Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade - Jake Szymanski

Episode Date: November 29, 2023

Jury Duty, directing SNL Digital Shorts, and mockumentaries with Jake Szymanski. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey guys, it's Spadoodle. You can always go to davidspade.com to look at my tour dates because I bless a lot of cities in America with my hilarious stand-up act. Or you could not go to it and get on my enemy list. Up to you! This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. What if comparing car insurance rates was as easy as putting on your favorite podcast? With Progressive, it is. Just visit the Progressive website to quote with all the coverages you want. You'll see Progressive's direct rate, then their

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prank show that was brilliantly conceived. And we spent an hour with Jake and got to know him. He's great. Yeah, I think, you know, now and then we get someone to sort of something in the zeitgeist right now, because we're branching out the show a little bit and he does have ties in SNL. He did some shorts for them. He's got some good stories actually more than I thought he would about it. And jury duty with James Martin is one of those things that he just heard people keep saying, hey, did you catch this thing?

And it was funny and interesting and you know, very hard to do those kind of shows the right way. They did it very well. Yeah, and Jake talks a lot about the high wire act of that because they have a person who thinks they're going to jury duty and everyone else is acting and there's behind the scene cameras and everything and they thought that the guy was going to wait a minute. Is this a joke and bust the whole thing open and they kept stretching it and he breaks down all the travails the guy was going to wait a minute, is this a joke and bust the whole thing open?

And they kept stretching it and he breaks down all the travails and all the preparation and work and it's kind of a magic show. Yeah, he did that movie. I think it's called Mike and Dave need wedding dates with Aubrey Plaza. Yes. Adam DeVine. So, you know, he's got a lot to talk about. We had a nice time with him.

I think you will too. Really nice. Smart guy. Here he is. Jake Somanski. Got a pretty close. I was going back. I was like, I gotta watch some old videos.

I gotta remember. I don't like that. I don't like that. Oh, you gotta remember your own stuff. Well, you know, a little bit. It's like, it's all blurred at a certain point when you're working at those places where it's just go, go, go, and don't sleep till it. Oh, tell me.

Yeah. I mean, Jake is our guest and, you know, with the last name, even he can't pronounce. Do you know how to say it? I pretend the hard letters aren't there. So it's semansky. Oh, it is? Yeah. You've ever gone for Jake's?

Just like, you know kind of short name. J-Gas? J-G-Sky. I can't pull that off. I ask, anytime I meet someone like, who's actually Polish, I say, how do you pronounce my name? And they tell me it's Jameinsky. And so very different.

So I'm just gonna make it up. Jameinsky, just say. We wanted it easier. I'm doing an accent. We've been talking for 45 seconds. I can sound like a little feeble. No, it's just Eastern European. Could be Bulgarian, could be Romanian.

It's a hard place on purpose. All right, this just in, I'm gonna grab one. So this just ends. Where do you think you're going? Water. Are we rolling? Yeah. How do you do it?

Well, we have, Johnny had its finest grade. They like to, we mostly just let it all go because it's a chaotic, barely controlled, you know, conversation. We liked interrupter, I guess, like I just did there and bring it all back to us. And if he gets on a roll, watch me. I will try to cut that shit down. That's what makes it so fun to listen to. Yeah.

Well, we should have since you'll remember. Shake to the couple of things, Dana. You don't know this, but he did, he directed jury duty, which was on the Fubri's network. That's right, Amazon Fubri's. And he was, which was a big hit, and up for two Emmys. Four. Oh, sorry.

You missed the kind of low boy. You got to, I know. Why, I thought I was sitting. I guess low. No, the show is revolutionary. Should we get to it right now? No, I'll say no. And he's an SNL connection, but we will get to that I guess, low. No, the show is revolutionary. Should we get to it right now? No, we're saying any of these are an SNL connection, but we will get to that.

So, great. Could we just, just because I'm curious, because there's not a lot of stuff on your background. I know, that's why I was like, I wonder how this is going to go. Well, I, it's like if I was at a very restaurant together hanging out with no mics, I'd be like, so where'd you grow up? I grew up in Milwaukee, where you really grew up. Paul, are you trying to you grow up? I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Where you really grew up? Poland, they're trying to go for Poland. Milwaukee? Yeah, okay. Big, big Polish family. Big family, not overly Polish, but yeah, I had to like, you know, I think my mom is one of eight and my dad too. So I had like, you know, kind of 25 first cousins

on one side, another 15 on the other side. So it was a lot of family time growing up. Being from Milwaukee, were you watching SNL when Farley was a big deal on it? Yes, but well, no, actually I was late to SNL. And that was kind of, and I mean late by like, sixth grade instead of fourth grade or something, but I think I wasn't staying up late enough

to have To have that access, but I remember I would hear people Talk like I remember in school being like there was a thing last night and someone trying to explain to insist the cat to me And I remember being I remember being like I should maybe I should try to what try to watch this But farly was a big deal because of the Wisconsin connection for sure, but I think Not only on the show on SNL, but then obviously, you know, Tommy Boy. And I think he's wearing a Marquette jacket in that opening. Yeah, he always tried to get a match. Yeah, it was a big deal.

You know, we don't get a lot. We don't get a lot back then. Now he got some love. Yeah, he would always try to get something going on. So then you see something and everyone gets real excited about it. Just the fact that in Wayne's world, they mention Milwaukee. That is shows Milwaukee. I mean, we lived on that. We do the Leverning Shirley parody, I think.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me ask Chris. So like, if you back in your old neighborhood and everybody, it's like, okay, you were the funny guy or like, are people surprised? And people know how much you've done from your neighborhood. Like, not many people get to write direct movies and do cool things like you've done. I was always into comedy. I was always a comedy nerd and doing a lot of that. So I think in that sense, no. I think it's a little bit, I don't know if you guys have it too, but it is that thing of like the people you grow up with, especially if you're not from like another New York, but I think it's hard to fully explain what you do all the time.

Every now and then there'll be a product that comes out and you see it once every two years, but it's like yeah, there's a lot of work that happens in between that. So it's, it's, uh, no, not huge surprises, but I don't think if you're not in the business, it's hard to fully. Did you have a performance side? Or was it always right or direct or do you, were you doing skits for the family and stuff like that? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I did an hour hidden to it. Yeah, I think early. I'm really a ham bone. Yeah, yeah, you know, you're always, I would watch a lot of comedy and stand up and try to do that. I think early on, like it was just repeating, just stealing other repeating bits, you know what I mean?

Like the school talent show or in front of the class or whatever it is. other repeating bits, you know what I mean? Like the school talent show or in front of the class or whatever it is. I did that, you did that right? Of course, yeah. And that's how you get going. I thought I was good because I could recite Billy Crystal and I made people laugh just saying his jokes.

And you didn't realize there was a difference that I didn't really crystal. I would get laughed at. You went like Billy Crystal for a while and then in lower speed. It's funny, I didn't mention it. someone asked me the other night early albums and stuff But I listen to George Carl and all that stuff Steve Martin But I would say it and then when I got left I was so proud

So embarrassing Did you have any But do you think it does like teach you a little bit about just like timing and rhythm and stuff? I think and recognizing what is good, but I'll say you're saying, you're not a class clown, but you liked funny things. I think we all grew up, even as especially as boys, sure women too, but you just like funny things, but that by no means translates to you being funny or being a career in it. Yes, and I think actually I discovered, you know,

it's performing's hard. What you get and stand up is the hardest. I painful. I mean, I remember thinking like, oh, I wanna do that. I mean, my mom would, when I was what, 15, 16, my mom would take me into the bar because she had to be there so I could like try and open my night. Or something like that.

