Re: Uniting is a powerful motion picture that recently screened at the Austin Film Festival, about the importance of living life to its fullest and cherishing the moments we have. And we here at NTG had the distinct honor of being able to sit down with members from the cast of the film, Bronwen Smith (Carrie), Michelle Harrison (Rachel), David James Lewis (Danny), and Roger Cross (Collin), and the film’s Writer/Director, Laura Adkin to discuss this powerful feature.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know from each of you, what it was that attracted you to take part in this film, and for Laura, what it was that inspired you to write it?
 
Bronwen Smith: For me it was that Laura was creating a role that she said that she was making for me, and I was ready to embrace that. And then when she said, what other people were involved, I was more than happy to do that. But a role that I could sink my teeth into, like, there's a lot of… in TV you're in, you're out. And this gave me an opportunity to really dive in deep.
 
David James Lewis: It's so interesting that you said this because we've talked about it. And you're such an amazing theater actor. And Laura is like, she's such a great actor, I want to give her something to like… because you're such an amazing actor. But then, but then in film and TV, we just like… all we do is carry water for the leads of the show.
 
Bronwen Smith: Yeah, exactly, exactly. So here, I got to do that much more.
 
Michelle Harrison: For me, the script, yeah, working with Laura ,watching Laura, like, over the year, you know, write this script, and then send a rewrite, and then working with all these amazing people, because it was really a gift to be able to sit across from all of these people and act in great scenes, and be able to have the time to do that.
 
Laura Adkin: Um, I mean, so I've told this story many times, but you get to hear it again. 10 years or so ago, I was at the Toronto Film Festival, and they were doing a 25th anniversary screening of The Big Chill. And all the cast was there, and the director was there. And they talked about shooting it. And I just remembered how much I loved movies like that. And I wanted to write something like that with a big ensemble and, and just people talking and dealing with stuff. It was like irreverent, witty dialogue, dealing with deep subject matters. So, I just had that idea in the back of my head. And then I don't know, a couple years ago, I was like, I need to make my first feature. I read a bunch of scripts. And I was like, “I don't want to make any of these movies. I want to make the movie that I wanted to make.” And the idea for this has always been in my brain, but I don't think I was ready to make it until I was at this point in my life.
 
And then so you know, some of the subject matters are just things that I'm curious about and, you know, terrified of and I mean, I love a good death. I really do. Not to give any spoilers. No, but like, but death and dying and aging and like unfulfilled potential? And did I make the right choices? These are all things that I think about all the time, I do talk about death all the time, because it frightens me. And so, you know, to deal with it, you know, and I had known a couple of people who had, you know, made the choices that one of the characters’ made, to me that was really interesting to just sort of to process that. And that's what I do in my writing is the things that I'm terrified about or the things that I want clarity on or want to deal with. I just write it into a script and make y'all deal with it. (Laughter from everyone.)
 
David James Lewis: Well Laura---
 
Roger Cross: She’s his wife, and she said, “you’re doing this.”
 
David James Lewis: Laura is my wife, and more importantly, she's my “Sensual Lover.” (Laura rolls her eyes). You're not! Wait a second! (Laughter from everyone.) Honestly, Laura's, like, not even kidding. Laura's like, “I'm going to do this thing and you're going to be like, okay.” But I'm not in it because she’s, my wife. I'm in it because she's a talented person. Her stuff is really interesting. And she wrote a really interesting character for me that is a character I never get to play but is quite close to who I am as a human being… a bit of a thing, a wing nut, whatever. I get drunk and I do drugs. Not anymore! (Long pause, laughter from everyone.) But these are the parts I don't get to play. I always play very sort of buttoned up staid characters that are just you know doing the best they can, but this was the character that was like out of control and just didn't really have a lot of boundaries. And, this has been… I've been fortunate to work a lot over the years this has been the best character, the most fun character I've ever played.
 
Laura Adkin: You didn't have to use your acting voice.
 
David James Lewis: Didn't have to use my acting voice. I was able to use my real voice. Thanks babe, we can have a chat when we get home. (More laughter)
 
Roger Cross: My friend Michelle here, who I’ve known forever, called me and goes, “Listen! This friend wrote this script and it’s awesome. You should check it out, blah, blah, blah, blah.” And I'm like, “Alright, well, you know, send it to me.” And she goes, “You know what? I'm gonna send you a short she did. And it's great,” whatever. And she sent me this short. And I’m like, this lady knows what she's doing. She's pretty damn good, right? And this guy was in it too. (Gestures toward David) And I'm like, that's pretty cool. And then we talked about it and then she goes, “Okay, I'm sending you the script.” And I read it, and I was like, “Wow, this is heavy.” Interestingly enough. And maybe this will give away too much. A few years ago, I was asked to do a play about that lady on Vancouver Island that… she made a choice. And that didn't work out. But it was kind of like, I didn't know how I felt about subject matter. And so, it was very interesting reading this and I went, “Okay, this is the way you dealt with it.” It's… I don't think you could have dealt with it in a better way. And it was beautiful, and how the story was crafted. And I was like, “If my schedule works, I would love to do this.” And beautifully enough, it all worked out and landed in the right spot and the right time where I was able to do it. And you know, be roomies with the lover here. (More Laughter)
 
David James Lewis: We became roommates because Laura and I talked about the fact that if she's directing it, I'm acting in it, we, we had a place we could have lived together. But we wanted to separate church and state it was like, I don't want to….
 
Laura Adkin: Yes, my Sensual Lover moved out.
 
David James Lewis: Yes, Sensual Lover, which is the name of my upcoming autobiography. (Laughter)
 
John Betancourt: Oh, that’s something we need to expand upon later! But for now, this really is a movie that tackles some tough topics, starts a tough conversation, and we are seeing more films do that right now. Why do each of you think it's so important to have this film out here now, and start those conversations?
 
Bronwen Smith: For that very reason, the conversation is an opportunity. I mean, there's always catharsis in art, which is so important, which is the whole reason that we do this, so that people don't feel so alone, when they're facing these sorts of things, they can see themselves reflected back. And that's helpful because loneliness is such a prevailing thing in our society. But, but exactly what you said, to start the conversation so we can begin that. And that's the purpose of art. And that's why we have to keep doing this so that people can have those conversations.
 
Michelle Harrison:  And I think we see, like so many of our friends, parents who have, like, either passed away or had dementia or Alzheimer's, and you watch the deterioration of someone older, with all of their capacities. But then to see a young-ish mother, who's dealing with that, and having to make a choice. I don't know how much you can say in this interview, but somebody in their middle age with a family, having to make a difficult choice with children, to me was really interesting. Laura and I, we had a lot of disagreements about this part of the script for a while. Laura stuck her ground and said, trust me, and I did. But I think all for the better because we are telling a story about something that you don't see as often.
 
Laura Adkin: I mean, I think there's lots of conversations I wanted to have, right? It's not just that one thing, which is why I wrote this as an ensemble, because I wanted different people to be having different perspectives on different things that were happening. It's… for everyone, it's about like with where they are in their life, where they were before, the people who knew them when they were younger. Because that's interesting to me, this idea of the people who knew you when you were like, 18,19, 20, who knew all the dreams that you had, who were your first real family that you chose for yourself. And then, you know, to see everybody later, and it's like, the people that are doing the things they said they would do, people that aren't doing those things. And so, it was important for me to have different perspectives. So, there's different secrets or different things. But it's, you know, it's about like, just being, like, authentic. And I think a lot of these characters were holding on to things that didn't make them authentic. So wanted them all to have the feeling, I also want the audience to be able to watch this and go like, “Oh, I connect with, or I would connect with Carrie, I connect with Rachel or connect to like, whoever.” Yeah, that's why I wrote it, the way that I did.
 
David James Lewis: Yeah, I mean, I'm in my 50s, which is weird, because I look like I'm like, early 30s. But I… pause for shock. (Laughter from everyone)
 
Roger Cross:  Comedian on the weekend.
 
David James Lewis: I think about… I think about death. Probably because icons that I've seen, you know, whether it's the David Bowie's or recently, Matthew Perry, like, people are moving on and, and friends of my parents are moving on. And it's just like, it's something that when you're younger, you never think about. You think you're going to live forever. You are impenetrable. And so, to have to watch this movie where people are dealing with how they handle loss, or what the next thing looks like… it's really interesting. It's… it's uncomfortable, but I think it should be but it's also like, I think it's liberating. I watch this film, and I cry every time, but I feel good at the end of it. I don't feel bad. I feel good.
 
Roger Cross: Hey, listen, you know, what was really interesting, is the grass is always greener, on the other side is a big thing there. So, no matter how amazing someone might look from the outside, you know, that's my character, for example, got it all together, millionaire, he's got everyone wanting to, you know, these women want to be with him, men want to be him. And yeah, he's the… you know? And there’s the lady with a beautiful kids and everyone’s all “Oh, my God, you're amazing!” The neurosurgeon, she's doing her thing, she's all this, whatever. But you're all missing something in your life. And it's great that we can actually as a society now have these conversations and have the bravery to do it. Because in the past, you know, you hold on to it, and you take it with you, you don't deal with these things, especially as men, you're men, you're tough. You know, we swallow that, bury it down deep, and you don't deal with it. And now we're in a place where we can actually talk about it and put it out there to other people that I'm not alone and say, “Yes, we can do this. And it's an important thing.” And I think this is this is an important movie and it's… I'm so blessed.
 
David James Lewis: I just wanted to that was a good answer, considering the smell of bacon was coming in and I was ready to bolt! (Laughter from everyone)
 
John Betancourt: I’ve heard a lot of passion here when it comes to your answers, and it’s a passionate film that clearly you all loved working on. I just want to know what you loved the most about working on this project?
 
Bronwen Smith: The seals that I got to see. (Laughter from everyone)
 
Roger Cross: You and those seals!
 
Bronwen Smith: We were just shooting in this beautiful spot in the Pacific Northwest, and these seals would pop up from the ocean. And it was just it was, it was glorious. It was the most… it was a magical summer camp with the best people you could possibly be with doing a job that you love the most and, and a gift of an opportunity with the scripts and a filmmaker that could guide us all the way like it was just…
 
Michelle Harrison: Good answer. That’s an extra sound bite right there. For me, it was working with all of these people, it was the most wonderful experience, all these old friends of mine, and we got to finally get together and do this together and do what we love and work. She (Laura) killed it. And it was really, it was really wonderful to watch her rise to that occasion and just carry that torch. And I always say Laura was like, so calm on set. And so like, nothing could bother her.
 
