- 7 weeks ago
Writer and director Jared Isaac joins this edition of EoM Presents to break down his debut feature film, "An Autumn Summer." Speaking with EoM Senior Interviewer Thomas Manning in this extended conversation, Isaac reflects on the changing seasons in his own life that inspired this coming-of-age film starring Lukita Maxwell and Mark McKenna. Also featuring dazzling cinematography from acclaimed documentary DP Brandon Somerhalder, "An Autumn Summer" arrives in select theaters on May 1, to be followed by a digital release on June 2.
Official Synopsis:
In the Summer of 2010, 18-year-old Kevin (McKenna) and his girlfriend, Cody (Maxwell), are two months into his family's annual trip at their Northern Michigan lake house. This year, one month remains before their lives take them on different paths. Amid peaceful days and adventurous nights, Kevin and Cody awaken to reality: This time together will eventually end, and each moment may become a fleeting memory.
Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/T_86KrXPv3E?si=W4ZByPBXrOaLfyd1
Directed/Written By: Jared Isaac.
Cast: Mark McKenna, Lukita Maxwell, Jun Yu, Julian Bass, Louise Barnes, Tony Horton, Katie Baker
Official Synopsis:
In the Summer of 2010, 18-year-old Kevin (McKenna) and his girlfriend, Cody (Maxwell), are two months into his family's annual trip at their Northern Michigan lake house. This year, one month remains before their lives take them on different paths. Amid peaceful days and adventurous nights, Kevin and Cody awaken to reality: This time together will eventually end, and each moment may become a fleeting memory.
Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/T_86KrXPv3E?si=W4ZByPBXrOaLfyd1
Directed/Written By: Jared Isaac.
Cast: Mark McKenna, Lukita Maxwell, Jun Yu, Julian Bass, Louise Barnes, Tony Horton, Katie Baker
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Short filmTranscript
00:00:00We're alive! We're alive!
00:00:02Hey there, and welcome into EOM Presents. This is Thomas Manning.
00:00:05And you know, sometimes when you're chatting with someone about movies,
00:00:08it's obvious from the get-go that you're just going to hit it all.
00:00:12That's kind of how this conversation went, talking with filmmaker Jared Isaac.
00:00:17Before we even started recording, we were talking about his home city of Chicago
00:00:21and its unique place in the cinematic landscape.
00:00:24This was sparked when he noticed here over my shoulder
00:00:27the Ferris Bueller license plate on the shelf behind me.
00:00:32And then, you know, after we're talking for a little bit and we realize,
00:00:35oh yeah, we're here to talk about his directorial debut in Autumn Summer.
00:00:39Jared wrote and directed this. It comes from an extremely personal place for him.
00:00:43It's a coming-of-age film. Stars Martin McKenna and Laquita Maxwell,
00:00:48in addition to a fantastic supporting cast.
00:00:52We break down a lot over the course of this, about an hour of talking.
00:00:56And I thoroughly appreciated everything he shared and everything he got into
00:01:01about the development of this film, this true passion project for him.
00:01:06I thank you all for watching and listening.
00:01:09Hope you enjoyed the conversation once again as we speak with Jared Isaac
00:01:12about An Autumn Summer.
00:01:15It's a joy to link up today.
00:01:18Oh, for sure. I absolutely adored this movie.
00:01:21And to start off, oh yeah, yeah.
00:01:24I know this film and this story came from a very personal place for you.
00:01:29And it is about a friend of yours, correct?
00:01:31Wasn't it you just went to him with a conversation and you were like,
00:01:35hey, I'd like to make a movie about you and your high school sweetheart, essentially.
00:01:38Kind of take me back to that conversation.
00:01:41Yeah, I mean, so that conversation, look, it's been a long time gesticulating
00:01:46from wanting to actually legitimately attempt to capture this 40-plus year tradition
00:01:56of summer spent in northern Michigan.
00:01:58For me, I've been a part of it for about 20 years.
00:02:01But so from wanting to actually take that tradition and the feeling of that tradition
00:02:10and try to condense a feeling in 40 years of story 20 for me.
00:02:16But like, so where to start?
00:02:19And so I very quickly realized that the most accessible way in for me,
00:02:27and I think the most relatable story of the 20 years of possible summers to choose from
00:02:34was the summer after high school.
00:02:37And the main characters of this story are my best friend, Kevin,
00:02:42and his longtime girlfriend, Cody, who had been coming up with us for four years
00:02:48that the whole duration of high school, and I'd been coming up since I was about 12.
00:02:54So pretty quickly in thinking about all the years of being up there, it was like,
00:02:58oh, I mean, this is the story to tell.
00:03:01Summer after high school, first love, young love, and, you know,
00:03:07the end of this first chapter of life, being 18 years old and really being, you know,
00:03:16in that bittersweet innocence before it's time to move on from that.
00:03:23And so it's like, and that was a very palpable time in my life.
00:03:28And I was, yeah, I'm a supporting character in the film.
00:03:30I'm not the main character.
00:03:31I was a witness to their love.
00:03:35But it's, yeah, it's like this, an autumn summer and the capturing of this story,
00:03:39which was the summer of 2010 when we graduated high school,
00:03:42which, you know, 16 years ago, a lot has changed.
00:03:47And the pacing of those summers was just such a bittersweet memory of no phones
00:03:57and living in the moment.
00:03:58And for the two of them, for Kevin and Cody, there was this unspoken realization.
00:04:06Well, I think we all felt, we all knew this, that it was like, hey, there's,
00:04:09there is the closing of this chapter.
00:04:11But like, maybe they're so wonderful and together, who knows, maybe it'll work out.
00:04:16And just kind of all of us, myself, as our friend group, me, our other best friend,
00:04:23Martin, Kevin and Cody, the four of us, and then Kevin's parents, Mary Lou and Steve,
00:04:29you know, and then them going through the kids leaving.
00:04:33It's just, yeah, it was a changing of the season, hence the title in autumn summer.
00:04:38And I think we captured all those feelings pretty effectively.
00:04:43Yeah, I do think that is a universal, probably universal experience, definitely universal feeling
00:04:48for a lot of people to know that they're in a relationship, whether it be a romantic relationship
00:04:53or a friendship, where it's coming to a close, because life is going to take you in separate ways.
00:04:59And I think you really keyed into that here.
00:05:02And yeah, for sure.
00:05:04And I'll ask you, I'll definitely talk about the chemistry between Lukita Maxwell and Mark McKenna.
00:05:11But before I get into that, I just want to ask generally about the camaraderie between the cast,
00:05:17which just felt extremely natural as the viewer.
00:05:21Was that something that you saw on set from day one that everybody was just pretty much vibing with each
00:05:28other?
00:05:29Yeah, I mean, we saw it prior to an extent.
00:05:32So prior to that, because I got to spend time with I got to spend one on one time with
00:05:39Mark
00:05:39and I got to spend one on one time with Lukita and one on one time with June Yu, who
00:05:45played me all prior to filming.
00:05:49And then Tony, Tony Horton, P90X icon Tony Horton, who plays Steve.
00:05:54I didn't get to meet in person until we got there, as well as his counterpart, Louise Barnes.
00:06:00I didn't get to meet until we got there.
00:06:02And then Julian Bass, who plays Martin, he was based out of Atlanta, so I didn't get to meet him
00:06:09until we got there.
00:06:10But their essences were so are so distinct and unique.
