D camera – which doesn't even look like a camera – and you're shooting Isaac being Isaac." That's totally what I thought. And then I watched a rough cut – cut to eight months later – and I had a mini freak-out. Part of me thought that I'd turned a blind eye. So I talked with Mark a lot about it and what the film meant. And really, the one scene that I had trouble with was the camping scene. I had to process feelings of "was I a neglectful mom?" We talked though it and he assured me that [he didn't do anything damaging to Isaac]. As you see in the film, Isaac is crying and every time I see it, I'm uncomfortable.
HDD: Probably just as uncomfortable as when you're a parent and you -
Frankie Shaw: - you do something that makes them uncomfortable. Right! And here's the thing: you can't be a perfect parent. And it's about learning and understanding your motivation and your intention and possibly making a better decision next time and making amends for a mistake. I think it's really valuable for our children that you can say, "Honey, I'm sorry that I was upset this morning. I didn't get much sleep. I'm gonna try to engage with you now and be present with you."
HDD: And they're so forgiving.
Frankie Shaw: And they're like, "Ok, Mom. I love you. Let's play fireman!"
HDD: It's the best.
Frankie Shaw: Oh, yeah.
HDD: After about ten minutes of watching the film, I said, "This has to be Mark's kid. There's no way that this little guy is an actor." Had it not been Isaac, the movie would not have worked.
Frankie Shaw: And Isaac is a special little kid.
HDD: He's awesome! And it's so cool because every parent will connect with it. Now, Jocelin, how is it playing yourself in a movie – well, a version of yourself?
Jocelin Donahue: I was [playing] a character [in the movie] because I'm playing Mark's ex-girlfriend, yet we've never been in a relationship before. I would never leave someone so cruelly as she does! If someone said, "I have a kid," I'd never say, "Ok, I'm outta here!" That's not who I am, but that's who the character is. She's an actress type playing a little more ambitious – you know, hot-shit – than I am in real life, but that was fun being able to play that kind of character. But at the same time, my name is Jocelin too and I'm in there somewhere.
HDD: Do you fear that might tarnish your image? You come across as so cool when we first meet you, but then turn cold quickly?
Jocelin Donahue: I don't think so. I feel like she comes across like, "Oh, we're catching up and you're gonna say you have a kid in the middle of kissing me? And you're gonna tell me you love me? Why don't we go get dinner first?"
HDD: I think she's cool until that point, then it all turns around.
Jocelin Donahue: Yeah, I'm definitely in a more vulnerable position to be playing a version of myself than to be reading lines that someone else wrote for you. But I just trust Mark so much. He is really such a truthful storyteller that that's just part of the story. It has to be there and I'm grateful that I got to play that role.
Frankie Shaw: You know what's really cool about her part is that it's the only part that anyone auditioned for. Everyone else was someone that Mark knew and this part was someone that he knew, but she was pregnant and couldn't do it. So it's actually a strong testament to Jocelin that she got the one part that needed to be filled.
HDD: You were found worthy to join. Very cool. I didn't know that.
Jocelin Donahue: It was really cool. I have to say that it wasn't a traditional audition because there was no script to audition. It was just me meeting Mark and talking about who I am who he is and what he wanted to do. And then on the day of the shoot – there were a couple nights where we shot those scenes – we just had to throw it all together and create a back story and be intimate in a way that tries to show people who have been in a long-term relationship before. It was thrilling, the excitement of that scene and of the process was just really creatively wonderful.
HDD: Had you done any work without a script prior to filming 'The End of Love?'
Jocelin Donahue: No. This was the first time.
HDD: And this was completely unscripted, right? You just had bullet-points on what needed to happen in each scene?
Jocelin Donahue: Exactly. There was the goal, the scenario, the set-up and what had to happen in the end – him saying, "I have a kid," and me saying, "I'm outta here." That was it.
HDD: Wow. Did Mark direct you to act the way you did, or was most of that improvised too?
Jocelin Donahue: It's like Frankie was saying – somewhere between feeling bad for him, realizing that he's drunk and maybe we shouldn't be doing this right now - that we're going too far - so it was kind of a fine line between being cold and being the ambitious actress character.
HDD: Do you believe that Jocelin, the character in the movie, would have been with Mark has this not been the case?
Jocelin Donahue: I hope that you can feel the love that we had before, but she's just in a different place in her life and she can't deal with someone who has a kid right now. Maybe that's too overwhelming to deal with.