Laura Adkin: Yeah, I mean, I think the whole thing was great. We had lots of amazing moments, getting to work with all the actors, getting to work with an incredible crew, getting to shoot in this amazing magical place. Getting to be creative with everybody. But you know, the adaptability of the actors was probably my favorite. I love when things go wrong, and then you fix them, and then it's amazing. I don't know if you all remember this, but there was a scene that was not working. It was not working. And I was like “Everybody stop! Five-minute break! And then I rewrote the scene, I think on a napkin and I'm like, “This is your line! This is what we’re doing!” It was just not working. And then we just reshot it, and then it all worked. So that was my -- I will tell you my least favorite moment was in the sailboat. I have such bad motion sickness. And that boat was like…
 
David James Lewis: It was supposed to be attached to the dock but still…
 
Laura Adkin: Yeah! It was moving! Also, we have this fake cigarette smoke happening in the thing. I mean, there was a moment where I was like, “I gotta go, I gotta go. I feel like I need to—" I had to leave. Our sound guy also almost vomited. He stayed in there, though. I got off the sailboat. I tried to watch on the monitor. Not on the dock, but I couldn't because of the thing. So, I was so nauseous and sick and have no idea what happened that day. And then I saw the footage and I was like--
 
David James Lewis: Oh, we made sensual love.
 
Laura Adkin: No, you weren't even there. But I did watch the footage after and I was like, “Oh, that's what happened that day.” No recollection of the scene. You did great acting, you and Jesse (L. Martin). And that was like another magical thing that happened. Like I wrote that in a tree house. It was supposed to be a treehouse. And then my cinematographer. He was like, “No, it should be in a sailboat.” I'm like, “How are we gonna get a sailboat?” And then we went and looked at some treehouses, one at Michelle's house. And then Sterling, who was my DP was like, “No. It has to be a sailboat.” And then we got a sailboat. (Laughter from Everyone)
 
David James Lewis: So obviously working with all of these actors who are working actors is so exciting, so fun to like, actually do scenes that aren't just like one and a half page where you tell number one on the call sheet where the danger is, or why they should be, you know, falling in love with the guy that owns the pumpkin patch. We make those movies and they're important. They're so important. I got to do all that. But even more importantly for me, my son, who was 18 at the time, he came, Laura was so gracious to invite him to come and work on the set. And he was an actor, but she brought him on as a crew member. And he ended up working in the camera department. And he did an amazing job. And he's since then he's worked on like 20 films and TV shows and stuff since then. Yeah, it's been unbelievable. But there was a big scene that we shot; it was a very big scene that we shot. And we ended our day, and I went immediately to the bar and had a drink because I was just like, I couldn't deal with all of this. It was difficult and, and my son texted me out of nowhere. And he's like, “Dad. That is the best in person acting I've ever seen in my life.” And then I was like, in tears. It was. I got to have this amazing gift. Thank you, Laura for that, by the way, that my son will never forget whether he likes me or loves me or whatever, down the road, but yeah, it was such a powerful moment. So that was that was that was a personal one for me.
 
Roger Cross: Well, for me, it sounds like a broken record, but it was working with all these people and getting to bring this character to life and share these moments. And as you said, it was easy to be there, be present with these amazing actors and give your 100% every opportunity you get, and work it out and as Laura said, if it wasn't working, let's make it work. And you know, she rewrote stuff, she was receptive to what we had to say, but stay true to her vision. And, like Bronwen said, it was like summer camp, it was almost like boot camp for acting. Because if we're gonna make this happen, we all got together during COVID. So, we stayed on Bowen. And I roomed with this this dude. But seriously, it was, recharge the battery. Because I've been very busy. I was juggling shows. And literally before I did this movie, this guy and I hadn't worked together before. And literally just before this movie, I was doing a show and you happened to be there. We actually had a scene together. Yeah, after all these years of the business, we worked together, and all sudden, he's like, “let's talk about our characters in Laura’s movie.” So, while we're shooting this other movie, we're also…
 
David James Lewis: It kind of became like Acting 101. A little bit like we, we do this long enough, we're just like, we kind of do what we kind of do. This was… this was a great acting exercise. It was so fun. The young actors on this show, were like, “Watching you guys work was just like, wow.” Oh, we're just working. But they were like, “Oh my gosh, it was like being an acting class.”
 
Roger Cross: Richard’s Son. He kind of came up to me and he was like, “How do you what you do? I don't know. But I aspire to do it. Yeah, but yeah, it was an incredible experience. It's amazing.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you all today. What are you most proud of when it comes to your work on this project?
 
Roger Cross: I'm most proud of the whole thing. You know, the whole thing, is art really art if no one sees it? And I'm like, yeah, it is because this was art. And I think everyone should see it. And everyone hopefully will see it, but if no one sees it. It was so fulfilling and beautiful for me that I'm just thankful I was a part of it.
 
David James Lewis: Yeah, I mean, I'm so proud of my wife, SL, Sensual Lover. (Laughter from Everyone) I am… I'm so proud of you. Like… listen… I live with her. We live together. I have seen the ups and downs and middles and downs and ups. It's a roller coaster ride of how hard you and Christa have worked on this, and I've seen you just be like “I hate this movie. I've watched it 500 times.” Then, “I just watched it last night. It's a good movie.” Later she's like “I can't even” and then she loves it again. Because obviously you know so much about it, but I'm so I'm so proud of you. I'm so, so, incredibly, incredibly proud of you, for what you've made for all of us and for yourself. Yeah, amazing.
 
Laura Adkin: I mean, I just the whole thing about how hard everyone worked and we're all still friends. Yay! It’s a big deal when you can film, and everyone still likes each other. And I think I think for me, what I'm the proudest of, is that I was able to create a safe, fun, respectful set. And you know, where Christa, I worked really, really hard to make sure that everyone that came on to this movie was the right person to come on to this movie, from the PAs to the actors to everyone in between, you know, we had a lot of an amazing, talented crew that were so respectful, and we were respectful of them. And like, you know, I think that's the way that movies need to be made, I think, you know, I really worked hard to only have 10-hour camera days, we had a couple 12, but mostly 10-hour camera days, I, you know, we really wanted to just make a film that didn't feel like too much work. And like that people enjoyed being there, and that everyone felt like their contribution to the film was important, because it was every single person.
 
John Betancourt: You know, I am hearing that sentiment about how a set should be run more as of late.
 
Laura Adkin: Yes, just because we've always done things a certain way doesn't mean we need to keep doing them that way. I think, you know, you respect people's time, and you respect, you know, the fact that everyone does actually have a family and they do have lives and they have things they need to get to, they don't need to be on set all the time. So, that's what I'm really proud of is that we I think we've made that happen.
 
Michelle Harrison: I'm really proud of well, all of us just being able to breathe through all the scenes, it never felt like going to work. It never felt like there wasn't enough time to do a scene, it never felt like things were missed, because we were trying to rush through. It just felt like we were all kind of breathing. Even though our characters are breathing in different rhythms. We were all breathing collectively together to make this piece of art. And like you said, nothing didn't work. And a lot of times, you're when you're in a scene, you're dealing with things that aren't working or the person across from you, or the time or the weather, and it all just magically worked. Un-magically, magically, because there was a lot of thought behind that magic.
 
Laura Adkin: And even when it didn't work, like the most magical moments in the film, and in any film, I've ever made, happened when I had an expectation of what was going to happen. And then that didn't work. So, we had to pivot and find something different.
 
Bronwen Smith Well, all of the above answers. (Laughter from Everyone) Steal from the artists. And it's hard because like I sort of like bristle at the idea of the pride because then it feels like… “ew”, because it's so much gratitude for the privilege and the opportunity that I just get to do this. But one of the things that struck me today was seeing all the names and the faces of all of these students that Laura and I have as acting students. And it really like, I mean, that's Laura, she gave them the opportunity. Like that's all on her, but it really made me proud for them to see them up there and to see their names on the credits.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Candice is a powerful short film that recently screened at the Austin Film Festival, about the importance of being in touch with one’s emotions. And we here at NTG were fortunate enough to sit down with the film’s writer, director and star, Tyler Martin, to discuss the genesis of this amazing feature.  
 
John Betancourt: What inspired you to write Candice?
 
Tyler Martin: Yeah, I really wanted to explore the idea of intimacy in a very visceral way. I knew the cast going into it, I knew it was gonna be myself and my, my co-lead David Gow. And I thought it'd be really fascinating to explore intimacy between two males on screen that was not sexual in any way, or the butt of the joke. And to play it very authentically. And really, the reason for that is to showcase the hurdles that we face with intimacy, and what stands in our way from connecting to someone else.
 
John Betancourt: Why do you think it's so important now more than ever, to showcase that, because it does feel like your film is part of a poignant conversation that's starting to begin?
 
Tyler Martin: I think that when we look at our, our country, and the world of what issues we're facing right now, a lot of that stems from patriarchy, of course, and then you know, what is… what is patriarchy, then you have to break that down, right? Then we get to misogyny, okay, what is that, break that down, and then we get to homophobia, then we break it down, then we get to transphobia. Break that down. And so, it's like, all these things didn't stem from that place. But if we kind of work our way back up, I always say I'm queer myself. And I don't think of this as like a queer film really, in any way. But I always think… and I've had this conversation many times… that really for homophobia to go away, we have to actually tackle misogyny, because all the homophobia is misogyny put on to the queer community, right? And so, it stems from that we think of feminine, quote, unquote, as lesser than, that we think of access to emotion as lesser than, so if we kind of handle all of that, then it really, I mean, if we were to face vulnerability in this kind of a way, it would clear up so much of our issues. I'm sure there would be other issues, we start to find that we have, but it would clear up those.
 
John Betancourt: I agree. I didn’t see it as queer film either. More so perhaps the first time where we actually see men being in touch with their emotions, which equally a new frontier, apparently, which it shouldn't be. So, to further dive into that, why do you think it's so important that we start having that conversation now and showcasing that for men that it's okay to be intimate?
 