00:06:19And I found them to be a parallel of the like who we were and are as people.
00:06:29Mark being this like 5000 year old man in this in that Irish body of his and just like a
00:06:37man of few words.
00:06:39But, you know, the words, he's just such a laser and a vessel.
00:06:44And and that's like and that's like my best friend, Kevin.
00:06:48And then Lukita Maxwell, who is just an absolute unicorn of a of a person and and an artist who's
00:06:56who as Cody embodied such such a visceral and outward,
00:07:02like experiencing everything through her senses, wanting to like to have wanting to have experienced it and felt it all.
00:07:11And so, like.
00:07:13And I got to spend time with them yet, but prior to filming a little bit one night, specifically myself,
00:07:20our cinematographer, Brandon Sommerhalder, who's a who's a close friend and Lukita in June.
00:07:26We all hung out one night in L.A. and watching Lukita and June's banter just that that night, Brandon
00:07:35and I are like stealing glances at one another, just being like, oh, man, we cannot wait to put this
00:07:43on film because their chemistry was already off the charts.
00:07:47So, yeah, it was like it was like community theater where they were just they were just bringing everything that
00:07:54they wanted to and improv it and I think formed formed some really deep bonds.
00:08:01I mean, Mark and June are best friends now, like they met, they met.
00:08:06I think they they hung out, I think, one time, the two of them prior to filming and then and
00:08:13then, you know, became very close friends while we were making the movie.
00:08:17And are now best friends.
00:08:19They lived together for a time after filming and they're and they're best buds like Tony and Louise are close
00:08:27friends now.
00:08:28So it's like we really formed these very, very real bonds in the cast.
00:08:35I think that I hope that and I think that they will always have a special place in each other's
00:08:41hearts.
00:08:42Like, yeah, it was it was really beautiful to watch them like form these very real relationships as we all
00:08:49were kind of reliving this summer camp experience.
00:08:53Like that was kind of the idea is like I wanted us to I was like, I'm just so excited
00:08:59to, like, show you guys the Sleeping Bear Dunes and show you guys the Crystal River and like for us
00:09:05to just put a camera on these on these experiences.
00:09:09And so, yeah, we really did.
00:09:11We formed this parallel life.
00:09:12We made we had our little family where we all, you know, put up the tent and we live together
00:09:18for a month and made this art project.
00:09:21Yeah. And I and the cast was just they made magic every single day.
00:09:26And like I was just it was it was just a joy and like a privilege to get to watch
00:09:32them do what they do and just like, OK, you guys made magic again.
00:09:37Cool. Let's move on. Great.
00:09:39That was basically they made they made my job extremely easy, but everybody did because they were so, so talented
00:09:46that as a first time director, everybody really was gracious in meeting my blind spots.
00:09:54And like it, yeah, really meeting me where where I was in terms of like technical naivete, frankly.
00:10:05And it was it was just such a blast making making the movie together.
00:10:09I want to get the band back together again.
00:10:12Yeah. Yeah. And something I was really taken by was the the relationships between Kevin's parents and then this whole
00:10:20group of teenagers.
00:10:21And I feel like we don't often see it represented in coming of age films where adults and the teenagers
00:10:27get along.
00:10:29I'm curious if that was, you know, how conscious of that were you that we were going to kind of
00:10:34see a different, you know, positive representation of relationships between the generations in this film.
00:10:39Was that something that you were, you know, thinking about consciously?
00:10:43I mean, that's just that's the reality of my experience.
00:10:47You know, it's like Mary Lou and Steve are essentially my second parents.
00:10:51And look, like this is a very this is a very idyllic experience.
00:10:58That is, I'm just very fortunate that like I met Kevin in kindergarten and Martin in kindergarten.
00:11:07We all became, you know, these little these little three musketeers.
00:11:12And and this beautiful 40 year tradition comes from the love that Mary Lou and Steve have for one another
00:11:20and that the family has for each other.
00:11:22So like it starts from them and they like they chose to include me and Cody and Martin and Kevin's
00:11:32sisters have brought their partners and friends.
00:11:35And it's like that style filters down.
00:11:37And I love my family.
00:11:40I love my parents, but I come they are divorced and like that's not the experience that I ever had
00:11:46growing up.
00:11:47So to be able to be brought into that tradition and to be a part of something like that, where
00:11:54I got to see that seemingly having it all is possible, which is, in my interpretation, this beautiful family that
00:12:07loves one another and loves each other unconditionally without pressure and just acceptance.
00:12:15And yeah, Mary Lou and Steve have led the way on that.
00:12:20I mean, Mary Lou is kind of like an iconic woman here in Chicago.
00:12:26She just retired from a longstanding career as the head of pediatric oncology at UIC.
00:12:32And it's like, I mean, when and when she has seen the like the real hardships, so she's just always
00:12:41leading with like love and lightness and they're they're so much fun.
00:12:47And so, yeah, it was like it wasn't even what's really nice.
00:12:52I imagine if if one is making a true story about some about more harrowing or traumatic events, it's like
00:13:01might be harder to go to the people that you're making that story about to tell them that this is
00:13:08what you're doing.
00:13:10It's like bringing it back to your question of like, how did your friends and how did people respond?
00:13:16Everybody was just like they I don't think they ever really thought it was going to actually happen.
00:13:21And what if they had those conversations amongst themselves?
00:13:24To me, they were always just like, yeah, absolutely.
00:13:27And then and then eventually it was like, OK, he's actually like.
00:13:31He is actually making this movie happen.
00:13:34It's like there's cameras are rolling, but it was like such a positive experience.
00:13:40And Mary Lou and Steve are are at the helm of like that love filtering down.
00:13:47And, you know, I mean, they would they've caught us smoking doobs up there over the years.
00:13:52It's like, what the hell, you guys like, come on, come on.
00:13:56So it's like that dynamic.
00:13:58It was important that that was was in there to me.
00:14:03Yeah.
00:14:03Yeah.
00:14:03Yeah.
00:14:03Yeah.
00:14:04Yeah.
00:14:04I love I love those two.
00:14:06Mary Lou and Steve, you guys are great.
00:14:08Seeing a few days.
00:14:09Looking forward to this summer.
00:14:11Yeah.
00:14:12It's like I I like when there's cool parents, chill parents in a in a coming of age in any
00:14:20movie.
00:14:20You know, it's nice.
00:14:22But it's like, yeah, it's like their love for each other is what defined and curated and cultivated the feeling
00:14:30of that experience of inclusivity.
00:14:32And just like, yeah, this is be free.
00:14:35Have fun.
00:14:37Have fun.
00:14:37Live it up.
00:14:38Love.
00:14:39Love.
00:14:39So, yeah.
00:14:41Go Mary Lou and Steve all the way.
00:14:43I'm glad I'm glad you enjoyed the dynamic there.
00:14:46And like, yeah, I don't know Tony's improv.
00:14:50Like, I love the improv between the two, like between the parents and the kids.
00:14:54Like they brought so much to like, we would just let the cameras roll and they would go and they
00:14:59brought so much to the characters that like is better than anything I could have written.
00:15:03And then it's like speaks to the chemistry and just just everything really fortunate and grateful to have worked with
00:15:09our awesome cast.
00:15:11Yeah, they're amazing.
00:15:13Yeah, because I have like the best relationship with my parents that any, you know, mid 20s could ask for.
