S1: Hey, Jenny KURTIS here. This week, we're sharing an excerpt
S1: of Chris Porter and I sitting down with Nicole Pye,
S1: who played Flight director RF Patel and Micky Shallower, who
S1: played the tenacious reporter Christian Yancy. We're jumping into the
S1: complexities of the dynamic relationship between AAVE and Christian in
S1: a conversation we affectionately call Earth's perspective.
S2: Right. So the only time we're actually on earth in
S2: an episode is the opening press conference to the pilot
S2: where our of and Christian kind of get into it.
S2: How does that set the stage for who these characters are?
S3: Well, I think that ours is looking for any opportunity
S3: to make known that things aren't as peachy as the
S3: head of NASCAR would like to make it seem. And
S3: so he is trying to use the questions that are
S3: being asked to get people asking more questions about it.
S3: Because if everything is being swept under the rug, then
S3: what he needs is like what I feel he needs
S3: like public outrage in order to uncover and maybe get
S3: some tech to have any sort of corporate responsibility.
S4: Yeah, and RV is really looking for the truth. And
S4: that's exactly what Christian Yancy wants. So they both are
S4: kind of on the same mission, which I think is
S4: why they connect.
S2: They're disrupters.
S4: They're disruptors. They sure are.
S3: Truth seekers. Truth seekers, as you said. Yes. Yes.
S5: So episode one basically began with an extended conversation between
S5: Patel and Yancy, arguing at this press conference, as we
S5: just pointed out. And while Patel has had a few
S5: communiques with the eighth on in a couple of episodes recovered,
S5: audio asset number four has brought you both back together.
S5: And we realized that there's a lot more going on
S5: with these two men than we first thought. There was
S5: more happening in that press conference scene than was let on.
S5: What kind of a headspace is going on for the
S5: two of them?
S4: Well, I think Christian is still searching for answers at
S4: this point. And this conversation he has with all of
S4: is very eye opening and he realizes that he knows more.
S4: And NASCAR in general knows more than they are putting out.
S5: One of the questions between these two is who's in
S5: control at any given moment? Mm hmm. Because I think
S5: they both think they are themselves, which is not necessarily true.
S5: But in this particular recovered audio asset, we do, in fact,
S5: learn that Patel was playing Yancy a little bit. He
S5: was using this as an excuse to be the disruptor.
S3: Mm hmm. I'm going to respectfully disagree with our writer. Yeah.
S3: You know, it's just like I like going into this conversation.
S3: I feel like I was desperate for something, and there
S3: was so much desperation with a lot that he does
S3: that he has to resort to means that he wouldn't
S3: otherwise resort to. So he is in control. I think
S3: that he's trying to.
S5: Be an excellent point. Totally manipulate you manipulated him. But
S5: it was from a point of desperation I think you total.
S4: He has so much on his shoulders that relies on
S4: him and I think he's using him and he manipulated
S4: him in a good way. Mm hmm.
S2: Well, so here's the thing. We recorded this in the pandemic. Right?
S2: And also, just because this is how you get clean,
S2: audio recording actors have to record separately. So you were
S2: each in the booth alone? Well, I mean, you were
S2: recording with me, so obviously, obviously an amazing scene partner. Yeah,
S2: but we thought it might be fun to finally hear
S2: you guys do this scene with each other. So we've
S2: provided you with this script since we're talking about recovered
S2: audio set for. Let's just hear it with you guys
S2: finally interacting with each other. They are across the table
S2: from each other.
S3: So.
S2: Chris, can you set the scene for the world they're
S2: in right now?
S5: So remember, most of the phone lines and communication lines
S5: are down. And this is very much just sort of
S5: a shout into the wilderness of they're hoping that someone
S5: else is out there with a working phone as from
S5: a point of desperation, as Nicole just said, he has
S5: some information that he needs to convey and information that
S5: he's unable to secure himself. So he has to make
S5: this phone call to Yancy, having sent some sort of
S5: ability that he might be able to pursue this line
S5: of questioning.
S2: And one of our favorite directions my favorite directions is
S2: that this is a very dark and stormy, thriller esque conversation.
S4: Oh, yeah, that's right.
S2: Mm hmm. Go.
S4: It's Christian Yancy. Hello?
S3: There's a man and I want you to speak to.
S4: Who is this?
S3: How do you have a working phone, by the way?
S4: How do you have a working phone?
S3: Our building is basically a Faraday cage.
S4: Sounds nice. I just use aluminum foil.
S3: And the phone lines.
S4: That part isn't quite legal. I'm tapping into your phone lines.
S4: I'm assuming this is an ask calling, Mr. Patel.
S3: We're using international contact lines for emergencies and critical information.
S4: Yeah, And everything you use to monitor that phone line
S4: was wiped out by the flare. So here I am.
S3: Did you try to call Semtech?
S4: Multiple times. And always went to voicemail. Voicemail was always full.
S4: You're right. No one is there. Can I call you
S4: are of No.
S3: I don't particularly like you.
S4: This call is going well.
S3: But there is someone that I want to talk to.
S4: So talk to them.
S3: They don't want to talk to me.
S4: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
S3: And I'm sure this man wants to talk to someone.
S4: Or is it the friend of my enemy? Is my.
S3: Enemy.
S4: Mary, it's Christian.
S3: The man's name is Murray.
S4: And what's his connection?
S3: He used to work for NASCAR.
S4: And there's a lot of those people.
S3: Then he quit to work for some tech.
S4: No shit.
S3: Then he quit Semtech and went into hiding.
S4: No shit.
S3: He lives in the Dakotas. I'll text you his number
S3: now that I know you have a working phone.
S4: I'll call as soon as we hang up.
