1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: I used to lead whitewater expeditions and somebody said you should, 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: you should start filming them, and I said, you mean, 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 1: like with a camera or something. All right, I'll try it. 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: I just wanted to go kayaking every day, and I 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: tried it, and I suppose I was okay at it. 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: And that's really what I tell you now that I'm 7 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: doing this, I really like it. I didn't plan on 8 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: any of this, but it's really fun. It is. It's fun. Hi. 9 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: My name is Randall Einhorn, and I am the executive 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: producer and director of the show Abbot Elementary. Hello everybody, 11 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: and welcome back to today's episode of Off the Beat. 12 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 1: This is your host, Brian Baumgartner. In a great mood 13 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: today because we have a very special guest, my old friend. 14 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: You know him, you love him, Randall Einhorn. He's a director, 15 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: he's an amazing cinematographer and as you know, he is 16 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: the guy who made the camera a character on the Office. 17 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: He made the show what it is, and that alone 18 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: makes him a legend. But it's no surprise that since 19 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: then he has worked on other huge shows Parks and Wreck, 20 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: Wilfred Fargo. It's always sunny in Philadelphia and most recently 21 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: Abbot Elementary. Since I had Randall on the office deep dive, 22 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: I've been wanting to get him back on off the 23 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: beat here and dive deeper into his whole career, all 24 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: of his work outside of the office, tracing the mockumentary 25 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: from the olden days of dunder Mifflin now to Abbot Elementary, 26 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: and will also answer some long awaited questions. What is 27 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: the future of network sitcoms? Is it okay that it's 28 00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: always sunny? Has such unlikable characters? What is the real 29 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: power of the camera? Randall, He's seen it all, and 30 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: he's filmed at all and I can't wait for you 31 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: to hear our conversation. So, without further ad here's Randall Einhorn, 32 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and Squeak, Bubble 33 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: and Squeaker cook at every month left over from the 34 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: Knob people. Hello, what's up, buddy? How you doing? Brother? 35 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: How are you? I'm very well. You know. I didn't 36 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: reach out to you because I wanted my love to 37 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: just seep into your soul. I love seeing you for 38 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 1: the first time in such a long time. You look good, 39 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: you too? Wow? How are you. I'm good. It's it's been. 40 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: It's been good. It's been a busy time, but fun. Well, 41 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: you're the busiest man in television, as best I can tell, 42 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: it's been. It's been busy. Abbot kept me busy. We didn't, 43 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: you know, work long days, but you know we did. 44 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,119 Speaker 1: We finished twenty two episodes and I directed ten of them, 45 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: like an idiot. Okay. So then I just took a pilot, 46 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: as you do. Um, no rest for the Wicked I was. 47 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: You know, I was planning on taking some time off, 48 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: but I just fell in love with another pilot. So 49 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: I'm doing a pilot. But before that, I shoot the pilot. 50 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to go to do the Grand Canyon again. 51 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: You are, Yeah, fourth time in five years, two hundred 52 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: and twenty five miles of rafting. Really good, beautiful play. 53 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: So I'll have you know, some some ramble time. Yes, Now, 54 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: when you go back to your your your roots, and 55 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: we'll talk about that in a minute. You go back 56 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: to the to the bush, to the brush. Do you 57 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: cut off from the world, like, do you leave cell 58 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: phones at home? No? I take it for photos, okay, 59 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: but I mean you're not checking email or no, No, 60 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: there's no means to do that. I have a SAT phone, 61 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: but you can get text messages. But I'm you know, 62 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: what are you gonna do? Tell me when to get back? Right? 63 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: What do you? Yeah? So do you take a SAT 64 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: phone in case, you know, you get injured in something? 65 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: That's that's what you do? Yeah, okay, Yeah, I've been 66 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: watching that show alone. Have you seen that show alone? 67 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: That's My friends show? Is it? Yeah? Yeah, I kind 68 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: of I've kind of gotten sucked in a little bit 69 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: to it, and I think it's more what would be 70 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,720 Speaker 1: the show that I would be least likely to participate? 71 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: That would be it. That's probably it. Yeah, that's probably 72 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: watching people skinning, by the way, expertly skinning squirrels and 73 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: being so grateful for that squirrel. Have you ever have 74 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: you ever ate squirrel? Yeah? Eaten squirrel? You have? It's 75 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: so bad. It's better than rat. You haven't eaten rat? 76 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: You have? Yeah, survivor one. They were eating rats because 77 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: there are a lot of rats around, okay, and there 78 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: was a little bit just left on the grill and 79 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 1: maybe maybe I might may have tried it. But if 80 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: you had squirrel like my choice, Yeah, it was yummy. 81 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: It was great. Did you prepare the squirrel? No? I 82 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: did not. My neighbors did. Yeah. Okay, Uh, this is 83 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: where we start with, so we can do a whole 84 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: episode of things Randall has eaten. No, I know that 85 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:52,119 Speaker 1: we could. Actually, that's that is the thing that I know. Um. Look, 86 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: we've had you on before, obviously, and really we talked 87 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: about the office. I am not joking when I say 88 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: I think your story is one of the most interesting 89 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: in all of the thing we call Hollywood. Talk to 90 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: me a little bit now. I know. Originally you're from 91 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: the Cincinnati area, which is where my father hails from. 92 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: For Thomas, Kentucky, since Entucky as they call it. Ye. 93 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: Did you have any interest in film filming when you 94 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: were a kid? No, none, whatsoever. I really didn't have 95 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 1: any interest in until I started doing it, you know, 96 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: until I started filming outdoor adventure stuff. Right. Yeah. I 97 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,679 Speaker 1: used to lead whitewater expeditions and somebody said you should, 98 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: you should start filming them, and I said, you mean, 99 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: like with a camera or something, and all right, I'll 100 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: try it. I just wanted to go kayaking every day, 101 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: and I tried it, and I suppose I was okay 102 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: at it. And that's really but I tell you now 103 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: that I'm doing this, I really like it. I didn't 104 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: plan on any of this, but it's really fun. It is. 105 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: It's fun. It is so you were just like you 106 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: were just an outdoors men, like you just wanted outdoor adventure. 