00:00I did ballet until I was like 11 years old and then stopped dead.
00:05So it was a process to train for this movie.
00:10She did incredible, though.
00:12Thank you. I'm pretty nervous having to dance for her.
00:15No, she's amazing. She's incredible.
00:16I know, Gemma, all she said to me, she was like,
00:19why do I have to dance when we're with Magic Mike on this film?
00:22I loved being in the audience for once and just being like,
00:25I don't have to do anything now. But she did incredible.
00:30Do you mind just telling me kind of the origin story of this feature length version of the movie
00:36and kind of like bringing it to life, I guess?
00:40Yeah, it's based on an event that happened to me when I was eight years old with my father in Golden Gate Park.
00:48And that left me with like a tremendous amount of fear from that day witnessing this crime.
00:55And so I decided with Josephine, I wanted to sort of explore taking that fear that I was left with
01:02and like kind of pushing it to its limits and Josephine through the eyes of an eight-year-old girl.
01:08Yeah.
01:09Did you, am I correct? Did you do a moth story of this as well?
01:13Yeah.
01:13Okay. How much did it change?
01:15Did that, like, was that you just doing the story to tell the story?
01:18Or were you working out what would be the movie by telling the story?
01:21Oh, interesting.
01:22Yeah. So I had already written a draft of the script.
01:25And I mean, the script is wildly different from the moth because the moth is like the full true story.
01:32So it didn't really inform the script actually at all.
01:36It was just, actually, my father was like, you're really bad at public speaking.
01:41Like, you should work on it.
01:42So that's why I did it.
01:44I had to challenge myself.
01:46I'm going to get behind the camera.
01:47And who did you cast first?
01:50Did you start with looking for Josephine?
01:53No, actually, I cast Gemma first.
01:56Gemma was attached to this project even before I shot my first feature film.
02:02She, like, stayed with me through the whole time, like, believing in this story while I got another one up off the ground.
02:10I think for a feature like this, the director, if it's a first-time director, you're always kind of the risk.
02:16So I had to, like, sort of show that I could hold a full feature together in order to then proceed with Josephine.
02:26But Gemma stayed with me the whole time.
02:28And then she...
02:29That's like in 2019.
02:31Yeah.
02:32It was wild.
02:33We FaceTimed when you were in London, like in 2019.
02:36Dang.
02:36Did you have faith the whole time that it was going to come together?
02:42Well, yeah, I did, actually.
02:43I had a feeling.
02:44I didn't know how long it was going to take.
02:46But, you know, I really believe in Beth and the story and the script really spoke to me.
02:52And I'm just so happy that it came together.
02:54What is the longest that anyone has worked on a movie before it came to life?
03:01This one.
03:02I think this one is the longest.
03:03I mean, I wasn't on it as long as Gemma.
03:06But, yeah, I'd say this one's a pretty long one.
03:08Since 2014, I started writing it.
03:10So it's like 12 years now.
03:13Mason, when were you born?
03:14Oh, my gosh.
03:17She wasn't even born yet.
03:18That's a trip, dude.
03:20That's so special.
03:22So, okay, tell me about the farmer's market and who saw Mason at the farmer's market.
03:27Do you remember that day?
03:30We were walking our dog, Ranger, and we had to go out.
03:34And the farmer's market's there on Sunday, so we went out there.
03:38And then I was at a date stand, and Beth just came up and was like, hey, where's your mom or dad?
03:45And I'm like, who are you?
03:48That's my reaction to that.
03:50Great question.
03:50Correct response.
03:51Correct response to that.
03:52Who are you?
03:53Wow.
03:55And then it worked.
03:56I mean, what's the craziest thing about being in this movie?
04:00Like, what was it like for you?
04:03It was very exciting.
04:05And there were so many new things and new people I got to meet, like them two.
04:13Because I didn't even know any afters before, like you guys.
04:15I had no idea who you guys were.
04:18Have you seen any of their movies?
04:21Yeah, you're probably not allowed to.
04:22Thank God.
