WGTC: I noticed there were a lot of lingering shots. What was the reasoning behind that?
Potrykus: I don’t like cuts. I don’t like unnecessary cuts. I think the most prominent shot is the one where Marty’s eating a plate of spaghetti. In the script that just says, “Marty treats himself to a really nice plate of spaghetti from room service.” We had dinner that night, the cast and crew, at the hotel, and then we were going to shoot that scene. So one of the producers made that spaghetti and meatballs and it was just like, “Alright, Josh you walk in and sit down, take a bite, I’ll yell cut.” I just didn’t yell cut. I wanted to watch what was happening. I liked what was happening.
I pretty much just make movies for me. For my taste. If somebody else doesn’t like it, then too bad. So for me it was like this is perfect. Perfect scene from a movie. A dude loving eating spaghetti and I don’t need to cut because no one else is making this movie. So Josh unfortunately had to eat the entire plate of spaghetti right after eating and then jump on the bed after that.
I like movies that breathe. That are patient. I didn’t do MTV– that’s such an outdated term to say MTV-style of editing. Frenetic cuts. It’s just not my thing. I like it patient, but not boring. There’s a difference between long takes, patient filmmaking and boring filmmaking. If somebody’s bored in my movie that would kind of bug me. But I think watching Josh eating is cinematic as hell.
WGTC: What was your favorite part to film?
Burge: The basement stuff was actually the first thing we shot. It was the most fun and the most I’ve ever laughed on a set. But at the same time, we’re not supposed to be laughing. I’m supposed to be annoyed and angry with him. So it’s very hard not to break from that. But between, as soon as he yells cut, we’re just cracking up. The whole crew was down in his basement for a weekend. So all that stuff, I was really glad to have done that.
WGTC: Were there any specific challenges you guys ran into?
Potrykus: Challenges don’t start until it gets picked up for distribution. Then you’ve got to clear things and deal with lawyers and sales agents calling all the time. That’s the part that’s not very fun. Shooting it, there wasn’t a lot of challenges. We didn’t have a big cast or crew. For me it was waking up before 10 AM to shoot a scene in McDonalds. That was challenging. I don’t like waking up early.
Burge: It was really well-thought-out and planned and organized and scheduled. That speaks a lot to the production crew and everyone involved. When it came to actually shooting, where to be on set and everything, there weren’t too many challenges. The ‘I’s were dotted and the ‘T’s were crossed.
WGTC: Anything exciting coming up?
Potrykus: After SXSW we take it to New York for the New Directors/New Film festival. It’ll be playing in the MoMA, so it’ll be heavy metal, Doritos and Mountain Dew in the MoMA. In the Lincoln Center full-blast. So that’ll be pretty surreal. South by is like the scene. Very hip and cool. The MoMA, I don’t know what to expect. So that’s where we’re going next.
WGTC: Any other films planned?
Potrykus: We’re writing the next one right now.
WGTC: Can you reveal anything?
Potrykus: It’s about a modern-day alchemist. That’s all I can say for right now.
WGTC: Josh, you have anything else planned?
Burge: I’ve got a few things. I’m also a musician, so now that this has been wrapped up, I can back into that. So I’m just enjoying having fun and working on those kind of projects. That’s it in the near future. Enjoying this while it lasts.
That concludes our interview, but I’d like to thank Joel and Josh for taking time to talk. Be sure to look for Buzzard when it lands a release date.