HDD: Thank you. Is this your first time here at Sundance?
Jocelin Donahue: This is my first time.
Frankie Shaw: I was here in 2010 with 'The Freebie,' which was with Katie Aselton and Mark Duplass. And that whole movie was improv too. But that's it. This is my second time here.
HDD: So, Jocelin, being your first time, how's the festival going?
Jocelin Donahue: It's so exciting to be here. It's every actor's dream to be part of Sundance. This is the goal of independent filmmaking – to get here and celebrate what Sundance is.
HDD: I'm sure we'll see you both back here again soon enough. Do you two have anything lined up that might see here next year?
Frankie Shaw: I leave tomorrow to shoot this indie [film] in Texas, a really dark story about this very hick family with a matriarch that's overpowering everything. The son has cerebral palsy and I play this fucked-up daughter that just went through a tragedy. This guy comes to town and as a local farmhand and sort of shakes up the family.
HDD: Is the goal to get that playing here next year?
Frankie Shaw: Let's hope!
HDD: What about you, Jocelin?
Jocelin Donahue: I worked on a couple of other films that we're waiting to see where they go – one called 'Free Samples,' a comedy with Jess Weixler as the lead. She's super funny. And then I did this other called 'Live at the Foxes Den,' where I sing. It was my first time auditioning with a song and performing a song, so that'll be exciting.
HDD: Do you sing?
Jocelin Donahue: In the shower (laughs) and karaoke. It was nerve-wracking up to the point of doing it, but on the day of shooting it, I had a lot of fun. Both films are just being finished now, so hopefully we'll hit the festivals soon.
HDD: Well, hopefully I'll both of you back here next year. Thank you!
Frankie Shaw: Thank you!
Jocelin Donahue: Thank you!
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Sundance 2012 Interviews: 'The End of Love' Star and Director Mark Webber
Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Sundance Film Festival , Sundance 2012, Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
Mark Webber may not be a household name, but if you're a fan of 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' or keep a finger on the pulse of indie filmmaking, you definitely know who he is. This year he's not only starring in three films at the festival, but he wrote and directed one of them, 'The End of Love,' with his toddler son as his co-star. Just about every one of the actors in the film plays a character version of his/her self, including Michael Cera, Jason Ritter, Aubrey Plaza, Amanda Seyfried and many more. The day after the film's world premiere, Mark sat down with me to talk about what went into making his experimental film, why it works and - of course - I bring up 'Scott Pilgrim.'
HDD – Luke Hickman: Correct me if I'm wrong, but 'The End of Love' is the first film you've brought to Sundance as a director, right?
Mark Webber: This is the second film I've directed, the first one here as a director though. Right.
HDD: I saw the film yesterday and absolutely loved it.
Mark Webber: Thank you!
HDD: It's one of those extremely personal films that, as a parent, it's just as real as life. The opening scene, watching Isaac wake up, rub his eyes and kick you in the ribs to wake you up, is awesome. I've got two daughters and watching that just made me miss them.
Mark Webber: Right?!
HDD: What a great way to open the film. You had the audience connected and laughing from the first shot of the movie. It's touching.
Mark Webber: Thanks, man.
HDD: How did you capture these moments on film?
Mark Webber: Isaac was two-and-a-half when we filmed and I basically had a really awesome kind of rehearsal experiment process. The whole film was very experimental – the way it was made. I basically had my director of photography come over and spend a lot of time with Isaac. We shot on these small Cannon 5D cameras - which were very discreet - and I just had him come over and spend time with me and my son to "make some videos." We did this basically every day until it was normal.
HDD: Did it take long to capture footage that was useable, or did he adjust to it quickly?
Mark Webber: It was kind of right off the bat, pretty magical. I'll tell you why – the biggest thing is because I'm always there with him, so being there as his dad allowed me to really key in on his mood and rhythms. I built the whole movie around him, so basically, we shot on his schedule depending on how he was feeling. "Today he's a little crankier, so it would be better to do this scene." You know what I mean?
HDD: Yeah, he was the star.
Mark Webber: He was the star! The whole thing was made around him and in that way we were able to get perfect access. We were able to get the camera right here (holding his hand just inches away from his face) for some of those shot. The opening sequence that you talked about, when he's eating cereal, the camera is right in his face – and he doesn't even look at it. It was magical.
