SXSW Film Panel Wrap-Up: The Kids Are Alright

Ex-Austinites Jay and Mark Duplass have returned home with a new film Cyrus, featuring some bigger name actors but still maintaining a basic improvised, low-fi feel. They joined a panel today called “The Kids are Alright” and focused basically on…well, on that certain kind of film, which has grown in popularity and can be seen in several other films here at SXSW. This is in a large part due to the fact that Mark Duplass has either produced or starred in films for all the other panelists: Katie Aselton (The Freebie), Bryan Poyser (Lovers of Hate), and Geoff Marslett (Mars, which we were unable to attend today due to long-ass lines).

While the main focus was on the brothers Duplass and their unique approach, there was a some interesting information shared which we would love to go on and on about. In fact, if you ask us about it while waiting in line at any of their films, (all of which we aretotally pumped to see), we probably won’t shut up about it. In the meantime, here are a few choice cuts:

Jay doesn’t consider his films a comedy or a drama, really, though he does want them to be funny: “We are hoping the jokes come from the plot.. We encourage our actors never to play comedy. We encourage them to be truthful.”

Mark: “It’s not a comedy, it’s not a drama. We don’t really know what it will be till the end of the process. We try to write light and funny because in the direction, we always take it darker.”

Katie Aselton on her approach: “We shot the Freebie with a six page outline. One paragraph per scene.” Her advice: “Find naturalistic moments.”

Bryan Poyser on the reluctance of people to see a straight drama: “Comedy is a wonderful delivery device for drama.”

Geoff Marslett on his animated sci-fiMars (which we are just really bummed we couldn’t get into during the first screening): I tied to make a romance. But I find that an honest film reflects you in it.” When it comes to comedy, he hopes for “a funny that charms you rather than the kind that makes you laugh.”

Jay: “We’re very prepared to go onset with a first draft. No one else is. The actors feel vulnerable and not confident…which is good for the kind of movies we do. But producers don’t like it.”

Jay on their improvisational discover-the-scene-on-camera approach: “We fuck up. A lot. That’s basically what we do all day on set. It’s basically controlled torture.”

Mark on the freedom their actors are afforded: “The plot and story never wavers. Once we evolve, we shoot in story order. Which producers hate.”

Bryan: The way [the Duplass brothers] make movies—terrifies me.”

Jay on their success: “We didn’t think middle class white people’s problems would be very popular.
Bryan: “But guess who’s going to movies.”

Jay talked about the amount of preparation they’re doing on their bigger films. In order to keep their own style. He said that the more controlled they get, the more they have to come in and mess it up later: “Just, like, after you gel your hair and get it just right, you have to go in and give it that last little—erggggh [musses up hair slightly].”

Jay on his approach to working with Mark: “It’s like the movie is an evil monster trying to eat us. We have to join forces to defeat it.”

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.