Tyler Martin: I mean, you're denying yourself a human experience. Right now, in this conversation of AI taking over, we're so concerned about AI and taking away the human experience, right? But I find that kind of laughable because of where we are as a society, where we, just because I identify as a male, I can't cry, I can't laugh at a certain thing. I can't touch someone else in a certain way. Because that makes me less of a man or whatever. And what is that? That's denying humans being human? You know, like, that's just like, basic, human 101. So, I think, I think right now, it's, it's an interesting time to, to look at, especially with so much going on in the world right now, to look at ourselves, and just to have some inner dialogue with ourselves of maybe why we're insecure. Because usually it comes from insecurity, right? And so why are we insecure? What are we holding on to? What baggage are we holding on to? And I think in the film, specifically, we see that these two people have been holding on to traumatic experiences and grief and loss and, and these are the things that have have built up walls in their lives. And, and we see them you know, slowly, slowly break those down a little bit as it goes along. And I mean, isn’t that relatable, like, don't we all kind of have baggage and trauma and things in our lives for good reason, sometimes for safety, but also, we need to know when to take down the safety and to allow someone in.
 
John Betancourt: That was another thing that really impressed me about the film, was that it also leaned into trauma and loss. Because we don't talk enough about the impact of that on people either. And that leads me to wonder, it seems like what you really wanted to accomplish was a deep understanding of what wounds us and what shields us. Was there any other message you would say that the film wants to express past that point or is that pretty much, just… this is the core, this is what we need to do to release.
 
Tyler Martin: That’s the core of it. I'd say it does get into, like you said, trauma and grief and a longing for, for connection in a way that is touch but also emotional. Looking toward the future, but in looking toward the future, looking to the past, you know, there's so much of just the experiencing of grief and loss and, and those kinds of things. But yes, at the core of it, I think connection is where I hope it lands. And it starts conversation for people just to kind of chat about why they're having problems maybe with those things.
 
John Betancourt: Ultimately, what do you hope audiences take away from this?
 
Tyler Martin: I am so over seeing films that are just sad. I am so over it. I don't understand who that is for, I don't understand who finds that helpful or inspiring. I don't… I just don't understand that. So, I think within Candice, it was really important to me to show some comedy in it. There's some comedic elements in the beginning. And something important to me that I wanted to, I mean, when you are presenting trauma to an audience, when you're presenting grief in this kind of way, I think it's almost the responsibility of the writer to present a way forward. Because otherwise, you're just presenting a hole for someone to sit in and wallow, which is just so unhelpful for an audience. So, I think, what is movement towards something, what is something that can push through, but then also conversation that is really ultimately what I want from this film is to create conversation. But if you are in a hole by yourself out of just despair after watching something, well, you're not going to be talking to anyone about that. But what is helpful is to have something that has forward momentum. And that way you can talk about that, it can inspire conversation and inspire movement in your own life, I guess.
 
John Betancourt:  With that in mind, now I have to go a little deeper on this part. A lot of times I find when films are this intimate, emotionally, there's a catalyst point from the writer’s perspective that really made them want to talk about this. Was there something that you encountered that inspired you to wrtie this story? Or was it really just a general noticing, like, people are just not in touch with what they feel.
 
Tyler Martin: So right before I wrote this, I was working on, I just did a stage reading on my play, Bonded, in New York, which revolves around trauma bonding, which is very much in this film, Candice. And that's definitely where my brain was at the time of writing Candice. I worked with this organization called Men Healing, I partnered with them to do the reading in New York. They're an organization that revolves around getting resources to sexual assault victims that specifically identify as male. And I worked with them a lot gearing up for that project, and even after I've continued to, to work with them some, and so being in a space of just being aware of how much people do not talk about male intimacy in a positive or negative way, was very on my mind. So, kind of coming from that perspective, especially talking with so many survivors. Touch can feel so intense, and intensely negative, for various reasons for baggage that we have, in the past. And, you know, a handshake can mean something completely different to two people. A hug can mean something completely different to two people, it's all the baggage that they're bringing into it, a kiss can mean something completely different. And, and so I thought it would be really interesting to showcase touch in a way that, again, was not sexual, but still allowed someone to connect through it and coming from working with sexual assault victims and talking in that sphere. That was just something really important to me that I want to explore.
 
John Betancourt: Now shifting gears a bit more so to the festival itself. What has it meant to you now to have put this out in front of so many people? And have them see it? And experience it?
 
Tyler Martin: It’s been so great. There's been… I mean, speaking to the other question you asked earlier, conversation is such a major part of what I wanted to come from this. So, what's been so beautiful is after screenings, people coming to me and sharing their stories, how it affected them emotionally and what it brought up for them, whether it is something negative in their past, something positive, that they're looking forward to, reconnecting with someone that they lost, touch with, you know, like, all these things. And that's been very, very special to me. And being in Austin, I'm from Texas, originally, we filmed in Houston. So, my creative partner, David Gow, who is in it with me, he's from Houston. And so, we had, you know, more resources in Houston to play around with and so we decided to film it there. And it feels extra special to be here and to be amongst these really incredible works. And yeah, it's been wonderful.
 
John Betancourt: What's next for the film after the Austin Film Festival?
 
Tyler Martin: We have a few festivals coming up. Unfortunately, I can't quite announce them yet. But just keep a lookout, and we will be at more festivals. And I'm also working on a feature version of Candice right now. I cannot tell you how excited I am about it.
 
John Betancourt: I see it and I hear your voice. And speaking of that, what did you enjoy the most about working on this?
 
Tyler Martin: Oh, what a good question. What a good question. Wearing so many hats, I feel like I have different answers for each one of them. Like, as a writer, it was cathartic to explore these topics, and especially coming from that play that was… it's heavier than Candice. So, I also wanted something, that's also hopeful, though, I will say… but Candice is just in a more hopeful light maybe, and I felt I needed some closure in some in some ways, I felt like I got it through the writing process of Candice. And then through the acting process of finding this character that I am so in love with like, I just love him so much, I care so much about him. I feel very vulnerable and fragile with him, and I want to give him more, I want to give him more. And I also feel the same about the other character, I want to give him more. So that was really exciting. To be able to work on it as an actor and then as a director. I love… I love directing and getting to especially take it from the writing process to just… showing the full story and all the details in that set. Like, I'm a geek when it comes to details and that RV, down to the holes in my character’s socks, like there are details throughout that entire thing that probably no one will ever notice. But it was just such a fun process to create this world that felt so real for all of us, in those days of filming. Yeah, I mean, I could go on and those are some of my highlights.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today is What are you most proud of when it comes to this project?
 
Tyler Martin: I'd say the conversation, that'd be it. That’s been something really special to me is that people feel that they can share and that they have access to maybe certain emotions or sensations that they didn't quite have language for, or movement for. And to be like, even the tiniest part of that process and journey for people is very special to me. And I like take that responsibility, responsibility very seriously and I am very proud of that. I'm very, very proud of that and they get excited for it.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
​

Dick Bunny is a refreshing new television series that recently screened at the Austin Film Festival, that offers up some honesty regarding what motherhood is actually like. And we here at NTG the distinct honor of sitting down with the show’s writer, Susie Mendoza to discuss the construction of this fascinating series.
 
John Betancourt: What was it that inspired you to write Dick Bunny?
 
Susie Mendoza: Well, my ultimate goal is to write shows that are a full expression of my creative voice. And, sometimes, when you have an inner weirdo like I do, it’s not easy to translate for other humans. So, I was writing spec pilots and getting feedback like, “We liked this, but we're not ready to dive in yet.”  I decided that the only way I could showcase who I am was to create a whole season of a show, starting with an original concept. And who can afford to shoot that? I decided to shrink it down into short episodes. So, then I sat down, and said, “Well, what is my skill set, besides whistling and lining up my remotes? (Laughs) I knew I wanted to do a deep dive into the first year of motherhood and the psychological rewiring that happens. So, the idea of, like, having puppets in the head came pretty quickly. I mean, doesn’t every new mom have a mason jar filled with nuts-and-bolts rattling around in their heads?

Then I brainstormed, “What can I offer that another writer can’t?” And one thing I know how to do is illustrate children’s books. I thought, “I can create a children's book, now, what if the character came to life and was this Beatrix Potter-esque, sarcastic man, rabbit. He could poke holes in society's expectations for moms and the culture of perfection that we live in. And then it kind of went from there. I also wanted to work with my friend, the fabulous actress, Kim Griffin, and created the role of Max for her, paired with the Dick Bunny character, for all mankind. (Laughter) So she could have an ally in this strange new world.
 
John Betancourt: I'm very curious what it was that went into the decision to create the antithesis to what we see in television and film about motherhood?
 
Susie Mendoza: Well, you know, they always say, write what you know, and I think that means–write the raw stuff. Write what you know, emotionally, in that moment. When I was deep in the weeds of early motherhood, I wrote a McSweeney's piece called, “The Biggest Challenge of Parenting is Becoming a Human Meatsuit.” (Laughter from Susie and John) And the meat suit became a metaphor for the experience. I wanted to continue to find unique ways to go into that period of time where your brain is completely rewired. It's almost psychedelic, and that, of course, tied into the Alice in Wonderland of it all. Really, it’s… a documentary. (Laughter) I thought it was just a truthful depiction of my experience, but it resonated with mothers who also had talking cotton balls in their heads that were, you know, castrating them for their lack of conversation at adult dinner parties. So, by writing what I knew in terms of raw emotional specificity, I ended up subverting traditional tv mom tropes. And why would you want to write anything that wasn't raw? That’s where connection exists.

John Betancourt:  I think that's a fair point. I'd much rather…. if I was to be a parent, I would much rather prefer watch Dick Bunny and get an understanding that this is not going to be easy, as opposed to getting, you know, just pomp and circumstance.
 
Susie Mendoza:  The best comedy tells the truth in the most specific way, and that's what I tried to do. In improv, there's this thing called “The Cloud.” So, once you get on the stage with all these people, if someone says, “buttermilk” or “hairnet”, it goes into an invisible thought cloud. Then you draw from this thought bank for other scenes. I felt like motherhood was its own “Cloud”. So, what would be in a new mom’s “Cloud”? It made sense for her cloud to be filled with hallucinatory conversations, but also, it'd be items from her world. Things like soup cans and spices. There’d be a screaming sheep that she saw on YouTube and things like that.
 