00:15:19And I know that's not that's not the case for many people.
00:15:22And so it's something that I do not take for granted.
00:15:24So certainly when I see that in a movie like this, it's going to reach me, you know, on a
00:15:30personal level.
00:15:31So, you know, thank you for what you did there.
00:15:34Yeah, sure, man.
00:15:36Yeah.
00:15:36And a couple other members of the cast that I want to highlight.
00:15:40You mentioned Julian Bass.
00:15:42And I remember him from a viral TikTok he had back in 2020.
00:15:48And this was, I think, the first feature film I'd seen him in.
00:15:52And, but I'd like to ask about casting him.
00:15:56And, you know, was was that TikTok your first encounter with him like it was for millions of other people?
00:16:02Or did you did he just pop on your radar later on?
00:16:04It was it that was the first time I've come across him.
00:16:07But it was I think I mean, it was it was well after he had already like posted it and
00:16:15like already gone viral.
00:16:16So basically, I mean, it's thank you for asking me about that, because it's like, I really with this indie
00:16:23film, it's like, we had to take I just, you know, pivot, pivot, pivot.
00:16:29I felt like, like David Schwimmer in that episode pivots like you gotta whatever you gotta do.
00:16:34So at the time of and I also was like, not really willing to settle either, like, I was casting
00:16:43my best friends.
00:16:45So it's like, if I wasn't, if I didn't love you, like, like, I could, like, I do my best
00:16:52friends, like, it just I wasn't gonna go for it, you know, and there and there were plenty of like,
00:16:57really, really lovely actors that submitted.
00:17:01I mean, I a lot our casting director Christy Lugo is a boss and like, did incredible work and for
00:17:10the role of Martin a lot of people like, I think there was like 1600 submissions and then like 700
00:17:17tapes and I watched like we went through a bunch to find Martin and I was like, I'm not finding
00:17:24anybody that is, that's like capturing his essence just yet.
00:17:28I'm not and so like, let's just it's like, okay, so let's just keep keep the search on.
00:17:34And so around that time, I think I was also looking for the last piece of like financing for the
00:17:41film and I was talking to random kind of like, I don't know, studio people that I could try to
00:17:48get a hold of was like, hey, like, I got this project.
00:17:50It needs this little bit of like, any ideas to maybe close this gap and one of them was like,
00:17:56I don't know, look for like a famous TikTok person.
00:17:58I was like, all right, I mean, I mean, come on, I don't really know about that.
00:18:03But I was like, okay, this guy knows better than me.
00:18:06Let me just actually try that and let's find out.
00:18:10And then I came across Julian and I think I came across Julian and it was mainly an interview of
00:18:18his where he was just being himself that I was like, ah, okay, this is actually like, it's like, if
00:18:26you can just be you on screen saying these words, you and my buddy, my best pal Martin,
00:18:34like, you guys really line up in terms of like, in essence of yearning and exploration and desire for something
00:18:43outside of the norm.
00:18:46And I reach I like track similarly to have track I track down like Tony Horton, I track Julian down
00:18:53through his, his manager who is his, his pops is his daddy jur.
00:18:58I love you, Mr. Bass.
00:19:00Thank you for hooking it up, Mr. Bass.
00:19:02And, uh, and then Julian put some scenes on tape and he was incredible and it was, it was a
00:19:08done deal.
00:19:09And that didn't, and that, that in no way, shape or form did that help us close that financing gap.
00:19:14But like, I was like, that led us to Jules who, yeah, did such, such great work.
00:19:20And yeah, I like his TikTok notwithstanding, uh, he's, he's a beautiful artist and, uh, I was really happy to
00:19:28be working with Jules and that, that this was his first movie.
00:19:32Yeah.
00:19:33Yeah.
00:19:33And he has one of my favorite lines of dialogue in this film.
00:19:36He says, uh, you don't have to be anything other than exactly what you are.
00:19:41And, uh, I just, I think that rings true for me.
00:19:45Um, and I'm curious for you, like, how do you relate to that line of dialogue and, um, you know,
00:19:50what, what it meant to you to put that, uh, line in there.
00:19:54And I guess what it means to you, that someone like me is connecting with it as well.
00:19:58It means, means a lot, Thomas.
00:20:01Like that's the, the affection that we have for one another is, is friends is something that we've all, we've
00:20:11all leaned on each other.
00:20:12And I think we're really grateful to have each other as friends and, um, having these onscreen tender male relationships.
00:20:26My bros, our bromances, that was, that was always like, that was always there.
00:20:32And so it was, it was never, I think specifically with that line and I hope to write a script
00:20:41from this place again in the future because it all just felt so organic.
00:20:47Like, cause it's just, it was just us.
00:20:49So I don't know if I'll be able to do something like that again, but yeah, it just felt like
00:20:54that was just, that was just the natural, like that's what Martin would have said in that moment.
00:20:59And probably, probably has said that.
00:21:02And we've, we, that's how we lean on each other as friends.
00:21:06Um, so, so yeah, I'm really glad, I'm glad that resonated with you and I'm getting, I'm getting teary-eyed
00:21:13right now because my boy Martin, shout out to our guy.
00:21:19Uh, he is now a doctor and he's moving to Rochester to be at the Mayo Clinic.
00:21:25So it's like, he's not going to be up in Michigan with us this summer and I'm not going to
00:21:29be able to put my arm around him up, up at that tree where, where we like to hang out
00:21:34and have some beers by sunset.
00:21:35And it's like, you know, this, yeah, it's like, I kind of, uh, these times in our lives are fleeting
00:21:44and I wrote this film, the original, this was like a COVID script.
00:21:50Like, that's where it started because I didn't know if we were going to get to go up there that
00:21:55summer and be together.
00:21:58And now I was like 28 when I like finished the first draft.
00:22:05Now I'm 34 and like, I see that time in our lives differently.
00:22:09And I think at, at, at 28, I was like, no, no, no, this actually, this, this, this actually will
00:22:17be forever.
00:22:18Even though this was from when we were 18, we're going to be doing this forever.
00:22:23And it's like, well, you know, not, not necessarily.
00:22:26And so it's just been like, I, now I relate to, to the, to the film in a different way,
00:22:35to be honest with you, which I think, I think speaks to, I hope it speaks to the timelessness of
00:22:42a good piece of art where it stays the same.
00:22:48Um, but we move and change as the world moves and changes with it.
00:22:53And I, I, I love that I'm relating to it differently now makes it, yeah, I, I appreciate that.
00:23:02I think that validates everything that we were striving to do in terms of capturing and bottling up this little
00:23:10like elixir of a feeling that whenever one wants that specific feeling,
00:23:18now you can watch the film and then hopefully maybe go up there for yourself, because yeah, I mean, watching
00:23:27a film is one way to experience those landscapes as a North Carolina guy, I would imagine like you probably
00:23:33have a relationship to nature that you value as well.
00:23:38And being there and actually feeling those waters and that sand beneath your toes is, you know, won't, won't ever
00:23:47be like experiencing it on screen.
00:23:51But I think that we did a pretty incredible job of, of honoring those landscapes as well.
00:23:56So yeah, man, I'm, uh, I'm really, I'm, your question was about relating to a line, I think, but, you
00:24:04know, we're just pulling on threads here and seeing what unspools.
00:24:07And, uh, but yeah, I'm, I'm really glad you appreciated that line from, from Julian and the boys.