107 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: Could you have seen yourself just living that life for 108 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: your whole life? I still can, Ok, yeah, back pocket 109 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: In case the whole directing thing it doesn't work out, 110 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: I can go back to being a raft guide. Yeah. No, 111 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: I never. I never that was the plan. I just was. 112 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: I was guiding, and I was doing a lot of 113 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: kayaking and leading expeditions, and I figured that was what 114 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: I was going to do. I never saw myself getting 115 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: out of that. But you know, one thing led to 116 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: another and I got hired. I convinced Mark Burnett that 117 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: he should hire me to shoot the Whitewater sections of 118 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: Eco Challenge, which is a five hundred mile wilderness adventure race, 119 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: and he was foolish enough to hire me. And then 120 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: I convinced him he should hire me to be the 121 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: deep DP on Survivor one, and he did that, and 122 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: then all these years later, here I am. Yeah, and 123 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: you when you first started filming. Now, when you say 124 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: someone said you should film these things? Was this like 125 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: filming like for tourists, like just filming them going down 126 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: the river? Yep? Okay. I used to kayak ahead and 127 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: film film the tourists going down the rapids, and my 128 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: kayak on kayak down the next section of rapids. I 129 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: hop out and filmed the tourists and I'd sell them 130 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: photos and video. Okay. Yeah? And then how did you 131 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: get from there to convincing Burnett to hire you on 132 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: Eco Challenge? Like? What are the steps there? I was. 133 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: I was a sponsored whitewater kayaker and a lot a 134 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: bunch of kayaks, and a friend of mine was a 135 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: locations manager and he called me to ask if I 136 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 1: could help him find a river section for Eco Challenge 137 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: and got it. I had, like, you know, twenty kayaks, 138 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: and so Mark and I and my buddy the locations 139 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,200 Speaker 1: manager went out and started searching for for river sections 140 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: to do with an Eco Challenge race. Yeah. And then 141 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: and then I think the interesting part is where I 142 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: came to the United States to after being away for 143 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: like twenty three years, and I was I was shooting 144 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: something for Ben Silverman. Yes, I was shooting Sean White 145 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: and Jeremy Jones in Jackson Hole right in Jacksonville, And 146 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: for some reason, you know, I was filming those guys 147 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: and Ben said, that's the guy who we need to 148 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: be the documentarian in the office. Like why he took 149 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: me from Jackson holl extreme skiing to that's the guy 150 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: we need, I don't know, but it worked out. So. Um. Yeah, 151 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: when that opportunity came up, were you all in Like 152 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: were you like, yes, I can do that. Yeah, I 153 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 1: do have this really foolish sense of bravada. Yes, okay, yeah, 154 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: you and I, You and I share that in some regards. Yeah, easy, 155 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: you can do it. Ye today, were you hesitant because 156 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: I mean, you're you're an outdoorsman, You're like doing, you know, 157 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: filming extreme sports and you're out there and you love 158 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: that stuff. Was there a part of you that was like, 159 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: well I could do it, but I think I'd rather 160 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: stay here Or were you did you see the path 161 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: changing for you and and and saw where that might lead? Um? 162 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: I was very aware of like, Okay, well now I'm 163 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: going to go from outside into an office and this 164 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: is not my happy place right Certainly I was aware 165 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: of that, But then I figured I could still go 166 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: to my happy place when I'm not working, which is 167 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: what I do now now. I go. I spend forty 168 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: to fifty sixty days a year doing outdoor stuff on 169 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: rivers and so forth. Yeah, but also also, you know, 170 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: I saw the pilot of the Office, and I thought, 171 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 1: that's that would be really fun to shoot to tell 172 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: jokes from the camera. I was very attracted to. Oh 173 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: so you saw the pilot. Yeah, would you saw the 174 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 1: pilot and you were like, Oh, I get this, I 175 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: can do this, or I can do this better. Yes, Yes, 176 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 1: that's very interesting. I don't think i'd heard that before. Wow. Yeah, 177 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: because I didn't do the pilot of the office, but 178 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: I remember Ben. You know, it's a really funny choice. 179 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: But I think for Ben to make is that I 180 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: can go extreme skiing with these these great, really talented athletes, 181 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: and that to think I could also do the office 182 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: for some reason, well, Ben is a crazy genius in 183 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: that way. I mean, let's be let's be clear. I 184 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: mean he's he sees things, you know. I mean it's 185 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: very well documented what he sees in business and the 186 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: and the business of film, but also talent as well, 187 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: that he sees things that mortals do not at times, 188 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: and we'll take an out of the box choice because 189 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: he feels it right. Yeah, and I mean to his credit, 190 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: I think you know, Greg, Greg and I hit it 191 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: off immediately. And Greg was you know, he said, you're 192 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: telling jokes with a camera. I'm like, yeah, I'm trying to. 193 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: He just Greg some you should direct some. I'm like, okay, 194 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: I'll try that. I'm sure I could do that. So 195 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 1: in terms of your move into directing, once you're on 196 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: the show, you're carrying the fifty pound heavy thing and 197 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: dping the show and Greg gives you an opportunity to direct. Now, 198 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: we talked before about what a one, what a bold choice, 199 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: and how thankful you are to him for giving you 200 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: that opportunity. Were you immediately kind of smitten by it? 201 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 1: Did you love it with directing? Yeah? Absolutely, as soon 202 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: as I got my chance, because I got to see, 203 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: you know, by this point, I don't know how many 204 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: episodes I HADDP. I suppose thirty or so, So I 205 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: got to see all these really great directors do great 206 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: and I got to see some do good and seeing 207 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 1: what worked and what didn't work, and seeing what work 208 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: with actor is not necessarily other actors and seeing how 209 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 1: they influence the camera. Those were all That was a 210 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: great education. I mean that was a great education. We're 211 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 1: shooting thirty plus, you know, forty page scripts five days 212 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: a week, and I got to see it. I got it. 213 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: It was such a great school. Yeah. It occurs to me, however, 214 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: that in the world of unscripted, when you're out there 215 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: shooting say the first season of Survivor or Fear Factor 216 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: or certainly Eco Challenge, where people are going I don't 217 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: know how many miles per hour just down a rapid, 218 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: you are in a way directing yourself. Now, I'm not 219 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: dismissing there are directors who are working with you and 220 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: you guys are talking about stuff. But that's the thing 221 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,959 Speaker 1: is that live in the moment shot you have to 222 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: make the choice because it's not repeatable, essentially correct, and 223 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: you know those those things. You know, there were producers 224 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: there who are basically writing down what happened. They weren't 225 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: saying can you get me a shot of this or 226 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: can you get me a shot of that? Oh? No, 227 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,199 Speaker 1: you know, we were we were camera operators who were 228 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: telling a story. We're definitely self directing, right, you know, 229 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: they couldn't keep up with where we were going at 230 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: times because I would go out with you know, the 231 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: contestants on a raft, or I'd go on a hike 232 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 1: with them and i'd you know, tell them what happened 233 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: on the way back. But in the first one, they 234 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: really weren't. There's nobody really directing camera. Yeah. I mean 235 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: you've talked about how how reality wasn't really your thing, 236 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: but clearly it taught you a lot at how do 237 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: you how do you think it prepared you for your 238 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: next career? I do think reality television makes gives people 239 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: some some people really great skills. It makes you know, 240 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: camera operators more autonomous and more story forward, so they're 241 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: telling the complete parts of a story. Worry. It also 242 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: does wonderful thing for editors. Editors are just taking this 243 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: mess of footage and weaving it into a story. So 244 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: editors are doing what writers normally do right into reality television. 