WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:06.480 You are listening to the IFAH podcast Network. 2 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:10.160 For more amazing filmmaking and screenwriting podcasts, just go to 3 00:00:10.359 --> 00:00:12.720 ifahpodcastnetwork dot com. 4 00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:16.440 Welcome to the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, Episode number four thirty one. 5 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:19.559 Your dream doesn't have an expiration date, Take a deep 6 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:24.399 breath and try again. KT Whitten broadcasting from a dark, 7 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.679 windowless room in Hollywood. 8 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:28.359 When we really should be working on that next draft. 9 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:32.679 It's the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, showing you the craft and 10 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:35.159 business of screenwriting while teaching you how to make your 11 00:00:35.159 --> 00:00:36.640 screenplay bulletproof. 12 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:42.119 And here's your host, Alex Ferrari. Welcome, Welcome to another 13 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.039 episode of the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast. 14 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:44.520 I am your. 15 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:46.000 Humble host Alex Ferrari. 16 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:50.719 Now, today's show is sponsored by Bulletproof Script Coverage. 17 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:51.159 Now. 18 00:00:51.240 --> 00:00:56.159 Unlike other script coverage services, Bulletproof Script Coverage actually focuses 19 00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:59.159 on the kind of project you are in the goals 20 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.600 of the project you are, so we actually break it 21 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:05.120 down by three categories micro budget, indie film, market, and 22 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:07.920 studio film. There's no reason to get coverage from a 23 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.400 reader that's used to reading temp pole movies when your 24 00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:12.640 movie is going to be done for one hundred thousand 25 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:15.239 dollars and we wanted to focus on that. At Bulletproof 26 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:18.879 Script Coverage, our readers have worked with Marvel Studios, CIA, 27 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:24.519 w ME, NBC, HBO, Disney, Scott Free, Warner Brothers, The Blacklist, 28 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:27.280 and many many more. So if you need your screenplay 29 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:32.079 or TV script covered by professional readers, head on over 30 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:36.879 to covermiscreenplay dot Com. Enjoy today's episode with guest host 31 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:38.359 Dave Bulliss. 32 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:41.319 My guest on today's episode has one of the most 33 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:46.079 successful horror franchises of all time, whether you've seen the 34 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:49.519 first Tremors or whether you've seen any of the other Tremors, 35 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:52.799 or even the TV series or even the new TV 36 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:54.400 series that's coming out. He doesn't have anything to do 37 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.599 with the new TV series coming out, but still it's 38 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:59.200 based off of his of his concepts. You know, there's 39 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:02.040 a lot to be glean this episode because when they 40 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:04.319 made Tremors one, you know, they had to watch their 41 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:07.280 budget because so what do they do well? They put 42 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:11.479 their monster offscreen and underground. Then at the right moment 43 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:13.560 of the reveal, you know, it's revealing in stages and 44 00:02:13.560 --> 00:02:15.800 stuff like that. It kind of reminds me of Reservoir docs. 45 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:18.080 You know, I was watching that again, Reservoir adults. You 46 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:20.280 never see the bank robbery. And I think the main 47 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:23.360 reason for that is it's not only a really nice 48 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:26.319 creative choice, but also because it saves money. You know, 49 00:02:26.360 --> 00:02:30.039 when when you're making these first movies, you know, the 50 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:33.800 creative choices have to rule the day. So again, this 51 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.360 is what this was all about, you know, is making 52 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:38.879 a monster movie where they can control the rights and 53 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:41.080 you know, keep everything on the budget. 54 00:02:41.080 --> 00:02:41.759 So how do you do that? 55 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:47.520 Well, we're gonna find out today with guests s S. Wilson. Hey, Steve, 56 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:48.719 thanks off for coming on the show. 57 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:50.360 Sir, You're welcome. You're welcome. 58 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:53.520 So, you know, Steve, just to get started, I wanted 59 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:57.439 to ask what got you into the film industry. Was it, 60 00:02:57.479 --> 00:02:59.319 you know, did you like films as you know, growing 61 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:01.479 up or is it just sort of one of those 62 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.599 things where one day you found yourself, you know, sort 63 00:03:03.639 --> 00:03:07.639 of writing screenplays or on set somewhere well as a 64 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:08.319 tense to happen. 65 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:12.120 Right, My story is a little different. I did love films. 