John Betancourt:  Now, obviously, you just mentioned that there's been some positive feedback, some real recognition of it, what does it mean to you to have that kind of validation come into play?
 
Susie Mendoza: This is where I take a minute to thank the director, Katie O'Brien, who is not only a seasoned television director, but has amazing comic sensibilities. She was the person I needed to translate the whole thing, so that people got it. And so, her coming on board and recognizing it at the beginning, made all the difference.  Her saying, “Hey, this is the fresh take on motherhood that I want to do,” validated the idea. And she was willing to take time away from her busy schedule flying to shoot Ghosts, and other shows, to shoot, Dick Bunny, which was amazing because she created this whole visual world I never could have. I guess what I'm trying to say here is you have to find creative soulmates that get it. Her vision was what I saw in my head and beyond, and people understand it now. It looks like a gorgeous, real, television show, instead of just me filming sock puppets on my phone.
 
John Betancourt: Ultimately, what do you want this series to accomplish for people? What's the message you want them to take away from it?
 
Susie Mendoza: I want other moms that are going through this and are in the weeds to feel less alone. And I also want… I want to connect with all people and let them know that society's expectations are absolute “bollocks,” in the words of Dick Bunny. Just find your people and it's going to be okay. Just lean into it all and be your authentic self. And there's your after school special moment, actually, it truly is what I want to say. Just be yourself. Yeah, you're beautiful.
 
John Betancourt: See, that’s so refreshing to hear. Because I very much appreciated the fact that you really hammered home what motherhood is actually like, and that there isn’t some superhero moment, and that there’s not a ton of knowledge of what actually happens when you become a mom.
 
Susie Mendoza: It was amazing to me when I had a baby, that suddenly I was expected to know how to install a car seat correctly, or my child would die. And, the news tells you people are leaving their kids in the backseat of the hot car, so make sure you put a flip-flop back there to remind yourself and it’s like, “Oh, my God, this is all my responsibility.” You have to know what schools to get into, what nipple cream works best, and make sure they don't eat honey. Apparently, that’s like giving them an eight ball. (Laughter) And these are all tasks that used to be performed by an entire community. We're missing the community of people to help raise children now. It's all being put on mothers, and it's too much. So, I just want to say to all the moms–be your own version of motherhood. And, you know, my version might be McDonald's drive thru. I mean, allegedly, every three days, I don't know. (Laughter)
 
John Betancourt: Allegedly, my dad might have taken me there every weekend.
 
Susie Mendoza: Just find a public school near you and just walk there and just, it's all fine. They're gonna be okay. As long as they're loved, you know, and you don't leave them at the YMCA.
 
John Betancourt: Yes, because then they might get raised there.
 
Susie Mendoza: Well, that might be better. (Laughter from Susie and John)
 
John Betancourt: That’s a whole different show altogether! And then obviously, I'm assuming this brings, you know, a level of catharsis and a level of, of just understanding for yourself. Which leads me to my next question, because what I've been noticing this whole weekend, and this whole event has been a lot of passionate projects. And there's a lot of passion that went into this, I hear it in your voice. So really, ideally, what did you find most fulfilling about working on this project?
 
Susie Mendoza: Having a point of view on the world, being able to execute it, and then having someone say, “Hey, that reminds me of the time that, you know, I did that.”  I had a lot of moms on set, and they would pull me aside and say, “You really captured my postpartum anxiety.” And I realized that maybe I didn't even know myself, and so a conversation was started. Connecting with real moms and having a unique window into that was so cathartic for me.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you today. What are you most proud of when it comes to project?
 
Susie Mendoza: Oh, that's, that's a tough one. What am I most proud of? That we captured a specific human experience through an unusual lens and, in doing so, connected with a universal audience.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Martin Pope and Tom Bidwell are a pair of accomplished creatives that have brought forth some meaningful stories throughout the years. Recently, they teamed up to bring The Velveteen Rabbit to life on Apple TV+, and recently we sat down with both of them to learn more about how they brought this project to bear.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know, first and foremost from both of you what it was that attracted you to this particular project. And we'll start Martin on this one.
 
Martin Pope: I've been running Magic Light Pictures for 20 years, and we've done a lot of animation, we've done live action as well. And what we particularly love doing is trying to bring to life stories which are to enrich the imaginations of children and families worldwide. That's what we wake up in the morning and set out to do. And there are very few stories which really resonate and continue to resonate. And so, as part of our process, at our work, we tend to read a book and then sit on it for a bit and then come back to it and come back to it. There's lots of the rest of the industry who read a book, and they're trying to option everything. And we spend a lot of time trying to sit and think about what really drives us and how to bring something to life in the best possible way. And so, we have a wonderful colleague called Bianca Rodway, who I can remark on her first day she came in and she said, “Look, I'm not really meant to be thinking about this sort of area,” because she felt it would be animation, and she's very much from live action. But she said, “You've got to, you really need to be thinking about it.” And it's a book I'd known about for some years. But we just felt the right time, we began to think about it. And she's an old friend and colleague of Tom's and so we began to think about it there and explore how you could really bring it to life, how you can make it as sad as it needs to be and as joyful as needs to be.
 
Tom Bidwell: I think from my point of view as a screenwriter, I'm always, you know, you get asked a lot, what exactly you're looking for. And the answer is always something with a huge emotional, center. Something that's very big hearted, especially for kids. And it's really big hearted. And having known the book since I was a child and loved it, because of the elements that Martin says, the hopefulness and the fact that it's challenging and difficult as well, which is always seems to hit you harder when it's sitting in children's literature. I just think it dawned on us when we were developing it, that, you know, this is a chance to really make this in a way that was not possible previously, because of how animation has moved on, by how effects have moved on. You know, to hand in a script to these guys, that is so ambitious. It's got several different types of animation style in it. And for them to say, “Okay, let's get it made”. I mean, it's an absolute, absolute, privilege for me to do because it’s not often you hand in, you usually you hand in your first draft, and they’re like “no, no.” But this was like, “Okay, that's it. That's how it needs to be done because there's no other way of doing it.” And then Magic Light and Apple absolutely nailed it. So, I'm very, very thankful.
 
Martin Pope: I have to say, now that he mentioned it, I could have said at the beginning, “No, no, no.” That wasn't, that wasn't on the agenda. But, anyway. (Laughter from everyone.)
 
John Betancourt: Hindsight is 20/20 for that one, I guess.
 
Martin Pope: It’s a beautiful script, and it's a short piece, but it just crystallizes things in such a wonderful way. And Tom brought so many different things to the project. It's just absolutely fantastic.
 
John Betancourt: I absolutely agree. Like I think it's one of the one of the better interpretations I've seen of this book over the years. And that brings me to my next few questions. Actually, you both you mentioned the fact that you know that there are stories that last a long time and resonate with us. And that obviously, you know, Tom, you'd mentioned the fact that you've read it as a child. And that's where I got my first introduction to it. Why do each of you think that this story continues to endure the way that it does? Because we are looking at roughly a century of storytelling with The Velveteen Rabbit.
 
Tom Bidwell:  I think, like I said, I think it's got, it’s joyful, it's about kind of global, universal things like love and friendship. Importantly, imagination is a huge aspect of it. This, the whole piece is about imagination, because without imagination the rabbit has no… he lives in the boy’s imagination. And that question of, is imagination real? It doesn't matter because it's real to the boy and it's as valuable as anything that's in the material world. But I think that you know, those moments of, in the book, I think what makes an enduring classic is that it has challenging and difficult moments in it. And in like I said, in children's literature, they really do. They live in the memory longer and they endure, and it’s helpful as well. So, it's not bleak, but it is challenging. And I think that's important because children's lives do have moments in it that are difficult and kids like, adults like, to see their experiences reflected back on them on TV. So, I think for all those reasons, it just lives in the memory.
 
Martin Pope: It’s enriching. It's It has emotional truth, you know, really great stories have emotional truth, which we recognize. And it's very hard to pin down what it means, you know, you can't summarize it, if you could summarize it, they wouldn't have written the book, you know that the book works because it's, it's captured something, which about all of us when we're children. And also, probably, even when we're grown up, thinking that actually things which are important to us are alive, that they come alive, and they have meaning. And so, for children, that the notion that your toys coming alive, it's always been there, you know, the book has a subtitle, which is “How Toys Become Real.” And, you know, it's just, that's what children think about. So yeah, it's gonna last and it does have some very great lines in it. And themes in it, which Tom has brought out brilliantly. So yeah, those speak to people that I know that then in, you know, that's why Chandler and Friends and you know, other people have used the book and the story in many different ways in in people's lives.
 
John Betancourt: It’s come up a little bit too, in the respect of, there's a certain timeliness to this, not sure how, but now seems like the time to do this, and I've seen a lot of children's entertainment now, and family entertainment that's starting to have that deeper meaning presented to it. So why do you think now is the right time to offer a much more visceral story about The Velveteen Rabbit.
 
Martin Pope: So, I'm older than you both. And I, I'm gonna just say that actually, I don't think it changes. I think it's always there. I think that The Jungle Book has moments of, the original Jungle Book, which I watched as a child, that has moments of sadness, I think that the ones which last… have that. And actually, at Magic Light Pictures, we have been making work, which we think is always got difficult things in it. You know, we made Revolting Rhymes, for Roald Dahl, the difficult things are important to embrace and acknowledge and deal with, and also treat in such a way that at the end of the film, people feel better about the world, because the world is a wonderful, rich place. And if we look at it with imagination, and you know, real love in our hearts, then actually we can do quite amazing things.
 
Tom Bidwell:  I think there's a lot of high-volume kid shows out there, you know, there are a lot of high volume, adult shows, but more so than there ever have been. Certainly, when I was younger, it was what was on TV, you watch it, or you don't watch it. And that's it. But now there is access to so many shows, and they have 200-300 episodes of each one. And in that you start to lose the beauty of what you can achieve in TV, I think, so these specials are really important to actually, you know, get a kid to sit down and watch something that looks brilliant, that's well executed, that has a deep story in it. And they don't have to watch that every day. But it's important to have that as part of the kind of the spectrum of stories that you're telling them, I suppose. And so yeah, we wanted to make something that was beautiful.
 