245 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: So I think it gives everybody very very high level 246 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: of skill. It's also just the hours on the camera 247 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: or under the camera, shooting eight hours a day and 248 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: trying to make it look artful. That's great training. Whereas normally, 249 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: like on a TV show, but you're really rolling the 250 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: camera maybe two hours a day or something like that. Right, 251 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 1: It occurred to me when you were just talking. Do 252 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: you feel like when you were shooting there's a mess 253 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: of footage? Right, there's guys, you know, eating bugs or 254 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: surviving in one way or the other, or going down 255 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: the river. Do you feel like you started to self edit? 256 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: Did you start to construct shots thinking about how it 257 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: would fit together to tell a story of even a 258 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: character that you were watching. Absolutely, you know, I certainly 259 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: self editing and making a shot end and making a 260 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: story end and knowing how you know, just to let 261 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: them walk their foot go through the frame and they 262 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: walk off into the distance and you end the shot 263 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: and the shot at a big wide shot. So, I 264 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: mean the reality television it gets you, you know, how 265 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: you come into a scene and how you get out 266 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: of a scene. The stuff that happens happens in the middle. 267 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: That's up to them saying interesting stuff. But at the 268 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 1: beginning of a scene, the end of a scene, you 269 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: should be able to create those as as a camera operator. 270 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: Was there anything about the reality or unscripted that lent 271 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: itself to comedy specifically? Not really? Okay, you know, just 272 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: being that observational, verite style documentary that we were shooting, 273 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: just being a fly on the wall. I think it 274 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: was interesting. I don't know that it lent itself to comedy, 275 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: right per se. I think that, you know, yeah, but 276 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: it's interesting because you you know, you were obviously an 277 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: active participant as you were holding the camera in the office, 278 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: and oftentimes, you know, you would find things that were 279 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: happening in the room that buttoned a joke or buttoned 280 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: what was saying that wasn't necessarily scripted by a writer. 281 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 1: I guess that's sort of where I'm going with this, 282 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: Like somebody says something that the camera into the person 283 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: operating the camera into it's as funny, and there's one 284 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: of your famous like quick zip ins to a face 285 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: and then a pan over. You know a lot of 286 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: that stuff, and I don't think you guys ever got 287 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,719 Speaker 1: as much credit as you deserve for that. I mean 288 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: a lot of that times when people are laughing out 289 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,640 Speaker 1: loud as they're watching the show is due to what 290 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: you guys are doing with the camera as much as 291 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: the actors, as much as the writers or anything else. 292 00:17:54,480 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 1: Thank you. Yeah, we talked a lot about the office. 293 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: If you want, you can go back and listen to 294 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: Randall's deep dive into the show. He was great. I 295 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: made him cry. I remember that. Thanks man, But one 296 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 1: of the shows that comes out of the gate for you, Randall. 297 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: He begins getting opportunities to direct other shows, and Greg 298 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: Daniels lets him go, and eventually he decides that it's 299 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: time for him to move on and take that fifty 300 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: pound camera off his back and begin directing. My recollection 301 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: is is that you got hired to do a full 302 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: season of It's Always Sunny? How did that come about? Yeah? 303 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: I did. I got I got hired to do a 304 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: full season of It's Always Sunny. And when I first 305 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: I don't know if I can say this on here, 306 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: you can say whatever, say whatever. But I watched it 307 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: and I'm like, I don't know, it's I don't think 308 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: it's sad. It's not me. And I remember my agent 309 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: at the time he says, smoke a joint watch four. 310 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: So I'm like, oh no, this is really funds pretty 311 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:21,360 Speaker 1: good stuff. And I took it. I took the job 312 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 1: and I had a blast doing that. I had a 313 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: really good time on Sonny. It was it's really fast, 314 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 1: and I remember coming into it and the director I 315 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: watched for a couple of days on sad he says, look, 316 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: there's not much you can do. It's four people all 317 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: at once, like well, surely punctuation, so you know, I 318 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: can punctuate the jokes. I could certainly give you some 319 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 1: help with the comedic timing, but it came pretty well 320 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: banked because they all wrote it and then they all 321 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 1: acted in it. So what I could do there is 322 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: actually create ins and outs and punctuation to jokes and 323 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: had a blast doing And I love those guys. Why 324 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 1: do you think you were hired? Was there an experience 325 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: that that you had that that made them want want 326 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: you to come on for such a long time? I 327 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 1: think telling jokes with the camera from the office that 328 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 1: they did see that I could tell jokes and start 329 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,639 Speaker 1: scenes and begins you know, get get obviously at the beginning, 330 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: middle and the end, but also in a way that 331 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: amplified the comedy. Yeah, you know, it's always sunny. Is 332 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: certainly a cruder show, isn't the right word? Very different 333 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: than the office at that time or parks and recreation. 334 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: How was that for you working on that? Being so 335 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: different from where you had come from. You know, there 336 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: was always a lesson, I think, and everything they were 337 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: doing there there was a lesson by doing the wrong thing. 338 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: They there are points of view, were deplorable and completely wrong, 339 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: but in doing so there was a message I think 340 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: behind that. Yes, I mean all those characters, they're all 341 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 1: good people who were talking about things that um were 342 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:02,159 Speaker 1: relevant and important to them at the time and culturally important. 