66 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:14.080 I was a huge film buff as a kid, and 67 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:17.599 my dad supported that and early on when I was 68 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:19.639 I don't know, ten or eleven, he bought a eight 69 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:22.039 millimeter camera and I was one of those kids who 70 00:03:22.039 --> 00:03:24.960 made movies in the backyard and tried to do special 71 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:29.639 effects with gunpowder and gasoline, which he also supported, interestingly, 72 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:34.719 you know. And then my dad, then when I went 73 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:39.159 off to college, actually changed my life. I went off 74 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:41.000 to college and I don't know what I should do. 75 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.479 I guess I'll be a psychologist like my dad. That's 76 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.560 what he was. And he came up after I'd been 77 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:48.240 there a week or so, he said, you know, what 78 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:49.879 are your courses? And I said, that is what I 79 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:52.479 signed up for. And he said, well, this makes no 80 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:55.719 sense even making movies in the backyard for ten years. 81 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:58.680 What's going on? And he went to my advisors and 82 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:00.719 he said, do you have anything like film or movies 83 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:03.439 of television? And he changed my whole course schedule. This 84 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:06.520 is absolutely true. And I had never thought about actually 85 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:08.120 trying to do it for a living, even though I'd 86 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:09.879 been making movies for years and years and doing stop 87 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:12.560 motion animation. And then I, you know, I never looked back. 88 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:14.240 I went, oh, well yeah, because then you know, then 89 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:16.040 there were people in the in the departments. You know, 90 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:18.079 we didn't have much of a film program at Penn 91 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:23.079 State all those years ago, like one television course and 92 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:25.720 like two film courses and had to borrow cameras from 93 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:31.199 the local PBS station whatnot. But uh, yeah, but that's 94 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:34.199 what happened. And then I, uh, then I got drafted 95 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:39.199 that I went to USC Film graduate School and uh 96 00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:41.040 and there met a lot of the people that I 97 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:47.759 still work with. And even though it took almost ten 98 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:51.079 years from graduating USC to actually break in and make 99 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:54.160 short Circuit, we were working in the film business making 100 00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:58.279 short films and little short animated things and films for 101 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:01.000 schools and libraries, TV commercials and whatnot. 102 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:04.560 You know, it's funny, Steve, that your your dad was 103 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:08.120 able to change your whole curriculum because uh, you know, 104 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:10.920 I actually used to work at a college and grades 105 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:12.720 and all that stuff were so secretive. 106 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:13.399 Uh. 107 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:16.079 They actually fired a professor one time because he told 108 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:18.720 a student's father what he got in the class as 109 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:21.360 a final grade before the kid with the kid did 110 00:05:21.639 --> 00:05:23.839 and they actually just fired the professor on the spot 111 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:28.079 because of it. Wow. Yeah, it's just but no, that 112 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:31.240 just it's funny, though, you know, it's funny how college 113 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:34.279 has changed so much. But but you know, you went 114 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:37.240 to Penn State, and you know I've actually, you know, 115 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:39.959 been up there. I actually attended a Penn State football game. 116 00:05:39.959 --> 00:05:41.959 I didn't go there for college, but you know i've 117 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:47.480 been there once. Small world, right, because you're out in 118 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:48.079 LA now. 119 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:49.920 Right, I'm actually I live in Arizona. 120 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.839 Oh okay, you know, I actually have a few friends 121 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:54.160 out there. 122 00:05:54.439 --> 00:05:56.879 To go to LA went as needed. 123 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.000 I see. So, you know, just to ask this penns 124 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:02.680 they'd ever asked you to come back to talk about 125 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:04.160 screenwriting or directing or anything. 126 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:07.560 I've been bad. It's funny, ironic timing. 127 00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:08.000 You know. 128 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:11.120 They occasionally send me alumni stuff. I've never let them 129 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:14.199 even know what I do. I should do that, but no, 130 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:15.879 they haven't. They haven't tracked me. Now, they have no 131 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:17.959 idea you know who I am. I was kind of 132 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:22.199 an invisible student, geeky guy, and I just went through 133 00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:23.519 and left. 134 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:28.759 Well, I thought me they'd have some kind of alumni 135 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:31.639 you know, sort of headhunter trying to kept tracking all 136 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:32.519 this stuff. 