WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:07.960 Oh gee, folks, it's showtime. 2 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:11.279 People say good money to see this movie. When they 3 00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:14.720 go out to a theater. They want cold sodas, hot popcorn, 4 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:15.960 and no monsters. 5 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:19.199 In the Protection Booth, everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring. 6 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:26.519 Let it off, turn it off. 7 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:16.760 You know what, guys, it's funny. I think this is 8 00:01:16.760 --> 00:01:19.280 the first time I just want to sit back, take 9 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:20.640 a little breeze throughout. 10 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:21.680 This whole thing is. 11 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:25.760 I just love that's a focus. I'm just getting my 12 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:28.480 dog burned back. It's curious. 13 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:30.959 I like it. 14 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:33.760 I like just get a kid all. 15 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:34.760 My time with bold. 16 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:38.280 I like having a purpose. 17 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:43.840 Sorry, I'm kind of rambling a little bit. I just 18 00:01:43.879 --> 00:01:45.280 feel really ahaze right now. 19 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:45.560 I know. 20 00:01:54.040 --> 00:01:56.560 Hey, folks, welcome to a special episode of The Projection Booth. 21 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:59.280 I'm your host Mike White. On this episode, I'm talking 22 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.879 with some of the creators behind AJ Goes to the 23 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:06.120 Dog Park. I'm talking with Aj Thompson, who is also 24 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:11.000 the star, executive producer, and of course the titular AJ 25 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:14.840 of the movie. Also talking with producer Ben Hanson and 26 00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:17.919 writer director Toby Jones. If you get a chance to 27 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:20.719 see AJ Goes to the Dog Park, it is a 28 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:24.560 wonderfully quirky film kind of up there with Lightning Salad 29 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:27.599 moving Picture from two thousand and eight. Thank you so 30 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:29.719 much for listening, and I hope you enjoyed the interview. 31 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:32.400 Who else do we have here today? I recognize AJ, 32 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:35.400 of course, Can you other gentlemen announce yourselves? 33 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:38.919 Sure, Yeah, it's AJ, and then I'm Toby the writer director. 34 00:02:39.319 --> 00:02:43.080 I'm Ben Hanson. Gentlemen, I loved AJ Goes to the 35 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:45.439 Dog Park. I'm so curious though, as far as what 36 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:48.800 your background is and is this a whole series that 37 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:50.879 you have going here. I've read about at least two 38 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:52.000 other AJ titles. 39 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:56.159 Our background by filmmaking is just stuff we've made growing 40 00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:59.159 up as kids. And we have the local access show 41 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:01.000 we did in high school. I'm in an early AJ 42 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:04.680 feature in high school. And then I, after graduating college, 43 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:07.240 went off and worked in the animation industry for about 44 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.879 twelve years, working on a few different shows for Kirch 45 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:13.879 Network and stuff. And then this is a project where 46 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:16.639 I'm bringing back all these people and those in AJ 47 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:20.680 short for Cristch Network that we also did with a 48 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.439 version of the character. And this is the thing of 49 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:25.919 bringing back all the team of the people from when 50 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:28.520 we grew up and took film classes and made films 51 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:30.639 on the on the on the weekend to do a 52 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:31.400 project together. 53 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:33.919 Were the other ones? They were all animated, and this 54 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:36.800 is your first live action a j oh no. 55 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:39.639 The other ones have been mostly live action, with okay 56 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:42.360 of the animated short AJ. 57 00:03:42.439 --> 00:03:45.439 How do you feel being the star of these films? 58 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:50.080 I think it's great. I've always told Toby that the 59 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:52.719 character that he writes for me is mostly just an 60 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:57.159 exaggerated version of myself, so it works out well. I 61 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:00.199 wouldn't say before this film, I wouldn't call my self 62 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.159 an actor, but now I guess since I have a 63 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:05.759 feature life belt, I'm an actor now. 64 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:10.120 So how did you come up with the idea for 65 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:10.560 this one? 66 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.120 I had the idea first, Well, I've always wanted to 67 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:16.680 do more AJ stuff. I joked that AJ is like 68 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:19.720 my like Jean Pierre Leo. I liked, it's almost like 69 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:21.920 we're doing Antwine Twinel movies where we like check in 70 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.199 at different stages in our lives and do whatever comes 71 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:27.040 to our mind at that time. And I had the 72 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:30.040 general concept, Oh, wouldn't it be fun to with all 73 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:32.360 of our adult experience come back together and far ago 74 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:36.199 and do like a micro budget movie in that old style. 