So she was great. Wow, what a supportive mom. But also it's like, yeah, it's tough. I think I found, then when like, oh, a video camera came out, we had a video camera at home. I like being able to shoot and kind of have the control that work on it myself,

work out the kinks and then show it. You know what I mean? I think I started gravitating towards that one. He's fieldwork. Did you ever have like, direct orally, it seems like you kind of want to where things come from, but as a director, you know, you can sort of like, I know Tarantino yells out, you know, we're doing Spielberg on this scene, we're doing this scene, you know, I mean, because there is a template there, same thing with his Billy Crystal story, which

I don't, not sure I believe, but I'm sure. So that you decided to get behind the camera and make stuff then and show it to people? Yeah, I was always, I mean, I just watched so many movies and so much TV and then at a certain point, you're like, that seems fun. I wonder how do you do that? You know what I mean?

So I always had an interest in it and it's not like there's a big film scene in Milwaukee. So you know, you're kind of reading up on it. You know, I came of age in the 90s. That was like a great indie movie, early, New York, or you're like, let's explore these weird movies. Oh, you can make a movie like that. You can make a movie.

I think it was a good time to get into film. When you were little, did you edit in the camera, like stop and then around, sorry. And then at one point, you were able to actually edit based on your age. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think when I was like a senior in high school, someone from another high school had access to the first Final Cut Proud. They were like, I can get this love for and install it on your computer. You're like, oh really? Let me try. What's that? Did you ever come across the toaster, the video toaster?

Oh, of course. Oh, famous video toaster. You know, my brother designed the first prototype with toaster. No, what? So what's this connection? He's a guy who guards based on, yeah, yeah. You could look it up, Brad Carvey toaster.

He named it the video toaster. Oh, really? Yeah. Oh, interesting. So not to make it be as with the flying toaster, screen saver. No, toaster got used later. As far as that was as the coaster,

toaster looks good, sounds good. Yeah. Kind of has all this emotion around it. Yeah. Toaster, get the toaster, but that's interesting because that was an intersection where you would have been around. Yeah.

That was one of the first home editing with a Omega something. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Oh, yeah, for sure. I want to talk to you in a town and has more of a hamburger scene. And you want to go into the movies and comedy. Gross that. We got a great. We got a great burger. Yeah, great. But it's all with my

C's. Yeah, and Milwaukee. It's been to Milwaukee. Look, farly. He's talking about what I played Milwaukee, you know, maybe 10 years ago. My opening act went out. It was like maybe a thousand seed or, anyway. So he's playing very quiet. He's a good standup. It's not you, you always killed.

But he's playing very, very quiet. So they told me before I went out. So he's thinking I'm bombing. They said, oh, they don't laugh here in Milwaukee. They're loving it, but they just don't laugh very hard. Too polite. I don't know why that's true or not, but when I went out there, yeah, they didn't laugh here, Milwaukee. They're loving it, but they just don't laugh very hard. Too polite. I don't know why that's true or not, but when I went out there, yeah, they didn't laugh much, but they really enjoyed it.

Is that true? And then a standing ovation at the end, seven minute standing. I just did a gig there, like a 15,000 cedar, and we were, um, he's, no, I just did a gig there blowing up. No, I'm kidding. But we stayed at hotels, it was behind haunted, I did it and I got scared. The fister. Yeah.

Oh yeah. And they're not allowed to tell you. What if it's common knowledge? It's common knowledge haunted hotel. Oh, because I knew it because they said, a man named Machado or one of these guys in the dodges, they go, they run a road game. When I got back, they go, they run a road game.

And he stayed in his own hotel or an Airbnb because he thinks the hotel's haunted. And I was like, if they show that fucking, and they show the picture, but I go, that's it. They know it's haunted. Everyone knows. Oh yeah. And when Bobby told me, the guy that is on the road with me, the comedian, he goes, I think this place is haunted. I go, no, no, don't say that. We're here three days, dude. I'm playing Ableton. I'm doing all these. And I said, I can't, I get scared at that. And then we ask the staff, I told you this, they go, I'm the waitress, I go, this place isn't haunted,

is it? She first fell free, she says, then she goes, you know, we have spirits at the bar, I go, shut the fuck up. I go, is it haunted? Answer me. And, but they're not allowed to, so they all have a, like a company line. They've had a meeting about it. That's a haunted it is.

What do we say when people say? But you didn't feel any weird vibes. I did hear kids talking upstairs and thumping, and I don't know if there was anyone up there. And I told Bobby the second I go, oh, it's for sure. Like children, that's usually in haunted things. I go, no, no, children is the scariest in haunted.

I can't, I can't take it. So, and I got sick on the trip. Do you believe in the, you believe this place is haunted? Yeah, I think so. Would you like to do a horror film, Jake? Yeah, would you? Would you do a comedy? You know, we did, we did it like so many people. We did a pandemic move into kind of like a big old fixer house and it's, it's got some stuff going on. We moved into a haunted house, I think. Yeah. You know, I didn't really believe it until my Irish relatives just said,

oh yeah, that was, there's a little girl that lived in our house and we don't say a little tour. And everyone recognized her. And just it was no big deal. No big deal. Didn't feel threatened by it. I've had a lot of different experiences with, well, I've had sort of, you know,

waking dream states and hallucinations, but another about me. Back at the news. We just moved, sorry, I was a little tangent, but we just moved and two and a half years ago, and it was my wife was pregnant at the time, and we moved into a house and I'm picking baby names, and we picked the name for my youngest daughter,

and then the neighbors were like, that was the name of the woman who lived here and died. And we picked the name of the woman who lived there for 60 years and died in the house. I just popped in your head. And I was like, are we being Rosemary Baby right now? Like, is someone, they're giving us brownies

because we move into the neighborhood, is it lace? Like, so for a while, we were like, is this the beginning of a horror movie? Wow, well my son's name is Damien and Isn't that fine? It my son's name is Luke's a fur So it's not exactly it's not spelled like Lucifer So could I just ask you a second because I like talking about movies like what are the ones? You know, just a few of them that pop in your head. I'd never say favorite movie, but pop in your head that, you know, kind of like, wow, that's got you going.

Got you. I'll throw out the Godfather. Just start. Sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah. I think, you know, it's, there's different phases, right? For everyone. I mean, certainly like, you know, I always go back to Boogie nights as like one of the best of all time. But that's also one of those movies. TTA. In high school, I'm trying to learn more about film. And then the movie goes on, you go like boom, that's it.

And then, but also back to when I was a kid, it was like, oh, I must have been five years old. I remember seeing Spaceballs and theaters and trying to repeat the lines from that. So you know what I mean? Like that's locked in there. There's comedy that fucking kills you as a kid. And you wonder when you get older, when your comedy tastes change, that's, yeah, didn't ever hurt me. Yeah, comedy that fucking kills just a kid. And you wonder when you get older

when your comedy tastes change, you go, well, that's still making me laugh, but a lot of those still make me laugh. I think about airplane, I mean, someone was asking me about it and just with the time be right, I mean, there's the political correct aspect. Yeah. But just something that's just making jokes every second

would seem kind of refreshing. It was something also all the fault. Leslie Nielsen, you know, some of those Nick had gone. Yeah, it's just like funny, funny, funny. I mean, airplane was always, again, the Zucker brothers are from Milwaukee. And so that was like a local point of pride.

So that was always like, let's go. Let's watch airplane airplanes on TV. A lot of people would talk about that. Yeah, a monster. That's like, so good. Top tenor of all time. I feel, um, do you like gladiators? I mean, just as a weird style and weird everything

in your life too. You know when it came out, speaking of jury duty, took a genre and then reinvented it. So I was curious about, did you ever see spinal tap? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, it seems like you've enjoyed doing a lot of that sort of sorry. Should I get that? No, it's, yeah, yeah. Because I mean, it seems like you've enjoyed doing a lot of that sort of, sorry. Should I get that?

No, it's, this is funny. It's, this is Jake's wife. Make sure he eats in 20 minutes. Oh. And with my medicine. We love blood sugar. I'm gonna silence that. Oh, Heather, get his applesauce.