S3: Let me ask you what's stranger? The fact that no
S3: one picks up at Semtech or the fact that they
S3: still have a working phone.
S4: Ah, I'm sorry I got under your skin at the
S4: press conference. Just looking for answers.
S3: Mr. Yancy, you didn't even remotely get under my skin.
S3: You gave me the opportunity to make a statement that
S3: Miss Bryant wouldn't approve of, and in a way that
S3: would make it seem unintentional. If anything, I should thank you.
S4: Wait. What are you saying?
S3: I'm saying there's a lot at stake. There's a lot
S3: of cards to be dealt. There are a lot of
S3: hands left to play. Call Murray.
S2: Yes.
S5: Right.
S2: So Bill KURTIS, who we cannot have, hop on the
S2: mic today. But he is standing in the control booth
S2: and just gave you guys a standing ovation because this
S2: is his favorite covered audio set.
S4: Thank you, Bill.
S5: Hi. There were two fun stories because if we wanted
S5: to share this, one was that please say aluminum.
S4: Energy. Aluminum. I can say the word.
S2: But in the recording process, we got a little stuck
S2: on that.
S4: Stuck on that word. I don't know what happened, but
S4: it was like aluminum, minimal and minimal.
S5: The other thing was one of our last lines, which
S5: in the booth, in the queue actually said, Hey, can
S5: I switch the order of this? And we said, Yes,
S5: that's actually better than what's on the page. So the
S5: way that he just read it was the original script,
S5: but he changed it to.
S3: So the original is. Let me ask you what's strange, stranger.
S3: The fact that no one picks up at Semtech or
S3: the fact that they still have a working phone line,
S3: and I believe that I changed it to what? Stranger?
S3: The fact that Semtech has a working phone line or
S3: the fact that no one picks up.
S4: Yeah, I like that.
S2: And we didn't argue. Mikheil flipped and he was like,
S2: Is that okay? That that seems better and really good. Yeah,
S2: that's fine.
S5: That's good.
S2: That's good. But like, that's the really fun part of
S2: recording with actors who come with opinions and make many better. Yeah,
S2: we all have to have opinions, so I don't know
S2: if you guys actually have an answer for this, but
S2: was that at all different for you reading with each other?
S3: 100%.
S4: Yeah. It was different. Like, I don't know, it felt
S4: way more into me. I don't. There is something interesting
S4: about it. Yeah. Ah, of. I'm sorry I got under
S4: your skin at the press conference. Just looking for.
S3: Some. Mr. Nancy, You didn't even remotely get under my skin.
S3: You gave me an opportunity to make a statement that Mr.
S3: Bryant wouldn't approve of, and in a way that would
S3: make it seem unintentional. If anything, I should thank you. Wait.
S4: What are you saying?
S3: I'm saying there's a lot at stake. There's a lot
S3: of cards to be dealt. There are a lot of
S3: hands left to play, Murray.
S4: But I don't remember what it was like recorded before.
S4: That's must be different. Well.
S5: Like one of the themes that's absolutely come up because
S5: we recorded this in the middle of a pandemic where
S5: everyone had to be isolated and had to be alone.
S5: Is that a lot of that actually did boil through
S5: into the performances of people at the time. So just
S5: because of that, have you ever been in a situation
S5: like that a part? You know, it could be the
S5: pandemic where you are trying to reach out to a
S5: friend or a family or some sort of support system,
S5: and you don't even know if you can access them.
S2: If so, did you use that in this show in
S2: any way? Did you use any real life influences to
S2: get into your characters?
S5: And the answer could just be, Yeah, it could be now, and.
S2: It could be You're a fucking actor and you did
S2: your job.
S4: I'm a fucking actor.
S3: I mean, that seems like a process question for me,
S3: and that is not particularly.
S2: One of my processes. What was your process for.
S3: Imagining the circumstances of the situation? Do? Yeah, I mean,
S3: just going back to it, I think it's very different
S3: actually interacting with an actor in any sort of live situation. Yeah,
S3: because everyone has their own cadence to things, everyone has
S3: their own feel for it. And that's kind of the delicious,
S3: you know, process of being an actor is that you
S3: get to, you get to play. Yeah. With whatever people
S3: give you.
S4: And also like the way that you would say something
S4: to me, it could totally change the way that I
S4: deliver back to you. Acting is reacting.
S2: People just as, like.
S4: I said, that comes, but it really is like as
S4: annoying as that saying it sometimes it really is true
S4: because just this conversation, I felt different things and I'm
S4: the same as you. I can just imagine the situation
S4: and I'm like, okay, who is Christian Yancy? Who am I?
S4: Is Christian Yancy in this situation?
S3: Yeah, I think that part of what we do is
S3: we prepare as much as we can beforehand and then
S3: come in and then get thrown a set of different
S3: circumstances sometimes or get thrown in the same circumstances, and
S3: then we just deal with it. I mean, that's part
S3: of the preparation that that's the boring stuff.
S2: That is not boring to me. I love.
S4: I think it's.
S2: All about preparation.
S4: I think it's fun because also I don't really get
S4: stuff like Christian Yancy. He's he's way more interesting to
S4: me than a lot of the things that I would
S4: necessarily get. And I get to kind of be this
S4: guy with an attitude. I don't know. He's like abrasive.
S4: So for me, my process I guess, is just at
S4: home in my own mind, living in sort of who
S4: he is. And then I guess I forget about it,
S4: then come here and we talk and then it'll sort
S4: of bleed in.
S2: So there it is.
S1: A bit of the behind the scenes stories, the process
S1: of the actors and an in-person reading, and that's just
S1: part of the conversation. Check out the solar panel on
S1: our Apple Podcasts premium channel to hear more.