00:24:15Uh, yeah, I'm, I'm, I hope that we're all going to be able to link up together for some LA
00:24:20screenings.
00:24:20I should, I should have our distributors hit up some North Carolina indie theaters, get some stuff going there too.
00:24:27I would love to be there for some Q and A's and things like that.
00:24:29Let me go ahead and give a shout out to the independent picture house in Charlotte.
00:24:34Um, and they're a nonprofit theater, uh, Charlotte's only nonprofit theater.
00:24:38So, um, look into them there.
00:24:40Uh, I will.
00:24:42And, uh, it would be great to have you there for a screening and to meet you in person.
00:24:46Um, but, you know, but speaking more to North Carolina, my connection with nature, I'm here.
00:24:52Southwestern part of the state, um, you know, in the Piedmont foothills region, just near the mountains.
00:24:57And, um, I love the spring and the fall here, but I'm not a fan of the summers here just
00:25:03because of how humid and hot and sticky it gets.
00:25:06But I will say this movie actually made me look forward to summer.
00:25:10Um, which I think is like the highest compliment that I can give to it because I'm usually dreading everything
00:25:17about summer.
00:25:18But also I do think part of that was because I'm looking at a summer, you know, in the great
00:25:22lakes.
00:25:22Um, and so first of all, you know, I don't know if you would want to share exactly where you
00:25:28filmed this, but the general region, can you tell me like, how, where can I go to get that feeling?
00:25:34Yeah.
00:25:34Yeah.
00:25:35I mean, in fact, I'm keeping like the, the like specific, specific place secret and that's fine, but I can
00:25:43say Northern Michigan, like outside of Traverse City.
00:25:47Um, we filmed the, uh, at the iconic Sleeping Bear Dunes, which is a national park and truly, uh, like
00:25:57another wonder of the world.
00:25:58Like I've been going up there for over 20 years now and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface
00:26:04of this place.
00:26:05Um, you should definitely, if you've never been up there, it is absolutely worth a time.
00:26:12And, uh, I mean, in the summer it's, it is truly, truly perfect.
00:26:17Yeah.
00:26:18Yeah.
00:26:18It's, uh, it's, it's special up there.
00:26:21Definitely.
00:26:21You're probably gonna find this, uh, oddly amusing, but the only place in Michigan that I've ever been was basically
00:26:29just across the state line to say I've been to Michigan.
00:26:31But you ever heard of Niles, Michigan, it's just, just North of South Bend, Indiana.
00:26:38And so I was, I've heard of South Bend, you know, on a Midwest road trip.
00:26:45Um, and I was actually in Chicago a few months ago, but, uh, I was looking at, okay, like what's
00:26:49like the Southern, one of the Southern most towns in Michigan.
00:26:51So where I can cross over and just say that I'm trying to get to all 50 States.
00:26:56And, uh, then Niles, Michigan popped up and I was like, and that was also in January or late December.
00:27:01And I'm like, probably not many people go to Niles, Michigan for, you know, vacation in December, but that's, that's
00:27:09probably a true statement, Thomas.
00:27:12Oh man.
00:27:13But in Northern Michigan in the summer, people go.
00:27:17Okay.
00:27:18Okay.
00:27:18Yeah.
00:27:19Yeah.
00:27:19Well, that's, that's definitely going to be on my list for sometime in the next few years, for sure.
00:27:24Um, yeah.
00:27:26And there's a few technical things I want to hit on.
00:27:28Uh, obviously you're, you mentioned your cinematographer, Brandon Somerhalder and a good friend of yours and his work is just
00:27:35gorgeous in this, but also he's been in multiple Oscar nominated.
00:27:39I think he was in an Oscar, uh, winning project a few years ago, uh, best short documentary.
00:27:44Um, but yeah, that's right.
00:27:48Yeah.
00:27:48Um, there's a lot that I could ask about, but one particular shot that I definitely want to get to
00:27:55is this five minute long tracking shot.
00:27:57Um, where, you know, our group of four main characters, they're walking along the beach at sunset and it starts
00:28:04with the conversation between Julian and June.
00:28:08And then you transition from them to the conversation between Mark and Lukita.
00:28:13Um, and then you follow Mark, Mark and Lukita's conversation as they begin wading into the water.
00:28:19Um, and then, you know, by the end of the scene, all four of them are together again, talking and
00:28:24all of this, like I said, was that sunset and you can see the sun kind of like fading in
00:28:28and out of you.
00:28:28I think Lukita's like, it's kind of like right behind her head.
00:28:31So I just imagine that was an extremely elaborate sequence to construct.
00:28:36Um, so can you just kind of take me through some of that?
00:28:40Um, I guess I don't really have a specific question, but just generally, I love to hear about everything that
00:28:46took to get that into place.
00:28:48Thank you for highlighting that.
00:28:50That's, I think if we're going to talk about one specific shot, like that's, that's the one to, to break
00:28:56down.
00:28:56Um, and yeah, it was always, I mean, Brandon and I, he was the first person I sent the script
00:29:02to.
00:29:02Brandon was the first person I sent the script to.
00:29:05And when he related to the esoteric experience of this summer trip of people not doing anything extraordinary other than
00:29:15loving each other, um, when he was in, I was like, okay, cool.
00:29:19So like we have something like this specific feeling is something that other people can relate to.
00:29:24And that Brandon sees, he sees the story and like Brandon is a close friend.
00:29:29We met 10 years ago on a film set.
00:29:31He's from Wichita, like the Midwest and nature are in his bones.
00:29:35And like, he's a documentary cinematographer primarily.
00:29:38This is his first narrative feature.
00:29:40So he, all those elements, it being a true story, it highlighting these natural majestic landscapes and being a real,
00:29:50real human story.
00:29:50Cause he and I had just watched, we had developed a friendship of, of, of, of watching films together.
00:29:58And, and, you know, really talking about what kind of projects we wanted to work on together.
00:30:02Um, and so, yeah, writing this, when he was in, we got going right away and talking about how we
00:30:08wanted things to look and feel and what our intention was.
00:30:12Um, and what our kind of like guiding principles were.
00:30:16And one of them was doing everything in one take, if we could.
00:30:20And that, that shot of them, that five and a half minute, one take shot of them on the beach
00:30:26and then in the water and then splashing around.
00:30:28Um, it was written, like, as soon as I wrote, like I, I wrote that and knowing that I wanted
00:30:34that to be a one take shot.
00:30:36Um, and then I took Brandon, uh, we did a location scout in, uh, July before we filmed in September.
00:30:45I took him there and then we just broke it down and our actors did what they do.
00:30:50They're incredible.
00:30:51I think we did seven takes of that.
00:30:54That's take four.
00:30:55And there you have it.
00:30:56And like, it was just, it was awesome.
00:30:59Yeah.
00:30:59We, five and a half minute, one take shot.
00:31:02Brandon, we had strapped, strapped our Panavision camera.
00:31:05Thanks Panavision.
00:31:06Love you guys.
00:31:07You know, you, they hooked it up.
00:31:09Um, and Brandon, they, they really hooked it up for us with Brandon pressing them to get a fantastic camera
00:31:15package from them.
00:31:16Um, and Brandon was like, I want to float on top of the water like a duck.
00:31:22It's like, okay, well, what Brandon wants, Brandon gets, let's make it happen.