But are you sort of found your way? Like we intersected in 2013, I think, with the presidential reunion. The presidential reunion. So you and Ron Howard were directing something that was like reunion of SNL people who'd done presidents. Yeah, and that was through Funnier Die, the comedy website, which I worked for at the time. And that was, yeah, getting everyone who had played a president at SNL back to do a big reunion sketch. I remember this. Yeah. And that was, I mean, and by the way, that shows you how generous everyone like Ron Howard

and the 100 eye people are that I co-directed, you know, quote unquote, co-directed that. Well, we must have met that day and you were there, right? We did. Yes. Yes, I'm sure. Was it a one-day shoot? Yes. One-day shoot and then Jim Carrey played Reagan, right?

Yes. Because he filled in and played Reagan. And that was cool. I mean, just as a comedy fan, I don't think, I mean, I hadn't met any of you guys, but then to be there and see everyone come together and join the scenes conversations. Cause Chevy Chase was there.

He was at that point. Wow. And Jim, you were there. Far Farrell was there playing W. Not senior, I was playing. No, you're playing senior. He was W. And I looked at it last night and I walked in, me as the guy walked in.

Well, Farrell, so were we completely improvising that thing where he goes, I talk, take a sudsy tub, I love you, daddy. Was that all, was that somewhat scripted? No, I think it was somewhat scripted because I know McCay did a couple of good things and wrote that. But we played around for sure. I have a good sense. But we played around for sure. There's a lot of real share.

There's a lot of real share. But yeah, that was, I mean, that was what, oh, nine or something like that. That was a while ago, I think. You know, that was amazing to see everyone. I remember being caught in a room and seeing, and hearing Chevy and Dan Ackroyd catch up, like they hadn't seen each other in a couple of years.

And I was just kind of like, be as quiet as you can. Don't make any moves. And they're just like, good to see you. Yeah, how's the family good? Making plans to do Thanksgiving together that year. You know what I mean? Like, oh, you should come over for Thanksgiving.

It's been too long and all that. And I was like, man, this is cool. Like see all these guys back together. And what a good excuse to see people who haven't seen each other in a couple of years. That was very, that was a great experience. Accroyd, by the way, full circle. It was just wanted to talk about poltergeists and stuff like that.

He was, you know, he was, what he is just a man of all trades. I mean, just really fun to talk to. You know, as far as your comment about Ron Howard, because I've had some interaction with him, it's like if the Dalai Lama was a director, it kind of reminds me of you old man in jury duty. Oh, yes. Like not just this earnestness,

but you know, has sharp edges when it needs to be. It has to direct movies, but Ron Howard has a son of an earnest midwestern, something about a nice guy. So talented, but I mean, I got so lucky, the people I got to work with early on, because you know, getting hired a funnier guy, that was kind of like my break, right?

Of access to so many people. Adam and Kay, Wilferrell, Chris Hengie, start that website. Then getting to work with Ron wants to make something, go help him out and spend time with Ron Howard. Everyone, there's such the nicest guy, so talented. And it was kind of a good, not lessen, because it's not like I was a huge jerk or anything, but it was refreshing to be like, oh, you can be on top and be Nice and be a great guy and go yeah, when you're making a movie no one wants to spend six months on set with a jerk Like it's not worth it, you know what I mean?

And so it was so nice to see because I feel like you moved to LA start doing the jobs You're you're peeing on this you're making runs and you can run into some jerks, you know what I mean working on stuff And you go like oh on the top top top Everyone's pretty great. Yeah, we're making runs and you can run into some jerks, you know what I mean, working on stuff. And you go like, oh, on the top, top, top. Everyone's pretty great. You know, the level jerks are bad. You know, if you meet someone like Tom Cruise and you say, oh, you know, he was so nice. And he doesn't have to be.

That's always the weirdest thing for you to say. I know. I got Chris after me, and he times when I got a little more notoriety. He just came in, he bought a soda and he left. Like, what? I couldn't believe it, man. You know, it's like, I'm not doing anything. Right. But I mean, it's, you know, I do think it's a Darwinian proposition in a sense that if you, you got to be pretty talented if you're a jerk.

I think so. I think so. People really have a very, very brilliant. But yeah, it was great to see, you know, Ron so nice and just to be like, yeah, you know, you don't need to be a yellow on set to get what you need to get done done. It was good early on me. I had a lot of good people to look at. Can you tell you that?

No, but just seeing it, seeing how it works and doing the meetings with him, you know what I mean? And that was the best part about, you know, when they started Funny or Die, that I always refer to that as my second film school. Cause I'm out there trying to make my own little guerrilla videos and upload them online and hope anyone will see them. And then all of a sudden, I'm doing the same thing,

but you know, McKay was like, here I got a script, try to do this or, hey, you know, this person called, they want to do a sketch. Oh, they're in town to do, to do Kimmel, but then they want to come by and do a sketch. And all of a sudden it was like a ton of access. So you're writing for celebrities and you're trying to help make them funny and it was good training. You know, running gun pretty much. I mean, it would happen fairly quickly compared to regular filmmaking, obviously.

Very running gun. I mean, the first year of Funier Die, I don't even think we had lights or proper microphones. It was super guerrilla, just like kids were making online. They were like, yeah, let's do that. But we'll make it all funny. It's how it worked. When I go in there to do something,

where they'd say, we have an idea for you and I'd go in or I'd say, hey, I want to do something about Coachella and they go, what do you need? And I go, I'll write it, but can you get this person to do it or maybe we just film it or get a quick set thrown together? And then we did it and then let me help add it or they'd add it and go, what do you think?

And then they'd throw it up quickly timely because it was like that weekend. All the facts. And that was all, and I'd see on the board, all these stars headshots, and they'd say, Katie Perry wants to do something, or this first one's to do something. Yeah.

And so people would brainstorm ideas, which was hard because they'd say, notice something. And then you're like, oh, shit, we got to think of another idea for them. And that, but funny to I was really cruising there and had a lot of good stuff. Did you say you went to film school before that?

I did, I did. I went to, I was a film kid. So I went to film school. Pfizer. Pfizer. High school for the arts or college. College, college. College.

I did like a, I did like a summer camp in high school of like to try to learn about how to make movies, but I was like, oh, I like this. This is cool. I didn't know about this stuff. Wait, we got a back up. My joke was, was it Fister School of Haunted Filmmaking? That's where I was going with that one.

And I said Pfizer. Fister. And you were some kind of, kind of, Fister. Not only with the fuck I was talking about. Fister is the hotel. Yes. That's haunted. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what? Fster, Haunted School fucking filmmaking and everyone is kept talking.

I was like, I don't know if that one out of the park. Everyone has to know. If you're missing now in your car, this was this was this never happened. I still know. No, I got it. I want the people know. I don't know what I'm doing. I know.

I know. Welcome to New York. Welcome to New York. Bet on the NFL with Bandual, official sports put partner of the NFL. Download the app today to see why we're North America's number one sports book. 19 plus and physically located in Ontario. Gampling problem call 18665312600 or visit connectsontario.ca. But I'm sorry. So you went to film school. Go ahead. Film school. When was it? I mean, you found your way to SNL, which is part of our theme. I'm a fuck to get to SNL. That's a big, that's, well, funnier dies not a really big jump.

Was it after funnier? Yeah, I've been at funnier die a couple of years. So they saw your stuff. They did, but actually, I think it wasn't as direct of a line from, from Funier Die, even though that was, Funier Die was like the best prep because all of the people who ran Funier Die came from SNL. So they were kind of trying to do a model of that for the internet. Yeah. But I actually was shooting a commercial back in the day with Bill Hader, and Bill had brought millennia long to write for him. And we were shooting like internet Volkswagen ads or something, and I was, it was like a lot of days,

and it was split up because Bill had a show, and I went out and shot with them for a couple of days, and then we took a week off, and they did a show, and then we came back and shot a couple more days, and I had kind of rough cuts of what we had shot, and they were like, oh, you like cut these for comedy. Like these aren't like commercial, you're like, we're going for the jokes.