137 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:36.040 You know, but I've never responded to any of it. 138 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:38.639 So I really actually have it on my desk as 139 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:40.639 we speak. I said I should let them know. They 140 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:41.560 probably would like to. 141 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:44.759 Know well, then you know, you could just send on 142 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:48.800 this podcast instead to go back. Just listen to this podcast. 143 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:51.439 I'm talking to Dave. So you know you brought up 144 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:54.519 Short Circuit, by the way. I watched that movie religiously 145 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:57.639 as a kid, by the way, So I want to 146 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:00.879 ask you know about your whole writing style. I'm actually 147 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.120 always fascinated by people's writing styles and their approach to 148 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:06.639 their own art. So I wanted to ask you, Steve, 149 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:10.000 how do you approach writing? You know, do you subscribe 150 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:12.519 to any sort of methods. Do you do very long 151 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:14.759 treatments first, or do you just sort of jump right 152 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:15.319 into writing. 153 00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:20.600 Brent and I, who have written practically everything together at 154 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:24.079 least certainly everything has been made, and we've been working 155 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:27.240 since the days at USC, both in the short films 156 00:07:27.240 --> 00:07:30.439 and then we wrote Short Circuit, which was our big break. 157 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:37.319 We have a very Our approach is outline, outline, outline. 158 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:40.480 We don't normally write a treatment for tremors. We did 159 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:42.240 only because we were trying to sell it and we 160 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:45.879 couldn't sell it as a pitch for because well we couldn't, 161 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:48.560 and that didn't The treatment didn't sell either, by the way. 162 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:52.079 But let me go back so we outline in great detail. 163 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:56.639 We are not comfortable until we know where the story 164 00:07:56.920 --> 00:08:01.920 is going. And we're very story oriented. Some people can start, 165 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.879 you know, sort of with a character. Don't just say, oh, 166 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:07.279 there's this character and he's a drug addict and he's 167 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:10.160 got these problems and I'm just gonna think about what 168 00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:13.160 he does because he's a drug addict. We can't do that. 169 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:16.240 We got to know where we're going. So and we 170 00:08:16.279 --> 00:08:18.319 can't really get excited about something until we know where 171 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:20.240 we're going, even if it's a rewrite, which you know, 172 00:08:20.279 --> 00:08:22.600 you get offered quite a bit in Hollywood's pretty much 173 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:26.600 all Hollywood doesn't anymore, even if it's a rewrite. We 174 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:28.879 will sit down before we even say yes to a job. 175 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:31.319 We'll say, okay, we got to go through this movie 176 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:34.039 figure out what we would change, or maybe they're telling 177 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:36.799 us what they want change. We got to be sure 178 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:38.279 that we can make that work, and we got to 179 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:40.720 know where it's going because your ending is is so 180 00:08:40.759 --> 00:08:44.720 important in a movie in our opinion. In fact, somebody 181 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:49.720 well known, maybe one of the Zucker brothers, said your 182 00:08:49.799 --> 00:08:51.759 ending is fifty percent of a movie. Somebody said that, 183 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:54.320 and we kind of believe that, so we gotta know 184 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:57.480 where we're going, what the surprises are, where the twists 185 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:00.960 and turns are. So long answer to that question is 186 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:03.200 we outline like crazy. In fact, we used to drive 187 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:05.360 studios crazy. And back in the day, early on when 188 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.039 we were getting started, you used to get twelve weeks 189 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:12.159 was a normal time to write a script, and we 190 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:15.159 would outline for eight and they'd be calling us him 191 00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:16.840 so you're writing, are you writing well now? Or so 192 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:21.320 outlining They're like, are you out of your mind? But 193 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:23.519 then we would write it and you know, four weeks 194 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:24.799 because it was done. 195 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:30.080 So you know, you mentioned tremors when you finally started outlining. 196 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:32.679 You know, did was there ever a sort of an 197 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:34.799 impetus for that movie where you said, you know what 198 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:37.080 this is where we want to take it? So you know, 199 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.519 you know what I mean? So we already know, you 200 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:41.200 know what the monster is going to be, and we 201 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:42.919 sort of know where the location is going to be. 202 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:46.240 It's going to be a perfection. Did was that a 203 00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:47.919 part of it or did that sort of come in 204 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:49.039 during the outlining phase. 