04:23Yeah.
04:24Did you watch Bar and the Lost Dragon?
04:26No.
04:27No.
04:28Did I?
04:30Yeah?
04:30I'm not going to say, yeah.
04:32You must have seen it.
04:33Fine.
04:33You've seen one of her movies, not mine.
04:35It's okay.
04:35It's animated.
04:36Yeah.
04:37Yeah.
04:37Perfect.
04:38What, did you dance before this?
04:41And did you play soccer before this?
04:44I did ballet until I was 11 years old and then stopped dead.
04:49So it was, it was a process to train for this movie.
04:54She did incredible.
04:57I'm pretty nervous having to dance with Magic Micro.
05:00She did incredible.
05:01I know.
05:01Gemma, all she said to me, she was like, you, she was like, why do I have to dance when we're
05:05with Magic Mike on this film?
05:07I loved being in the audience for once and just being like, I don't have to do anything
05:10now.
05:11But she did incredible.
05:12Incredible.
05:12Did you play soccer?
05:14Did you, was your real feat?
05:15No, is the short answer.
05:17I was not a soccer player at all.
05:18I did lie and tell a producer and director that I had played soccer to, to get my first
05:25job.
05:26She's the man.
05:26And I was like, yeah, I played soccer.
05:27I did play like a half a year just because it was off season football.
05:32So I just went out and sort of like trained with the guys, but I never actually played.
05:36Did you, were the, were either of those in She's the Man or in this, is that really you
05:40doing the ball tricks?
05:41Yeah.
05:42We didn't have a, we didn't have a stunt.
05:43You're good.
05:44But she, she just shows me things.
05:46I gave him like a video and I was like, there's two videos.
05:49Which one can you do?
05:50And he was like, I'll get, I'll do this one.
05:52I'm like, okay.
05:53Yeah.
05:53I can't, so some of them, some things you can do and some things you can't.
05:55The other video is, um, around the world.
06:00It's around the world where you go, like you put it on your foot and then you like bring
06:03it over and then catch it.
06:04It's actually really hard.
06:05I feel like I haven't seen your skills enough.
06:07I, she's good.
06:08I've heard that you are.
06:10She's good.
06:11A soccer player.
06:11Well, you were.
06:12I'm a, I'm a, I'm a better soccer player than I am a filmmaker.
06:15I think.
06:16I think, I think.
06:18I'm not sure about it.
06:19No, no, I'm sure.
06:20It's true.
06:20I like love filmmaking more, but I think like.
06:23You must be in a very, having seen the movie, you must be in a very,
06:25be a very, very good soccer player.
06:27And I find.
06:27She's got a great one top.
06:28Oh, you've seen the movie?
06:29Yeah.
06:30Oh, she'll just be like.
06:30Thanks for watching.
06:31Oh my God.
06:32My pleasure.
06:33It was, it was incredible.
06:34Did, did you guys have anything particular that you did like in some of the heavier scenes,
06:39like that you did either in between scenes or at the end of the day to sort of like keep
06:43it light or shake it off or anything?
06:47I think for me, I mean, I had to kind of be really, really, you know, intense and scary,
06:52scary dad at times.
06:53And I always wanted to make sure that Mason knew that it was actor dad and not, and not,
06:57you know, her buddy Chan on, on set.
07:00And, you know, she'd never acted before.
07:01And, and like, I just wanted to make sure that she wasn't like, I don't like this.
07:05Like, I do not like this person anymore.
07:07And, and, uh, I was, I was really nervous about that part of it.
07:10Uh, so I was constantly trying to make sure that, you know, we still work good.
07:15She understood it.
07:16And she did.
07:17She was like, she was like, stop talking to me about that.
07:19It's fine.
07:21She understood it.
07:22I think better than not.
07:23She was.
07:23She was just like, what, what's the point of it?
07:25They were kind of like helicopter parents on set.
07:27Just being like, Mason, are you good?
07:28Are you good, Mason?
07:29Are you good?
07:29She was like, I'm fine.