I'm like, oh yeah, I'm like, you know, I've come from comedy. And we just had a good time. We really got along and I met them through that. And actually at the end of filming a commercial, I think it was Melanie who was like, hey, you know, we got, we have like an opening like we need a kind of guest director for a couple of weeks. Would you ever be interested?

Would you ever be interested? And I was like, yeah, put it up. So they, I think are the ones who recommended me after, after we worked together to come on in. And they were, they had a director slot open at the show. Wow. And I showed up to the show thinking it was a temporary like, because you know how you guys know at the show

that writers will sometimes come in for like just three weeks or four weeks. Yeah, also no one tells you anything. No, no one tells you anything. And I thought that's what I was accepting, like a three-week gig. And then I show up and I remember talking with Steve Higgins when I first got there.

And he's like, it's not a temporary job, it's full-time job. I don't know what they're trying about. Or you know who it's like. Oh, okay. Oh, okay. Oh, okay. I'll let you in. My blood pressure.

Yeah, thank you. But it was great. And to get in there, as they were figuring that out. And that was, you know, I was only there for less than two seasons because I think because I thought it was temporary. I was like, I'm just going to come in for a couple weeks and go back to. You're going, okay, bye. And they're like, where are you going?

Oh, one at another week? Yeah, yeah, yeah, a little bit like that. It was funnier to die. Then you get us in hell. And then you go back to... You're going, okay, bye. And they're like, where are you going? Oh, one at another week? Yeah, yeah, yeah. A little bit like that. It was funny, you're dying. Then you get SNL and then you're gonna make all these movies. But I would like to talk a little bit about some of these sketches. I don't know what the film is. Oh, oh my gosh.

That you, I don't want you to be out there. Well, them are just directed them. But you had sex ed couples with Steve Pishy. That was 2011. I don't know if that was you. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sex ed with Paul Brittans character. The one, I just want to jump ahead to this one

because it sort of blew my mind because it ribnically went somewhere that I don't see comedy go to. And it, and it, someone's behind this. So it was tennis balls with Jonah Hill. So happy you said that one. And, and, and first you're like, okay, the guys get hit in the crotch.

Fine, hit, you know. Then you go to this rhythm, he's on his back. No, no, no. Who thought of that? And how could you see that in an editing bay and not collapse with laughter? Because that's next level to me. There's no, it's so abstract

and it has a funny rhythm to it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the rhythm. Well, you know, it's funny is like the ball was done in post, right? So we're just trying to get Joni to go. He's just like, honestly. Yeah. He's getting hit in the balls with a tennis ball, like 300 times. Yeah, we just show it so many times.

And I think, you know, I love that you brought that up. And then I talk about that all the time. That's one of our favorites that we did together. Sam Burke. Yeah, Sam Burke. And yeah, that's one of our favorites that we did together. Samberg. Yeah, Samberg. And, um, yeah, that's one of my favorite pieces I did there because it's so, I mean, I think that in those, the, the, the idea is, can we do the silly joke? How long can we get away with it that will make you laugh two or three more times after you think it's over? And, you know what I mean? And that, and that was really fun to do.

Yes, because you're in it's kind of a generic thing. Guys, guys, kick the balls for something in the balls. And then where it goes, I recommend anyone here, you two of it, tennis balls, SNL, Joan, where it goes to is so abstract and took it so far. We got Ghost Hunter showing up in there. I remember that. Yeah, I remember that. Is tour to pharmacy. This is something was at HBO. up in there. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We did first, which was a tennis mockumentary. Yeah. And then, and then, and then, and then we did tour to pharmacy a year later, two years later,

and they're kind of all as like, specials, you know, like 45 minute hour long. One-offs. And we had so much fun making those. That was another thing we were like, I can't believe they're letting us make this. They're probably not going to air it. And, uh, just, I refer to seven days in hell and tour to pharmacy as a series of hard right turns. You know what I mean? Let's just see their letting us make this, they're probably not gonna air it. And just as, I refer to Seven Days in Hell and Tour de Pharmacy as a series of hard right turns. You know what I mean? Let's just see how long we can keep misdirecting and going for it before it.

And Andy is really, really good at it. He's doing that type of comedy. He's the best. And he's so smart too. And the most fun of those is, I mean, we shoot those quickly. I mean, when we shoot those, we're only filming for like four days. For the, I mean, we shoot those quickly. I mean, when we shoot those, we're only filming

for like four days for the, for the, for all the like archival footage, just stuff that's supposed to take place in the past. And then we'll do all the talking heads as we're in the edit, which is nice because you get to change what you need to say a little bit as you're editing it. But, you know, and he's in the edit for all of that. He's, he's, he's really smart and I know what he's doing. That's the thing about SNL people or cast members, most of them really would want to be in the editing bay. They understand that that's where it could be ruined.

I've been in movies like that. Because when it's not done properly, it doesn't go from funny. As I always say, it goes from funny to not funny. Yeah, right. It's over there when it's supposed to be over there. The editors have so much power. You do movie and you do seven takes, eight takes.

And then you go in your head, I'm thinking, the first half of my first take was great. And the third take, the beginning and then the line, you know, you could find it. And then I walk over and I see someone go, circle that one moving on, I'm like, and then I realize sometimes the editors puts that whole last taking because they got everything they somebody liked. And sometimes they just don't go back. If it works and you go, oh my god, there's

three more jokes that you missed, but no one went back. So if you need someone to go back, say, hey, go back. Well, there was something really, especially if you're playing around a little bit. Like I came like, Mikae and Farrell, I got to shadow when they were making step-others and the other guys, those around a lot. But seeing how they use improv, but, and, you know, they have a script that they'll shoot and then they'll shoot three scripts worth of content,

just playing around. And then, That's a way to do it. But to do it in a way where you can actually use it all is different actually in a smart thing to learn. And then, but yeah, you need time in the edit. Like, so if I'm and I kind of so again, I'm, you know, I looked up to those guys, I they're teaching me how to do it. I play around a lot. And with those projects, those micumenters, we're doing a ton of improv. And if you don't have time in the edit to just keep going through it and find different ways to

maybe put it together, it doesn't work. It's so much fun to watch. And, you know, comedians love that. At least the most mic comedian friends love the idea that it's being discovered while it's being filmed. You know, you can tell when Will sits in a chair and you go for 15 minutes on Will, and he goes on these flight of fans. Something's gonna work. And there's a structure to it,

but then he's also able to, and it really pops. Well, that's a thing about Will, and a lot of comedians is, you know, Will secretly is also one of the best writers out there. So smart. You know what I mean? He can he can do it all. And so he's he's always working with Will is my favorite because you get to give him a suggestion and then he makes it so good when he tries it. Makes it better.

And he's like, oh, thank you for making me look smart on that one. I and that's why he's will fair. That is why he's the best. But I think, you know, working with in comedy and with's like, oh, thank you for making me look smart on that one. And that's why he's welfare. That is why he's the best. But I think, you know, working with, in comedy and with comedians, if you're making something where it's like, no, no, the job is just to be funny. We got to get laughs, right? Mm-hmm. A lot of it is letting you guys do what you do, like find your rhythm and not,

not be too overbearing too. You know what I mean? And why couldn't you have directed some of the movie songs? Because there's 1200 takes and five camera angles and it's just strangled to death and traditional filmmaking. But the way you shot it loose, or you adapted your camera to the talent basically, right? Whatever was your point.