343 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 1: It's just that they were doing the wrong thing to 344 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: talk about it, and that was pretty funny. Yeah, It's 345 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: like Michael Stodd, Michael Scott was not that he was 346 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 1: always you know, it wasn't saying the right thing, but 347 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: it wasn't It wasn't mean spirit. It was just coming 348 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 1: from a place of not knowing any better, right, Yeah, 349 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,159 Speaker 1: I mean, I think the difference is and that's actually 350 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: my argument now for when people say you couldn't you 351 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: couldn't make the office today. You know, for me on 352 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: the office when he would say or do something inappropriate, 353 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: I don't know, to say the least, you had fifteen 354 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: other people telling you that that was not good what 355 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 1: he said. So it was an example, I think, and 356 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: always sunny. We didn't always see the other side of it, 357 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: which which just yeah, it's just that the tone of 358 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: it is different. What do you see as the show's 359 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: heart always sunny? I mean, I suppose the show is 360 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: hard as they have each other. As deplorable as all 361 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: of them are, they still have each other, right, And 362 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: I think that it's it's you know, leading leading by 363 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 1: bad example, right, all the all their things that they 364 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: gang does, this, gang fights, this gang fights that they 365 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: do it all in the wrong way. But they know 366 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: where they're all coming from. They know what the point 367 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 1: of view is. It's coming that they want to portray. Yeah, 368 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: so you you start in reality, you know, then you're 369 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: doing mockumentary. Now you're doing a show for an extended 370 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 1: period of time that the camera style is totally different. 371 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 1: Did you find that challenging in a way or were 372 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: you just continuing to roll down a trajectory? No, you know, 373 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:45,360 Speaker 1: I mean, for me, form follows function, and from day 374 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 1: one that I started on, it's always sunny. Is like, 375 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: I should have three cameras here because you want you 376 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: want this, you want bat and you want the Master. 377 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: You know, it's this not a precious show. It doesn't 378 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: need to look great. We should have three cameras rolling 379 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: on this, and so I introduced the third camera to 380 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,160 Speaker 1: my seasons It's Always Sunny, and they've never shot ever 381 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: again without three cameras, right, So that show is shot 382 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,680 Speaker 1: in three days. An episode of It's Always Sunny shot 383 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 1: in three days because it's three cameras going all at once. 384 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: And you know, to me that was the style of 385 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 1: the show is already established, and I don't think it's 386 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: a director's job to go and a guest director to 387 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: go create something that's, you know, not consistent with the 388 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: rest of the season. So I think guest directing it's 389 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,199 Speaker 1: always about doing the best job you can within the 390 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: constraints of the show and within the style of the show. Right. 391 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:43,680 Speaker 1: But that's pretty genius in terms of you seeing, well, look, 392 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 1: we're not going to change the style. We're just going 393 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: to make things more efficient and potentially at least more alive. 394 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: I e. The fewer takes you have is always better 395 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: as long as you can get it right. That makes 396 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: so much that I didn't know that there's that sense. 397 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: I think there's this thing if an actor thinks you're 398 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 1: going to do ten takes like some directors do on 399 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:12,359 Speaker 1: all shows, you see that there is a point of 400 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: diminishing returns and being aware of those. If you're going 401 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: in and you think they think you're going to do 402 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:22,960 Speaker 1: four takes, you're gonna get four great takes. Everybody's just 403 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 1: gonna leave it out there, you know they're gonna really 404 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,359 Speaker 1: And that's I think there's some wisdom in that, is 405 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: actress just believing he's only gonna do three takes, right, 406 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: and you're gonna get the gold and then and then 407 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: you can keep digging, digging if you think there's more 408 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: in there. I'm sorry, like I'm digging away. You're so digging. 409 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,439 Speaker 1: I'm like someone is just digging the hell out of you. 410 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: A group chat um you that just reminded me of 411 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: us working together and being in the conference room or 412 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: somewhere and just the side looks that you and I 413 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: would of each other and others when it was like 414 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: we're going again, we're going again, we're going again, and 415 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: at some point someone would say, why tell us what 416 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 1: we're not getting. We'll do it. I promise you just 417 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 1: tell us what we're not getting so we can do it. 418 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: You know, it's always sunny. It's so crazy that you 419 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 1: just told me that because one of the things that 420 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: I was going to say to you is it's always 421 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 1: felt to me like a multi cam show like it 422 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: just even though it's not, and I know it's not, 423 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: but it has that feel and that style in a way. 424 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: It's always felt that way to me. So that's that's 425 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: so interesting that you kind of forced it into that 426 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: you finish that, and I think this, for me is 427 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: what I'm the most proud of you for. You start 428 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,640 Speaker 1: working on a couple of things which are huge changes. 429 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: One is Wilfred that I came and joined you for 430 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: a tiny bit on that, and also Fargo, which I 431 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 1: consider to be one of the most underappreciated, not that 432 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 1: people don't love it, but it's never talked about so 433 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: much for some reason, and I don't exactly know why, 434 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:27,360 Speaker 1: but it is a brilliant show. And again, these are 435 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 1: two shows that don't follow your lineage from the way 436 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 1: that they're shot to really the tone you know from 437 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:39,400 Speaker 1: the office and then to always sunny. First, let's talk 438 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 1: about Wilfred. How did that come about? So I read 439 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: the script of Wilfred and I you know, I lived 440 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,439 Speaker 1: in Australia for seventeen years and I was amazed when 441 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 1: I read that script, but I didn't know about the 442 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 1: show existing in Australia. It felt so much in my 443 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 1: wheelhouse for firm a show that I would like, and 444 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: I'm always attracted to high degree of difficulty and I 445 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: read that script and I thought, Wow, I can really 446 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: make a mess of this. Wow, that's gonna make me 447 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: try it even harder. And so I just thought I 448 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: was really attractive. If I could pull this off, this 449 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:22,679 Speaker 1: really interesting obscure tone, that'll be really fun, that'll be 450 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,400 Speaker 1: something special. So I think it's like me and paddling 451 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: Whitewater's the bigger, the harder, the rapid, the more exciting 452 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: it is to do it. And like many things with me, 453 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: I just think you really enjoy that high degree of difficulty. 