Martin Pope: I think when you make it well. And when you have a great script like this, then people will watch again and again. So, I think that’s our experience with our specials is that people watch again and again and again. And that's interesting.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you, gentlemen, today, is… what are you each most proud of when it comes to this iteration of The Velveteen Rabbit?
 
Tom Bidwell: I think when I set out to adapt it out, you really with any adaptation, you want to disappear as a screenwriter. You want the parts that you do add, to feel like they were part of the original experience of the book. I think there's certain moments in that where I feel like I have disappeared completely. And it just feels like something that you would remember from the books. I think, in that sense, there's moments where, you know, the boy isn't really a huge part of the book, it’s really just the rabbit’s story. And I think hopefully when people watch it, I'm quite proud of the fact that it does feel like he's always been there. And he's kind of off the page in the book. But he's, he's part of it. And I've managed to kind of shine the light on him. And I think those bits have been successful. So, I'm most proud of that really.
 
Martin Pope: I'm delighted that… this is not the most proud of… but I'm delighted to have given Phoenix Laroche, who plays William, a really meaty role because I think that he is tremendous. I think he's gonna go places. I think he's fantastic. And I'm very proud that when Bianca and Tom, and I sat in, in a restaurant in Preston, which is an area of Lancaster, Lancashire, five or six years ago, we defined what we were hoping for, which is that at the end of the film, watching the film, people would have tears of joy and feel that they've been moved. But also, this is wonderful. It's wonderful that the boy is going through to make friends. It's wonderful. The rabbit is doing a binky, as it's called jumping up in the air like that and running off with his friends. And, you know, a couple of people have said that's been achieved for them. And that makes me very delighted.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Winslow Fegley and Alberto Belli are a pair of accomplished creatives that have worked on multiple shows and films. Their current project is The Naughty Nine on the Disney Channel and Disney+, and we here at NTG had the chance to sit down with them both to discuss this delightful new holiday feature.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know from each of you what you hope audiences take away from this movie from a messaging standpoint, because there's a lot of great stuff in here.
 
Winslow Fegley: I just, you know, especially for the kids that watch this, I really hope that they're able to take away the importance of, being unique and having your own, you know? Because I mean, in this movie, everybody kind of has something that they bring to the table. And that uniqueness is really what brings together the power of the whole team. So, I really hope that kids understand that and the power of teamwork and working together to accomplish something that's good instead of, something that's bad.
 
Alberto Belli: Yeah, like, unity is powerful, and that every day you have an opportunity to be good or bad, so why not be good, right? And you don’t have to be perfect, but you know, you have when you have the choice, be good.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this is also a very fun movie at the same time as well. I would love to know what each of you enjoyed the most about making this particular feature.
 
Alberto Belli: Creating Santa’s Village. Since I was a kid, I used to do like a Christmas Village you know, like miniatures? But here we get to create one that is like, 3-D and working and like people are gonna enjoy that. That was for sure, the most fun I had with the movie.
 
Winslow Fegley: I honestly had a really great time working with all the other kids. It was, you know, not something I get to do every time I film something. So, it was great that I was able to work with people my age and you know, make real friendships that come across in the movie. Because a lot of the friendships that you see, were all real. And I think we just added a whole lot to the movie and just, it made everything work way, way better.
 
John Betancourt: Now without spoiling any plot points. What are you each most excited for audiences just to experience in general in this particular film?
 
Winslow Fegley: I'm really excited for everybody to just dive right into this to this movie. I'm excited for everybody to see, of course, Santa’s Village, and all the crazy, crazy sets that go into this. And also, just the whole adventure and Christmas aspect joined together. I think it just makes a really beautiful blend. So, I'm excited for people to able to get to see that.
 
Alberto Belli: Yeah, like, the audience getting immersed into the world of Santa. Like, distract them a little bit from the crazy world, and then just have fun watching the movie and also get the message in the relationship between the siblings, I think, you know, that's not very much in the promos that have been going out. So, I'm excited for people to experience that storyline, which is really the core of the movie.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you, gentlemen, today. What are you most proud of each when it comes to this particular this particular project?
 
Alberto Bellii: How did we pull it off? You know, it was it seemed like an impossible task, you know, when we were shooting, and it was… crazy. You know, with all the set pieces like, literally every three minutes, we’d have a new set and, and then a lot of kids and a lot of action and the core of the emotional journey, and it all worked out in the end. And then, I think it looks great. You know, like, especially the VFX effects. So, I was very proud of like, what all the amazing and creative VFX artists did. So, I'm very blessed.
 
Winslow Fegley:  I'm just I'm super excited. I mean, I think it's the same thing as what Albert just said. Of course, I would say, like, 80% of everything you see is real, but that other 20% is, you know, is… you don't know what its gonna look like to you ‘till you watch the movie. So, I thought that was really cool. And I think it's great. I think everybody's performances are amazing. And yeah, so I just, I thought it was really, really cool how it all came together.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. ‘The Naughty Nine’ debuts on the Disney Channel today, and will stream on Disney+, starting November 23rd.

Midnight at the Paradise is a powerful motion picture about the choices we make, the struggles we find in adulthood and the magic of cinema. It recently screened at the Austin Film Festival and we here at NTG had the good fortune to talk with the film’s writer, Bill Robertson, about its many themes, and more.
John Betancourt: What it was that got you into writing in the first place?
 
Bill Robertson: Um, well, I've been writing for a long time, I think it was kind of a default of nothing else was kind of going the way I planned. So, I think in university, I was supposed to be a doctor or something like that and took all those courses and didn't have too much fun doing them. So, one day I just sat down and wrote a script, a feature script, not knowing anything, except, you know, what we all know, you need a story with a beginning, middle, and then you need characters. I think that the thing that a lot of people, you know, struggle with is theme, like, what's it about? And, you know, I kind of knew what I wanted to say with it. So, I think it is to some degree, it's having a sense that you have something to say, that, you know, is authentic, and you feel as you're just compelled to share with the world. And I think, you know, as most writers will tell you, you know, writing is really hard. Why do it otherwise, unless, you know, you're compelled to do it in some way.
 
But really, the stories that resonate with me the most are ones that, you know, deal with aspects of the human condition, which are, you know, it's not necessarily my experience, but you know, there are fundamentally things that we all experience and it's great to see it through somebody's unique lens and to have those ideas articulated in a way that that, you know, hopefully nourish our spirits, right. I mean, there's no real… that's the thing… how does anybody become a writer? I don't know. They just, they, they just end up wanting to share, and maybe sometimes more than they should, but I think that's where the that's where the craft comes in. You want there to be an element of craft that raises it above the level of Dear Diary, right?
 
John Betancourt: What was it, that inspired you to craft this particular story?
 
Bill Robertson: Well, Midnight at the Paradise, it honestly came from me wanting to make a movie with, you know, everything I think about, you know, storytelling and its importance in our lives and the importance of movies in our lives, too. And I think, you know, I wanted to do something about… the film tells the story of a woman who's, you know, caught between children, a dying parent, she's married, but not sure if she's happy in the marriage, she's got an ex, wondering, you know, a lot of the questions we all wonder mid-life as to what if? What if I’d gone this way, instead of that way. But I also wanted to do something specifically that talked about the role movies play in our lives, and how, you know, we grow up seeing stories on the big screen, there used to be more on the big screen, now it's on any screen, that we, you know, that inform how we feel about love and romance and what a relationship should be. And I kind of wanted to explore that idea for all these characters, you know, what do the movies mean to us? And how do they shape our, our ideals? And, and how is that good? And how is that maybe not so good. So that was, that was the original impetus for it.
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of that, you bring me right to my next question. I'm very curious, because one thing that I really appreciate about the film was obviously not only the classical love to it, but also the fact that you essentially offer thoughts and musings upon three generations of relationships, and I’d love to know what went into the decision to look at the nature of relationships from such a broad scope.
 
Bill Robertson: Well, it definitely was in the design of the script. I think the one other thing I should say in terms of inspiration there, you know… the Richard Linklater trilogy… Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight, you know, I think Before Midnight, the final of that trilogy had just come out as well. And I was inspired a bit by that. But I also knew that I didn't want to just focus on one couple, which is what those films do. So, I really made the conscious choice to, you know, how to, as you just articulated, you know, how do you cover all the bases and so, you know, creating three stages of love? And, and how am I going to represent those three stages of love. And a lot of that is in the Richard Linklater films, but again, it's all through one couple. So, I think it was, it was definitely a conscious choice. It just became what's… how are these three stories related? And you know, what are the complications and it just sort of made sense to make it all happen in one night. And you know, at the center is a character who you know, is the center of all those characters’ lives. And how are they going to ebb and flow over the course of the night?
 
John Betancourt: But I think what's intriguing is that aside from the wonder of movies in this story, I could not help but notice that this is a film that has a lot to say about contemporary love and contemporary relationships, which is something that is coming up often in just all across the board these days. So why do you think now it's potentially the right time to have those kinds of in-depth discussions about what love is? What marriage relations are to us right now?
 
Bill Robertson: Yeah, I mean, I think it is really interesting how it seems to be everywhere. I think it is, maybe, maybe it's just people are living longer. I mean, I think people have said that. I remember, I don’t usually quote Bette Midler, but I remember her saying something about you know, “We used to die when we were 50. So, marriage was not you know, till death do us part was not such a big deal. ‘Cause you weren't gonna be alive that long.” And I always thought yeah, she's right. But there's an element of that. I mean, I think there's an element of, you know, an aging population too, just overall, but I think there's also a there's an interesting, dynamic with the younger generation, which I think they bring a lot to the conversation. You know, people in their 20s right now, I know a lot of them, you know, who have a very, you know, different view of what a long-term relationship would be partly from observation of their, you know, parents and grandparents.
 
But also just, I don't know, whether it's also wanting to be a little bit different from previous generations. But you know, there's a looser sense, there seems to be in general, a looser sense of, you know, what is a relationship. And I think that's contributing. So, I think there's kind of, you know, people contributing at all the stages of relationships to the conversation, but people being, again, just more, maybe a bit more realistic about what's possible, over the course of, you know, a 50-year marriage, and really, the film is about, how do you navigate that? How are you generous with your partner? You know, when do you give up on a relationship? Is one transgression enough to cause the relationship to, you know, fall apart. And really, the movie also, Midnight at the Paradise, was also meant to generate that kind of conversation. And, and it truly does, you know, people come out of it going, “She should not have done that,” or “He should not have done that,” or, “Oh, no, I think that was legitimate.” And again, it's meant to help the conversation.
 
