WEBVTT - Matt Sohn 0:00:05.320 --> 0:00:08.280 My name is Matt Soon. I was a camera operator. 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:11.080 I was a director of photography, and I was a 0:00:11.160 --> 0:00:20.520 director of the TV show at the Office. Hello one 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:25.120 and all, thank you for joining me on another episode 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:28.840 of the Office Deep Dive. It is so great to 0:00:28.920 --> 0:00:32.200 have you here. I am your host, Brian baum Gartner. 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:37.000 Now today we are diving deeper into our camera as 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:43.000 character mini series with a conversation with my dear, dear friend, 0:00:43.800 --> 0:00:48.760 Matt Son. Matt was hired by Randall Einhorn as his 0:00:48.920 --> 0:00:52.839 camera operator starting in season one, and then Matt went 0:00:52.880 --> 0:00:56.800 on to replace Randall as our director of photography, and 0:00:56.840 --> 0:01:01.240 then eventually, just like Randall, became a big time director. 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:03.720 In fact, he's so big. I had to travel to 0:01:03.800 --> 0:01:07.280 New York to conduct this interview, which I would not 0:01:07.480 --> 0:01:11.400 do for just anyone. Let's be clear, And speaking of 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:14.679 New York. In my conversation with John Krasinski, who I 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:18.400 also spoke to in New York, I explained that Matt 0:01:18.440 --> 0:01:21.560 and I had a very special relationship on set. As 0:01:21.560 --> 0:01:24.319 I told John, I thought of it like a quarterback 0:01:24.360 --> 0:01:27.960 and a wide receiver, where Matt would give me a 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:30.600 nod and I'd know he was going to toss the 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:33.880 camera to me for a button or a look of 0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:36.880 some kind. And when I told John this, as you 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:41.880 may recall, John ripped me apart for saying that. But 0:01:43.000 --> 0:01:48.240 let's just say in this interview, I get fully vindicated. 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:55.320 So take that, Mr Krasinski. Um. In addition to being 0:01:55.840 --> 0:01:59.040 the quarterback to my wide receiver, Matt is an all 0:01:59.080 --> 0:02:04.440 around fantastic guy, and he shared so many wonderful insights 0:02:04.480 --> 0:02:08.200 about what made our show truly special. So sit back 0:02:08.680 --> 0:02:15.040 and enjoy my conversation with the very wise, always correct, 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:27.320 never wrong John Matt Song, Bubble and Squeak. I love it, 0:02:27.800 --> 0:02:33.520 Bubble and squeak on Bubble and Squeaker. Cook at every 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:47.760 month left over from the night before. Oh there is. 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:57.440 I was just reading your text messages. You you look 0:02:57.720 --> 0:03:04.079 way way less haggard than Ram this full beautiful thing 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:07.600 like he's got. I think he's trying to emulate Larry 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:14.560 Charles right with the beard. No, you look very I mean, look, 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:18.120 you've got a directing. Actually, I remember that about you. 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:21.359 That was well, that was my differences. Yeah, when on 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:25.720 set you used to change wardrobe. Well for my directing. 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.639 When you directed, you would dress up. That was your 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.639 signature thing. Well, no, it was so people would look 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:34.440 at me a little differently than the jeans and the 0:03:35.600 --> 0:03:39.560 because I would get judged. Man, No, I mean you 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:43.040 never were Paul Feig though, of course not. Um are 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.000 you comfortable? Are you you need to? I noticed it 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:49.800 just jumping right into this are we because it doesn't 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:52.160 seem like what do you mean? I wanted just to 0:03:52.200 --> 0:03:55.880 say hello. I know we're saying hello. There's nothing, there's nothing, 0:03:56.560 --> 0:04:01.440 No one has any control over us. Yeah. Um, it's 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:04.200 very good to see you, as always you It's been 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:07.520 too long, That's that's usually the case these days. I 0:04:07.560 --> 0:04:11.200 saw John Salada. We I talked with her last week 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:13.320 in Los Angeles. Oh did you interview her? And I 0:04:13.360 --> 0:04:18.000 love her and we keep in touch. So do you? Yeah? Oh, 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:20.359 good for you. Well, it's interesting because Jen and my 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:24.680 daughter have a relationship because my daughter is now thirteen. 