205 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:53.120 We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor 206 00:09:56.759 --> 00:09:58.000 and now back to the show. 207 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.159 Well, there again, we outlined it in great detail, worked 208 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:06.200 on it with Ron Underwood, because the goal with Tremors 209 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:10.519 was to become producers. We were frustrated that everything we 210 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:15.639 had written up till then we discovered naive that we 211 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:18.399 writers that we were, that writers aren't really welcome on 212 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:20.320 this slin. Once you're done with this script, they don't 213 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:22.440 want to hear from you again. And we would go 214 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:25.279 to movies and that we had written and go, boy, 215 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:27.679 that's that's not what I would have done. And our 216 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:29.679 agent told us, well, look, you guys want to produce, 217 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:32.519 then you want control, and to get that, you're going 218 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:34.679 to have to control the material from the get go. 219 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:38.200 You can't be rewriting the studio's material. Blah blah blah. 220 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:41.559 So she said, what do you have in your portfolio 221 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:44.919 and your piles of notes? And we came up with 222 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:48.240 We came out of our piles of notes with we 223 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:51.559 got this underground monster idea. And she said, that's kind 224 00:10:51.559 --> 00:10:55.600 of cool. I've never heard of that before. And so 225 00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:57.919 first we sat down Bronto, we outlined the whole story, 226 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:00.639 figured out who the characters were, where it was going 227 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:03.120 to go, and then we pitched it all over town. 228 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:06.120 Couldn't sell it and then she said, well, let's uh, 229 00:11:06.679 --> 00:11:09.320 maybe she should write a treatment, very detailed, like twenty five 230 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:12.639 page treatment. Did not sell send it to everybody. So 231 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:13.919 she said, well, I guess you're going to have to 232 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:16.039 write it on spec. So in between, you know, the 233 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:19.440 regular Hollywood movies we were writing, we were writing Tremors 234 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:25.919 on spec. And uh then took that all over town 235 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:29.360 and there was it was a huge Our agent was 236 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:32.840 a huge part of getting this done. She was central. 237 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:34.720 We call her the mother of Tremors. This is Nancy 238 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:41.039 Roberts later our partner in Stampede Entertainment. Uh Uh. She 239 00:11:41.240 --> 00:11:43.200 handpicked you know who this script was going to. She 240 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:45.080 did what an agent really is supposed to do. She 241 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:47.679 handpicked who the script, and she knew the studio people. 242 00:11:47.960 --> 00:11:50.440 She told us in advance what they were going to say. 243 00:11:51.080 --> 00:11:55.039 You know, there were there were situations where because of 244 00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:57.399 her relationships, there were certain times if she had a 245 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:00.000 spec script, she couldn't not show it to certain people 246 00:12:00.279 --> 00:12:02.080 because then they would be mad that they were shut 247 00:12:02.120 --> 00:12:04.480 out of the process. So she said, Okay, this is 248 00:12:04.519 --> 00:12:06.440 gonna be weird. I have to send this to Disney. 249 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:11.240 They are going to stay we we hate this because 250 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:14.039 it's got so much dust in it. They had dusts 251 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:19.639 and we're like what, Sure enough, that's exactly what came back. 252 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:21.399 And all of this was of course off the record, 253 00:12:21.399 --> 00:12:23.600 you know, under the wire. But she got off the phone. 254 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:25.720 I think I was there at some point. No, No, 255 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:27.559 she was on the phone to somebody Disney, and they 256 00:12:27.559 --> 00:12:30.879 were passing in a very polite way. Well, it's not 257 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:33.600 right for us at this time, and she said, come on, 258 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:40.279 Heiser doesn't like dust on the other end. But that's 259 00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:43.440 all were really true. And then she had picked Jim Jacks, wonderful, 260 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:49.679 wonderful executive, classic old school executive who who at Universal, 261 00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:54.840 who loved movies, loved all kinds of movies, knew exactly 262 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:58.279 what Tremor's was. He saw exactly it's B movie, monster 263 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:03.200 movie roots and she knew that Jim would get it 264 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:05.039 and he would fight for it at universally, which is 265 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:07.519 exactly what happened. And then she enlisted Gail and Hurt. 266 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:09.799 She was going to brought Gale and Hurd in because 267 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:14.360 Gail Anne looked at our buddy Ron's short movies, which 268 00:13:14.360 --> 00:13:15.519 is all he had at the time. He had not 269 00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:18.000 done a feature. When we did Tremors, and the studio 270 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:19.720 was like, Wow, we're gonna hand off this movie to 271 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:23.120 a guy who's only directed films for schools and libraries. 