454 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,919 Speaker 1: I think it makes you pay attention more, you know, 455 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 1: keeps you on your feet and that's exciting. Yeah, if 456 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 1: you haven't checked out Wilfred everybody, you definitely should. It's 457 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: one of those where you're like, what, what the what? 458 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:57,959 Speaker 1: But you really gave the show heart. I felt like 459 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:04,879 Speaker 1: I found it very funny, totally bizarre, but really relatable 460 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: and human and realistic in a bizarre way. Yeah, I 461 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: really enjoyed that I came to play with you for 462 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 1: a couple of episodes, and I think you may have 463 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:21,880 Speaker 1: told me this that you guys were trying to get 464 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: Robin Williams on the show, and I was like his 465 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:33,199 Speaker 1: orderly and he wanted people for his orderlies that he 466 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,879 Speaker 1: had worked with before, something like that, or you were 467 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: trying to make him more comfortable because he and I 468 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 1: had worked together before. Do you remember all of that? No, No, 469 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: I just remember loving you and wanting to work with you. Okay, well, 470 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: perfect orderly with a fake head. Yeah. It was a 471 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 1: weird episode, very weird, very weird. I remember Robin Williams 472 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 1: after we do a bunch of takes, he says he 473 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: said to me, says he bought some boss, can I 474 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: try something? I'm like, you could do whatever you want, 475 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: thank you? Yeah? God, yeah. But we shot that show 476 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 1: on Stills cameras. Do you remember that? Now? I do 477 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: shot that entire series on Still's camera as long vintage 478 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: lenses I bought off eBay And that was from the pilot. 479 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: Is like, you know, form follows function. I wanted I 480 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 1: wanted Elijah's dementia to be mirrored visually, so anytime he 481 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 1: was going deep into his dementia. We would shoot on 482 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 1: these We would shoot in a seventy millimeter aspect ratio, 483 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: and the only way you can do shoot seventy millimeter 484 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: aspect ratio is by shooting seventy millimeter film, which is 485 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: crazy expensive, or shooting on these stills cameras and these 486 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 1: nice old vintage lenses that were the depth of field 487 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 1: was so shallow. It gave the show a really cool 488 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: look and we ended up winning an Award for cinematography 489 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: on that show. That is I totally forgot that you 490 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: did that. How did they let you do that? That 491 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,719 Speaker 1: is so crazy? It is crazy. I can't believe we 492 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,479 Speaker 1: did it. I'm like, I was convinced that this is 493 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: this is what I wanted to do, and it it worked, 494 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: It really did. And you know, that was my very 495 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: first pilot. But yeah, we cold. You can buy those 496 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,719 Speaker 1: cameras at costco. How many of those did you direct? Uh? 497 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: Fifty one of fifty four? Dear goodness? Yeah, wow, yeah, wow, folks, 498 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: that doesn't happen. Just so you know, unless you're in 499 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: a b unless you're d you're really shooting a multi 500 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 1: camera show, then it can happen. Jimmy Burrows can do that, 501 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: but not many others who are shooting other shows. How 502 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 1: did you make that work with scouting locations and everything else? 503 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 1: How did you do that? Um? Well, we had you know, 504 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: we'd have, um, you have all all the episodes written 505 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: all at once, and so we shot it. You'd shoot 506 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: a movie, you'd shoot scene fourteen from episode ten right 507 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 1: next to scene one from episode you know two, and 508 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: so you had just had to keep all that in 509 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: order and had to really pay attention continuity. And so 510 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: what what we used to do on that show is 511 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: I would I would we would be doing scenes that 512 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 1: were after a scene we wouldn't be shooting for weeks. 513 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 1: So I would say, okay, let's go read the scene 514 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: right before this scene so we know where we're coming here, 515 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 1: and so the actors would kind of we'd perform it 516 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: and then they would figure out where they need to 517 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: be in this scene even though we hadn't shot that 518 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: scene before, which that happens all the time, but never 519 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: so much is you know, episode ten and episode one 520 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: shooting at the same day. But then again I had 521 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: Elijah Wood who shot three movies at once, you know right, 522 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: Well that yeah, I mean, that's it that's a long movie. Yeah. 523 00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: I mean if you're doing six and a half seven 524 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 1: hour mo wow, yeah, wow, then I want to Fargo. 525 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: Fargo is one of my favorites. I mean, you and 526 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: I've talked about it. How did you get? How did 527 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: you get? Now? Was this your relationship on Wilfred and 528 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: with the network? Is that how they allowed you to 529 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 1: come into Fargo? Yeah? You know, I had I had 530 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: an overall deal at Effects for some time, and I 531 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 1: knew John Landgraff and I had some development there. But 532 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: I think, you know, looking at Fargo in my body 533 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: of work, that's kind of a jump that I would 534 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: be eligible for something like that. But I had also 535 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: done Nurse Jackie by this point. I did the final 536 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: two episodes of one season, and then I came back 537 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: and was executive producer and director of the next season. 538 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 1: And when I look at that show, I don't I 539 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: think totally it is a half hour, but totally it 540 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 1: shares some a lot of DNA with hours. So I 541 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 1: submitted and said, look, you know, yes, I have this 542 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 1: body of work that is I mean, Wilfred had some 543 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: heavy stuff and it's some really dramatic stuff in it, 544 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 1: But I said look at look at the show Nurse 545 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: Jackie and consider that it's not really the comedy of 546 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: that show is not what I was interested in. And 547 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:18,120 Speaker 1: Eric Schreyer watched it, watched my episodes of Nurse Jackie, 548 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: and he said, yeah, I totally get it. And so 549 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 1: that's how I got on Fargo, is somebody actually being 550 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 1: open minded enough to look at a half hour and 551 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 1: consider it how that would translate into an hour if 552 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 1: I was to direct Fargo. What was different about working 553 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: on Fargo than anything you've done before. It was really cold. 554 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 1: It's really really cold, you know. But comedies you tend 555 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: to shoot both angles. I mean, I think that's that's 556 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: the best way to shoot comedy, is that everybody's getting 557 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 1: everything all at once. The actors are feeding off each other, 558 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 1: You're never missing a moment. Fargo, like Nurse Jackie, was 559 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: much more composed, and you were actually lighting the DP 560 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 1: was actually lighting shots, not scenes. So you really needed 561 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: to break it down and think, Okay, I'm going I 562 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: know I'm opening with this, I want to come close 563 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 1: in on Martin or Billy Bob, and you know, you're 564 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,920 Speaker 1: shooting one side at a time. So that's a very 565 