00:00Tell me, what is it like to be an independent storyteller in this moment today?
00:03It's complicated.
00:05And necessary.
00:06And important, right?
00:08Yeah, we need stories that are representing the pockets of our culture
00:15that aren't being represented more than ever,
00:17but also the framework is kind of dying around us,
00:20so we have to get creative.
00:22We have to do ridiculous things like fund entire seasons of television
00:26from your morning show paychecks,
00:28and that's what we're doing.
00:30Just a question for both of you.
00:31How do you hope storytellers respond to this moment politically, culturally?
00:35Honestly, that's how I hope they respond to it, truthfully and bravely.
00:42Yeah.
00:43I think those who have a platform have to do whatever they can
00:46to make sure that voices who are feeling a little more marginalized get their shot.
00:51I started with the heavy questions.
00:52Let's do something fun.
00:53This is your crowd.
00:54These are your people.
00:55Spirit Awards Saturday.
00:57Nominees.
00:58It's a show of all award shows, truly.
01:01We came here for the first time together 20 years ago with our movie,
01:04The Puffy Chair, that we made for $10,000.
01:06We were the first people here sitting.
01:08We got here like two hours early before the carpet was even opened.
01:11We were just like, can you let us in, guys?
01:14We were excited.
01:14This might be the only time we get to come here ever.
01:16Was it real?
01:17It didn't feel real.
01:18Yeah, but it's cool, man.
01:20We're still doing the same thing.
01:21We've got a movie called Jazzy that's in the Cassavetes Award category in editing.
01:25It's a lower budget movie like we've always done.
01:28We have our movie, our TV show Penelope.
01:31Megan Stott, our lead actress, is nominated.
01:33That's the one we made independently.
01:36And, yeah, it's just really cool to be with our peeps.
01:40Most indie thing you've ever done on a set?
01:43Like, what's the most indie, scrappiest filmmaking you've ever done?
01:47I know we could talk about this for hours probably.
01:49On the very first day of shooting Black Rock, Kate Bosworth asked where the bathroom was,
01:57and I just faced the woods and was like, go for it.
02:01So I had Kate Bosworth go to the bathroom in the woods.
02:04That was probably my most indie filmmaking thing I've ever done.
02:08I had a cool indie moment in the middle of the morning show where I decided my character should throw up in the middle of a scene,
02:14and they were like, well, we can't do it.
02:16We don't have the stunt people and the thing.
02:17And I was like, guys, I've been doing this for years.
02:20Don't worry.
02:21So I went to craft service, put together a little oatmeal, chopped up some raisins, a little apples in it,
02:26chunked it up, and it was beautiful.
02:27Yeah.
02:29You know what you're doing.
02:30And also just seeing the two of you together in front of me, I have to ask, you guys work really closely together.
02:35You write projects together.
02:36You produce.
02:37You've directed some things from the scripts you've written together.
02:40What's the best and most challenging thing about being a couple that works together?
02:46It's a great question.
02:47I literally just picture-locked something that he wrote and was the EP of.
02:53So it's wild.
02:54It's intimate.
02:55Yeah.
02:56I mean, we're going to South by Southwest this year with a movie called Magic Hour that we co-wrote together in a car five years ago.
03:02We've been waiting for the perfect moment to make it, and I was hoping she would cast me in it, and she didn't.
03:08So then we just go home and have really aggressive makeup sex.
03:13So it works for everybody.
03:16It gets the relationship spicy.
03:18Yeah.
03:18The key to aggressive makeup sex is don't cast him.
03:21Don't cast your partner.
03:23No.
03:24Cast like the insanely handsome, uber-talented Daveed Diggs.
03:29Keep him on his toes.
03:31Sideline me.
03:32Keep me wanting.
03:33During the makeup sex, did she say Daveed's name?
03:37I wore earplugs just in case.
03:39I know how to protect my marriage.
03:42And what is the key to a lasting relationship this many years later?
03:46Because you guys have been so successful.
03:48Also, such a great, dynamic, creative, brilliant couple.
03:52Should I keep going?
03:53Keep going.
03:54I mean, I don't know.
03:55Our 17-year-old daughter is now a filmmaker and working with us.
03:58We've always kept it in the family, working with Jay, and that's, for me, the troubles of working so closely with people you love are far outweighed by laying your head on the pillow next to somebody and having them understand what you're complaining about,
04:13as opposed to being with, like, an ER doctor and being like, but nobody cast me.
04:18And they're like, I lost three patients today.
04:21I'm like, okay, you want someone who understands you.
04:24I also think it really helps when you very much love, respect, and appreciate the work that the other person does.
04:32I think it would be really hard if I thought he was a really crappy filmmaker to be like, yeah, let's keep going.
04:39The fact that he constantly pushes me and inspires me and his work excites me, I think has a lot to do with it.
04:47And I like the way he smells.
04:49Most of the time.
04:54No, it's just Mark.
04:56It's his essence.
04:57It's just that Duplass musk.
05:01Yep.
05:02Can we circle back to the 17-year-old budding filmmaker?
05:05I mean, obviously she's grown up in a household with filmmaker parents, but did you say, are you sure?
05:11We were like, please don't.
05:13Yeah.
05:13It's painful and difficult.
05:15And so if you must, you must.
05:18And after years and years of us telling her, you're not allowed to go out and audition, you're not allowed to go out and make movies, she turned 16 and she was like, fuck you guys.
05:27Here I come.
05:29And she's great.
05:30Kind of sounds familiar.
05:32She's great.
05:32Yeah.
05:32Sounds like a typical 16-year-old girl.
05:34I mean, you know.
05:35And then last question for you.
05:36As filmmakers, I want to ask you about this thing.
05:38Maya Hawk and Ethan Hawk this past week talked about casting actors based on Instagram followers.
05:43I know that this is not a new phenomenon, but it is something that has increased, I think, in these challenging times when people are looking at how to, you know, maximize marketing.
05:53What's your take on that and how you approach that?
05:56I try not to be too critical of anybody in this industry who's trying to get movies made.
06:00And I try to have grace because it's a scary time.
06:03But I feel like there's kind of two ways to go about it.
06:05It's like, all right, we can go and do things based upon popularity and still play the race that we're here to make money.
06:12Or you can forget about all of that and put all that stuff away and just say, what is the piece of art that has the ability to move our culture most right now?
06:20And usually that comes from a completely unexpected place.
06:24And I'm glad we have the technology to do that.
06:27So I'm hoping more people pick up that sword and swing it.
06:29Yeah.
06:29It feels to me like an extension sort of what the business always has been, right?
06:34Of, like, who's the most famous actress?
06:37Well, we're going to cast her.
06:38It doesn't matter if she's right for the role.
06:40And TV in the past couple of years, now that there's, like, no exclusivity, has, like, oh, who's on a show that works?
06:47We're going to put her also in that show and this show and that show.
06:50And so it feels like it's, like, this sign of safety of, like, well, they have a built-in audience.
06:56But I don't think it's always what's best for the art.
06:59Like, that doesn't, it's not representative of talent.
07:02So it feels pretty uninspired to me and it's not that exciting to watch.
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