272 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:25.600 And Gail looked at the movies, fun guys, a filmmaker, 273 00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:29.559 don't worry about it, and uh. And then she shepherded us, 274 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:33.159 especially at the beginning, you know, made sure we weren't 275 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:35.639 going off the rails some way to get her in trouble. 276 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:39.639 As she was executive producer. She saw the dailies and said, good, 277 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:40.480 it is gonna work. 278 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:44.600 Yeah, you know, I really like Tremors. I'm gonna tell 279 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:48.639 you why, Steve, because you know, first, it's it just 280 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:52.120 seems everything happens naturally, you know what I mean. It's 281 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:54.120 you know, again when you said you were you started 282 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:55.879 with characters that you know, when you were working with 283 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.000 the idea, it's because you know, all those characters seemed 284 00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:01.600 like the real people who live in that world and 285 00:14:01.639 --> 00:14:03.320 they all see you know, and when they you know, 286 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:06.080 when some of them finally die. For anyone listening, I'm 287 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:07.840 not who hasn't seen it yet, I'm not gonna spoil it, 288 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:09.600 but for anyone, when they finally die, you know, you 289 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:12.360 actually say, oh my gosh. You know, there isn't a 290 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:14.879 ton of guys you know, that are just getting mald 291 00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:17.000 These are all the characters right here. So when they 292 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:20.080 finally die, when not when some of them die, they go, 293 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:22.639 oh my gosh. You know that actually is impactful in 294 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:26.159 the story. It's those escalating circumstances, you know what I mean? 295 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:30.799 And oh, well, you know, you're very welcome, and you know, 296 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:34.240 and because when when when you see the worm for 297 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:36.039 the first time, you think that's the monster and then 298 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:38.799 it becomes bigger, and you're always escalating that further and 299 00:14:38.840 --> 00:14:41.600 further and further, and it's always, you know, they they 300 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:44.399 find a solution, the problem escalates, They find a solution 301 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.720 of the problem escalates. I mean that that's just it's phenomenal. 302 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:49.360 And I don't know if you know who Red Letter 303 00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:53.240 Media is, uh, but they actually are a popular online 304 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:56.360 review group and they actually gave it a you know, 305 00:14:56.440 --> 00:14:58.519 they actually have this one segment where they talk about 306 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:00.960 movies they like, and they actually few Tremors and they 307 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:02.440 said it's one of their favorite movies. 308 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:06.000 So it's always to hear all of the things you're saying, 309 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:08.120 we worked very hard on. They were all very important 310 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:11.759 to us. My partner is not a B movie monster fan. 311 00:15:11.799 --> 00:15:15.559 I saw them all up until the mid seventies or so. 312 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:20.519 I saw everything, and I knew all the cliches we 313 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:24.200 were playing with. My partner is just all about character. 314 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:28.840 And again, and both of us, it was very important that, yes, 315 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:33.759 the characters matter, that they seemed that the plot, things 316 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:36.279 that happened seemed to come naturally out of the situation. 317 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:41.480 And and even even the monsters are consistent in what 318 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:43.559 they do. You know, they don't change the rules, they 319 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.039 don't suddenly become indestructible or anything like that. 320 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:49.320 And one other compliment I want to give you too, 321 00:15:49.480 --> 00:15:53.000 is the way that you constructed this with sound, because 322 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:54.519 you know what I mean, Like in the beginning, when 323 00:15:55.039 --> 00:16:00.559 Earle and I forget Kevin Bacon's character, Oh yeah, fall yeah, 324 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:04.399 vu uh Earl and Vowen they're looking for you know, uh, 325 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:07.200 the the the doctor. They're you know, they're not yelling 326 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:09.240 his name, they're just sort of walking around and you 327 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:11.399 could really you know, they're hearing the planks walk, you 328 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:13.759 hear the bucket kick, and you're you know, and then 329 00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:16.039 you know, valsas we know, where's that music coming from? 330 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:17.600 You know what I mean, and you know, and and 331 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:20.120 it just it always escus with that sound. And then 332 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:23.320 when when you have Chang's joke store, you have that 333 00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:25.919 that that refrigerator that always makes that noise, and then 334 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:29.000 that causes you know, further conflict. I mean, that's really 335 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:32.399 really good writing and using that audio for filmmaking. 