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,480 Speaker 1: different thing. Than just like what we do in comedy 566 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,239 Speaker 1: a lot our times is it just has to be 567 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: more planned. It takes a lot longer, that's for sure. 568 00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: You know the waffle Hut scene. There's the pilot of 569 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 1: episode season two. There's a waffle Hut scene where Kieran 570 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,239 Speaker 1: Culkin comes in and shoots his way out of the 571 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:38,120 Speaker 1: waffle hut. And we didn't have enough This is winter 572 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 1: in Calgary. We didn't have enough nighttime to shoot the 573 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: amount of shots we needed for that scene. So we 574 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:50,719 Speaker 1: built that set on green screen and we shot all 575 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 1: shot that everything on green screen, and then we took 576 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:56,959 Speaker 1: that set and built it out in the tun drop 577 00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:59,359 Speaker 1: in the snow and shot the rest of it because 578 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: we had in side to outside links and so on 579 00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: and so forth. So you know, it really required having 580 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:09,960 Speaker 1: a real good plan is how that would all come 581 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: together to shoot the same scene on two locations. It's 582 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:17,080 Speaker 1: pretty interesting you talked before about when you don't direct 583 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: a pilot, when you come into a show like for example, 584 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 1: it's always sunny and you're tied to that form that exists, 585 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 1: and you feel like your job is to do it 586 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 1: as well as you can, but not to mess with 587 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 1: the form that's there. Did you feel a pressure or 588 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 1: was there an attempt by you to channel the Cohen Brothers. 589 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I know that sounds weird, but like that show, 590 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:48,319 Speaker 1: and partly why I find it so well done is 591 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:53,680 Speaker 1: I feel like the shots come straight out of the 592 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:56,160 Speaker 1: Cone Brothers. Yeah, you know, so if you look at 593 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,880 Speaker 1: the couplet of the Cone Brothers stuff. Certainly like Fargo. 594 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 1: The only long lens shot in all of Fargo everything 595 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 1: was like twenty nine thirty two forty mills a long 596 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:08,840 Speaker 1: lens on Fargo, right, it was all shot pretty wide. 597 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 1: The only long lens shot is the opening shot of 598 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:17,160 Speaker 1: the car. Yeah, and that was shot by the second 599 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:20,359 Speaker 1: unit DP, just out on his own. They told us, 600 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 1: they said, go get a shot of a car driving, 601 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,359 Speaker 1: and so he did this really really long lens shot 602 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:27,880 Speaker 1: of the car driving. And I remember in my episode, 603 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 1: so it's the moment where all our Platque's character finds 604 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 1: the cash, that's the money, and I remember I shot 605 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:42,760 Speaker 1: it exactly the same way. I shot it really really 606 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,280 Speaker 1: really long lens. So yeah, very cognizant, very very aware 607 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 1: of paying tribute to how that that film was done. 608 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,759 Speaker 1: And I was really that was really fun. It was 609 00:36:53,800 --> 00:37:14,400 Speaker 1: really cool. He worked on so many amazing shows that 610 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:17,880 Speaker 1: we've discussed in that the Muppets as well, Nurse Jackie. 611 00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:21,720 Speaker 1: You bring up Parks and Wreck and many many more. 612 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:27,880 Speaker 1: Abbot Elementary is your current show that is a smash 613 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:35,719 Speaker 1: bang boom success. You returned now to a documentary or 614 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:43,560 Speaker 1: mockumentary style show. How did you get involved with Abbot Elementary? Um? 615 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 1: I got sent to the script by Quinta, and you know, 616 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 1: we really hit it off. And up until this point, 617 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 1: I had a moratorium on Zooms. I wasn't going to 618 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 1: do any more zooms. I's gonna take that out of 619 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,319 Speaker 1: my TOOLSHD. But you know when I when I heard 620 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:00,120 Speaker 1: the story and met Quinta, it was like, this is 621 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:04,399 Speaker 1: a story about unsung heroes. And you know, I think 622 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,800 Speaker 1: everybody's got a teacher in their life that means something 623 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 1: to them if they remember something about and they were 624 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,319 Speaker 1: affected in some way. I really fell in love with 625 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 1: with what teachers do? You know? Being a public school teacher, 626 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:24,040 Speaker 1: you're you're you're gonna make not enough money. You're not 627 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 1: going to be well enough paid for the important job 628 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,160 Speaker 1: that you do. Absolutely, yeah, Therefore, the reasons you're doing 629 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 1: it for are all the right reasons, and I just 630 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 1: felt like this would be this would be a really 631 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:40,239 Speaker 1: you know, nice love letter to teachers, but also just 632 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 1: meeting Quinta us, like, Okay, you're something special. Yes, I 633 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:46,759 Speaker 1: would like to do your pilots very much, thank you. 634 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: And I did. And it's funny like I ended up 635 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:52,680 Speaker 1: shooting a lot of that pilot. I actually operated the 636 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:56,640 Speaker 1: camera on every every camera on every scene. We had 637 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:58,839 Speaker 1: three cameras, and I would just take one camera to time, 638 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:01,279 Speaker 1: then I'd moved on to camera and move on next 639 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:04,200 Speaker 1: camera so that the operator that wasn't operating at that 640 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: moment could see what I was doing and why I 641 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:10,920 Speaker 1: was doing it. Because it's really hard to train teach instincts. 642 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:14,280 Speaker 1: You know, they could observe the instinct, but I didn't 643 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:17,799 Speaker 1: really have the words to tell them about the instinct, right, 644 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:20,799 Speaker 1: you know. I would always talk to the cameraman like 645 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:24,640 Speaker 1: you would talk to um an actor. You know this, 646 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:28,799 Speaker 1: you know she knows this, you know he he does 647 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 1: not know she knows this, and that would really inform 648 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:33,880 Speaker 1: the camera's point of view. But only on the pilot 649 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: in particular, I operated the camera because I thought that 650 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 1: that was that was something I could bring in terms 651 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:43,200 Speaker 1: of the style. And now we've got really great camera 652 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:46,280 Speaker 1: operators and um, I don't do that so much anymore. 653 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,759 Speaker 1: They did the camera operators, Uh, share your lineage and 654 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:54,360 Speaker 1: come from reality TV or no? Yeah, yeah yeah. The 655 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 1: camera operators on on Avid Elementary all come from reality 656 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: television and documentaries. Wow. I think it proves really good skills. 