HDD: While watching it, I was wondering, 'How did he get this performance out of this kid?' Then, at the Q&A afterward, I realized, 'This is his kid!'
Mark Webber: (laughs) I love to work with a feeling like we're not making a movie – even when I've made traditional films. As a director, I was able to create this environment that allowed me to live in-character and to strip everything away so it was about me always being there and present. And as a filmmaker, I had to make sure that the story points were right, creating the stakes and the tension for the scene, so that what we would do between me and my son would be just right. We shot a lot of stuff. The conversation at the end about life and death was done in one take with two cameras and it was not something that I was going to repeat because it would be weird. As a father explaining how things live and die - when this was just starting to come into his consciousness - wasn't something that I wanted to repeat. We've got only one time to do this. And how this translates on-screen is awesome because it's real.
HDD: The Isaac stuff is all real, but how about the other fictional stuff with your character? It's said that you write what you know – where did you get the rest from?
Mark Webber: You know, basically this movie is just about relationships and human interactions and the vulnerability between the two. The interaction between the other woman in the film is sort of drawn up by past experiences. Using my other friends to play versions of themselves made it a fascinating process.
HDD: Are you a single parent?
Mark Webber: Yeah. Frankie, the mom, is in the film. She's in the very short flashback sequences.
HDD: So those are real home videos shown in the beginning?
Mark Webber: Yeah. That Bright Eyes song that was playing in the beginning, "The First Days of My Life," that was playing in the room. That's not something that I added in. Then I had to go and get the rights from Bright Eyes. "Listen, this was playing in the room when my son was just a year old. Do you know how much this means to me?" The mixture of that with the other cinematic elements and blurring it, for me, was just so rewarding as an artist.
HDD: One thing that I really enjoyed was how the other actors play themselves – or better put, characters of themselves -
Mark Webber: Just so you know, Michael Cera is not like that at all. His place that he lives in so much more humble. (laughs) He does not live in a glass mansion.
HDD: Does he carry a gun around?
Mark Webber: (laughs) No. He does not carry a gun around. He's not like a dick like that. We wanted to have fun with that, to poke fun at the version of what a young Hollywood star would be and how they're perceived.
HDD: I'll tell you, being a 'Scott Pilgrim' fan, it was a whole lot of fun to see a big part of the cast of reunited.
Mark Webber: (laughs) I know, right?!
HDD: I was watching it, constantly pointing at the screen saying "Look! There's – oh, and she's here too! They're all here!
Mark Webber: (laughs) That was cool, right?
HDD: What's really funny is that while I was watching all of you in the Q&A after the premiere, a buddy was riding a bus on Main Street with Mary Elizabeth Winstead. He text me saying, "I'm here with Ramona while you're there with the rest of them."
Mark Webber: Yes! That's so cool!
HDD: If you'll let me geek out for a second, one of my favorite lines from 'Scott Pilgrim' is when Crash and the Boys are playing and you've got subtitles on the screen -
Mark Webber: (laughs) Oh yeah!
HDD: - while saying, "Dammit, Scott! You're freaking me out!"
Mark Webber: (laughs) I know. I know. That movie was so cool.
HDD: Back to the topic – what's next for you?
Mark Webber: What's next is I'm doing a film called 'Panarea' that friend of mine Adam Mansbach wrote. He's a New York Times best-selling author. And my other friend Adam Lough is directing and we've worked together two other times on 'Bomb the System' and 'Weapons.' Jim Jarmusch is producing and I'm starring with Chloë Sevigny.
HDD: Nice! Will we see you here with it next year?
Mark Webber: Hopefully! That'll be the plan.
HDD: Have you filmed anything that's yet to come out?
Mark Webber: I actually have two other films here: 'Save the Date' is in competition -
HDD: I'm actually supposed to interview you again in two days about 'Save the Date' -
Mark Webber: Cool!
HDD: - so don't say too much about it now.
Mark Webber: (laughs) Awesome! There's that and 'For A Good Time, Call …' - another film in the premiere's category.
HDD: I'll be seeing that during the Press & Industry screening on Wednesday. What can we expect from 'For a Good Time, Call …?'
Mark Webber: I actually haven't even seen it yet. I just know that Lauren Miller and Ari Graynor are incredible. Ari is amazing, so expect a really funny movie.
HDD:Awesome. Thanks again and I'll see you on Tuesday.