0:04:25.480 --> 0:04:27.840 Both my kids were born during our time on the office. 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:34.680 I know, what was it that, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:36.560 So she's she's a big fan of the show. Now. 0:04:37.720 --> 0:04:40.800 It's it's so funny because she's both my kids. My 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:44.440 my son has just started watching it, and and so 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:47.760 both of them are huge fans. And and it was 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:50.320 great to watch her see the show for the first 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:54.880 time because she was like, wait, it's Mindy, it's it's 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:57.400 b J, it's you know, all the people that were 0:04:57.400 --> 0:04:59.760 over for our Halloween parties and that she had no 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:02.360 onceptob And then she was like, wait, I didn't know. 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:06.400 I didn't realize that. Yeah. Oh yeah. And my son 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:09.960 likes to tell people that, you know, he was on 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:12.359 an episode of the Office. Who was it? Who was 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:17.839 he again? So I think it was baby shower. Greg 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:22.599 asked both Mike sher and I if we could bring 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:27.040 our babies to set, okay, because Steve needed to hold 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:32.839 a couple of babies, and our wives are in the 0:05:32.880 --> 0:05:39.599 background of the shot and the kids Michael's Michael's holding 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:44.480 the two babies, and you see, uh, Mike Sure's wife 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:46.799 and you see my wife kind of in the background 0:05:47.040 --> 0:05:51.359 behind it. That's so cool. Yeah. So my son, my 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:53.919 eleven year old son, likes to make the point that 0:05:53.960 --> 0:05:57.520 he was on the Office. My gosh, that is crazy. Yeah, 0:05:57.800 --> 0:06:02.440 it's funny. So you, um, let's go back to early 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:09.800 two thousand's you are well, you did the first two apprentices, 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:14.200 is that right? Season one and two? I did and 0:06:14.360 --> 0:06:17.880 Survivor I did. Now when with Survivor, was that early 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:23.599 Survivor was before Survivor was was before the Apprentice, and 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:30.360 then before Survivor was Eco Challenge the Adventure Race. Okay, 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:33.200 now that you shot with Randall, I think Australia was 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:35.240 like the third season of the Eco Challenge and that's 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:38.880 where Randall, That's where Randall and I. So you found 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:43.560 Randall in a bush in Australia, I would say Mark 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:46.240 Burnett found him. And you were a camera operator. I 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:53.000 was a camera operator and then I started deepeeing reality stuff. 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:57.120 I was deepeing documentaries. I was doing low budget movies. 0:06:57.760 --> 0:07:00.679 So how did you get hooked up with the folks 0:07:00.720 --> 0:07:04.120 from the office that was all? Randall? Randall? Yeah, Randall 0:07:04.160 --> 0:07:07.240 got hired. I think Randall had some kind of relationship 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:09.720 or new or got to know Ben silver and Silverman, 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:13.040 and then I think it was Ben that brought him in. 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:18.520 And because Randall and I knew the dance and you know, 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:21.880 he was planning to operate, he wanted somebody that understood it, 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:27.480 brought me in and h yeah, we did it together. Now, 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:29.320 when you say do the dance, what do you mean? 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:33.720 So when with the particular style of show because it 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:38.480 was a mockumentary documentary. It was what we did in 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:42.240 the bush, you know, for survivor, for whatever, and your 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:45.720 storytelling from behind the camera, you're finding everything that you 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:48.840 need to to find, and a lot of times you're 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.040 by yourself, so you need to make it look like 0:07:51.240 --> 0:07:55.240 there are multiple cameras covering a scene and you're you're 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:59.160 having to react quickly, you know, to catch the moments. 