I think so, I like to get a vibe going with people and kind of know, some people don't like to do a long take or try a lot of stuff. And then you, then you talk more beforehand and get it out there. But, you know, I'm a big believer in like if you're making a comedy, there should be a good vibe on set. You know what I mean? That's part of the no jerk policy is like, you're joking around that you're taking the work seriously, but you got to kind of play to people's strengths and where they're comfortable and start there and then start pushing out into trying to play back and a laugh and you go back. Yeah. Let's try one where we just do a different ending, you know, whatever. And then someone's keeping track of it and you walk

away going, all right, it's there. That's fun when you walk away and you go that good scene. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. We got it. The way we pictured it. And like I said, as long as you're shooting it away where you can use it all, you know, you're not just trying stuff for the sake of trying it. It's it's all yeah, it's around them Sometimes you got to go back and you know, oh, hey, let's actually walk in with the TV off because we did so much playing around It might not be about that anymore. Let's do this and then you go. Okay, now we're covered We can cut any version of that scene or whatever it is Yeah, it is hard when you're doing it just to do it You're like now we're just wasting time because we can't

Get it all in yeah, it's. Yeah, it's a fine balance. Yeah, he did Brooklyn 99 or the Andy, right? Yeah, you had an episode of that. I called it 99. The nine, I called Brooklyn 90. I called it Brooklyn 90. I called B. Can. I knew it.

You know, people drop the names of things, you know? I can't remember this joke, but anyway, I'm gonna get to it. So you're honest and honest, you're doing these short films and then you get to do these HBO type films, long short films. My commander is yeah. What's the first big big studio? Was it Mike and Dave? Yeah, Mike and Dave and Dave and Dave's is the first movie. And you get a good old Aubrey Plaza. Was

that? Oh, yeah, Aubrey. And so good. So it made 77, I mean, because I looked it up. Oh good, you know the number. On a low budget. So how did Hollywood, did it, it emancipated you a little bit or you're already going great guns or did people react to you different? Like, oh he's not only talented,

he just made something that made a shit ton of money. Yeah, you know, it's interesting. I'm so bad at keeping up on the business end of things and like the perception of that. And by the way, it's like, it's an important skill, you know what I mean to get stuff done. And I just, I'm so bad at keeping up on it. I think with that movie, it was interesting

because we were testing like really high. We were testing everyone was top two boxes. It was a love fest. All the numbers were high. People were like, maybe there'll be a sequel. Guaranteed. And then it comes out and it's like, oh, that's pretty well.

I think people are making money, but it's like, but it wasn't. It didn't take over. They thought it was $100 million. Because of whatever you know what I mean. Yeah, the expectations are. I think also it's been a weird time for comedy movies in the last, you know, five, eight years.

Eight years. Yeah, I think it was right around. I think Mike and Dave was actually one of the last of kind of like as it was changing I think I think I think I've right old yeah, yeah, yeah, there's rules now. Our rate of comedy is it's tough to get a made known. It's hard to get. It's hard even. What was the dog one that just came out the Josh Greenbone? Oh, it's great. Oh, it's great. Yeah, I'll see that. Yeah, see it. That's our your precious well-ferrous event. Yes, he is. That movie, that movie's really fun.

I like the scene where he humps his leg. No, it's hard territory to be in. I know that they already move something. But for a doll, does it fall through the cracks? Is that what they call an El Camino? Because it looks like a kid's movie, but it's art. So who's going?

Is it four adults or four kids, you know what I mean? Well, when I joined the marketing team for Strayers, it's like, it's the ball. It's our audience. It's just the ball. Because listen, I never want to say a movie didn't do that well

because I've been in them, but for that was a Jamie Foxx and Will. Yeah. Both hilarious. I'm sure the movie's great, but if they don't all show up, I mean, they couldn't really promote it. All right, but the striking and stuff.

Did it not? I mean, I don't know. Like, I saw it and I'm like, I love it. It's great. So that movie to me is. Shake, wake up't really promote it. I'm just striking and stuff. Didn't I? I mean, I don't know. Like, I saw it and I'm like, I love it. It's great. So that movie to me is. Shake, wake up. A giant success.

Box office and greatness. No, I'm the bad guy. No, I'm just saying it's great. It's great. It's interesting. I'm just saying, you always get your next movie before the movie comes out. No, but there's producers that we both have worked with.

And they, when they're hearing the pitch or anything, they're thinking of the poster. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't blame them. Good poster. They're just thinking who's the audience? There's no poster there.

Yeah. And I know young people have pitches to sell and stuff and I go to be honest. You're going to be pitching to someone's going to want to know who was the audience? How do we reach them? How do we make money? Yeah. You know, did you ever have a fallow, not a feral, but a time where things weren't happening for you,

because it seemed like, according to resume, you've really consistently worked. You know, I've been really lucky where... Or talented, yes. I've been lucky. I've been... No, I've been very lucky. I kind of... Mostly luck.

I've kind of only worked on stuff I like with people I like. And the longer I'm in this bit... You like us? Hey guys. And I just realized it's kind of a rarity. You know, I friends, you know, working on stuff too and they're like, I feel trapped here. I don't like it.

And I'm pretty lucky that way. So that's kind of my goal is to keep working with people I like and that made me laugh on stuff. You have, I mean, we've had them on your friends on this podcast. So you take Andy, Sam Burr, Bill Hader, Fred Armasson. I mean, these are like eight class nice guys. They're the best.

They're not gonna be a problem. And we're a lot of your doofy friends last night. Oh yeah? That was Malaney Armisson. And Hader, I think that was it. That was a good crew. That was a very, very good cone. Can we talk, I guess we should pivot to this sort of

social phenomenon? Oh, it's called social experiment. Oh, it's a social experiment. You know, we know you've done podcasts and you've been talking about the movies. No, he has. Michael has asked you questions you haven't been asked. Please. Tis the season for making memories with family and friends, so celebrate with Swiss

Shalei's festive special, their famous quarter chicken dinner, now with cranberry sauce, stuffing, linda chocolates, plus a scratch and wind card, where everyone's a winner. It's a tradition truly worth sharing. The festive special, only at Swiss Shalei, visit SwissShalei.ca for contest details, while supplies last. I love James Marsden though. The guy is always good never dead to me. He was so awesome. Awesome. And really so funny, really funny and sharp improv skills kind of blue I mean, I knew he was funny. I knew he could hang in I knew he could do it

But just kind of took it to the next level on jury duty just for the five people Yeah, let's tell people said about that on Amazon free Z Mm-hmm. Just put it in There's a eight half hour live stream and show called jury duty James Marston is the one sort of household name, although he paired his as a, in plain himself. He's playing a egotistical version of himself. And they recruit a young man to come in

who doesn't know, he thinks he's part of a documentary but doesn't know that everyone is acting except him. Right, we have one non-actor in this. One non-actor, yeah. Because you say that before every episode. There's a, you know, we were so worried people, we're like, do you understand what we're doing here? Because it is kind of a mix of like smart. That was smart. We're cutting it to kind of feel like a sitcom in a mockumentary style, like the office or Parks and Rec that you're used to. But everyone plays it very real.

Right. And tries to seem like real people. But then we were like, are people going to know that one of these people doesn't know what's going on, hasn't seen the scripts, and is a real person? So we were, there was lots of conversations about that opening time. But yeah, because immediately they have to sort of get it, or if they don't buy in, they just don't buy in, and then you're fucked. Yeah, although weirdly, I've had multiple people go, I didn't know until the last episode that that guy wasn't an actor. And you're going, what are you doing during

the opening credits, man? You know, it's every episode. I mean, you're so leading. It is high five. I just did a game. So I'm explaining the rules after every commercial. I'm like, is anyone not getting it yet? And they're like, wait, so you get five thousand. I'm like, yes, I've told you a thousand times, but that's what happens. They go you got a hammer in it But obviously we're in comedy world. So you get it. We're in Garcée swing. Is that a sexual thing? So they mean to say swing in their same as this mom. Yeah, but mom, she's mom, but One thing I found interesting just that like the the cast you got, the all the actors and we know.