Mark Webber: You bet!
Unfortunately, Mark had to bail on the 'Save the Date' press day so that he could further promote his own film, 'The End of Love.'
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Sundance 2012 Interviews: 'Save the Date' Director Michael Mohan
Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Sundance Film Festival , Sundance 2012, Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
Each year there seems to be a reoccurring theme that pops up in films at the Sundance Film Festival. 2011 was all about fanatics and 2012 seems to have been heavily influenced by 'Bridesmaids.' 'Save the Date' is one of the many great R-rated female-centric comedic dramas at Sundance this year. Lizzy Caplan stars as an aspiring artist who has to take life in small steps. As if moving in with her boyfriend wasn't traumatic enough, when he proposes to her in front of a large crowd she freaks out and ends the relationship right there. Alison Brie plays her sister, the encouraging and supporting figure in her life. Halfway through the festival, director Michael Mohan sat down with me to talk about the film, it's evolution, and film in general.
HDD – Luke Hickman: Congrats on the movie! It's awesome.
Michael Mohan: Thank you!
HDD: For what it's worth, the response from the Press & Industry screening I attended yesterday was great. How's your Sundance experience been so far?
Michael Mohan: Really good. We had our premiere two days ago and the second screening is later today. The Q&A was great and the reaction was great. I don't think we could have asked for a better response.
HDD: Do you usually watch your movies with the general audiences?
Michael Mohan: I did this time. You can't not watch it when it's at the Eccles (the largest theater at the festival with 1,270 seats). I'll be there.
HDD: Did the audience respond the way you expected them, laughing in the right spots, etc.?
Michael Mohan: Yeah. I honestly can't think of it going any better. And I give credit to [the cast].
HDD: I really enjoyed the Martin Starr character because I felt like he represented the audience – he's outside the conflict looking in and, aside from one part at the end of the movie, he's keeps out of it. It's really easy to connect with him.
Michael Mohan: Thank you!
HDD: I hope that's what you were going for!
Michael Mohan: Absolutely!
HDD: Your film is based around two female leads. Being a guy, was it hard writing them?
Michael Mohan: You know what's funny? People have been asking me that, but it wasn't like we made a decision, "I'm a man and I'm going to write a movie about girls." The script was originally written by graphic novelist Jeffrey Brown and a playwright Egan Reich and I originally came on-board years after and sort of re-wrote the script with them. The characters already existed and I remember when I read the script for the first time, even though the characters were girls, I totally related to what they were going through. It's funny because that's a hot-button issue now – movies at Sundance with leading female characters. It's almost turning into a political sort of thing, like "Why are female character so en vogue right now?" - but that's how it should be! I think it's awesome. I'm excited for the next year because there are so many strong films here. If I can't see them here, I know they're going to come out and I can see them. A lot of us filmmakers here are friends too – like James Ponsoldt, the director of 'Smashed,' we've worked together. It's a good community. Even though we're in competition, I don't feel like we're going head to head.
HDD: How much does being in competition play into the experience? Is that in the back of your head the whole time?
Michael Mohan: For me, I'm just excited that the film is getting such great exposure. I was here a couple years ago. My film was in the Next category. It was great, nice to have this little baby step. Last year I was here with a short, so this year is my chance to be in competition. It feels like the natural step. In terms of the actual awards, being here is remarkable and I'm glad that the film gets to be seen.
HDD: So the question is – what are you bringing next year? Lizzy Caplan told me how recently you shot 'Save the Date,' so you can crank out another feature by next year, right?
Michael Mohan: Our producers have actually been working on 'Save the Date' for six years. I came on-board two years ago when I was here with my first film and [producer Jordan Horowitz] was here with his film. So I worked on the script for a year and we shot during the second year. As for next year, I've wanted to write some stuff, but I haven't had too much time.
HDD: Instead of going the route of serious drama or tradition comedy, your film blends the two. There's a sense of realism at the core of 'Save the Date.'
Michael Mohan: Absolutely. I think that was the goal. On-set, that's all we worked on. That was the thing – challenging the script to be as truthful as possible, even if that meant changing lines around or changing scenes around. [We did] exactly what the characters would do in that moment. It's a process. You write the script and try to make it as truthful as possible, but then while shooting it you have to adjust it to make it even more so.
HDD: Can you talk at all about the budget you were working with?