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:02.080 I think that was sort of what was brought into 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:04.600 the style of of The Office. I mean, it existed 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:07.600 in the style of the original version, but I think 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:10.240 we kind of honed it down. It was something that 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:14.480 Randal and I did anyway for our reality and documentary stuff. 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:17.840 So when you're shooting documentary reality type stuff, is anybody 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:21.800 prompting you about what to get or in theory, there's 0:08:21.880 --> 0:08:25.280 a producer out there. But a lot of times when 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:27.680 someone talks in your ear, it's more of an annoyance. 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:32.640 It's it's all about having instincts and listening and being 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:35.839 able able to kind of edit things within your head 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:39.240 and understand what shots you need to tell the story 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:44.520 interesting and on the show, you had earpieces on on 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:47.240 the Office at least part of the time. And I remember, 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:50.880 now you guys yanking them out. Now, why who was 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:53.760 talking to you on the office. Well, it depends upon 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:57.640 when when you ask that question, because there there would 0:08:57.640 --> 0:09:01.080 be times where you know, we had I think we 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:04.240 had the smallest camera department in all of Hollywood. It 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:07.040 was you know, it was random myself, it was Chris. 0:09:07.080 --> 0:09:10.960 It was ed for the first season, first two seasons. 0:09:11.000 --> 0:09:14.240 I think we had a did and the theory with 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:18.000 it did what they would roll the iris, they would 0:09:18.040 --> 0:09:21.080 control things. But the problem is is that Randal and 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:22.920 I kind of did all at ourselves. We were pulling 0:09:22.960 --> 0:09:27.600 our own focus. We were changing the exposure and when 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:31.439 you do a camera move, and that did is realizing 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:34.600 what it is and slowly doing pulling the iris. It's 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:37.200 not as quick as me knowing, Okay, I'm gonna throw 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:38.839 to somebody over in the corner, and I see it's 0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:41.160 darker over there, so I'm gonna open up my exposure 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:43.559 and pull my focus and zoom in for the shot. 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:47.400 It's kind of multiple things going on at once. I 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:49.560 don't know if that answered your question. No, it does. 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:52.400 I mean it's also giving me a greater appreciation that 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:54.280 you kind of knew what you were doing, which until 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:57.800 this moment I didn't realize that you thank you. I 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:03.560 appreciate that. No, no, but that's interesting. So in a way, 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:06.240 because you guys were taking care of so much of 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:09.360 it yourself, other people were just kind of getting in 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:12.160 your way that you needed it to be more rugged, 0:10:12.400 --> 0:10:14.439 ragged or well. I mean that was the feel of 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:16.520 the show. I mean, we we we would lay out, 0:10:16.600 --> 0:10:18.400 you know, you'd have a director come in and you 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:22.760 talk about the shot and it's the only you know, 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:26.840 there are very few shows that can on the same lens, 0:10:26.840 --> 0:10:30.080 start with a super wide lens and then zoom in 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:33.800 tight to someone's face in the first moment and do 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:38.520 a whip across the room to catch somebody else's reaction. 