Love them. Fox stand up. And many other people recognized. He's a real concern. And he said, he saw that he's a very, it has kind of his cadence and his voice. Very parks and rec and I said, no mustache. I said, you gotta keep your scrub. You got to grow it out to a beard because you couldn't have the guy recognize your main guy.

Yes, you're wrong. And it was interesting, because Kirk actually, that role changed kind of late. That was, that role got changed in the writing room, maybe a month before we started filming. So he was one of the last people we cast, and we had done so much work on trying to find people that wouldn't be recognizable.

And when I saw Kirk, I was like, I mean, I know him, but I'm in comedy. The mustache is really recognizable. Maybe we can get around it. And, but we kind of didn't do our due diligence because he was one of the last people we cast. And then on like day two of filming, Ron, all the guy who doesn't know what's going on. He's tells James Morrison, I just love Parks and Records, one of my favorite shows. And Kirk Fox has been on Parks and we're like a bunch. So we immediately changed where everyone was sitting and tried to keep Kirk off to the side. So we wouldn't be in direct eye line.

And he never put it together, but I was like, even in court, when they're sitting there for four hours, we can't have them just be able to look at me. Yeah, I love him. And it became a huge concern that we were gonna blow it just with Kirk. I love, I thought Kirk Fox too. I said, the other ones might be good actor.

I just I'm not from the night. I'm not. Because I want you know who else is really good. Am I rushing? No, no, we have we have I love to talk about because the premise of so everyone's in there's a jury case about what is it about? Uh, the jury practice. It's a sort of random guy screws up the boring.

Yeah. And there's some dirt ball. It's sort of random. Yeah. Screws up the boring. Yeah. And there's some dirt ball. It's defending, I guess. Anyway, so you get put in jury duty. It's always funny when they give their excuses because a lot of people don't, you know, they're all might trying to get out of their trying to whisper to each other. I don't want to mean this. I'm what am I going to say? The fucking guy that says I'm racist is one of the biggest laughs. That's like so

gold. Do you remember that part? Huh? They go, why can't you be as he goes blah, blah? I think he wants to see his girlfriend. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then they don't they say no and then he goes, I'm also racist. I mean, I should question Jake. Have you ever been called for jury duty and gotten out of it by being clever? No, no, what'd you do? It was something about a cop doing something mean to somebody and they were just interviewing me. I got up to the box and got interviewed and I said, well, we've all had experiences with police being a little aggressive

and they're gonna get outta here. That's all you had to say? Oh yeah, I was pretty much that fast. But I say, I can tell someone's guilty when I look at them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, okay, good. I go, that might help here.

We had to work with a lot of lawyers prepping for jury duty and I heard that actually so many people want to get out of jury duty. Everyone's trying to get out. Right. That one of the best ways to get out is actually to be really into jury duty.

Like, oh, I can't wait to get in there. Dude, yeah, I know who's going to be able to get out. No, no, no, no. I'm the guy who's going to tell you what's up. I'm ready to be on the boat. No other. I know. Get rid of this guy.

Oh, yeah, that's great. They don't want anyone any angle of at all. Oh, I know. I know. Get rid of this guy. Oh, yeah, that's great. They don't want anyone any angle at all. Just blase. Yeah. Just so that our listeners understand this. So Jake is directing and you have your producers and you're in a control room somewhere. Yes.

And you're watching this on a bunch of cameras and you have Ronald, the non-actor. Right. And the whole premise is ruined if he ever just goes, fuck you all. I want to get weird. This is too weird. What is this? Yeah, so you're terrified the entire three weeks and all this work.

It was so stressful. It wasn't like things would be going well and you'd still be so stressed that tomorrow is going to fall apart. In fact, the closer you got to the end, the more stressed you were, because you were like, we only have five days left. Oh my God, if it falls apart now, we don't have a show. So like, the better it went, the more stressful it was somehow. It's the only experience I've ever remembered this part. Of course you do. When the, do you remember one time the bail of cause the bail of calls the juror by her real man, not the idea. I think he says it twice.

And there's all fucking people here as if it rottled. And he goes, she just called her, she just said, because Sandra's gonna send the guys. We were like, it's over. Yeah, he's over. The other guy was, he goes, there's no Cassano. What are they talking about? But the way you stack that, like it was like boiling a frog,

that's an analogy. And I was like, bon, I'm in love. I got more and more absurd. When the guy was on testifying about masturbating in a theater to the science fiction, and then the other actors are going to Ronald, the non-acto going, that's not even sex. That move, that would never, what is it?

So a lot of this, it's just the theater of absurd, kept ratcheting up. But it was true, it was little by little. And actually, the biggest worry I had doing it was, because at the end of the day, I was into the experiment of it. Can we pull this off and can we do it in a positive way from this guy? But also, then there's a part of me that's like, but it's also got to be funny.

And it was actually those first days where you're not trying to push it too much because you don't wanna scare them off. But you're still trying to go like, but where are our last? Where's our joke? So I think those first two episodes, those first couple days were the toughest, were the most like, well, we made it through,

but did we get enough laughs? And thankfully, it was, I think, as long as the audience is on board, and that's why we were so concerned about like, do you know what's going on right away? He's a real person, everyone else is an actor. Let's explain that, because as soon as you're on board with that,

even the little moments, people are invested, and they can be laughs. And so that was like a pleasant surprise. And the answer is never so awesome. You know what, the first thing, Dana, this is one of the, not the first, but this is one of the ones that really benefited from TikTok and clips and stuff.

TikTok blew it up. Because TikTok, the first one I saw was the actress who you know her name and I can't remember it. You'll tell me the second. She was the brand ambassador. Oh, Lisa Gilroy. And she was f**king hysterical. And everyone was like, is this a real person?

And they show her a whole speech on TikTok. It's very funny. And that got me to go, what is that? And how long was the font TikTok? What was the length? About what happened was the weekend we came out, people started recording their laptop screens and uploading it to TikTok.

We didn't do it. We didn't put it on TikTok. So it was very organic. And then so people were like, I can't believe the show in uploading it. And we had a call the following Monday, like how's it doing? And there were the marketing team was like,

well, it blew up on TikTok. It like the video clips got 50 million views on this weekend. And then it just exploded from there. I think it got like over half a billion views. I can't believe that. And then people tell people, yeah. That's my favorite part actually is going like,

oh, how did you hear about it? Because it was not a marketing campaign that anyone heard about it. It was all worn out. So hard to get. It's so hard now. And then it never been a part of any audience. It just doesn't feel pushed toward it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The initialized got to discover it. Like I had people telling me this woman who cuts my hair. It was a super cool show. You got to watch this show. Yeah, Rose, you're telling me about it. Yeah, all the whole thing when she said that.

I knew I had a friend from high school, you know, let me know she was like, hey, you know, my mom group was telling me about the show I got to watch. And I remember you posting something about it maybe. So if you were involved in that congrats, and I was like, oh, if we made it to mom groups in Illinois, we're doing okay. Like I, that's, I had not experienced something like.

I just want to, I'm sure you've talked about this in interviews and stuff, but it felt like when I was watching it the first time I thought, okay, they've gone too far. And that was the guy with the chair pants. Chair pants. Chair pants. Huge swing.

David who plays Todd. David Brown. But they're all so brilliant. I mean, everyone is so, yeah. I'm a tire cast, please. Let's give them all the jobs ever in this town. They're so talented. Do you know their names and their character names?

Because it's a big cast, you know, very hard. Well, you know, to be honest with you, we went character name only while filming. Okay, because we didn't, didn't want to confuse and have someone slip, you know what I mean? So for, the first name I often think of is the character name because for, for months, we all have a name. Deplay Genie. Ron played Ken. These are good notes. I read some down.