00:31:26So he strapped the camera to an outer tube and then was just, we had two guys as they're on
00:31:33the beach.
00:31:34We had our two, two, two producers, PAs carrying the tube alongside them as they're, as they're walking towards us
00:31:41and then gently setting it in the water.
00:31:43And then Brandon was already there and then he just, uh, floated in the water like a duck with them.
00:31:50And yeah, I mean, yeah, that was, like I said that we did, we did seven takes of it.
00:31:54But that was take four and it was, it was one of those times on set where when cut is
00:32:03called, the whole crew is erupts in applause because it's just so impressive.
00:32:08Uh, watching those actors do that and watching, yeah, creating that dance as a, as a unit, so much fun,
00:32:17so much fun.
00:32:19Yeah.
00:32:19I mean, and Brandon's work still misty, like I'm still discovering the nuances of it.
00:32:27Like the way that that man listens to the characters and the, the intimacy that he was able to find
00:32:34of like a handhold, like feet on the beach when the two of them are at the top of the
00:32:40dunes.
00:32:40And she's kind of, you know, having a little like mini panic attack and he, and, and Kevin, uh, calms
00:32:50Cody down, like kind of spins her, slows her down.
00:32:55They dance a little bit.
00:32:56And like Brandon's seamless work going from Kevin to Cody in, in, in tune with their movements was just like,
00:33:07wow, we are, we're working with someone who is incredibly talented.
00:33:14And we all, we all knew that and like made him uncomfortable about it every single day about how amazing
00:33:24he is.
00:33:24It's like, everybody was just so amazing.
00:33:26And like, I'm really, really honored to have made this film with such talented people.
00:33:32And I just, all I wanted to do a lot of it in post, um, was work really hard to
00:33:38craft a film that, that measured up to the talent, hard work and artistry that everybody put forth.
00:33:45And I think that like, we got there.
00:33:48I mean, we've won awards on our festival run in kind of all of the departments from production design and
00:33:56cinematography, sound design, score, acting, directing, like audit and audience award or two.
00:34:03Um, and that just speaks to like the effort, talent and willing to go deep into the weeds that everybody,
00:34:10that everybody was willing to go there.
00:34:13Our sound designers, Marnaz Mohabati and Armin Karbaf, like you look up their IMDB.
00:34:18It's like, it's like, they have worked on hundreds of major, major films.
00:34:24Um, our composer, Hayes Bradley knocked it out of the park.
00:34:29Like that guy made, took the film to a level that I didn't even know it could get to.
00:34:34And, uh, so yeah, just truly, truly honored.
00:34:38Yeah.
00:34:38So, um, I want to touch on a few more, uh, sequences, um, with, and from a cinematography perspective and
00:34:45working with Brandon.
00:34:46Um, there's one very surreal shot you have in this and, you know, a lot of, most of it feels
00:34:53very natural and organic, but there is this surreal shot with Mark and Lukita's characters, uh, like floating, hovering in
00:35:02the air and they're embraced and they're just kind of silhouetted against the cosmos.
00:35:07Um, can you kind of, you know, take, take me through, um, you know, developing that and, um, you know,
00:35:15why you kind of got to the point where you were like, I want to take us a little bit
00:35:19more into the surreal territory for this one particular moment.
00:35:23Uh, I think in short, the reason why I wanted to take us there in that moment was, uh, to
00:35:31take a, a bigger artistic swing and just kind of reach for something that maybe would possibly exceed our grasp
00:35:40and just kind of see where we land.
00:35:42Um, so that was the reason and, and, uh, I'm, yeah, yeah, it was really fun to a lot, a
00:35:50lot of credit.
00:35:51So, so I put that on the page and I was like, you know, in all likelihood we, this doesn't,
00:35:58whatever this is, like you said, this silhouetted against the cosmos scene, you know, as I've written, it probably doesn't
00:36:07make it in the film.
00:36:08But like, you know what, I'm just going to leave it in there because why shortchange the idea before seeing
00:36:15what could work?
00:36:17Um, and then so much credit goes to our co-producer and the lead of our, uh, Michiganders, John Paul
00:36:27Morris, who he's got a film, if you want to check it out, called Quicksand, uh, that came out in
00:36:332023, a buddy road trip comedy.
00:36:36That's a lot of fun and John Paul's specialty and his studio is called practical film productions, practical film studios,
00:36:45excuse me.
00:36:47Um, so upon reading that he had his very tangible way of like, look, here's how I would approach this.
00:36:58Here's how I would try this.
00:37:00And we went the John Paul route, a little bit of movie magic.
00:37:05And there you have it, but like rooted, rooted in as much quote unquote practicality, practical effects as possible.
00:37:18Like I could say, I'll say that like, we, like we had, we, we stitched like Frankenstein, we stitched them
00:37:32together a little bit, you know, to make it to, to give the illusion of floating.
00:37:39And then, yeah, it's like, I, I've wondered how much I want to, I think if there is, this is,
00:37:47this is probably a time in a, in a platform in a form to like, just go ahead and get
00:37:53into the weeds.
00:37:56Um, whereas like other times, like, I wonder, it's like, when I get this question, I like, I want to
00:38:01like keep this secret as well.
00:38:02You know, it's like, um, but really, really, uh, yeah.
00:38:07John Paul's practical design of giving the actors, uh, a mechanism for getting themselves off the ground.
00:38:18Uh, and then, you know, a lot of making that shot happen, happen in, in post, but like their movements
00:38:29were all, uh, organic.
00:38:32But like stitch, stitch together, like, like multiple organic beings coming, coming and forming one entity.
00:38:40Yeah.
00:38:41But it's pretty fun.
00:38:42I mean, it was just like, I'm glad that I kept it in there because ended up linking up with
00:38:48somebody who was able to apply their skill set and knowledge base to, to make it happen.
00:38:56And it's really, yeah, it's pretty sweet.
00:38:59And I, and I, and I'm glad that there is kind of now this, uh, there's like a Northern Lights
00:39:05through line in the film a bit.
00:39:07Um, yeah.
00:39:09And then conceptually, I think it's fun to, I think that there's something about like, it's like an hour into
00:39:17this film, there's this sequence.
00:39:20And I think it's kind of a double down on like, whoa, this, okay, now I'm locked back in.
00:39:26Cause like, wait, where, what just happened?
00:39:29Like, where is this going?
00:39:30And, uh, yeah, I think that there's like something, it worked on the page and I think it works in
00:39:37the film.
00:39:38And it's a bold swing that at times like, Hey, and not everybody's going to be a fan of, but
00:39:43I like that we went for it.
00:39:45You know, it's like, why not go for it?
00:39:47Why not take a big swing and see if we fall on our face a little bit, but I think
00:39:53it's pretty cool.
00:39:54I think it's pretty cool at the end of the day.
00:39:56And, uh, I love that we, yeah, like taking these visual leaps was, I think it's, yeah, it's like kind
00:40:03of, uh, that sequence in a lot of ways has that sequence and the, the walk and talk shot in
00:40:10the water are a lot of ways.
00:40:12Like the kind of like callback sequences that I find people mentioning after our various festival screenings and whatnot.
00:40:21So, so that's cool.
00:40:23So I'm glad, I'm glad we were able to pull it off to some degree.
00:40:27Yeah.
00:40:27I'm always going to be an audience member who loves a big swing and, you know, oftentimes big swings have
00:40:33varying degrees of effect on the audience.