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:41.079 You know. It's a plus for the show is that 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:43.240 it could look a little dirty and didn't have to 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:45.520 be perfect. I mean, I think we were good at 0:10:45.520 --> 0:10:48.080 what we did, but you could see, you know, when 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:52.280 things aren't you know, immediately in focus or you're missing 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:55.240 it and you're finding it. But it's all part of 0:10:55.960 --> 0:10:58.800 you know, the show, right. Was it a conscious decision 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:02.480 by you? You're working in reality television? Did you want 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:04.440 to be working in the scripted world or was this 0:11:04.640 --> 0:11:09.640 just a job that showed up I was playing in 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.520 the scripted world. I would I would come in and 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:16.960 operate on Scrubs and a handful of other shows. I 0:11:17.000 --> 0:11:21.120 was shooting scripted you low budget feature stuff, and I 0:11:21.240 --> 0:11:27.080 enjoyed it and it was something that was interesting for me. Ultimately, 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:29.920 it came at the right time, you know. I ended up. 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:38.560 I got dangay fever on Survivor Thailand and that I 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:44.000 was sick for I don't know, like six months from that. It. 0:11:44.200 --> 0:11:50.920 Ultimately it did two wonderful things for me. Number One, 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:53.600 the girlfriend that I had that took care of me. 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:57.640 I realized I needed to propose to That was the 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:01.400 most important. Number Two is it sort of knocked me 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:06.199 out of reality television. I was supposed to go from 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:10.480 that Survivor to do the next season of The Amazing 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:13.240 Race because I was bouncing back and forth between five 0:12:13.320 --> 0:12:16.560 and Amazing Race, and I physically couldn't do it because 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:19.400 I had no energy, I had no strength. And it 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:21.120 was a little while after that then I got the 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:23.440 call from Randall that said, hey, do you want to 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:29.040 come and operate on this new show? And I jumped 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:32.439 at the opportunity. You know, once you're working in a 0:12:32.480 --> 0:12:36.080 particular field, you get kind of buttonholed into it and 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.760 it's what you get known for and it's where you 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:42.319 end up. And you know, so it was nice to 0:12:42.400 --> 0:12:46.800 break that gravitational pull in that direction and to get 0:12:46.800 --> 0:12:52.360 into scripted um. He attributed this to Greg. But one 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:54.880 of the things that Randall talked about was this sort 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:59.319 of adage, everything that makes it harder makes it better. 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:03.559 There was originally Einstein or something, but it the idea 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:08.120 was Einstein, Greg Greg Einstein, Randolph. It's all the same 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:13.400 um that the idea that you didn't want to shoot 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:18.360 something perfectly, like having to fight through a pillar that 0:13:18.400 --> 0:13:20.520 was in the middle of the room, or or even 0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:24.679 moving a plant over into the shots appear to make 0:13:24.720 --> 0:13:27.040 it more difficult without a doubt. Well, and it's also 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:31.280 interesting because you know, after takes you would learn the 0:13:31.320 --> 0:13:33.920 script and know when the line was. You didn't want 0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:38.320 to beat a whip to somebody who had a line. 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:41.599 You wanted a reason to have to pan over to accounting, 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:47.960 to whip over to Stanley. You know, you needed that moment. 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:51.280 You didn't want to beat it there. But you know, 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:54.760 sometimes you did well. I remember actually, now that I'm 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:58.480 thinking about it, you guys would ask at times for 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:03.640 uh handles exactly, particularly if the line was short, without 0:14:03.679 --> 0:14:05.840 a doubt and a handle. It would just be something 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:11.200 as simple as a H or Michael, yeah, just something. 