I was worried because when I started watching, I'm like, don't swing too hard. I was like, don't fuck this up. Yes. Because if someone fell off the ladder, remember that. Yeah. Do you see chairpants? I didn't get to get them. So the guy comes in. There weren't gonna be enough chairs.

They've even seen the trailer for the show. No, but the attaches super long TikTok. These things, how do you describe them? Might've been three minutes. He basically strapped some crutches to his butt and said, this is my exo-scale at the end. And I can sit anywhere now. And then he tried to bring it into,

and that was another day, we were like, okay, this could all go away today. Let's see how it goes. It wasn't that burnout that looks like me that was his next-door neighbor. They got the blogger. Yes, yes, him. Yeah, he played it so real. Then he was set up as an eccentric. He was supposed to make him uncomfortable at first, but Ronald just welcomed him right away. In fact, chair pants, the day he, the day he, when we shot pants, displayed the chance as we call them.

Ronald just walked right by him, didn't even say anything. Just like, cool, yep, sitting on crutches. And no reaction. And we're like, do we have to push chair pants more? Like, whoa, he kept surprising us in that way. The one bit we had is we were actually ready. This is an example of how we pulled back to not blow it. On chair pants day, he's in court, and then the judge starts yelling at him. What are you wearing? Why can't you

sit down? You got to sit down in the chair. That helped. But that helped. But what we had ready was we were going to have the judge go like, would you say this is a medical device? Do you need this? And he was going to kind of go, well, yeah, technically it's for my body and he was going to go, well, I can't argue with that. And we had a maintenance guy ready with a wrench to come in and remove a juror chair from the box and remove the chair so he could sit in chair pants all day. And literally we're watching going, I think we're pushing it too far. Like he's getting a little like pull back pull back note. So, you know, that's kind of like on the fly.

We would decide how far to push it, be watching his reactions and then go, okay, never mind, don't go to that level. Did you or any of your co-producers ever go nose to nose in the control room? You are going to fuck this project up, mister. Did anything ever get that? No, no, no. No, no, no. We had such a good team and we were all in the writers room and producing it together.

It was a long journey. The people that were there, Cody Heller, our showrunner, Nick Hattener producer, and Angie Weinberg, one of our writers and executive producers. It was kind of like us four every day in that control room, and we had all been prepping it in the writers room as well. And so we were kind of on the same page, and luckily, no, it never got to that. If anything, it was pull back, pull back,

and we'd all kind of pull back, because we were so nervous about losing it. And then when someone would go like, maybe we pushed it a little bit. And you're someone will go like maybe we push it a little bit And you're like okay, okay, push it a little more Monday. You have your top One two or three most pushed. I mean, maybe it was the jumping on the bed sex I Think yeah, you're kind of covering a chair pants. I think was a huge push

Soking soaking trying to get the the the Mormon What do you call soaking soaking trying to get the the the Mormon sex rumors of Soking James Marzen would jump up it down the bed at a certain cadence. Yeah, will you please come be responsible for his own work? It has some kind of yeah, I think there is something going around Twitter at the time saying Or not enough if the car's in the garage I'm not technically having sex if someone else is putting the motion in there, you know, right? And so we played that in front of Ronald our guy. And again, he's just a sweetest guy.

He doesn't want to call someone out and be a jerk, you know. What we realized actually is we were so worried about pushing it. We realized afterwards that after day three or four, we actually could have gone way harder. Because you get to a point where for someone to go, wait, this isn't real, they would have to think back and go, that means the last week of my life wasn't real. And these are actors. That is such a foreign thought. Unless you're actually a psychopath or a narcissist, you're not, you can't have that thought.

So the idea that we're picking a nice guy, a normal guy, we realized, oh, it would have been so hard for him after a certain amount of days to realize what we were doing. We maybe could have gone harder. Dude, I hate that. I got punged once and when everyone in the place applauded, it made me sick.

It was like Truman show. You were like floating on, there's no, so everyone district me. I felt, I don't like pranks like that. I was like horrified by it and that made me feel like when you see on In Sram and someone is they're usually like mean pranks You know you throw a baseball against face at a store and then you go. Hey who threw that? It's like well, that's just to make this guy looks like an asshole and you look cool. Yes, so those I drive me nuts But this one was so elaborate and so far. I wonder if

he's, if he ever just thinks that's so weird. He must have. Well, I wrote this down episode five. That's a couple of times where Ronald is just standing there going crazy stuff. Just keeps happening. Crazy stuff. Can you guys are all tight in the booth going? No, no, don't figure it out. Let's go complete silence. Brr, brr, brr, brr. Though he couldn't possibly hear you where you were, obviously. No, but we'd be nervous. We were in a court room.

Where's the booth, yeah. So we found an old courthouse that was decommissioned, right? To shoot in. And for budget cuts. And so there was courtroom number three, was where the actual case was happening. Court room number one was what we made into the jury holding area. And the booth was courtroom number three was where the actual case was happening. Court room number one was what we made into the jury holding area,

and the booth was courtroom number two. So we were right in between. Wow. The actual courtroom and where they all waited. And so we were very quiet a lot of times. Trying that to last time. And actors would say, I'm in these bathroom and then they go

into a video and they'll age basically. And they got their phones when they're in their own rooms and Ronald doesn't have. Yes, so we got their texts in each other. And they got their phones, when they're in their own rooms and Ronald doesn't have them. Yes, so we got to be able to talk about them. They're texting each other. And I have ear buds in with some of the actors so they can hear me live and we're giving them notes. He talks, yeah.

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He's gonna make you laugh every time you must love. The loan pine, we're working on loan pine. Was the hitting that it was like a big director? Probably. Yeah. Yeah. That was from the writer, that was fun in the writer's room. They got to play around with that and write fake scenes for that. Because I mean, the other thing about our show, obviously, the actors do so much improvising, but,

I mean, 80, 90% of what you see in the show was scripted. You know what I mean? And it was just about how to get there. How do we get to these lines that you can see? Come on, my shoulder was scripted. Uh, maybe she threw that. I that. It's such an abstract. The guy walks by. It's a testimonial to the camera. And she's talking about her plans with Ronald.

No, not with Ronald took her up. No, yes. No, yes. I'm going to let him cry on my shoulder. Maybe what about Noah? That guy was great too. Maggie, Maggie Lepper, who, who's nominated for one of our Emmys for writing one of the episodes. He was one of our writers as well. So that was great, because he was in the room and fully understood that like he was, you know, he's basically a producer level person in there because he knew all the background, he knew all the bits we cut, he could go back to something so easily.

And he's just a really funny stand up as well. And who are you nominated against for the Emmy? Like, is there another show like it out there? But you're nominated for a nomination? Ted Lasso or something? Yeah, Ted Lasso, a lot of great shows. Maisel Lasso, The Bears, which is obviously great.

We did not expect to get, not, I mean, you know, we made this tiny little show that's a crazy experiment. And we did not expect to get nominated. It feels, feels pretty nice we made this tiny little show that's a crazy experiment and we did not expect to get nominated feels feels pretty nice, but yeah, who's guy went to the bathroom and he's going to go whack off catch some of the shoulder he is going to whack off. And then they got one that really was stretching is apparently Marsden Pood, very like aggressively in a bathroom. And then the guy came in to fix it and then your hero Ronald took the blame. Took the, so it was me because Marsden said, look, it would get out in the tabloids.

Wouldn't look at the other tabloids. The tabloids would publish a photo of shit. No, people think the pop rising would do that. You finish that scene and go, okay, that's a wrap for today. People. I mean, it's like to be honest, that was one of the ones that I was like, should we do this? Because we could blow it.

Because if Ronald being a nice guy tries to get in there and fix it, like I can all in clad, you know what I mean? No, it's not real. Yeah, because that was actually one of the biggest things for our show. Compared to a typical show where movie is like, we didn't have to be camera real, you know, like you're on set for a normal TV show or movie. You might, you know, the wall might be styrofoam or something. It doesn't matter as long as it looks like it looks like it's on camera.