75 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:39.519 And the idea just came out of nowhere. It was 76 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:42.120 just like, what's something we can do that wouldn't be 77 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:45.279 too terribly expensive, it would be fun to make. And 78 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.120 I think I was on a road trip actually, and 79 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:49.399 I drove by a dog park and then the run 80 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:54.079 of the concept of the mayor and the silly, dumb 81 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:57.759 joke of the name change, and then the fighting, fishing, scrapping, scraping, 82 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:01.240 sapping all came to my head at that time. And 83 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:04.639 so when we have this concept that agent needs to fight, fish, scrap, scrape, 84 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.639 and sap, we have a movie there almost because if 85 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:09.439 you look at a lot of great comedies, they're very 86 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:12.279 episodic and also, working in animation, you're working in an 87 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:15.120 eleven minute format, and so oh, I can treat each 88 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:19.160 of these segments as a self contained little section and 89 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:20.680 come up with just like a nice little arc for 90 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:22.920 each one of those. And that was the starting point 91 00:05:22.920 --> 00:05:24.319 where I was like, Okay, I can this is like 92 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:26.399 at least a skeleton I can build a movie out of. 93 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:30.600 Oh that's fantastic. Yeah, And I love how very self 94 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:33.759 referential everyone is, especially when oh, this will take us 95 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:35.079 into the second act. 96 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:37.759 Yeah, and it's a classic thing. We're seeing their writing 97 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:40.920 and you're analyzing yourself as you go. And this was 98 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:44.160 written in a very kind of free wheeling, almost exquisite 99 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:46.000 corpse type way, where I'd like, I look at the 100 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.160 stuff I wrote yesterday and be like, okay, whatever that was, 101 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:50.399 and just try and focus on whatever's entertaining me in 102 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:52.959 that moment, and so you end up having those little 103 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:53.800 lines as part of it. 104 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:57.319 Specifically, we arrived on set of the hospital scene and 105 00:05:57.399 --> 00:05:59.560 I read this over the script which I had already 106 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:02.920 read before, and said, Toby, what the hell is lying 107 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:04.879 Love and Loaves? Why is every budget read by him? 108 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:08.920 Which Toby said, I said, I don't understand my own joke, 109 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:11.439 to which I was by going on buying war bread 110 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:13.040 because I didn't think we had enough of the scene. 111 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:15.399 Yeah, there are a few jokes in there where it's 112 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:17.639 I wrote it in a moment, and there was a 113 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:20.639 choice that was being made to do something very creatively 114 00:06:21.560 --> 00:06:24.920 free where I don't even necessarily remember the meaning of 115 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:26.839 this joke, and we're going to commit to it and 116 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:27.959 just see what happens. 117 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:30.680 I love that. I think That's what makes it such 118 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:34.680 a success, is just that commitment to the jokes and 119 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.360 the absurdity. I think it's wonderful. What were some of 120 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:39.720 the biggest challenges of making this film other than trying 121 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:41.040 to remember your own jokes? 122 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:43.959 I think the three of us would probably all agree 123 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.600 that there wasn't any single part of producing this movie 124 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:51.800 that wasn't a tremendous challenge, because the fact is we 125 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:55.759 were making this movie out of pocket, with no resources 126 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:59.759 and no external support, and that meant that every single 127 00:06:59.800 --> 00:07:02.000 thing on screen is something that someone had to get 128 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:03.959 and prepare. Every place they go is a place they 129 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:05.560 had to get. You had to make a phone call 130 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:07.399 and plan it. And there's a lot of locations and 131 00:07:07.399 --> 00:07:09.560 a lot of weird props and strange things that happened 132 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:11.920 in this movie, and every single one there's a story 133 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.439 kind of behind that. What would you guys say the 134 00:07:14.839 --> 00:07:16.160 in the ferest part of mat. 135 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:18.600 Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head. 136 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:22.079 Just reading through the script, I thought to myself, Man, 137 00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:24.680 we're going to be going to so many places and 138 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.959 there's very few that we go back to, so it's 139 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:33.120 hard to imagine in order to film everything when we 140 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:36.040 first did the beginning part. We tried it all in 141 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:38.839 order to have the first fifteen minutes to show off 142 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:41.639 like a demo basically what the movie could be like. 143 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:44.319 But after that we were like, there's no way we're 144 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:46.399 going to finish this in a reasonable amount of to 145 00:07:46.439 --> 00:07:48.560 night do it in order, so we had we had 146 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:51.759 to do a whole We've changed the way we filmed 147 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:54.279 it yep, to be able to actually shoot the scenes 148 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:56.480 shoot out at a whole location and all that. 149 00:07:56.680 --> 00:07:58.759 Yeah, And a funny example of that is the location 150 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:01.199 of the Mayor's office. We went there and we shot 151 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:04.639 there that first year. It was an abandoned room in 152 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:07.759 an old office building, and we returned there a year 153 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:09.959 later to shoot the rest of the scenes that are 154 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:12.399 in the Mayor's office, and they had turned it into 155 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:15.920 a exercise room with a giant treadmill in the middle 156 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:19.000 of it. So we had to rebuild the entire location 157 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:20.959 to look like and we shot it from a year ago, 158 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:22.519 and then we had to shoot and of course everybody's 159 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:25.439 schedules are tired. We're shooting nights and weekends. Everybody has 160 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:27.879 day jobs, and so we're shooting all the rest of 161 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:30.439 the mayors scenes I believe we shot all the rest 162 00:08:30.439 --> 00:08:32.159 of the mayor scenes after the fifteen minute mark in 163 00:08:32.279 --> 00:08:35.759 one day, that's correct, which was million possible. 164 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:40.759 That was a twelve hour now. We did several scenes, 165 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:42.720 I know, with a lot of people sitting and stand by, 166 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:46.000 being very patient for us. I would say the biggest 167 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:49.679 challenge for me and I think others two was because 168 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:54.279 everyone these aren't professional actors or they're not acting full time, 169 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:57.159 they're not writing full so when there's a crowd scene, 170 00:08:57.480 --> 00:08:59.759 those are people Our friends and family from ron Fargo, 171 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:02.480 North Dakota were generous enough to come that day, and 172 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:05.759 if it's an outdoor scene and it rains, it's the 173 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:07.639 worst feeling in the world. 174 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:10.480 You have thirty people there who are donating their time 175 00:09:10.519 --> 00:09:12.000 to be extras, and you got to send everybody home 176 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:13.159 because the way they're going to be in the rain. 177 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:16.279 The climactic scene takes place at the dog park that 178 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:19.679 we're filming at, and that particular day in North Dakota. 179 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:22.120 Was forty below Zeroh. 180 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:24.480 We all had to huddle in our cars between shots 181 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:27.519 and then ran out and shoot them. And we actually 182 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:29.679 had hot chocolate that we poured out for the people. 183 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:32.960 That was like basically refrigerate or cold within two minutes. 184 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:36.039 Yeah, exactly, And then you mentioned all the locations. I 185 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:38.039 intended to write this as something that could be fun, 186 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:40.360 that we could shoot pretty quick, pretty easy, but it 187 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:42.399 was so much. The fact is I say that, and 188 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:43.960 then I write a scene in a church that takes 189 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:45.840 it's a ten second scene. It takes place in a church, 190 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:47.559 where it's one joke that takes ten seconds. But I mean, 191 00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:49.279 we have to get a church, we have to go there, 192 00:09:49.399 --> 00:09:50.879 we have to get all that stuff clear. And then 193 00:09:50.919 --> 00:09:52.919 I'm like, yeah, what if we do a big scene 194 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:55.000 that takes place in an airport. How do you get 195 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:58.399 an airport we gave so every single one of those 196 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:01.639 locations was its own self contained challenge. And then one location, 197 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:06.120 the coffee Kiosk, We shot the first scene in the 198 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:08.759 first year at a different location, and then they wouldn't 199 00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:11.759 let us come back to shoot the other coffee Kisque scenes, 200 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:13.759 and so we had to reshoot the first stuff to 201 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:15.159 match the new location and all that. 202 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:19.159 If they were not thanked in the ending credits. 