00:40:36But for me, I'm always going to support when a filmmaker does that and, uh, going to encourage to keep
00:40:43doing so.
00:40:43So thank you for the big swings that you've taken here.
00:40:47Um, and, uh, something else that you, yeah.
00:40:50Something else that you mentioned earlier, uh, that I want to expand a little bit on is the sound design
00:40:55and then the music as well.
00:40:57And I felt very much like the sound design was in conversation with the music.
00:41:02Uh, make sure to give credit to your sound designer, I believe Armin, uh, and then the score from Hayes
00:41:08Bradley as well.
00:41:08And then you have a few needle drops.
00:41:10So I'd kind of love to hear more about blending, whether it's the sound design, the score and the needle
00:41:15drops and just kind of building that soundscape.
00:41:18And, um, you know, what were, what were some things that you were, uh, you wanted to make sure to
00:41:22hit on there?
00:41:24Uh, wow.
00:41:25Okay.
00:41:26Yeah.
00:41:26Yeah.
00:41:26I mean, all credit credit goes to, uh, yeah, our sound designers, Armin Karbov and Marnaz Mohabati.
00:41:32They're, they're a husband and wife couple that have been doing this for over 20 years and have worked on
00:41:39hundreds of projects.
00:41:40Like they worked on F1 this year.
00:41:43Like they do, they do, they do big budget projects.
00:41:46Um, and I got connected to them through our editor, Daniela Ovi, like who, who also brought such an incredible
00:41:56sensibility to the film and discovered things that I had no idea were even in there.
00:42:01Um, and then yeah, Hayes Bradley, his score, um, combined with the needle drop.
00:42:10Um, and the, the, I wanted every air particle to feel like it was like saturated with the natural rhythms
00:42:23and musicality of the landscape itself.
00:42:26It's like, that was something, for example, there's a lot of hearing and feeling the cicadas when the characters are
00:42:37inside.
00:42:38And that was a, just keying in on that example.
00:42:42That's something that I would talk to Marnaz and Armin and be like, no, you guys like just punch that
00:42:48up.
00:42:49Trust me.
00:42:50Like when, if you have, and they, they're, they'd never spent a summer, summer in the Midwest when those cicadas
00:42:55are singing at full blast.
00:42:57It's like, trust me, no, it feels like they're in the room with you.
00:43:00And I, I want that feeling.
00:43:03Um, so it was about like the ultra specificity of the canvas that I had these, again, incredibly talented painters
00:43:15to execute.
00:43:17And then meet me, meet me where I had the gaps.
00:43:23Um, and then with Hayes, like we also just went into the weeds and his music, he, he's, he's really
00:43:29cool.
00:43:29Like that guy has just, uh, a really, really cool artist.
00:43:32This is the second film he's done.
00:43:35Um, but he, like, he goes on tour a lot and plays like he's.
00:43:41Yeah.
00:43:42Yeah.
00:43:42Like I saw him at, uh, he, he, he did a set at this like pretty big theater in Chicago
00:43:48and he loves like just setting the stage and having everybody, it's actually his preferred method of performance is like
00:43:57you guys sit down in your seats and I'm going to like play you.
00:44:01I'm going to give you, I'm going to give you an experience here, like lock in, um, like, and that
00:44:07guy and, and his music is very ethereal and a bit dark.
00:44:12And so taking that and combining it and I kept on being like, no, like let's bring in like now,
00:44:21now, now make it golden basically.
00:44:24So it's like take, so every, so, so we've got this like beautiful soundscape, this kind of this bittersweet, a
00:44:35little mysterious, this little magical score, a little bit painful score in there.
00:44:41Like basically as soon as from, from a, from a score perspective, and this is something that I think he
00:44:49and I talked about are, yeah, the talked about are discovered, but like right from the first piece upon the
00:44:59arrival, if there's a lot of the piano kind of sounds like a ticking clock a little bit.
00:45:05And so it's like, and so it's like, as soon as that arrival scene, kind of like they run into
00:45:11the water, it's like, you guys want to go for a swim? Like, let's go.
00:45:15Then the piano starts playing these kind of like ticking clock notes. It's like, it's already started. The countdown has
00:45:21already begun. And, uh, that's how I feel when I'm up there, but it's just, I try to ignore it
00:45:29for as long as possible.
00:45:31And I get swept up in the summer rush. Then a couple of days in a weekend, that summer rush
00:45:38dissipates and I start to feel the weight of leaving and, but still try not to speak to it.
00:45:46And, uh, so Hayes captured all of that right from the start with the music. And from a sound design
00:45:52perspective, I kept on just being like, guys, I want it to all add up to one. Like, I don't
00:45:58want one element dominating the other.
00:46:00Like, let's have them all make singing in concert with each other, each other, adding up to one. That was
00:46:08just, that was, that was the way I felt like I was able to put it. Um, and yeah, I
00:46:15mean, but again, like they all were willing to go there with me to, to really like dig deep. Um,
00:46:22and then, yeah, and then, yeah, with the needle drops, um, a lot of credit goes to our music supervisor,
00:46:29Lila Wilson for,
00:46:30like making those, like making those happen, like finding, it's like, we didn't have the budget for look, like I
00:46:37would have loved to have had the budget for the iconic songs at that time.
00:46:44Obviously that would have been, I, we just like, we couldn't have afforded one of those songs. So we had
00:46:51to be creative and try, try different things. And okay. They don't, they, they're not willing to, to go there.
00:47:01Okay. I guess we got to like, all right, what's something that really feels like it. And, uh, yeah, I
00:47:06mean, I love where we landed on that too. I, I'm really proud of our soundtrack and, um,
00:47:11um, yeah, I'm excited to actually put it out there. Hayes is putting the score out there. I think May
00:47:161st. Um,
00:47:19yeah, I, I, it's really, it's really beautiful. I've, I found myself listening to it just on its own. Like,
00:47:26yeah, it's really nice. So really proud, really proud of the work that Hayes and our sound designers did to
00:47:33really elevate the film.
00:47:35Yeah. Yeah. I'm really proud of that sound design. It feels good. It's so, it's so fulfilling. Like there's so
00:47:41many details. Like I had them, I'd be like, Oh yeah. Now, like at this moment, put like a distant,
00:47:46like wolf howl in the background, just like, just playing around, you know, playing with the canvas and, and really,
00:47:55really getting in there to the point where they'd be like, Jared, are you serious? Like, no, come on, man.
00:48:00And then I'd be like, no, no, no. Like, trust me.
00:48:02And, and then, and then it would work, work for the most part. Uh, you know, oftentimes I would definitely
00:48:11like take us somewhere that didn't work necessarily. And, but it would be really gratifying when these professionals who've been
00:48:19working in this industry for a long time would be like, no, that's like, I, that was a good note.
00:48:25I, I see that detail. And I mean, in the edit, like I was, you know, not,
00:48:32I, I, I was chipping away at single frames all the way down to the, to the wire, because like,
00:48:39I think that's the kind of, that takes a, that transforms a feeling.
00:48:43So I was like, really, really getting in there. And it was like, we don't have a second to spare
00:48:49here. Like, this isn't a movie where there is that like being driving conflict underneath it. So it has to
00:48:56have that propeller at all times, just like going. And, uh, yeah, I mean, I think just like the soundscape
00:49:05and having the soundscape propelling that story as well was, was all the conscious effort.