But we had to be reality real for this guy who had to believe everything was real life. It was a whole other element of difficulty for the crew. And he walked into the booth and he looks around and it's over. Yeah. And then he sees like the back of sets. It's so fake looking. Yes. Oh my, this whole world is like spinning.

It took him a long time, I think, to fully process. As it would anyone, what would happen? But that nerve racket of that maybe he would get upset or something would be. Oh, and we were all in love with him by the point. You know what I mean? So we're like, we really hope we don't, like, just hurt him, you know what I mean?

But the relationships are real. Like he really did, he's friends with everyone. I was just talking to him yesterday. We all keep in touch. He's a great guy, great head on a shoulders. That's why he's so good in the show. What was his job? He had just sold his business He was like solar Contractor solar he was working with like a solar panel cleaning system

I think and he had sold that and this speaks to his character and he was kind of between jobs He had just sold his business and he was like Wow, what are some life experiences I could do that I won't have time for again once I start working again. And he found this ad on Craigslist that said, have you ever, if you've never served jury duty before and you'd like to be part in an interesting documentary,

this could be for you and he signed up. And I think it's like that's part of who we're looking for, someone to say yes to things, you know what I mean? And that's, and so, and. And he also has a lot of rough of feathers, and he wants to come in and be good. Yes. That helped too, that he thinks he's in a documentary.

So he's already used the cameras being a rat. Yes. He thought there was like a five person crew. He didn't see the other eight or less. Hidden cameras. He saw a very small PBS, European, serious documentary. In fact, I don't think it's in the final episode. After we wrapped, and I finally went out and met him,

and we were all talking with him, and I was doing his final exit interview. And he goes, can I give you guys one suggestion? And we go, yeah, he goes, because we'd explain like you were kind of the moral compass, and we wanted to do this live play of crazy characters and situations around you. And he goes, oh, that's really nice to you guys.

Can I give you one suggestion? If you were gonna cut this together, I just wanna say, there's a lot of funny things that happen, maybe you could make it a comedy. And we were like, yeah, oh, yeah, sorry, that's most of the boring stuff won't be in there. We were gearing towards that. But he's just like, that's who he is,

just a sweetheart going, I was laughing a lot during some stuff when I would get home at night. You should look at that stuff, you know what I mean? It was interesting. Yeah, it's interesting because earnestness go in full circle to that word that I think is part of his charm. It's not to do with being a pushovers,

not to do with being not very bright. It's just this spectrum of his personality that is so sincere and also always thinking to the best, because you can't help but think, God, if I was in this situation, would I be that? Every time something happened to someone, he basically spun it positive.

He is such, because he's a very smart guy. Ronald is just a very decent guy and he gives people the benefit of the doubt. And that's what we were looking for. But he was even better than we could have thought. What if he got mad at the end of this? Oh, we were truly terrified of. In fact, you asked what the craziest things we were worried about was. The reveal became the most terrifying. Because we had gotten through all the big set pieces. And then we were like, now we gotta tell them. Like there was part of us, maybe we should just go a couple more days.

We don't want it, we were so nervous about telling them. That actually became the most scared we were about doing it in the wrong way, telling me in a way that would upset them. How do we- How do we- Do you have a speak very ginger about it? Yes.

That was he did a good job. We had a long speech, we cut it down in the show, but we really, let's lay this out for you, let's do it bit by bit and we really had to. And then what got me and I guess what gets people, meaning kind of teary, just then the judge says, you've done this and this and this and this and you are our hero. And then here's a hundred thousand. Yeah.

I mean, that was kind of not something. Yes. But I mean, the sugar helps. The emotion of that moment because he was, I guess he was blushing and just so stunned. Well, we were so worried, is he gonna, is he gonna be upset? He's gonna be happy, he's gonna scream.

And it's like, no, the reality of someone telling you, hey, every person you've interacted with for the last three weeks has been an actor. Stunned. You just have to think about that. What does that mean? That is not a normal thing to react to. To assessing someone.

Because in normal like hidden camera shows, you maybe push someone for like two hours, three hours and go, hey, just kidding. Whereas the camera here, you immediately go, oh, okay, the last two hours were perceived. You can feel deceived. You can feel like it would probably be a lot of emotions. And then put the hundred grand helps. It helps. But a lot of the conversations behind the scenes between the producers was, how do we do

this in a, in a okay way. And do you think one thing I found interesting because everyone was so great and it's sort of, it's love them. It was scripted, but also they had to when they were around Ronald be listening and be in the moment in case they had to adjust. Yes. So it created this hyperacting, like, yeah, I always tell people like if someone came in here, oh, if it, like, guys come here, I don't want to see him anymore, we would all go. Let's just tell him we're real busy. We're gonna do another hour. Yeah, we'd all act perfectly probably Because it wouldn't be trying. We like oh no, we're just gonna be here for so just put it You know, so that you had that whatever that magic is it didn't seem like real

There's next level kind of acting. They're all amazing. That was the toughest part of casting was, and shout out to Susie Ferris, our amazing casting director, but we had to find people that were, that wouldn't break, strong enough to not break. That's good enough at improv, good enough at choosing their moments, because we'd say you got to get to this joke, you got to get to this line,

but we don't know exactly when it'll happen. So you got to choose the right moment to jump in and be that good, but not have already been a serious regular on a show that he could recognize you from or something. Don't push it. Yeah, exactly. You get someone pushing, you got to write them in less because you get scared.

And that was our call back process was really fun because basically to test people, we went to a real focus group center where people get paid a hundred bucks to come in and give your opinion on something. We brought in actors that we that we were excited about and we brought in real people and every group was five actors and five real people and the five actors didn't know who the other actors were if they didn't know each other and we I gave them a character and a goal and jokes to make and then it was let's see how they do with real people and can do they know when to jump in, do they know how to push it without breaking it. And we needed that for sure to be able to pick the right cast. And it shows you just, you know, not to go back to the striker anything, but, you know,

talent meets opportunity. And so any of those people could go anywhere they want to go. It's just it's very hard to get a break as an actor. Yeah. And Hollywood and become known and then have leverage and make a really good living. It's so rare. Yes. And just to see that brilliant level of performance

with all these people that I didn't know who they were. I'm so proud of all of them. Yeah, they're amazing. And so good on you to foster that. They must love you. Good job on this. Thank you for talking to us. Thank you to everybody else. They must love you. Good job on this. Thank you for talking to us. Thank you to everybody else.

You wanna tell this to me? No, I just wanted to shout out to Ronald Gladden that it's documentable that you are a very good person. Yes, you know. He's the best. Nice out of film. If you have kids later and they think dad's a jerk, you look at this.

I didn't even break. So it's a next level revolutionary project. I don't know how someone tries to do this again anytime soon. I don't, I don't either. It's so, so unique in the form of candid camera or the, you know, the whole heritage of hidden cameras. You guys took it to a whole other level. You can do it.

It's tricky, but you could, you know, it is tricky the second time. Yeah, I think we'll have to find a new, a new setting. Yeah, yeah. But everyone wants to sign up to do a show. Yeah, Zamaski. Zamaski, sorry. The Polish... Zamaski. Um, as a matter of guess today, David Spade has been David Spade.

Thanks for coming into the dungeon. Thanks for having me, guys. You should have. You really enjoyed this. Jerry Duty, everyone. This has been a podcast presentation of Cadence 13. Please listen, then rate, review, and follow all episodes. Available now for free wherever you get your podcast. No joke, folks.

Flying the Wall has been a presentation of Cadence 13, executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Chris Corqurin of Cadence 13, and Charlie by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Chris Corqurin of Cadence 13 and Charlie Feinand of Brillstein Entertainment. The shows lead producers Greg Holtman with production and engineering support from Serena Regan and Chris Bezel of Cadence 13.