07:31She kept saying, I'm fine.
07:33Also Mason's energy levels.
07:35You never tired.
07:36Like we would be flagging and Mason would be just, you'd be keeping us going.
07:41She would, it's, it's also like kind of like having a kid.
07:44She's like, pick me up again.
07:45And, you know, like, yeah.
07:46So it was, it was fun.
07:48We got to be a little family.
07:49What was your favorite thing about shooting in San Francisco?
07:54And was it everyone's first time?
07:56It was my first time shooting there.
07:58I've been there on a vacation when I was about 10 years old.
08:02I loved it.
08:03Really, really loved it.
08:04And it really felt like we bedded in and got to go into some amazing parts of the city.
08:08And yeah.
08:09I liked being there with Beth, like knowing that she just knew the city so well and like
08:15kind of being in and around the places where, you know, I don't know if she grew up and getting
08:19to go to like have coffee with her dad and like, you know, it was just cool.
08:23Really, really cool.
08:24It was really nice filming so close to my house.
08:28I bet.
08:29I know.
08:30I thought actually that was a really, I was really happy that we ended up casting Josephine
08:36as someone who was in San Francisco because I think it's so, it's such an endeavor for,
08:42I mean, anyone, but for a child.
08:44And then also it's nice that she could like go home, see friends on the days off, still
08:49kind of keep her normal life around her to just keep her, keep her good instead of being
08:56like isolated in some city.
08:58We had to go get our nails done together.
09:00Yeah.
09:00They got their nails done together.
09:01Right down the street.
09:02What color?
09:03He got zero color.
09:04What?
09:05Just a nice buff.
09:06Didn't I get my toes done?
09:07Yeah.
09:08I thought he picked green.
09:09I did pick green on my toes.
09:11Oh, you picked green.
09:12Oh, you picked, I feel like I got, you picked my color.
09:16I think just on my toes though.
09:17I didn't get anything on my, on my fingers because we had to shoot, but I'm pretty sure
09:22I got something on my toes.
09:22I can't remember that.
09:24Okay.
09:25We have a couple of questions we're asking everyone who comes in.
09:29Let's see.
09:30What's a good, oh, okay.
09:31Does anyone have anything for 2026 that is on their personal, like in or out list?
09:37What are you done with?
09:38What are you trying to call in?
09:43I don't know.
09:43I want to call in more peace in my life, in everyone's life, but yeah.
09:49Zen.
09:50Zen.
09:51Yeah.
09:51Yeah.
09:52That's a good one.
09:53I agree.
09:53Peace on a personal level and broader worldwide.
09:58On a global level.
09:59Yeah.
10:00Courage, I think.
10:02And also just being around good people.
10:06I think.
10:07Yeah.
10:08I think Courage.
10:10I would, I would second that one.
10:11I have literally nothing else to add, but it's just, that resonates with me.
10:16What about you?
10:17Me?
10:17On an in and out list.
10:19Oh yeah.
10:20What's out, Mason?
10:21Tell us.
10:22Out?
10:23Yeah.
10:23What's not cool anymore?
10:24What are you not going to do anymore?
10:26Or you don't want to?
10:27Oh, I don't know.
10:29What is this?
10:29Homework?
10:29La Boo Boo's out.
10:30No, I like homework.
10:31Yeah.
10:31I like homework.
10:33You like homework?
10:33Yeah.
10:34You're so weird.
10:35No, she's like, I know, I know.
10:36She reads like three, like.
10:37Do you want to do more movies?
10:40Did you like this enough?
10:41Yeah.
10:41Yeah.
10:42But I want to do a different genre.
10:44Like action, fantasy, maybe a musical, a movie with animals in it, or a movie filmed in Paris.
10:52Oh, I love the manifestation.
10:56So specific.
10:56I love it.
10:58Vision board.
10:59Yes.
10:59There you go.
10:59That's an end.
11:00Okay.
11:00Thanks, guys, so much for chatting.
11:02I appreciate it.
11:03Yeah.
Comments