00:49:13Yeah. Yeah. And I'm sure there are like little things that you add in where you're thinking, am I the
00:49:19only person who's going to notice this? Am I, am I just doing this just for me? Like, I bet,
00:49:24is it rewarding to see when other people do pick up on those little things you add? Like, even just
00:49:29like you mentioned, like the wolf out, just things that, um, it's kind of just almost an inside joke with
00:49:34you and one other person. Then other people might pull on it and find something to connect with as well.
00:49:39Yeah. Yeah. That's, I think, right. I mean, that's like, I'm just trying to start with, uh, myself as a,
00:49:46as a filmmaker and as an audience member. And like, as an artist who is going to like keep chipping
00:49:54away, it's like, okay, well, this is, this is good, but like, wouldn't a distant wolf? I'll make it just
00:49:59like a little bit better.
00:50:00Like, okay. But if we pump those crickets up just a little bit more and then like, okay. And then
00:50:06we bring up the waves just like a little bit more. I want to feel those waves inside. Like, yeah.
00:50:12I mean, all those details. Uh, I mean, I think that that just adds up to like, you know, a,
00:50:19an experience.
00:50:20Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And a world and a world and a world and it's like that world didn't come pre
00:50:31pre curated. Like we had to go in there and, and capture it first and foremost, but then definitely in
00:50:41a sound world, build it.
00:50:43And I mean, I, you were saying that like, yeah, yeah, we, we really, we had to go, we had
00:50:50to go in there and, and build it in many ways, uh, like layer, layer by layer. And yes. And
00:50:59they got in there, they got in there with me. I love Barnaz and Armin so much. They are like
00:51:06sound legends. And it was cool. I mean, the place that we were working out of there, uh, they have
00:51:11a home studio, but the place that,
00:51:13we're working out of, we're working out of as well, their studio in Burbank is like Elvis recorded there. So
00:51:20it was just like, it was cool to just be in those spaces. And while I have no desire ever
00:51:26to ever do ADR again, um, working on the sound design outside of that was, was really, really a gratifying
00:51:35experience.
00:51:36Yeah. But learned, learned a lot, just learned so much. And I'm grateful for everybody for like being, being nice
00:51:44and dealing with like all my learning curves, frankly. So thanks. Thanks. Thanks team.
00:51:51Yeah. And, um, you know, talking more thematically about a few things, um, there's this through line, this device, that's
00:52:00kind of a through line throughout the story. And it's this book that they're reading over the course of the
00:52:04summer of the Stardust compendium.
00:52:06Um, and, um, it, um, it bonds them as a family and as a group of friends. And obviously we're,
00:52:14we're all very much aware. I think anybody who's listening to this is an appreciator of the communal power of
00:52:20art to, uh, bond people together.
00:52:22Um, so for you, um, do any works of art come to mind that have brought you together with, uh,
00:52:31family or friends or, you know, relationship with someone, uh, are there anything that just all the top of your
00:52:36head, you're like, that's a very specific work of art that has been, uh, very, uh, important to, uh, a
00:52:43person or a group of people in my life.
00:52:46Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it really, I can, I can, uh, that's, that's sweet of you to, to ask something
00:52:52like that. And I, I don't know if anybody cares, but I'm happy, I'm happy to like share with you.
00:52:59Um, no, I mean, I think it's like, there's a reason that I chose this medium because a lot of
00:53:07those memories are watching films with the boys or with my parents.
00:53:15or with a loved one. Um, and a lot of, there's so many formative memories that I can trace out.
00:53:25And as I'm sure you can too, like, since we love movies, it's like, we've had memories that have revolved
00:53:31around those experiences. Um, I mean, Ferris Bueller being one of them. Um, another one being like, like an iconic
00:53:42moment in the lexicon.
00:53:45of my little friend group was when we were 11 years old and my dad snuck us in to go
00:53:54see old school as like, you know, the adult taking these 11 year old prepubescent boys to this R rated
00:54:03movie.
00:54:03Um, and it just being an iconic experience for us.
00:54:07You're my boy blue.
00:54:09I mean, yeah, of course.
00:54:11Like, yes, that, and right.
00:54:12There's, so I, it was, I would say like, and also, I mean, just getting to grow up as a
00:54:22young teenager during that era of comedy was iconic in and of itself.
00:54:28Like, I remember, yeah, like the super bad screening when I, for, when I saw super bad in theaters with
00:54:34everybody and it was like seismic shockwaves, like sent throughout the, uh, sent throughout the theater.
00:54:42Um, so really, and then, and then, uh, like, I don't know, various, you know, the various music, music shows
00:54:51over the course of one's life that if you're lucky enough, you get to experience.
00:54:56And growing up in Chicago, I went to, uh, and I will go again if the lineup is like good
00:55:02to me this year, I'm not particularly into it, but like going to like Lollapalooza some years is a, is
00:55:10a really iconic Chicago experience that gets it gotten to share with friends.
00:55:15Um, my mom was big on taking me to concerts as a kid, like, so yeah, you know, it's like
00:55:23music, music and movies, man, music and movies.
00:55:26What about, what about you?
00:55:28Have there been any other, like, is there, you know, what are some of your specifics on that?
00:55:34Yeah, yeah.
00:55:34Well, um, as we talked about before we started recording, we had a whole conversation about my backdrop here with
00:55:40last, the Mohicans poster behind me and then Ferris Bueller license plate.
00:55:45And, um, with, I'll just speak briefly to those two, uh, last, the Mohicans first filmed in Western North Carolina.
00:55:53I'm Western North Carolina.
00:55:55I'm born and raised in my dad was a PA on set of that.
00:55:58And, um, I grew up just surrounded by, you know, paraphernalia of that film and it was, I mean, I
00:56:07probably didn't watch it for the first time until middle school because I mean, you got Mago ripping a guy's
00:56:12heart out and that kind of thing.
00:56:14Like a little bit, a little bit graphic.
00:56:16Uh, but I just remember just being so struck by the imagery of Daniel Day-Lewis running even just in
00:56:24a still image on a poster and being like, this is something that is whenever I do actually get around
00:56:31to watching this movie, when I'm old enough, I think it's going to have a profound impact on me just
00:56:34because like subconsciously it's been there for so long.
00:56:37And then to finally, you know, to finally get to that, and then I've watched that movie, you know, a
00:56:42dozen times, uh, since I was in middle school and watching it for the first time.
00:56:47And, um, and also just knowing that, um, I mean, there's my dad's blood, sweat, and tears went into small
00:56:55parts of that movie as did, uh, you know, thousands of other crew members.
00:56:59Um, and I, I kind of feel a certain connection and bond with it just in that, you know, familial
00:57:05sense.
00:57:06Um, and then with Ferris Bueller's Day Off, um, you know, I discovered that in middle school as many people
00:57:14do.
00:57:14And, um, I think the further I got into high school and even in early college, I found that, um,
00:57:21I think it really hit me like a freight train one time when I realized I was more of the
00:57:27Cameron Fry type than I was.
00:57:29The Ferris Bueller type.
00:57:30And I just kept watching it over and over and being like, why is this moving me so deeply?
00:57:37And, you know, why do I see Ferris, you know, dancing up on a parade float and wishing that was
00:57:43me, but also feeling like I can't make that step to do that myself.
00:57:47And then hit me, oh, that's because I am the Cameron Frye in this story.