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:15.480 And then it just gave us that excuse to do 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:17.880 that whip to that person, because a lot of times, 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:23.000 you know, it's impossible to truly cover a true conversation 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:27.240 when you got six people talking, and when people talk 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:30.680 naturally and they're saying something as simple as why yes 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:33.160 or whatever, and you want to be able to get 0:14:33.160 --> 0:14:35.680 that and sell the joke. So just to have a 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:41.760 little handle on there, you know, gave us a fighting chance. Yeah, 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:45.560 I mean it was great because the camera was definitely 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:48.880 a character in the show and and it was great 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:52.160 to be a part of that. And it did you know, 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:56.080 there were there were scenes that were written as a 0:14:56.120 --> 0:15:00.680 spy shot, and there were scenes that were written you know, Okay, 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:02.760 the camera's obviously there, so you can feel free to 0:15:02.760 --> 0:15:05.120 look at it. But there were also scenes that I 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:09.360 think we discovered once we shot them, what felt better 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:12.040 and what worked better. And you know, it might have 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:14.160 started out as a spy shot and then someone was 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:16.840 caught and you saw that little look to Cameron, a 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:20.880 reaction and a change in a tone, and um for 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:26.720 a comedy, it was very different stylistically, and you know, 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:32.160 I think that the Brittish show was very different stylistically. So, 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:34.800 I mean, you know, one of my proudest accomplishments is 0:15:35.200 --> 0:15:40.080 being a part of this show that has, you know, 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:43.840 become so much more than I feel like it ever was. Now, 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:47.320 however many years it's been, you know, since it was 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:49.960 on the air, and that it still holds up and 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:53.680 that the joke still lands and that the comedy is 0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:58.200 still there. Yeah. Do you remember you shot most of 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:02.200 the talking heads? Yes, that I did. Do you remember 0:16:03.080 --> 0:16:06.120 the most difficult or some of the most difficult things 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:10.040 that you had to shoot from a standpoint of not 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:16.000 laughing or I'm fortunate that I am kind of a 0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:20.680 laughing on the inside clown and I could keep it in. 0:16:21.520 --> 0:16:25.560 And the good thing about breaking in a talking head 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:28.200 is the camera was on a tripod, not on my shoulder. 0:16:28.680 --> 0:16:31.880 The bigger challenges was to break during scenes that we 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:34.720 were shooting and the cameras on my shoulder, and there 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:39.600 are some extra little shakes and giggles. Um. And there's 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:44.240 one particular scene that I remember, not a talking head 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:47.160 of of Steve Krill. I don't know what it was, 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:53.280 Steve Krell saying, ah, how Benjamin Franklin is a douche. 0:16:55.320 --> 0:17:02.320 We had the Ben Franklin uh impersonator as a stripper. Yes, 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:06.320 and and I don't know what it was, but I 0:17:06.359 --> 0:17:09.960 was in tears and I could not hold the camera 0:17:10.040 --> 0:17:12.560 because I was giggling so much with that moment. And 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:15.120 that was the one true time that I broke. Now 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:18.800 it was a regular thing, like Jens Alata broke a 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:22.720 lot when she did her interviews for the Talking Heads. Yes, 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:25.400 we discussed she having to be banished from the room. 0:17:25.600 --> 0:17:28.199 I often she would have to go out and and 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:32.239 we'd give them another eyeline. Um. I feel like, you know, 0:17:32.640 --> 0:17:39.439 for Talking Heads, rain Dwight had the most ridiculous talking 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:43.840 heads of anybody and comedy and without a doubt, and 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:47.920 those were the ones that I feel like not only 0:17:48.000 --> 0:18:13.640 broke him, but broke everybody around him. Were you consciously, 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:15.800 I mean you talked about the camera being a character. 