203 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:22.200 It No, were you guys disruptive? Why would they not 204 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:23.240 let you come back? 205 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:24.360 Genuinely? 206 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:25.080 No idea? 207 00:10:25.240 --> 00:10:28.840 Sorry, no, It's true. We could not have I swear 208 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:30.720 to God, we could not have been nicer. And we 209 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:34.080 were probably there for maximum forty minutes, So I have 210 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:36.639 no idea what happened. So I think they just didn't 211 00:10:36.679 --> 00:10:38.919 want to deal with it. And look, and the thing 212 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:41.519 is shooting at Fargo. Nine times out of ten you 213 00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:44.080 find somebody who's so willing to find a way to 214 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:45.960 help you. And you were able to get an airport, 215 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:47.240 we were able to get a church, we were able 216 00:10:47.240 --> 00:10:50.639 to get something that looks like a hospital. And so 217 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:52.600 weirdly that the coffee Kiosk is the one that we 218 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:53.600 ended up having trouble with. 219 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:55.879 Though we did want to shoot one of the fight 220 00:10:55.960 --> 00:11:00.440 scenes between the coach and aj at an actual MMA 221 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:03.919 Jim and the MMA. Jim said absolutely, come on buy 222 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:07.120 and we came and they said, oh, we're very sorry. 223 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:11.480 We did sell the actual MMA ring two days ago. 224 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:13.919 Did you watch film in that? So then we had 225 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:16.240 to go rent a wrestling ring though that we then 226 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:19.519 had set up in our friend's backyard and for two 227 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:21.279 days straight, very generous out them. 228 00:11:21.399 --> 00:11:26.240 Yeah, which also doubled as your new bedroom exactly right. 229 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:28.720 Yeah, Now, we had written all that stuff to take 230 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:30.360 place in the wrestling ring, but we were going to 231 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:33.240 switch to a different location for the actual fight that occurs, 232 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:35.000 and then we had to think on the fly and 233 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:36.360 be like, Okay, I guess we're gonna have to add 234 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.039 the entire fight scene to the same location and shoot 235 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:41.480 all that in a day or two. A lot of 236 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.960 people very generously excited to help out and make these 237 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:45.120 impossible things happen. 238 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:48.879 Ajing you mentioned shooting in order and giving that fifteen 239 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:52.759 minute demo reel going is that when the moneymen came 240 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:54.879 in and they were just like, yes, AJ goes to 241 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:59.559 the dog park, let me right out of check right now, right. 242 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:02.120 Now, we're still waiting to have the money man the 243 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:07.000 money ferry. No, we were really hoping that. We just 244 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:10.159 wanted to get feelers out there and say, hey, we 245 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:13.039 can make this funny thing. We don't have a lot 246 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:15.360 of money to put into it, and we're gonna make 247 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:19.399 it and do what we can, and pretty much everyone's 248 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.279 that's funny, and then yeah, I got nothing sodden. We 249 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:24.600 were like, we're going to just do it. 250 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:27.440 We do ourselves, and this is the crucial choice that 251 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:30.039 gets made where it's I wrote that script. The script 252 00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:33.039 was complete. It was ready. I worked in animation for 253 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:35.960 many years, and I had thought the hyphal thought in 254 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:38.440 my head, it's maybe I could leverage my experience in 255 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.080 the industry and make something like this happen. And I 256 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:43.159 called a couple of people and tried a little bit, 257 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:45.519 and you had the moment where it's like, oh, do 258 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.519 I want to spend the next three years trying to 259 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:49.759 sell this thing or do I want to spend the 260 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:52.559 next three years producing this thing? And so we made 261 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:54.159 the call the producer, and after we shot that first 262 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:56.279 fifty minutes, it was another version of that conversation where 263 00:12:56.279 --> 00:12:58.960 it's do we keep sending this Vimeo link of the 264 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:01.519 first fifteen minutes around or do we just go make it? 265 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:03.759 And so that was it was a kind of a 266 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:07.279 hurtle be jumped twice to make the choice to make 267 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:08.159 the movie the way we did. 268 00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:10.879 How long did it actually take to shoot this? 269 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:12.759 That would be three years? 