00:57:52And, um, and then it, you know, eventually I think I've, I've certainly come out of my shell over the
00:57:58past decade plus.
00:58:00And, uh, I do think I'm closer to Ferris Bueller than I was, uh, back then.
00:58:04But, um, yeah, but those, those two, since, uh, since you singled those out earlier, um, and then one more
00:58:11concert experience that, uh, since you kind of talked about those, um, a lot of this does go back to,
00:58:17um, my, me and my dad have connected a lot of our movies and music.
00:58:20And, um, but when I was about 10 years old, there was a summer where he took me to like
00:58:28two of the best concerts I've ever seen in my life.
00:58:30Um, it was like in June of 2010, we saw, um, Def Leppard and Heart together.
00:58:39And, um, that was one of the, one of the craziest, like just the crowd singing literally every word to
00:58:49every song.
00:58:50Um, and that was one of my first big concert experiences.
00:58:54And at that point I was like, oh, so is every single concert that I go to for the rest
00:58:58of my life going to be like this?
00:58:59And, uh, then you find out later on that no, not every crowd is going to be quite that engaged,
00:59:03but that one really stuck with me.
00:59:06And then that same summer journey, night ranger and foreigner were touring together and, um, you know, saw all three
00:59:14of them.
00:59:15And, um, so that was like four hour show.
00:59:18Um, but it's a moment that I can point to as a, just a formative instance that I'll never forget.
00:59:26Uh, when open arms was playing, uh, there was, uh, you know, a group of intoxicated women sitting right behind
00:59:33me and my dad.
00:59:34And, uh, this woman out, she's probably in her thirties and, you know, I'm 10 years old and she's like,
00:59:39she, she's like, Hey, talking to my dad, Hey, can I dance with you?
00:59:43And he goes, well, I'm married, but, uh, you sure can dance with my son if you want.
00:59:47And she grabs me from behind and starts like slow dancing, like playing with my hair and stuff.
00:59:52And I'm just sitting here, like, this is, uh, I will hold this against my dad for the rest of
00:59:57my life, but like, you know, you know, very fun way.
01:00:00But, uh, so, yeah.
01:00:03So things like that, um, you, those are just, there's leave an indelible mark on you.
01:00:09So, yeah, it's wild that, so it's, uh, it's wild that like, you had been thinking about this movie, like,
01:00:20um, one day I'm going to watch this movie.
01:00:22One day I'm going to watch this movie and it's going to be crazy.
01:00:26Yeah.
01:00:27And it was, it was absolutely.
01:00:30Yeah.
01:00:31Yeah.
01:00:32And, um, you know, something else we, uh, briefly spoke about earlier, um, well, we were talking about the great
01:00:40cinematic city that is Chicago, that is your home city and, um, how I think ultimately someday you'd like to
01:00:47make your very own Chicago film.
01:00:49Um, what, what are some feelings that you would want to capture in that?
01:00:54What are some things that you know that it wouldn't be complete if you don't capture this, these certain emotions?
01:01:00I think, you know, in a, in a, I don't know if this is necessarily an emotion of more of
01:01:05just like, uh, there will, uh, will certainly capture emotions within this, uh, kind of umbrella, but I think just
01:01:13like community in a word of, and, and like, uh, yeah, yeah.
01:01:21This, this, this, this multicultural community, all condensed on this one block.
01:01:29So just really like that, whatever emotions ring true, uh, for people when a mirror is possibly held up to
01:01:41like the notion of it does take a village.
01:01:46Yeah.
01:01:48Yeah.
01:01:49Well, I mean, going back to Ferris Bueller on the parade float scene, when the camera pans around to, you
01:01:55know, people of all, um, of all work classifications of all different professions of all races and ages, just singing
01:02:04and dancing, just the, the music bonding them.
01:02:06So, yeah, I, I would love, Hey, I'd love to have a musical number in this somehow.
01:02:12I would love, I love movies that have any kind of music or dance in them.
01:02:16So, and I just think that's like a fun, that's a fun creative challenge to be like, can this have
01:02:23music and dance in it in some way?
01:02:28Yeah.
01:02:29Yeah.
01:02:30Maybe.
01:02:30I think, I think it always can.
01:02:31You can always find a way.
01:02:32Yeah, exactly.
01:02:32Right.
01:02:33It's like, it always, right.
01:02:34I mean, there's music and dance in an autumn summer.
01:02:36Like the characters literally like are dancing at the river to the, you know, to the rhythms of the clapping
01:02:42of the, the other kids that are partying there.
01:02:46And, and, uh, yeah, so I was just, I would, uh, in, in a word community and I don't see
01:02:52why we can't have, uh, not necessarily a Ferris Bueller style parade type, uh, endeavor, but like, why not?
01:03:00Why not our version of, uh, something that like embodies, embodies that spirit.
01:03:06Yeah.
01:03:07Yeah.
01:03:08Well, whenever you get around to making that movie, uh, I'll, I'll be right there day one.
01:03:14Oh, it's like, so that, oh, thank you, man.
01:03:18Yeah.
01:03:18I mean, it's interesting.
01:03:19Cause it's like, I need to, uh, there's a lot of pages written and I just need to kind of
01:03:25figure out exactly what is, what's, you know, I, it's like, I don't want to put my producer brain on,
01:03:33but like putting it on inevitably is like, well, what makes most sense?
01:03:38Cause obviously it's like, yeah, there's like, there's something to be said about Chicago winter.
01:03:43And like honoring that, putting that on screen, but yeah.
01:03:49But just getting together, people getting people together for Chicago summer though, it's a lot more attractive opportunity.
01:03:56Yeah.
01:03:57Yeah.
01:03:57Like we could do, what if we just made this, it's like, can we really just not tell this story
01:04:01in summer?
01:04:02Come on.
01:04:02Let's, what if we, let's challenge ourselves to tell this in summer and put a musical dance number in there.
01:04:08Like, you know, let's check those boxes creatively.
01:04:12Cause like, look, I, I love Chicago.
01:04:15I don't really love Chicago winter, although honestly it's like pretty mild these days.
01:04:20Uh, but like, you know, it doesn't really, can't really, it's hard to get a crew here for winter, have
01:04:28everybody leave, get people back together for summer.
01:04:31So it's like, eh, maybe we're just doing summer.
01:04:35Yeah.
01:04:35Let's just do it in summer.
01:04:37But yeah, I would love realistically, if I get my act together, I don't see why we can't film that
01:04:46next summer.
01:04:48So.
01:04:49Heck yeah.
01:04:49I hope to talk about it.
01:04:51Oh yeah, for sure.
01:04:52Well, yeah, well, I will certainly, uh, be watching with great interest in how that pans out, but, uh, also
01:04:59congrats, congrats so much on an autumn summer.
01:05:03Uh, I, I genuinely did love this film.
01:05:06Uh, love, love having a chance to talk to you and, uh, you know, hopefully we'll, we'll stay in touch
01:05:11and looking forward to seeing what else you got going on.
01:05:13Thank you, man.
01:05:14Let's definitely stay in touch.
01:05:15And, uh, yeah, you know, I hope, I hope you heal up well, let's get out, get outside, keep gently
01:05:21walking on it, you know, my friend, heal up.
01:05:25See you at the movies.
01:05:27That's right.
01:05:28You know, see you at the movies, baby.
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