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:21.040 What characters did you like? Well? It was so funny though, 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:24.240 because I feel like I was so invested in so 0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:27.200 much of it, and and it became a thing that 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:31.480 it was like I knew that I could give you 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:35.320 a look and throw the camera your way, and you 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:38.800 were always there to give me a reaction. And and 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:42.639 I recall that I could have a shot of John 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:45.920 or of Michael, and I could just peek over and 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:48.960 catch your eye and give you that look and do 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:51.680 a whip to you, and you would be there with 0:18:51.760 --> 0:18:56.679 some kind of eye roll or giggle or something that 0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:58.720 would make me laugh. And it was a worse while 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:03.480 worthwhile moment, know, and I know that it wasn't everybody 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:05.640 that I could do that with. And I know that 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:10.240 you and I had that relationship and and it worked well, 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:13.760 you know. And I know that the accounting department as 0:19:13.800 --> 0:19:17.840 a whole, knowing your guy's backgrounds, I know you guys 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:22.560 always had your little bits that you did and that 0:19:22.600 --> 0:19:25.399 you worked really hard in trying to find those moments. 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:29.159 I mean, in the early days, you know, all those 0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:33.200 other characters kind of blossomed into what they were. They 0:19:33.200 --> 0:19:37.520 were all so minimal, and it was fun to find 0:19:37.640 --> 0:19:42.119 moments and to find stories that weren't necessarily there, and 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:45.399 to make more out of a moment, and to be 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:47.959 able to do it with just a look, you know, 0:19:49.080 --> 0:19:51.159 throwing the camera to you to get a giggle, and 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:54.760 then finding Angela being annoyed because you're giggling at whatever 0:19:55.119 --> 0:19:58.000 Dwight is saying at the moment. It was priceless and 0:19:58.080 --> 0:20:00.880 it made it in and it was funny. Well, first 0:20:00.920 --> 0:20:03.760 of all, I want everyone to know I did not 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:06.760 prompt him to say those things. This was that was 0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:10.479 a spontaneous thing. And I have told people that you 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:15.520 specifically we would do like the wide receiver quarterback nod, 0:20:15.640 --> 0:20:17.920 like I got you, got me, I got you, It's 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:23.120 it's coming. I told John this story. He just railed 0:20:23.119 --> 0:20:25.840 into me. He really like, We're like, we're having a 0:20:25.880 --> 0:20:28.639 great scene and now you want to take credit. But 0:20:28.760 --> 0:20:31.840 you know what that that was my small contribution at 0:20:31.840 --> 0:20:35.240 times too, without scenes well and when they couldn't get 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:37.200 it together, that's it. Randall and I would have the 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:40.520 running joke that we would throw to John and he 0:20:40.520 --> 0:20:44.840 would give us the number four, which was a particular 0:20:44.880 --> 0:20:48.200 look that he would give to camera nub four. We 0:20:48.480 --> 0:20:50.919 had it numbered, so there were a couple of looks 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:53.480 that were sort of the John looks, and and it 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:56.439 depending on what the scene was, we would know this 0:20:56.520 --> 0:20:58.320 is a Dwight moment. Up he's going to give us 0:20:58.320 --> 0:21:01.480 the number four. I'm throwing to John there it is 0:21:01.560 --> 0:21:04.879 the number four. Well, and that's that's so funny because 0:21:04.920 --> 0:21:08.639 my really my question about that like the you know, 0:21:08.680 --> 0:21:13.280 if the camera is a character, then obviously you're affecting 0:21:13.720 --> 0:21:19.240 that relationship, but also like, did you feel like Jim 0:21:19.520 --> 0:21:24.920 was more simpatico with you know, the documentarian or oh 0:21:24.960 --> 0:21:28.479 without a doubt. So yeah, I think that Jim's character 0:21:28.520 --> 0:21:31.919 as a whole, more than anyone else, Jim was the 0:21:31.960 --> 0:21:36.040 one that had the biggest relationship with camera. He was 0:21:36.080 --> 0:21:40.359 the one truly grounded, relatable person on the show, and 0:21:40.400 --> 0:21:42.959 he was the one that I think had the best 0:21:43.440 --> 0:21:48.280 relationship with the crew and that he kind of knew 0:21:48.359 --> 0:21:50.840 what we were going through and what we were dealing with. 0:21:51.240 --> 0:21:54.679 So you could always find Jim for a look or 0:21:54.720 --> 0:21:59.400 a nod and and you know, he got it right. 