Michael Mohan: Our official statement is, "More than a little and less than a lot." (laughs) We got what we needed. To be specific, we shot over 21 days and it never felt like we had to compromise. We worked long hours, but not crazy long. And we shot the film specifically - like a lot of one-take scenes.
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Sundance 2012 Interviews: 'Robot and Frank' Writer Christopher Ford
Wed Feb 01, 2012 at 04:45 PM ETTags: Sundance Film Festival , Sundance 2012, Luke Hickman, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Luke Hickman
Ever since attending NYU Film School a few years back, Christopher Ford has written a slew of features and shorts, but 'Robot and Frank,' this year's Salt Lake City opening night gala film, is his first to ever be made and seen by the masses. This is also his first time at Sundance. If this is what he's capable of pulling off as a newbie, it will be fun to see what he does as he becomes a more seasoned writer.
'Robot and Frank' is the story of a senile old man (Frank Langella) whose son (James Marsden) buys him a robotic caretaker. Before long, Frank learns that he can manipulate his robot, so the two head off on a heist-filled adventure.
HDD – Luke Hickman: Alright. First time at Sundance and -
Christopher Ford: Yes!
HDD: - how is it?
Christopher Ford: It's amazing! This is my first fully produced movie script, so it crazy to me. I haven't gotten to see any movies.
HDD: Are you going to see any?
Christopher Ford: I want to – uh – but it's kinda too crazy. But it's cool because I have other friends that I went to school with that have movies here. It's weird. My friends are here so it seems like "it's happening."
HDD: Where did you all go to school?
Christopher Ford: NYU.
HDD: What are some of the movies that your friends have here?
Christopher Ford: There's 'Bachelorette,' which has an awesome cast - a lot of fun people to work with. There's the Mike Birbiglia one – 'Sleepwalk with Me' – with one of my producers from film school. And a lot of short films. There are so many people here that I know.
HDD: Being your first film produced, this has to be extremely surreal.
Christopher Ford: Oh, yeah. And it all happened really fast. We obviously had the right content, but then we shot it this summer, [director] Jake Schreier started editing in September, and we had to get it ready for January. It's kinda crazy, right?
HDD: Yeah. I was at the premiere when you guys were talking about this at the Q&A after the movie. Wasn't it a 21-day shoot?
Christopher Ford: 20. We wanted one more day, but … . Yeah, it was during the summer too, so it sucked.
HDD: When did you find out that you were accepted to Sundance?
Christopher Ford: Ummm. About Thanksgiving.
HDD: From your position, how did the whole application process go?
Christopher Ford: Our producers did. That was their job. Galt Niederhoffer put together our cast, our application to Sundance and made it happen. So, I wrote a script, got notes for everybody, was there when they shot it, and they made all of this happen. It felt really good to be in their hands.
HDD: Good producers!
Christopher Ford: Yeah!
HDD: Do they include you on all of the business aspects of it from here - like any bites you've received about distribution?
Christopher Ford: Oh, yeah. We're definitely buzzing with that stuff right now. But that's kinda their business. They keep me informed though. It's involves Jake more in the actual decision, but they let me know. To me, this is all a bonus from having it made.
HDD: How long ago did you write the script?
Christopher Ford: I guess I started writing the feature script in 2010, or maybe the end of 2009. But it's funny, it was short before from back in film school, so the idea is from 2002.
HDD: Was it one of the first shorts you ever made?
Christopher Ford: No, it was actually the last one – my senior thesis film that I directed and Jake produced. I basically learned from it that I wanted to be a writer over a director.
HDD: Is it hard handing you scripts over to a director, to Jake?
Christopher Ford: No. No. I trust him. I'm really lucky because I'm really good friends with the director. I was on set the whole time. He wanted me there for my writer's viewpoint on what we were shooting.
HDD: Seeing the final product, is it how you imagined it?
Christopher Ford: Yeah. Pretty much. It's actually better. It's collaborative. Everyone brings something with them. Like Frank Langella – he brought so much to the character of Frank, even when I was still in the writing phase. Actors, they read the script and see everything from their character's point of view. That could be bad, but because they were experts, they were like, "No way. Why would the character do this?" And that's actually really helpful.
HDD: So it's a learning process at the same time?
Christopher Ford: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
HDD: How did you get this cast?