270 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:15.799 Mite, wow, three years. 271 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:17.639 Night nights and weekends. I'd come to visit Fargo for 272 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:20.480 two months at a time, sleep in my parents' basement. 273 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:22.480 And that's how it worked. Now, not three. 274 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:25.200 Years constantly, but again we all have full time jobs. 275 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:27.519 So it was three years as we could in about 276 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:30.200 three months purst. But those three months were very planned out, 277 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:33.440 where basically every weekend was working on the film weekend, 278 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:37.159 lots of week nights. We filmed all of the boat 279 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:39.879 scenes on the lake at someone's lake cabin who we 280 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:44.000 knew in western Minnesota in one weekend, which was very challenging, and. 281 00:13:44.120 --> 00:13:47.240 We knocked out the first fifteen minutes that first year, 282 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:51.039 and it just as an example of how much better 283 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:53.960 we got at it in the movie. 284 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:57.840 Two years and AJ, what do you do other than 285 00:13:58.039 --> 00:14:02.360 act in starring movies? Because obviously your schedule has to 286 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:04.279 be the most flexible of everybody's. 287 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:07.279 I work computer programming, so I work at home and 288 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:12.559 they're super generous with me able to work my schedule however, 289 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:15.879 and they're actually really supportive of my other stuff that 290 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:18.320 I do too. They all my coworkers have seen the 291 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:19.360 movie and everything too. 292 00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:22.159 And the character of AJ because he's based on you 293 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:24.240 and those are your dogs. And the job title is 294 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:25.759 the job title you've had at the time, which was 295 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:26.519 technical consulting. 296 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:28.759 Yeah, I was a technical consultant when we first started 297 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:29.320 filming that. 298 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:32.440 So did your pulse go up too much while you 299 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:33.240 were working. 300 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:37.720 On actually, I would say acting in this made my 301 00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:43.879 pulse go down compared to my DAGEB so I expect that. 302 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:46.320 I mean, with the number of effects and everything that 303 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:48.919 you guys haven't heard, posts must have taken forever too. 304 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:52.120 Yes, it did, and it didn't. I think, less time 305 00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:54.279 than you might expect considering how much there is at 306 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:57.279 our kind of budget scale. But a lot of posts 307 00:14:57.480 --> 00:15:02.120 was I've locked the picture, which was hard. But really 308 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:06.399 what it came down to is color correction, which we 309 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:09.200 worked with someone who was very good with that, and 310 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:12.200 it was very fast and a super good process. A 311 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:15.480 lot of the digital VFX and came from my friend 312 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:18.120 Owen Dennis, who I worked with an animation I went 313 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:20.840 to college with. He did a show called Infinity Train, 314 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:25.000 and he just took it on as a personal project 315 00:15:25.399 --> 00:15:28.840 to knock out all those digital v efects that are 316 00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:32.279 in the movie, just because he loves VFX and so 317 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:34.360 he was just like so excited to do them. He 318 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:36.440 was adding stuff that we didn't even ask for. And 319 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.480 then he is also responsible for something we can't spoil, 320 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:42.919 but the last section of the movie where there's a 321 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:47.480 certain shift that happens, he personally was responsible for all 322 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:50.519 those effects that happen and all that crazy stuff that 323 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:51.759 comes out to the very end as well. 324 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:53.919 Also did want to give a shout out. We can't 325 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:56.279 spoil because this is far the ending, but the theater 326 00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:59.879 feature there is a real theater and fargown or it's 327 00:15:59.879 --> 00:16:02.440 a coda and indefendily owned one that if you don't 328 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:04.759 know too much about it, you should see because I 329 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:07.240 hope it spreads the word for everybody about Oh with 330 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:08.519 some of the things we happened. 331 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:12.320 Far very nice and who did all the model work? 332 00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:14.600 Because it took me a little bit to realize that 333 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:15.879 I was even looking at a model. 