336 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:34.720 Oh yes, sound was well. We knew sound was gonna 337 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:36.679 be critical. We were a low budget movie and we 338 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:39.200 and that's why we that's part of the reason we 339 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.840 picked Underground Monster as one of the ideas that we 340 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:45.200 decided to develop. We thought, oh well, in an underground 341 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:47.600 most of the time, we'll never see them. Heaven knows. 342 00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:50.720 We had endless problems, even even though we in theory 343 00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:53.279 weren't seeing them. But we knew that sound was going 344 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:56.320 to be critical. We had great sound people, you know, 345 00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:58.480 and it was you know, years ago people have asked me, 346 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:01.200 you know, what, what is this sound of a grab 347 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:03.480 boyd badly? I don't know, and I you know, I 348 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:06.240 have lost track of the people who invented that sound. 349 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:12.480 Yeah, you know, I because for everyone that's seen the movie, 350 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:14.160 you know, that's that sound that they make, you know, 351 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:16.279 and it's you know, it just all ties them very 352 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:18.720 well together. And everyone I'm gonna link to Tremors in 353 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.680 the show notes to pile off Amazon or Best Buy. Uh, 354 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:24.799 because it's right, it's totally recommended watching. I remember seeing 355 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:27.119 Tremors years ago, Steve, and it just blew me away. 356 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:28.960 But but see, and I didn't know what I was 357 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.039 watching because I know now you know, I've I've studied filmmakers. 358 00:17:32.039 --> 00:17:34.119 I've tell you this. When I go back, now I 359 00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:36.480 can I can sort of go through with a surgeon scalpel, 360 00:17:36.759 --> 00:17:38.880 and I can pick out all this stuff. Oh, this 361 00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:41.000 is why I found this so fascinating, you know what 362 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:42.960 I mean? And this is why I found it so entertaining. 363 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:44.279 So and then I and then I get to talk 364 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:46.039 to the guy who wrote it, and uh, you know 365 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:49.440 what said made it so uh So now you can 366 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:51.039 tell me how wrong I am. No, I'm just kidding, 367 00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:55.039 but no, no, it's just uh you know, it's it's 368 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:57.519 just it's a phenomenal film. And that's why I'm so 369 00:17:57.640 --> 00:17:59.440 glad you know that that the you know, I got 370 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:01.680 to see the franchise, you know what they mean, like 371 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:04.720 Tremor's two, Tremors three. Uh you know, I know you guys, 372 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:06.680 you did four as well, and you also did the 373 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:09.599 TV series, and it was always great to see you know, 374 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:13.000 this sort of franchise expand. And you know, you know, 375 00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:14.960 I always talk to you know, my friends and always say, 376 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:18.000 you know, some franchises, you know, they they sort of 377 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:20.640 go this way, some go that way, you know, I mean, 378 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:23.960 Friday thirteenth Night right now, im Street. But Tremor's always 379 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:27.440 sort of kept it in perfection one way or another 380 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:29.160 because there was always you know what I mean, there 381 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:33.960 was always a sort of reason why uh that you know, uh, 382 00:18:34.440 --> 00:18:36.799 you know, like like Tremors three when it's called back 383 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:40.240 to Perfection, right, and that's where Melvin's creating that whole town, right, 384 00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:42.480 and that leads into the whole TV series. But it's 385 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:43.839 just stuff like that, you know what I mean, that's 386 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:45.400 it's all comes organically. 387 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:48.039 Well. We yeah, it was very important to us to 388 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:51.519 make the world consistent, and it wasn't easy. You know, 389 00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:53.720 we never expected even to do Tremors too. That came 390 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:58.240 along years later only because of the success of the HS. 391 00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:00.400 You know, Tremor's one was not a huge hip. I mean, 392 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:03.279 you know, Kevin Bigan reviewed viewed it as a flop, 393 00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:07.440 and he absolutely disowned it for many, many years and uh, 394 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:11.480 it wasn't a flop per se, but it but it 395 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:13.599 did not do nearly what the studio hoped it would do, 396 00:19:13.880 --> 00:19:18.039 and they were disappointed. And so we were floored. And 397 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:20.559 we got this call from video department and said, hey, 398 00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:23.440 what about tremors too? He said, what about it? They said, 399 00:19:23.480 --> 00:19:26.240 we want it? What? So we all had to sit 400 00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:28.160 down because we were busy doing all kinds of other 401 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:30.920