0:22:00.400 --> 0:22:06.200 So what was always discussed externally was the the character's 0:22:06.280 --> 0:22:08.840 relationship to the camera and whether it was there or 0:22:08.880 --> 0:22:11.600 it wasn't there, or was it seen or not seen 0:22:11.720 --> 0:22:14.840 or were trying to hide from it or whatever? Was 0:22:14.880 --> 0:22:21.280 there any discussion about you as the cameraman having an 0:22:21.320 --> 0:22:26.040 opinion or having a perspective on what you were seeing. 0:22:26.640 --> 0:22:30.320 I mean, I feel like our perspective came across in 0:22:30.520 --> 0:22:35.359 how we covered the situations, So I don't I feel 0:22:35.359 --> 0:22:38.240 like we went into it with a plan. I think 0:22:38.760 --> 0:22:41.160 something kind of grew out of it. You know, there 0:22:41.160 --> 0:22:46.720 were characters who almost never played the camera. I feel 0:22:46.720 --> 0:22:50.760 like Mindy never really played. Yeah, like I did more 0:22:50.800 --> 0:22:56.679 than obsc I feel like, yeah, I mean Creed, no, Kate, No, 0:22:57.920 --> 0:23:01.240 not really, Leslie. I mean I feel like they were 0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:05.400 aware but just doing their thing. You know. Michael would 0:23:05.440 --> 0:23:09.080 get caught and he would catch the camera and see 0:23:09.080 --> 0:23:12.520 the situation that he was in and feel caught. Jim 0:23:12.560 --> 0:23:16.240 seemed to always know where the camera was at all times. 0:23:17.160 --> 0:23:21.119 Um Kevin seemed to be aware of the camera because 0:23:21.160 --> 0:23:25.560 it was another kind of play toy for him. Dwight, 0:23:25.720 --> 0:23:27.960 it went kind of both ways. There would be times 0:23:27.960 --> 0:23:30.760 where he would kind of try to present play to 0:23:30.800 --> 0:23:33.840 the camera and other times where he would kind of 0:23:33.880 --> 0:23:39.160 just get caught. Did you feel like how much did 0:23:39.160 --> 0:23:45.720 you feel open to making suggestions on the show. Well, 0:23:45.760 --> 0:23:49.040 what was interesting with the show is that that we 0:23:49.160 --> 0:23:53.760 had we had great directors. We had a who's who 0:23:53.800 --> 0:23:57.000 of directors come into the show. You know, when you 0:23:57.040 --> 0:24:03.520 have Paul feig Kin, kopis Um, Harold Ramos, J. J. Abrams, 0:24:04.200 --> 0:24:07.760 what was great. I mean, ultimately all of these directors 0:24:07.760 --> 0:24:11.600 were my directing school and and my whole thing once 0:24:11.640 --> 0:24:14.920 I started directing on the show was that I throughout 0:24:14.960 --> 0:24:17.760 my time there, I tried to pull something from each 0:24:17.760 --> 0:24:20.800 of these directors to keep with me, whether it was 0:24:21.000 --> 0:24:23.359 a positive thing or a negative thing that I learned. 0:24:24.080 --> 0:24:27.280 With all of these directors coming in, they all had 0:24:27.359 --> 0:24:30.919 such respect, which I'm thankful for for both Randall and 0:24:31.000 --> 0:24:34.320 I to let us do our thing because we knew 0:24:34.400 --> 0:24:38.959 the show so well. And I think Charles McDougald might 0:24:39.000 --> 0:24:42.520 have been sort of the only director that was so 0:24:42.560 --> 0:24:45.480 specific with his moves. You know, he had such a 0:24:45.600 --> 0:24:49.280 vision of it that he would say, zoom into his face, 0:24:49.680 --> 0:24:52.680 down to the credit card, up to the computer, down 0:24:52.680 --> 0:24:55.240 to the keyboard, right to his face. You know, he 0:24:55.320 --> 0:24:58.600 had these other times, you know, most of the directors 0:24:58.640 --> 0:25:00.600 would say, well, yeah, just cover of this and make 0:25:00.640 --> 0:25:03.840 it feel you know, like the office, and Randal and 0:25:03.840 --> 0:25:07.960 I would do our thing. Okay. Quiz question Okay, you 0:25:08.000 --> 0:25:14.680 have to answer honestly, what type of scene would cause 0:25:15.400 --> 0:25:21.200 the biggest disruption in our work day or week. The 0:25:21.600 --> 0:25:26.600 conference room scenes were the black holes scenes. I mean, 0:25:26.680 --> 0:25:28.680 they were brilliant for what it was. But when you 0:25:28.800 --> 0:25:32.840 got the entire cast sitting in chairs and you have 0:25:33.920 --> 0:25:37.720 Michael Scott doing one of his bits, and depending on 0:25:37.840 --> 0:25:39.959 what kind of mood you were in, but depending on 0:25:40.000 --> 0:25:42.840 what kind of mood John was in, who was messing 0:25:42.880 --> 0:25:46.199 with who it would it would decide if we were 0:25:46.200 --> 0:25:47.959 going to be there for hours or if we were 0:25:47.960 --> 0:25:50.160 going to get through it. You know. But constantly people 0:25:50.200 --> 0:25:54.679 were breaking, people were messing around, people were Yeah, it 0:25:54.760 --> 0:25:58.199 was chaos. Okay, that's a good answer. You you failed 0:25:58.200 --> 0:26:03.080 the quiz. Oh shit, really yeah. I have said that 0:26:03.520 --> 0:26:07.880 nothing could halt production like a Jim Pam scene. Oh see, 0:26:07.920 --> 0:26:11.360 I thought you meant an overall scene. Oh god, there 0:26:11.359 --> 0:26:14.240 would be all sorts of huddles and groups and clearings 0:26:14.240 --> 0:26:16.720 of sets when there would be like a Jim and 0:26:16.800 --> 0:26:22.600