334 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:19.799 It was so good see that that was owhen Dennis, Wow. 335 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:23.159 He took it upon himself. For example, there's this doesn't 336 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.080 spoil the ending, but there's a model of the dog 337 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:27.759 park itself. And that was something that I didn't even 338 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:29.320 ask for. He was just like, you know, what I 339 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:31.960 think we should have is a model of the park 340 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.120 in both the summer and the winter. And he sent 341 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.279 me these shots and it was just like, this is 342 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:38.879 the kind of thing, just like an amazing collaboration where 343 00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:41.799 you find these people and just like Bandon AJ and 344 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:44.519 Tucker a cinematographer, people who are just like, oh, you're 345 00:16:44.519 --> 00:16:46.919 doing something cool. I want to take part and do 346 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:49.519 something cool as well and jump in and help out 347 00:16:49.559 --> 00:16:51.159 however I can. And that was the case with my 348 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:54.080 friend Rebecca Sugar, who was an early champion of the 349 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:56.399 movie up in the script phase and was just like, 350 00:16:56.519 --> 00:16:58.440 I would love to do a song for the end credits, 351 00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.759 and I was just like, I have, There's nothing I 352 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.080 would love more. So it's all this thing where you 353 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:04.519 just get these cool people who want to collaborate and 354 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:07.319 just tick part in something like this because it doesn't 355 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:10.079 happen all the time. It was very interesting when Owen 356 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:11.400 called me up and said, can you go to the 357 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:14.039 fire with theater with the tape measure and measure how long. 358 00:17:13.880 --> 00:17:15.960 The sidewalk is and see how tall it is. I'm 359 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:17.839 trying to do something. And I was like, all right, 360 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:18.319 I'll go do it. 361 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:18.960 I'll work break. 362 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:21.400 And he didn't tell us until we saw the footage. 363 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:23.240 Where did you find your other actors? 364 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:27.720 They were all over the place. So it's really a 365 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:31.119 combination of things where it's people like aj who you've 366 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:33.599 acted a bunch of our projects before, and then there 367 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:36.960 are several local theater actors who have a tremendous amount 368 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:40.759 of experience, the Mayor and Captain c Stab and the 369 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:42.119 suit Age and all people who do a lot of 370 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:44.720 local performing. And then there are several people who have 371 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:47.200 little to no acting experience who we just really liked 372 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:49.079 them and we wanted to bring them in. The actor 373 00:17:49.079 --> 00:17:52.759 release Thomas as someone who just do someone you know 374 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.200 from the world. Then political he is the head of. 375 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:58.559 The North Cota of Building Trades, and previous acting experience 376 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:01.599 was appearing in the US said for Heidi Hikamp's reelection 377 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:03.880 campaign in twenty eighteen, and we. 378 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.480 Brought him in. He was just like, sure, I'll try it. 379 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:08.119 And he was such a mentch to work with. He 380 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:09.559 was so much fun and he's he has so many 381 00:18:09.599 --> 00:18:12.799 great gags in the movie. He's so hilarious. And then 382 00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:16.400 and also to get an example these choices we make 383 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:18.680 about what type of performer do you want to bring 384 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:21.119 in for a scene. Both of my parents are in 385 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:24.079 the movie and they each have a spoken line, and 386 00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:26.279 both of them after they did the scene, they were like, 387 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:29.359 oh no, I was terrible. I ruined it. Oh no, 388 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:32.240 what did I do? And I was like, Mom, Dad, 389 00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:35.880 if I thought a pro actor would have been the 390 00:18:35.880 --> 00:18:38.480 better funnier option for this scene. I would have called 391 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:40.680 the pro actor. I called because I think this is 392 00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:42.319 the better funnier option for this scene. 393 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:45.079 When did you actually lock the picture? 394 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:48.640 The picture happened, I want to say end of twenty 395 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:51.720 twenty three. And then so from there was the mad 396 00:18:51.799 --> 00:18:56.160 dash to get the color correction, sound design, music score, 397 00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:59.240 and the digital The effects were all done in parallel 398 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:02.279 with process where I would have a kind of version 399 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:03.480 of a scene, I would send it to Owen and 400 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:05.079 he would send me some cuts back and I would 401 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:06.599