John Betancourt: Now, in coming with the, the movie’s deeper themes about film in general, let's talk about that for a second in respect of what you really want people to take away, beyond necessarily the, you know, what they mean to us? Or rather what else do you want people to come away with regarding an understanding of cinema?
 
Bill Robertson: Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, the other thing is I teach at York University in Toronto, and I taught at Sheridan College for many years, and some of what I, you know, put into the script is, I'm just going to put, you know, all my favorite movies into one movie. So honestly, like, if you watch it, when you say, “What do you take away from it?” I mean, most people, you know, it's a layered film. So, they take away different things. I've had people say, when they watched it again, they were like, “Whoa, I got this or that.” But there really, truly are references to many, many classical films, in the movie, whether you know it or not, somebody who, you know, like yourself might pick some of them out more than other people. But, you know, I did that. I did that partly, again, to reference films that I think deserve, you know, to be talked about still, and yet, you know, the culture has gotten to the point of everything's disposable, and everything, you know, more than 20 years old, is not worth talking about or thinking about.
 
So, to me, I mean, that's, again, a conscious choice I made, you know, Iris, our lead character’s father, who's dying, I made him a film critic, partly again, because of the old conversation of what is a movie, you know, what deserves to be on a big screen or not, these days? And, I also wanted to reference again, what I think are some great films that really, nobody, nobody's talking about anymore. And, like, The Graduate, like I've been teaching for more than 10 years now. And, you know, at first the students all knew what The Graduate was and this year, it's like, “Is that that movie with Mrs. Robinson in it?” Like, one person in the class has seen The Graduate and I think that's, you know, a shame ultimately. So, you know, I think again, it's just another layer of Midnight at the Paradise that if you want to see, you'll see, “Oh, this is a shot that references, The Graduate, or this is a shot that references Sex, Lies and Videotape. This is a beat that you know, represents…” well I'm not going to tell you them all, but there are a lot.
 
John Betancourt: No! Please don't. Because then there's the fun of going back rewatching it so we can find all the references. And you know, actually I think that probably is my favorite line in the whole film is or I should say is my favorite line used is, “Let it be a movie.” I think there’s a real beauty and a real gravity behind that line. So well done with that. I remember when he whispered that at the very end like… that's just… just hauntingly beautiful. That's for sure. Um, the last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to this film?
 
Bill Robertson: Wow. Well, I think any film, you're just proud that it got made. But, you know, I'm, yeah, I'm very grateful to the team that we put together. You know, I did write the script for Liane Balaban. As an actor, she's somebody I've worked with. And I thought I, she deserves a really good role for her mid-career. And she introduced me to Vanessa Mitsui, who came on as director. And Alan Hawco, from, you know, people know him from his multiple, multiple TV roles. You know, it just, I'm, you know, very proud of the team, that we put together and everybody worked on it. Everybody that worked on it, worked on it for much less than they normally would. And, and we shot in Toronto, which is another thing we're proud of, because it would be very hard to shoot this movie right now.
 
The only reason we were able to shoot it in Toronto, downtown Toronto, was there was a pandemic going on. And, and the businesses were all like, “Yeah, come shoot, there's, there's nothing happening here.” But we never would have been able to get a lot of those beautiful locations. If it weren't for the silver lining of the pandemic, which obviously, I wish had never happened. But you know, it's, it's another thing that we're very proud of. So, I think, yes. And to your point, like, let it be a movie, that sort of all just, there's certain things that came together because of this team, and because of all of our actors. Emma Ferreira, Ryan Allen, Kay Trotter is wonderful in the movie, too. You know, up against Kenneth Welsh, it was meant to be an actor's piece. And Vanessa, coming from an acting background, you know, was able to elevate their performances, and they were also invested in the characters, that it made it great. So yeah, I'm a proud of a lot of things. With respect to the movie.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Debby Wolfe is a highly accomplished writer and producer, who has worked on some important projects, such as the revival of One Day at a Time and Primo. Currently, she is the showrunner of the hit NBC series, Lopez vs Lopez, and we recently had to the chance to discuss her work on this important series at the Austin Film Festival.

John Betancourt: I would love to know what went into the decision to create a comedy that is both Latin-X educational, since there's so much subtext for that, but also just wonderfully hilarious.
 
Debby Wolfe: Well, I am the daughter of a Salvadorian, immigrant mother and a Jewish father, grew up with an identity crisis, like navigating two worlds. (Laughter) But something that I felt was lacking from a very early age was Latin-A representation on television. So as a writer, that's always been very important to me, everything I write, is with casting Latin-A talent in mind. And so, I was very thankful when this opportunity for the show came about and you know, our cast, we are the only network comedy that has a predominately Latin-A cast. That's, it's sad, but like I'm but I'm actually very glad that we're able to do that and continue it, we have a second season. So, we'll be able to continue to do that.
 
John Betancourt: With that in mind, so obviously, we are finally seeing better representation of Latin-x, Latin-A individuals on television. At last, why do you think now is the right time to start seeing so many of these shows that accomplish that?
 
Debby Wolfe: I mean, we're like 19% of the population in the United States, and we're 2% on television. And so, it doesn't line up. But it's taken some time, I think, for Latin-A talent to rise through the ranks. And as we get into these power positions, like, I think it's really important that we hire our people, and train our people, so that they, you know, we can plant seeds, and they can grow, and they can create their own content and do the same thing. So, we're just planting seeds, right now. So that, you know, there's a future where the representation on screen matches what it is in the in the population.
 
John Betancourt: In keeping with that, what does it mean to you to be shepherding this this revolution on television?
 
Debby Wolfe: I mean, I feel like a revolutionary! (Laughter from Debby and John) I mean, it's very… there's definitely a lot of pressure, as we're the only. But I try not to let that get to me and I just, you know, try to focus on telling a story that is, at its core, very grounded and about human emotion and about the human experience. And, you know, in the room like we, we take stories from George and Mayan’s life, but we also take stories from you know, our own lives. And we always start from a place of truth, we’re truth tellers I like to say, and, and that usually is what will resonate with an audience and hopefully, you know, keep us on the air for many seasons.
 
John Betancourt: Yes, many seasons, please. So, without spoiling anything, what are you excited to get to work on in season two?
 
Debby Wolfe: I think you're gonna see a sober George in season two. In the finale, he got sober through the help of his sponsor, Calvin, played by Snoop Dogg, so hopefully, we'll be seeing his sponsor again. And just like, you know, watching George, a newfound sober George, who's very judgmental of everyone now that he's sober! (Laughter form Debby and John) He's the one pointing out everyone else's faults. So, very excited to explore that.
 
John Betancourt: question that I have for you today. What are you most proud of when it comes to Lopez vs Lopez?
 
Debby Wolfe: So, George, and Mayan didn't… this show is based on their real life. They didn't speak for many years, and then they started talking in the pandemic, and then the show has only brought them closer together. So, it's very healing for, you know, we're watching them heal on screen, like they're having conversations on screen that they haven't had in real life that they need to. And so, it's very powerful. And so, we're watching their healing happening right before our eyes and what that does is it generates healing outside of them. So, it's like the show is like, I feel bigger than us. Like, it's just like it's opening up conversations in family’s homes like about, you know, reconnection and, and forgiveness and I think that's what I'm most proud of.

This interview has been lightly edited, and condensed for clarity.

Michael E. Satrazemis is nothing short of Walking Dead Royalty. For not only has he directed countless episodes of The Walking Dead, and Tales of the Walking Dead, but he has also served as an Executive Producer on Fear the Walking Dead, and he directed a bevy of episodes of the show, including its series finale. And we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Michael, to discuss ‘The Road Ahead’.
​
John Betancourt: What does it mean to you to shepherd this series off the airwaves?

Michael E. Satrazemis: It was just something that I wanted to do, something that was important to me. I did the 10 seasons of The Walking Dead, the very last season, I had to process the end of the most amazing and special ride that I've ever been on and a family that you know, that was created over that long from afar. I was doing Tales of The Walking Dead and then Fear at the same time, so I had no time to do any of it. It was very important to finish this one up. Also, ‘cause I'm just very proud of how karmically when I came in at season four, we were taking, you know, Madison away, and bringing everyone else in and then getting to finish it, and with bringing Kim back and getting to have the… you know, the proper experience with Kim. We're not like, you know, “Here's how I'm gonna do your death and it's gonna be beautiful. And I promise you, I'm gonna make this you know, epic and, and mighty.” And, you know, she was such a pro when I met her. It was brief, we only made it the half of season four.

So getting to have her back, you know, having to say goodbye to Lennie, you know, who's my brother, and family and then having the show kind of shift karmically to, to the OG’s and finish the story up like, it's, you know, it was an honor to get to direct that last one, it was not something that was possible for anyone else to do. I would have killed them before… I mean, I don't know, I didn't kill anyone. (Laughter) But you know what I mean? Like it was it was special. And it was important. Also, it's a group of individuals, you know, there's 300 of us that have been creating together, these guys are my friends and my family, and I wanted to be there the last day, I wanted to be there through that last episode and just try to honor everybody for what they've given all of the time. And you know, and all of the effort and make sure that we stay really grounded in that story and try to nail it.

John Betancourt: How did the return of Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia come to fruition?

Michael E. Satrazemis: I don't know. Just called her. You know, “Hey, what if we got to hang out again? And you work for like, a couple days? I promise I'll buy you dinner.: You know, I mean, like, that was that was my side of the conversation, you know? And she was like, “Yeah, I want to go see everybody,” you know, so it was… to tell you the truth… it was more important than I thought to the end because, you know, everyone was really processing the end. It was hard. You know, it's like… for the actors they’re processing the death of a character that they will never play again, you know, I mean, it's crazy, you know? I mean, and to get a “hello” you know, a “Hey! Hello!” with somebody at the very end was off setting and, you know, I mean, it was just, you know, Alycia’s a bright light. She's a very special person. And to get her in, it really did give us some really fun moments and fun days, and kept me from running around going like, “We're n gonna ignore the end! No one's talking about it! No one's thinking about it! We're just gonna shoot! We're gonna live in the present second! And that's it! We're gonna celebrate each other! Let's go!” I was a cheerleader for half of the end episode, but you know, I was just trying to keep everybody locked in that moment where we just, you know, looked each other in the eyes and just and lived in that present second of creation, together.