657 00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:08,240 Speaker 1: Why was it the best choice in terms of style 658 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: for this show? I think what I liked about it 659 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 1: is what I like about documentaries is you have this 660 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:20,839 Speaker 1: veneer of people being very earnest and very real at 661 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 1: times when they don't think they're being observed, you know, 662 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:27,200 Speaker 1: So those long lens shots of like Pam and Jim, 663 00:40:27,239 --> 00:40:31,200 Speaker 1: and those long lens shots of Gregory and Jeanine, you 664 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:34,520 Speaker 1: can put this veneer on it that it there's an 665 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 1: air of authenticity that I think comes through you when 666 00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: you back up on the backup away from the characters 667 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:44,400 Speaker 1: and zoom into the lens. So I think what I 668 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:47,359 Speaker 1: like about the mocumentaries. I love the notion that you're 669 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:50,840 Speaker 1: catching these people when they don't know they're being watched, 670 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:54,000 Speaker 1: or if they know they are being watched, how they 671 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:57,279 Speaker 1: interact like when you catch Steve saying something that, oh, 672 00:40:57,400 --> 00:40:59,800 Speaker 1: I know, I just said something that's not entirely great, 673 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,480 Speaker 1: there's something really fun about that. There's another layer of it. Yeah, 674 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 1: there's there's just another layer of comedy and another layer 675 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,640 Speaker 1: of of heart you can find. I think by making 676 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 1: it a mocumentary, you talked about wanting to show the 677 00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:17,960 Speaker 1: teachers as as being heroes. Using this style, does this 678 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:21,600 Speaker 1: help you accomplish that goal in a way or get 679 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:24,359 Speaker 1: to know the characters more. I think it helps you 680 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:27,440 Speaker 1: find them when they're being selfless in a real, honest 681 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:30,840 Speaker 1: way and seeing them do the right thing. Even Ava 682 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:34,080 Speaker 1: Ava's going to grow it like this much each season, 683 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,560 Speaker 1: you know, because she's still all about self. But when 684 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:40,400 Speaker 1: you see those real moments that they're playing so real 685 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:43,799 Speaker 1: because of this veneer that you put on it, it's 686 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 1: just rich. It just it just hits you as a viewer. 687 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:50,120 Speaker 1: I agree. I really like. I actually I really like 688 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: when you activate a viewer and you make them to 689 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,759 Speaker 1: trying to look around a corner. Yes, I remember doing 690 00:41:56,920 --> 00:42:00,200 Speaker 1: on Fargo that I was doing these dolly pushes that 691 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:06,840 Speaker 1: the dolly grip some slower, even slower, annoyingly slow, like 692 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 1: annoyingly slow, and there you're agitating the viewer. You're you're 693 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:14,960 Speaker 1: poking at them, You're getting them kissed off, or you 694 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 1: know whatever. It is apprehension. You know, it's an interesting thing, 695 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:21,320 Speaker 1: and I think that a mockumentary has the ability to 696 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:25,320 Speaker 1: really make the viewer a participant rather than a passenger. 697 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:29,359 Speaker 1: Do you feel like, like on the Office, are the 698 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:33,600 Speaker 1: cameras in Abbot elementary? Are they? Are they characters? Do 699 00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:37,440 Speaker 1: they have a perspective? Yeah? I think so. I think 700 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 1: certain actors have different relationships and thretained cameras. Yeah, like 701 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:43,919 Speaker 1: Tyler James Williams. He talks about that that there's one 702 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:48,640 Speaker 1: camera operator, Jeremiah, who catches him all the time. It's 703 00:42:48,719 --> 00:42:51,799 Speaker 1: like and I look up, there he is, there, he is. 704 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 1: Our camera operators are really great, um friend and Jeremiah 705 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:59,040 Speaker 1: and Drew really good camera operators. And I think they're 706 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:02,000 Speaker 1: all looking for something all the time. In your first 707 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,160 Speaker 1: meeting with Greg Daniels on the Office, you talked about 708 00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:08,520 Speaker 1: the office being the tofu hot dog, the good food 709 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:10,920 Speaker 1: wrapped like junk food. Do you think that applies to 710 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 1: Abbot as well? Yeah? I suppose it does, you know, 711 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:19,319 Speaker 1: but I wanted I wanted Abbot to look. I mean, 712 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 1: you know, the office had its a look that people 713 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,920 Speaker 1: came there from nine to five, punch the clock. The 714 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:28,040 Speaker 1: only one who really wanted to stay or you know, 715 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:32,560 Speaker 1: is Michael and Dwight. And that's if you know. Dwight 716 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:35,840 Speaker 1: wanted to stay longer because more time with Michael. Yeah, 717 00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:37,799 Speaker 1: everybody else is like just punch of the clock, they're 718 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:40,439 Speaker 1: ready to go home. So it kind of had a 719 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:45,840 Speaker 1: flatter look you look forward to getting out of Abbot. 720 00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:49,440 Speaker 1: I really wanted it to make these people look like heroes. 721 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:55,960 Speaker 1: So we certainly lighted a lot prettier and shoot on 722 00:43:56,320 --> 00:44:00,399 Speaker 1: prettier lenses just to make these people look as good 723 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:05,920 Speaker 1: as they deserve. To any favorite memories so far shooting, Oh, 724 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:08,719 Speaker 1: I remember, I'm the pilot. We were trying to get 725 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 1: the kids to be quiet, and this is during COVID, right, 726 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:15,440 Speaker 1: and they're six years old and seven years old, and 727 00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:17,839 Speaker 1: they've never been Most of them have never been on 728 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:20,960 Speaker 1: a film set before. None of them had been in 729 00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:25,759 Speaker 1: school for like a year, ye right. None of them 730 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:28,319 Speaker 1: had been in a room with thirty other six year 731 00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:33,600 Speaker 1: olds in two years. So they were going crazy, rest 732 00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:37,160 Speaker 1: going crazy, and it was It was the greatest. It 733 00:44:37,239 --> 00:44:39,759 Speaker 1: was so cool, and you know we're old trying okay, 734 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:44,920 Speaker 1: quiet quiet, please quiet please? Yeah, right, yes, seriously quiet quietly, 735 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 1: got quiet down, and Quinton and I are just trying 736 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:49,880 Speaker 1: in adies are trying to get me be quiet, and 737 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:52,239 Speaker 1: Cheryl leave. Ralph walks in the room and she says, 738 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:56,839 Speaker 1: good morning, class. My name is Cheryl Lee. I am 739 00:44:56,920 --> 00:45:00,239 Speaker 1: your teacher today. What do we do when I say yet, 740 00:45:01,239 --> 00:45:05,359 Speaker 1: we'd be quiet? We did really good casting here. This 741 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:10,040 Speaker 1: is great. We're gonna be hit. Quin and I were like, 742 00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:15,800 Speaker 1: oh my god, you well you apparently you guys didn't 743 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,319 Speaker 1: get the memo like the hardest things to work with 744 00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:22,399 Speaker 1: or what animals and children? How is that still? They? 745 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:26,000 Speaker 1: I mean, talk about the challenges of that on a 746 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:28,840 Speaker 1: day to day basis, On a day to day basis, 747 00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:33,000 Speaker 1: they make everybody smile. There you go. They make everything 748 00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 1: harder and everything better every day. It's so cool. Add 749 00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:41,919 Speaker 1: kids do it and everything gets real, real, real. One 750 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:45,279 Speaker 1: there's you know, they have a they pumpkin, you know, 751 00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:48,800 Speaker 1: sit there quietly at you know, act like you're coloring, 752 00:45:49,040 --> 00:45:51,839 Speaker 1: but don't make any sounds. You know. Oh, you can 753 00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:54,640 Speaker 1: only use one one pen. One pen color because we 754 00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:56,560 Speaker 1: hear your pen go down, you pick up another one, 755 00:45:57,160 --> 00:45:59,600 Speaker 1: or we hear you move in your chair. So there's 756 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:01,719 Speaker 1: a really used by day, you know, used by day 757 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:05,480 Speaker 1: with the kids is that they're gonna get bored and 758 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:08,719 Speaker 1: therefore we all need to do our work and we 759 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:10,719 Speaker 1: need to have it together. We need to have a plan. 760 00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:14,160 Speaker 1: So the actors are very aware of that. They see 761 00:46:14,239 --> 00:46:19,000 Speaker 1: them turn and getting bored and restless. And exactly these 762 00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:24,320 Speaker 1: actors are. They act like their teachers, and they they 763 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:27,600 Speaker 1: they embody their teachers to get what we need out 764 00:46:27,640 --> 00:46:30,280 Speaker 1: of the kids. Out of the kids are the greatest. 765 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:32,040 Speaker 1: You know. There was a little boy in the pilot, 766 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:35,560 Speaker 1: this boy named Abraham whom Janine's telling him to turn 767 00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:38,760 Speaker 1: around and be quiet, and then starts counting to three 768 00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:42,560 Speaker 1: and he just does this. He just did that on 769 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:46,080 Speaker 1: his own. He just did that on his own. So okay, 770 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:51,480 Speaker 1: I'm not ignoring you, ignoring you. And he's um and 771 00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:54,120 Speaker 1: he's been he's been in the show so much in 772 00:46:54,160 --> 00:46:56,719 Speaker 1: the background. We've used him for stuff that because he's 773 00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:59,440 Speaker 1: really smart, he's gonna do great work. We've given him lines. 