Christopher Ford: It was Galt. It helped that we got Frank interested first. Maybe there's not a lot of parts for older guys – and it's playful. We met him at some restaurant. He wanted to see if we were passionate about the script. And he said, "Sure I'll do your movie … if it happens." And when it all came together, he was like, "Oh! Ok. Here we are." And he was great.
HDD: What about the rest of the cast? How did you land Susan Sarandon, James Marsden and Liv Tyler?
Christopher Ford: I think once we landed Frank, it peaked their interest in the script. I think they wanted to work with him. It's funny how James Marsden has been in two other movies with him – not as his son, but as his nephew. And again in 'The Box.' Marsden was also Susan Sarandon's kid in two movies. I think there's a family resemblance here.
HDD: It's an awesome cast. I'll tell you, part of the fun for me when watching the movie was that I had no idea that it was turning into a heist film, that Frank would coax this robot in breaking and entering.
Christopher Ford: (laughs) We originally did not have that part. In the short, the son drops the robot off. It's all sad. Frank dies in the end.
HDD: Do Frank and Robot become buddies like they do in the feature?
Christopher Ford: Yeah-yeah-yeah. There was also the whole library plot, but it was more focused on reading.
HDD: Well, with books disappearing and everything going digital, it looks like things might be going the way of the movie. It's applicable.
Christopher Ford: Oh, yeah. What's crazy is that in 2009, when I was thinking all this up, I thought, 'What would they have? Maybe a little tablet computer? What would I call it?' At the time there was no iPad, but now it's all happening. I swear! My thought of tablet computers became totally real. We caught up to reality.
HDD: Now we just need them to be see-through like yours in the film.
Christopher Ford: Exactly! Maybe the robot is next.
HDD: I was laughing at the Q&A after the premiere when someone in the audience asked you how far away we are from this technology. Jake plead the fifth and you said 2025.
Christopher Ford: (laughs)
HDD: How have the Q&As been? You get your handful of good questions and the occasional weirdo one.
Christopher Ford: Oh, it's fun! It's crazy because I went to a lot of Q&As in film school and it's odd to be conducting one. It's funny because Jake it is kinda shy. When he comes out to introduce the film in the beginning, he's quiet and small. It isn't until they begin asking questions that he warms up.
HDD: So, what's next? Have you written anything? Are you writing anything?
Christopher Ford: I think the biggest thing right now is that I'm writing a horror movie for Eli Roth that he's producing. Another friend from film school is going to direct. It's called 'Clown.'
HDD: Oh, you know what? I saw this on IMDb, right?
Christopher Ford: Yeah. It's a cool story. Me and my other friend John made a fake trailer for a horror movie called 'Clown' as a joke, we put it on YouTube and it got some attention. We put in as part of trailer – to make it seems real – that it was directed by Eli Roth. It was the perfect note to make this really horrible movie about a clown killer. And then [Roth] saw it because someone sent it to him and he called us up and said, "This is a really good idea. Let's do it!"
HDD: He loves that viral stuff, doesn't he?
Christopher Ford: Yeah – and it's awesome!
HDD: So, first you're working with your buddies, now you're working with Eli Roth.
Christopher Ford: And my buddies! And [Eli Roth] is a really nice guy.
HDD: Which part of the process are guys in with 'Clown?'
Christopher Ford: Right now we're just locking up the script, pre-production stuff. I'm not exactly sure when we're shooting – probably in the summer again, which I'm kinda dreading because of the whole 'Robot' thing. We were shooting in upstate New York and we were in almost record-setting heat. Humid times. The woman in the robot suit, Rachel – it was dangerous. We had to stop every once in a while so she wouldn't pass out. That was not fun. There are parts on the suit that you can kinda see through, so she had to wear this black suit. If you saw it, it was supposed to resemble circuits. And she was just sweating it up in that thing the whole time. She's short - like 4'11" - but she's a dancer – a sexy go-go dancer.
HDD: Go figure. She had the robotic movement down. There's not a time in the movie where she doesn't seem robotic.
Christopher Ford: Exactly. It was weird. There was this zen sort of things she had to do to focus on standing still while Frank was yelling at her. It was kinda bizarre.
HDD: I've got to tell you, I enjoy the typical Sundance movies, but it's always fun to see something like this here – like a PG-13 heartfelt dramatic comedy - because it unexpected. We need more of it.
Christopher Ford: It's got a lot of genres mixed together, so it's unique in the end.
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