John Betancourt: Which leads me right to my next question. I mean, this is a final episode. It's a big deal. What kind of challenges did you run into as a director and assembling something that was just so epic in scope?

Michael E. Satrazemis: There, you just said it, epic in scope. You're trying to squeeze… you know, all of these things, you know, I mean, like there's the giant set piece… just getting the walkers off the barge, just parking the barge, let alone you know, I mean, and that's a fragment. It's 30 seconds of screen time. You know, how realizing that it was gonna rain intermittently through the day, getting rain towers, you know, to just dump you know, we had to make the gut call. We’re going to lose half our day and you pick which one, you want the non-raining part? Or the raining part? Or we let it rain for hours and flood the fort. You know, doing all of the nighttime slow-motion stuff with you know, the hordes of walkers, it's just big, big epic stuff over on the dock with Colman when they're going through that fight scene into the container. Just, it was all big. It's meant to be, that part was easy. And, you know, the part that, that there's not another episode is after that, was also… it's just leave it all out there. And you know, I think the fear, fear is a very big driving force. Not the show, just actual fear, you know, you're not going to leave anything behind on the last episode of a series, you're going to just storm the castle as a 300-person crew, and everybody committed and bought into it. So, there were a million challenges. To try to do it, it was relentless, but also, you know, it feels big. And again, it was the end, you know, so we just... we had to.

John Betancourt: So, in looking at the end, I’m curious now… as to what the last days on set were like. Especially since you mentioned a need to emotionally process such things.

Michael E. Satrazemis: Yeah, the very last day was just the walkers falling off the barge. And we did that by, by design, just to, to have a day where we weren't trapped into very emotional content, you know, to where it might go sideways. And just also it was like, kind of fun day, you know, we all just stood there and, and set up shots and they all fell off and splashed. And we set up another shot, and we got to talk a lot in between, you know, together and, and process everything. The last day… it was beautiful, and a lot a lot of people stood around and spoke, we wrapped, and we were still hanging out as a complete crew and talking maybe for an hour and a half. Nobody left, we just laughed, and it was just… it was very, very, very beautiful. And, you know, it felt special. And right before that we were on the highway with Alicia and got to kind of you know, end with the end. But it was just parking a barge and throwing some walkers into the into the water you know, which was kind of was a way to kind of celebrate, it was always going to be cool no matter what. It's a barge, and water, with walkers dumping off of it, you know. So that felt like a bit of a cake day, a little reward day where we could really spend time with each other and talk about you know, about everything and just be together.

John Betancourt: I think it is safe to say, that not only do audiences take something away lesson wise from stories they love, but the people that work on them as well. What did you take away from Fear the Walking Dead?

Michael E. Satrazemis: I took Fear the Walking Dead as a challenge. I had never been a producer/director, nor had I been a part of a kind of a reinvention of a show. I knew that, you know, I was representing the one side and then I would be kind of the only boots on the ground in what could potentially be a hostile arena. Which it wasn't, I prepared for anything, but I took that job because I didn't know if I could do any of that and I knew it was kind of stacked up against me and sometimes you need to do things for yourself personally. Just to see what you're made of, to kind of define yourself to yourself. And what it turned out to be was like a… never say never experience. You know, I mean, to be honest, and I don't care you know, when Fear first came out, all of us on The Walking Dead were like “Why would they dare do another show? And never! Y'all never go over there!” You know, everyone acts like that and, it has changed me profoundly, it's expanded me as a creator, as a human being, gave me opportunities to then go do Tales. It also allowed me to, to realize the importance of the producing part.

Producing was always one level removed from what I love to do. I love being in that present. Second. I love touching that, I love whispering two words to somebody while you're still rolling and walk back out and just watch it transform… a lie becoming the perfect truth. It's fucking beautiful man, it's, it's my religion, it's everything I ever want to be. And I always was like producing this, like, you got to sit back behind that other person, and then whisper in their ear and it's not, you know, the producing portion. I could build an atmosphere and a culture and, and a work ethic and then bring a happiness and a vibe to everything and watch it thrive and challenge people and watch them blow your mind and let everyone be involved in the creative process on a level that you just watch everyone… it's just… beautiful. And then it also takes care of the director part of me by setting things up that way. But um, I don't know if that's even an answer or just a long diatribe, but it has been so special. Not only have I worked with another family and, and friends, but I’ve expanded to where I never thought I could be and, and challenged myself in a way that you know… that I got to define myself to myself.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

After eight wondrous years, and one-hundred and fourteen episodes, the hit AMC series, Fear the Walking Dead went off the airwaves last night. In a manner that was beautiful and satisfying, and now that this series has bid farewell, we thought it best to send it off in style with one last chat with some of the cast members of this amazing show. So, without further ado, here is what Kim Dickens (Madison Clark), Jenna Elfman (June Dorie), Danay Garcia (Luciana), and Rubén Blades (Daniel Salazar) had to say about the end of Fear the Walking Dead.

John Betancourt: What do you feel the legacy of the show, message wise, is going to be now that the show has come to an end?
​
Jenna Elfman: I just think the importance of family in whatever form, works for you. Um, but that it's so important that we are not alone in this world. And in any way, create a family a support system and enhancement tribe. It's just… and I think in the greater that human beings should all be that for each other in general. But to me, it's like, it started, the show started with family, and they connected with another family. And then they all started interchanging with their experiences and stuff. So that to me seems like the main theme is, family in any way. For the purpose of enhanced survival.

Kim Dickens: I can't say it any better than that. I think what we walk away from, with the legacy of this ending is… I think it's about… how do you reconcile, you know, things in your past, with who you were when you began, who you are now, how you forgive yourself, how you forgive others. I think it's about resilience of the human spirit. And it is about coming together and following your better angels. And I think Jenna nailed it. It's family, whether it's chosen, or whether it's blood, you know, it's… that's what it's about.

John Betancourt: I think it is safe to say, that fans take something away from the stories they love and that the same goes for the actors that play the characters in those stories. Ultimately, what did June and Madison teach each of you?

Jenna Elfman: That, as a woman, bravery is frickin’ awesome. And that we are so strong, and that we are so much more capable than most people expect us to be, able to be, and, and how we sell ourselves short, sometimes on the subject of bravery as women. And it reignited a bravery in me. And I think that… I don't know that… I don't know, I think framing women as brave more often, I think is a good is a good idea. Because that's what we are.

Kim Dickens: Yeah, I agree. Because, you know, what I took away from it was, “Wow, I could do that. I could do all that,” you know, and it did take courage. I'd never led a show before. I was never the lead on the show before, much less a genre piece that was an action piece, you know, but you know, it's okay, I just showed up every day. And I think that's what it reminded me to do, is just like… you just show up every day, doesn't matter, if you don't know how to do something, just show up and learn. And also, you know, we had to be so flexible as performers, because we really were asked on a daily basis or script by script, you know, to sort of sometimes have a different agenda than we'd had before, or a different emotional response than we'd had before, and make big changes. And so that sort of limber, being that limber and adapted, you have to be on your toes. And so, I walked away feeling like “Yes, I did it.” And I think Jenna is right, like the bravery, to frame women as sort of equals in that way, which I think we do on this show. We never sort of… I don't think any of the females ever felt like we were at any moment undervalued or not treated as an equal, we were just as strong as anybody else. So, you know, yeah, and we'll carry that. We'll all go and carry that into whatever other job, whatever other set we walk onto, those eight years or those four or five years, they’re in us. We’re changed now

John Betancourt: I will ask each of you what I asked your counterparts. As to what you think the legacy of the show will be now that it has come to an end?

Rubén Blades: That at the end of the day, what is going to keep the world going… is love. At the end of the day, what is going to keep the world going is empathy. At the end of the day, what is going to keep the world going is solidarity. And that's what I hope people end up understanding, the world is not going to survive, if each one of us digs, a hole and hides, we are not going to survive that way. We have to be together. So together we can face any possible problem and resolve it. That's what I hope people, even in the face of the most incredibly unbelievable circumstance, we can, as humans get together, bring love, and bring our will and we can save it and we can make it work.

Danay Garcia: And for me, too, I always feel like, I always feel very proud that we are part of a show that talks about the living, not the dead, you know, talks about human connection, talks about survival, talks about, you know, friendship and hurt and pain and love and strength, you know, the dead are just gonna always be around us, it's the darkness that we have to maneuver, but always find that essence of who we are. And if we're lost, we can find each other, to discover it together. And, and that's always what kept us going on the show. That's what we always get, what’s so exciting you know, and that's why those relationships that were formed on screen and off screen are so meaningful. It’s because we really, we really worked in the cold, and the heat, in crazy places… but together. You know, but the crew, the cast, we were able to deliver, deliver our best and be there for the stories, and you have to have that solidarity with each other to be there. Because you know, we're in the apocalypse. But if we have that, we conquered, and we survived eight seasons together. And we're here and there's no you know, it's obvious that's really what the answer is… love.
​
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity

Home Free is an amazing story about what it means to be kind in this world, and it recently screened at the Austin Film Festival. And to fully appreciate the story’s gravity and depth, we sat down with the film’s writer, Lenny Barszap, and its director, Aaron Brown to discuss the film’s incredible messages.
 
John Betancourt: All of my research spoke to this being a film that was based on a true story. So, I am curious as to how much truth is present in this particular tale.
 
Aaron Brown: Oh, man, I would say the entire movie was based, well, this is how we put it like before we, you know, Lenny wrote the script, we sat down and kind of made a greatest hits of every hilarious experience that we could remember from our high school and college days. And then from there, we're starting with this menu of just ridiculous stories by various people in our, in our world. And then, you know, Lenny had kind of a menu to pull from when it came to writing the script. So, you know, percentage wise, 80%.
 
Lenny Barszap: Or more, really. It's really, it's all real stuff. It's just, you know, mashed together in, in a fictional way. But it's, it's all based on real things that we did, dumb things we did. In the very caring and smart thing that we did. But mostly the dumb things.
 