774 00:46:59,760 --> 00:47:03,880 Speaker 1: We given you know, so many kids, so many lines, 775 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:07,600 Speaker 1: and when they get their chance. Oh they're so you know, 776 00:47:07,640 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 1: I remember Abraham came up to me, you know, in 777 00:47:10,160 --> 00:47:14,439 Speaker 1: the first season he says, so, mister Randall, sir, is there, 778 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:17,680 Speaker 1: how what can I do to prove myself that I 779 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:20,960 Speaker 1: deserve a line? I can handle a lot. I'm like, dude, 780 00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:22,960 Speaker 1: You've already done it. I'm just waiting for the moment 781 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:26,839 Speaker 1: to give you a line. And now we're giving just 782 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:29,279 Speaker 1: finding these kids that you know, they focus on you 783 00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:31,440 Speaker 1: and they make eye contact even even though you have 784 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:35,040 Speaker 1: a mask on, and they you could see them paying attention. 785 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:39,359 Speaker 1: And we're giving all these cool kids these really cool opportunities. 786 00:47:39,400 --> 00:47:42,799 Speaker 1: I think it's really fun. That's awesome. It's really cool. 787 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:47,240 Speaker 1: Speaking of awesome, a few weeks ago, the show Abbott 788 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:51,200 Speaker 1: Elementary basically it sweeps the Golden Globes. Can you talk 789 00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:54,719 Speaker 1: about this? How did that feels? I mean, it's really cool. 790 00:47:54,719 --> 00:47:58,000 Speaker 1: I mean feeling the love that we're getting is incredible. 791 00:47:58,120 --> 00:48:01,120 Speaker 1: And you know, it's funny because I look into the 792 00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:04,360 Speaker 1: other shows that we're competing against, and they're not twenty 793 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:08,480 Speaker 1: one minute thirty second shows. They're they're twenty eight minutes, 794 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:11,640 Speaker 1: they're twenty two minutes. They're thirty one minutes, they're sixteen 795 00:48:11,640 --> 00:48:14,560 Speaker 1: minutes whatever a show needs to be, right. What I'm 796 00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:16,840 Speaker 1: so proud of is that we're making we're making this 797 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:21,120 Speaker 1: show under the constraints of network television, which I don't 798 00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:26,680 Speaker 1: think has been done successfully like this in quite some time. Again. Um, 799 00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:29,719 Speaker 1: so that that I find very rewarding and being you know, 800 00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:35,839 Speaker 1: competing against you know, Barry and the Bear. You read 801 00:48:36,480 --> 00:48:39,920 Speaker 1: you're listening to who our actors are up against, and 802 00:48:39,960 --> 00:48:42,840 Speaker 1: they're they're they're all sitting there at the table just like, 803 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:46,680 Speaker 1: oh my god, I'll look against blah blah. It's it's 804 00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:50,080 Speaker 1: it's crazy, it's really cool. It's so nice to feel 805 00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:52,359 Speaker 1: the love. It's I think that the reason the show 806 00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:56,600 Speaker 1: has such such such success is it resonates with everybody 807 00:48:56,600 --> 00:49:00,480 Speaker 1: because everybody's had a teacher, everybody's had this really relationship, 808 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:06,120 Speaker 1: you know, and Quinta has put together a really cool show, 809 00:49:06,239 --> 00:49:09,040 Speaker 1: Like we've been here together since the beginning, and she's 810 00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:14,440 Speaker 1: incredible and just an incredible leader. She knows everybody's name 811 00:49:14,480 --> 00:49:17,359 Speaker 1: on set. She's a great leader and a really good 812 00:49:17,400 --> 00:49:20,919 Speaker 1: human being. So that's awesome. Yeah, it's good to see 813 00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:24,759 Speaker 1: those people rewarded. Yeah, and you know it is you 814 00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:27,880 Speaker 1: bring up a great point about network television. It is 815 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:32,839 Speaker 1: so has becomes so rare because the constraints are real. 816 00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:36,200 Speaker 1: It forces you into a very specific type of form, 817 00:49:36,719 --> 00:49:40,240 Speaker 1: a type of storytelling, given the time constraints and how 818 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:45,439 Speaker 1: the acts have to be structured for commercial Where. How 819 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:49,400 Speaker 1: do you feel like Abbot Elementary can help future network 820 00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:53,239 Speaker 1: television shows and how do you think it and where 821 00:49:53,239 --> 00:49:55,759 Speaker 1: do you see network television going? Why do you keep 822 00:49:55,800 --> 00:49:58,680 Speaker 1: working on them? I mean, you know what I like 823 00:49:58,800 --> 00:50:03,480 Speaker 1: about it being on network television is like some of 824 00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:06,279 Speaker 1: the subject matter that we're dealing with can go to 825 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:12,040 Speaker 1: every home in America, whatever political, you know, socioeconomic type 826 00:50:12,040 --> 00:50:14,840 Speaker 1: of house. That is. We're talking about things that I 827 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:17,919 Speaker 1: think are are important, and I think it's really fun. 828 00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:20,880 Speaker 1: It's really fun to push the boundaries like that. I 829 00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:22,760 Speaker 1: did another show called The Mick. I did the pilot 830 00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:25,120 Speaker 1: for the show called The Mick YEP and it was 831 00:50:25,160 --> 00:50:28,880 Speaker 1: like the show could have been on streaming or cable, 832 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:32,319 Speaker 1: but I really enjoyed the fact that it's it's on 833 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:35,239 Speaker 1: network and it's really fun to see what you can 834 00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:38,840 Speaker 1: get away with, Yeah, by pushing those boundaries. And what 835 00:50:38,920 --> 00:50:42,200 Speaker 1: I also like is it's it's reaching a lot of people. 836 00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:47,160 Speaker 1: That's an awesome answer, because I think with the decentralization, 837 00:50:47,520 --> 00:50:49,520 Speaker 1: if you will, if that's the way to say it, 838 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:52,839 Speaker 1: with all the streaming services, it's true, there's a lot 839 00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:57,960 Speaker 1: of amazing work and you can see things now being 840 00:50:58,000 --> 00:51:01,799 Speaker 1: done that you couldn't before. That's a good thing. But 841 00:51:01,840 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 1: it's also a good thing to have the challenge of 842 00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:10,960 Speaker 1: making a show that attempts to be more universal, or 843 00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:14,560 Speaker 1: at least, you know, attempts to appeal to a universality 844 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:18,759 Speaker 1: and not a niche market. I think that's that's really 845 00:51:18,800 --> 00:51:22,839 Speaker 1: well said. Good for you, thank you, Yeah, good luck 846 00:51:22,880 --> 00:51:28,160 Speaker 1: on the pilot. I'm sure it'll be a freaking gangbuster, 847 00:51:28,719 --> 00:51:34,520 Speaker 1: huge success. Like seemingly everything you touch you look amazing. 848 00:51:35,239 --> 00:51:40,960 Speaker 1: I love your face, and uh, it's so good to 849 00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:43,920 Speaker 1: catch up. Let's open a bottle of wine. Oh I 850 00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:47,040 Speaker 1: love that. Let's open a bottle of wine. So I 851 00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:50,560 Speaker 1: got I go. I go away in three weeks time 852 00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:53,279 Speaker 1: the Grand Canyon. So I'm prepping for three weeks. I 853 00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:56,360 Speaker 1: go away for three weeks while the rest of the 854 00:51:56,400 --> 00:51:59,360 Speaker 1: pilot preps. I get off the river. On the twenty 855 00:51:59,360 --> 00:52:03,160 Speaker 1: seventh table, read on the twenty eight, start shooting two 856 00:52:03,200 --> 00:52:06,680 Speaker 1: days after that, so it's gonna be busy. You'll be 857 00:52:06,760 --> 00:52:10,359 Speaker 1: rested and relax. I'll be rested. Well, let's let's let's 858 00:52:10,360 --> 00:52:12,239 Speaker 1: open a bottle of line when I get back. I'm 859 00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:15,080 Speaker 1: so happy for you. Thank you so much, my pleasure. 860 00:52:15,239 --> 00:52:30,520 Speaker 1: Good to see you, brother, You too, Randall. Oh man, 861 00:52:30,600 --> 00:52:34,080 Speaker 1: this was so special. It is so amazing to see 862 00:52:34,080 --> 00:52:37,960 Speaker 1: you again and hear all about Abbott. You know what 863 00:52:37,960 --> 00:52:41,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do. Someday, I'm gonna make my own documentary 864 00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:45,319 Speaker 1: about your life, but I'm probably gonna need you to 865 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:49,640 Speaker 1: shoot it anyway. Listeners, thank you for being here. I 866 00:52:49,680 --> 00:52:52,719 Speaker 1: hope you enjoyed this week's Off the Beat strike that 867 00:52:52,880 --> 00:52:56,839 Speaker 1: I know you did. How could you not, because I 868 00:52:56,840 --> 00:52:59,879 Speaker 1: I really did. Make sure you tune in next week 869 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:03,479 Speaker 1: and leave a comment on our Instagram page at Off 870 00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:07,160 Speaker 1: the Beat if you would, or go to Apple Podcasts. 871 00:53:07,560 --> 00:53:12,120 Speaker 1: I can't tell you how helpful that is. Also, let 872 00:53:12,160 --> 00:53:16,040 Speaker 1: us know who you want to see on the podcast. 873 00:53:16,400 --> 00:53:25,920 Speaker 1: We'll see you next week. Off the Beat is hosted 874 00:53:25,960 --> 00:53:30,400 Speaker 1: an executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive 875 00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:34,520 Speaker 1: producer Lang Lee. Our senior producer is Diego Tapia. Our 876 00:53:34,560 --> 00:53:38,480 Speaker 1: producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and Emily Carr. Our 877 00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:42,600 Speaker 1: talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary and our intern is 878 00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:46,879 Speaker 1: Sammy Katz. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by 879 00:53:47,200 --> 00:54:04,320 Speaker 1: the one and only Creed Brett,