John Betancourt: That’s okay, if we’re talking 18-19, there’s not a lot that I’m proud of from then. (Laughter from all)
 
Aaron Brown: John, I feel like you could have been hanging out with us, and we would have had just a great old time.
 
John Betancourt: I think you're right. I mean, some of the stuff in the movie? Like the pranks? I’m all. “Yeah, I'd have done that.” So yes, very real. So yes, we could have definitely had good times at 19. Um, but with that in mind, what inspired the two of you to come together and tell this story?
 
Aaron Brown: I mean, I'll just say this, like Lenny and I met at camp when we were 12 years old. And it was, you know, we were both coming from small towns where we really felt like outsiders, we didn't fit into the communities that we had been growing up in.
 
Lenny Barszap: We were Jewish in very small towns of Texas. And so, we went to we went to a Jewish summer camp, and we were like, “Oh, people hate you too where you grew up? Oh, cool. Let's be friends.” (Laughter from all)
 
Aaron Brown: So, the camp was kind of an interesting, you know, pivot in our lives where we actually kind of met friends and people like Lenny said, that were sharing the same experience. So, by the time we got to college, we were really excited to kind of be in, you know, be out on our own with just like a core group of, it was about six of us living together sophomore year, in this big, you know, old, dilapidated mansion of a house, but it was super cheap, super rundown, but it was ours. We felt like we had peaked and still feel that way, actually. Still kind of like, the best linear situation I can remember.
 
Lenny Barszap: But I mean, telling this story as a movie. I mean, we were, neither of us studied film, right? Like we were, I studied architecture, Aaron was in communications, but not in film. We both moved to New York after college, and Aaron came home. And he just was like, “Hey, I signed us up for a public access show.” And we have to turn in a short 30-minute episode every week. And we, we don't know how to do. (Laughs) And this was, you know, from 2000 to 2004. So, you know, when we started, we were editing with two VCRs, just like we were, you know, nothing was digital.
 
Aaron Brown: We were probably 21-22 At the time, New York City.
 
Lenny Barszap: So, we were, that was kind of our film school, like, we learned how to like, you know, they were terrible. And then they got a little less terrible. And we did that. But we kind of stopped doing that show because we were working, on not film stuff. But we wanted to kind of come. We knew we wanted to keep doing that in some way. And then Aaron ended up starting a production company, he moved back to Austin started production company. I was miserable at my job and started writing scripts, started writing scripts, just to keep myself saying and eventually we came back together. And we're like, hey, let's start making films. And we ended up at Sundance, we made a short film--
 
Aaron Brown: That premiered here at the Austin Film Festival, Hot Tub.
 
Lenny Barszap: But this before we -- we had just shot it and we went to Sundance because we're like, well, if we're gonna make films, let's at least see what this whole thing is about. And we were hanging out with other filmmakers, and they just were like, “How'd you meet?” And we started telling old stories and this was one story that came out was the story about us. In college, inviting, you know, this former, this unhoused, former professor to crash on our porch and people were like, the reaction to the story was like, “Oh my god.”
 
Aaron Brown: ‘You all should make this a movie.”
 
Lenny Barszap: At first, we thought no. But then we were like, “Okay, well, maybe we should.” like we've always wanted to kind of capture that time period in our life. And so that's, that's where that started. And then we were like, “Okay, if we're gonna tell the story about the professor like, is it a serious drama about homelessness? Is it you know, you know, whatever.” And we're like, “no,” because college wasn't serious.
 
Aaron Brown: I mean, look, when it comes to making a movie about that kind of time in your life, John, the most important thing is that your friends who lived through that shit, find it funny. You want your friends to, you know, laugh, and that was kind of the whole ethos of the time was this, how do you make your friends laugh? It's like, one upping each other and pranks and jokes. And so when we were talking about making the story we were exploring, like, is it a documentary? Is it a drama, it’s pretty serious stuff going on. And we both just kind of agree, we were like, college wasn't that… it was hilarious. It was really funny. Let's be… let's be authentic to the experience. And let's make a comedy. We're comedy guys. Anyways, that's when we lived in New York. I mean, all of our extra time was spent, going to see stand-up comedy and making comedic shows, and things like that.
 
Lenny Barszap: Yeah. And I mean, when things do get serious, we don't we can't sit in that, like we throw jokes immediately at… nothing’s sacred. Yeah. So, I mean, I think it was very, very important for us to, you know, have this be kind of an unapologetic comedy, but that none of the comedy is at the expense of anybody experiencing homelessness. They are not like, it's all the students, you know, abusing each other. But, yeah, I mean, that was just, and also to use that as a way to get people to actually pay attention to this issue, because it's not an issue that people want to pay attention to. It's an issue that, you know… a lot of stuff, most social impact stories, right, people make like these tearjerker sad, you know, really gut punch movies that like nobody, I don't want to watch those movies. Like, I know, I should watch them. And they're all in my Netflix queue, but I just don't want to watch him. So, we're like, you know, can we make a movie that just makes like, you know, if I were like, “Hey, John, you want to go see this movie about homelessness?” You'd be like, “No.” But if I were like, “Hey, do you want to go see this? Funny college comedy, like coming-of-age college comedy?” “Yeah, let's do that.” And then, oh, look, I slip in the Trojan horse.
 
John Betancourt: Well, you did a great job with the Trojan horse. Because I really thought I was settling in for the next PCU, and a P-Funk cameo. But that left turn… well… with that in mind, my next question really leads to that messaging. Because it is there and I have to know, why do you feel that now is the appropriate time to really start having this conversation about homelessness in America?
 
Lenny Barszap: If not, now, when I mean, it's an issue that is all around us, right? And we nobody wants to have the conversation. We all want to walk past it; we all want to just look the other way. And it is, you know, it is everywhere. And it's an issue that we just as a society, we should not be accepting. You know, this is the United States. And we have, you know, hundreds of thousands of people living on the streets. And so, we… we really feel I mean, that was our experience. This was a personal experience. So, we've stayed close to this issue. But we really think that this is the next or one of the next big social issues that our country has to grapple with.
 
Aaron Brown: Let me let me let me put it this way, John. We live in the fucking United States. This is the most… rich… rich isn't the word… we're the luckiest people in the history of humanity, let's be honest with ourselves, we have so much. And there are hundreds of thousands of people suffering every day all around us. And I don't care what their reasons are. And the movie does explore quite a bit of that, because it's real easy to throw an assumption about a massive group of people to be able to make it easy to walk by and ignore. But we're better than that. And it all counts. And all we did was make a little movie about it. We don't, we're not claiming to know how to solve the problem or anything. There are people doing way harder work that we're trying to put a spotlight on, like the Other Ones Foundation, who are rock stars, and they are in the trenches, but they're making it fun, and they're actually doing things that are inspiring us. But my point is, we're better than this. Okay, and we're lucky. Especially, you know, I live in Austin, Texas, Lenny and I went to college in Austin. The Other Ones Foundation and the Esperanza Community are, are based here in Austin, and Austin, to me, I just have, you know, this movie is somewhat our love letter to Austin. I see this as being the start of something much bigger. It's a much bigger conversation. And the fact that it can start happening right here and then kind of spread out. It's a much more difficult situation in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York is just so the scope is so big, Austin, it's big, too. But what a place to kind of say, hey, let's actually try to get the artists to get the thinkers to get the business leaders, we have the resources to tackle this thing. Let's, let's stop ignoring it. Let's help let's help our neighbors. That's who we are.
 
Lenny Barszap: Yeah, I think at I mean, the movie, all we're trying to say is like, these are people right? Like these are, I think it's easy for us to, to, you know, we have… it is America, and we do have this mentality of like, you know, pick up your bootstraps. And you know, you should be able to get yourself out of this situation. But we don’t… our society isn't designed that way. Right? Like, once you're in that situation, it's virtually impossible to get out without support. So, all we're trying to say is these are people, and they need our help. Right? And we don't we don't have the answer. We have ideas of things that we think would help but the main thing is just like, we need people to think about this, start conversations and just, you know, it is an issue that universally people will, unless you're a real piece of shit, right? Like, you agree that this is wrong, right? At its core. we all we all agree that this people should not be sleeping on the street. But it's the solution that we disagree on. Right. But let's talk about those solutions. And let's figure out like, how do we move towards a situation that is beneficial for everybody? Right? We can do this. It’s also way cheaper. It's been proven, it's way cheaper to house people than to give them emergency services on the street.
 
John Betancourt: Well, I need to applaud both of you. For putting a message of just being decent and kind into a movie. Especially right now in this climate. The last question that I have for you guys today, what do you each most proud of when it comes to this film?
 
Aaron Brown: You know, it's kind of strange. Having your movie at festivals and with the current situation in the world all over. I mean, you name it. There's a lot of things happening right now that are heartbreaking. But I'm very proud that we spent three, four years of our lives making a dumb comedy that actually has some relevant value to humanity. I mean, look, we're not we're not trying to pat ourselves on the back whatsoever. But I'm very proud that if we're going to make the effort, because it's an insane effort to make any film and yeah, I have a lot of respect for every filmmaker who's ever finished a film. I'm just really proud of the fact that you know, ours is at least entertaining. There's a lot of laughs in there, but maybe it does. I change the perception slightly on how we look at our own less fortunate neighbors. I'm proud of that.
 
Lenny Barszap: Yeah, I mean, I have the same answer, really. But I mean, our movie has already, in our partnership with the Other Ones Foundation, our movie has already gotten people off the street and into stable housing, and some into permanent housing. And that's incredible. Right? And so, we've already done that. And will only… the success of this movie, you know, be it financially, we, the Other Ones Foundation gets 10% of anything we do. So that would help. But also, just like, our goal is really how far and how wide can we get this movie so that it just starts all these conversations, right? So, if we can do that, and just get people to kind of think about this issue nobody wants to think about than that. And if we can make our friends laugh, that is awesome.
 
Aaron Brown: Yeah. And I think we managed to use more curse words in this movie than any other movie ever made. Lenny says we're not even close, but I'm like, it's pretty much no, we did not hold back.
 
Lenny Barszap: If you ask my mom, if you ask my mom, Aaron is right.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.