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Writer/Director John Brownell & Actors Tyler Picchi & Danny Breslin talk to Fest Track about chemistry, buddy comedy influences and artistic intent in regards to their new film "Coin" playing the Feature section of Dances With Films LA 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

#CoinFilm #DancesWithFilms #FilmMaking #ActorLife
Transcript
00:25The
00:26cadence and the way you interact
00:28obviously in those scenes
00:29with the character of Audrey but also
00:32specifically in the car scenes
00:34it's that back and forth
00:36it's that sort of riffing and obviously
00:38it's all completely
00:40scripted I would think but can you talk
00:42about finding that energy in those scenes
00:44Well like Danny was saying we got to spend
00:46a lot of time with each other
00:48and I think we both really wanted to make sure
00:50that we had that chemistry
00:52when we were on set and so
00:53outside of just doing rehearsals
00:56together we were trying to have conversations
00:58and we were just trying to gel
00:59and thankfully John wrote
01:02dialogue that we were able to play
01:04with each other a little bit we were able to play off of each
01:06other and so
01:07by the time you know we were in the car
01:10it's just we're just kind of riffing
01:12and we're feeling it's
01:13that we brought that physicality to it and Danny
01:16has a really great physicality that it brings to
01:18Billy that
01:20I get to see
01:22you know first hand and it's just
01:24it's really fun to play off of
01:27but I think that chemistry
01:28was really important definitely for me
01:30because when we were going into it
01:32I would ask John like hey
01:33what kind of movies should I look into
01:35what should I research to try to
01:36to learn more about this
01:38and you know this is obviously
01:40like a buddy kind of
01:43comedy movie in a way
01:44and so I wanted to
01:46you know he recommended we check out
01:48Pineapple Express
01:49and I also checked out Harold and Kumar
01:51Go to White Castle
01:53and just those kind of
01:54movies that center around
01:56these two guys
01:57these two people
01:58these two friends
01:59who go on an adventure together
02:01and get into a sticky situation
02:03and how they get out of it
02:05and so
02:05learning about those relationships
02:07and how they manage that
02:08was really helpful
02:09this is Ricky Moss streaming live
02:11I'm not sure what's about to happen to me
02:13but whatever does
02:14stop Mayor York
02:19I can't believe they're putting houses
02:21on this land
02:22it's bullshit man
02:23luxury houses
02:24how does one even get the money
02:26to afford land like this
02:27I don't know man
02:28probably start with trying
02:29that like anything
02:30you invested $400,000
02:32in cryptocurrency
02:34it's called
02:34planting a seed Audrey
02:36because it's interesting
02:37because it can play like theater too
02:39if you just had these two in a room
02:40and obviously Steppenwolf
02:42that kind of stuff
02:43these different things
02:44in theater
02:46can you guys
02:47Danny can you continue
02:48to talk about that
02:49sort of chemistry
02:50finding that
02:51what I loved about the process
02:53is like I said
02:54there was a lot of
02:56spontaneity in
02:57the relationship
02:58between myself and Tyler
02:59and how that was able to
03:01build into our characters
03:02but also in the filming itself
03:04there was a great balance
03:06between
03:08plan
03:08and
03:11and spontaneity
03:12and authenticity
03:12and things happening
03:13in the moment
03:14and I think
03:15in my experience
03:16as an actor
03:17as an artist
03:18that's
03:19kind of the Goldilocks
03:20perfect little
03:21middle ground
03:23between the two
03:23is that's when the magic happens
03:25when you
03:26create the structure
03:28and then you
03:29but you allow for enough
03:30space and freedom
03:31for things to flow out of that
03:32and that really is theater too
03:34I mean
03:34to be able to do shows
03:35multiple times a night
03:36or in the case of film
03:38to be able to do takes
03:39take after take
03:39you have to have
03:40that structure in place
03:42you can't just go and say
03:43let's find it
03:44you know on the day
03:44let's you know
03:45not have anything in place
03:46John did a really great job
03:48and the whole team
03:48did a really great job
03:49of having all their ducks
03:51in a row
03:51having everything in place
03:52but leaving enough space
03:54for us to say
03:55you know what
03:56I just had this thought
03:57let's try that
03:57let's you know
03:58let's try this
03:59I wasn't thinking about this at all
04:00you know in the writing
04:01of the script
04:01or in the
04:02in the pre-planning
04:03but it seems like
04:04this is an opportunity
04:05to try and take
04:06with this version
04:07and a lot of times
04:09those are the takes
04:10that made it to the final cut
04:11and that's you know
04:12where the magic happens
04:13and that was because
04:14there was space created
04:15for authenticity
04:16within the structure
04:17and that's what I really
04:18appreciated about the process
04:20and you guys are
04:21making a cryptocurrency fund
04:23you know about cryptocurrencies
04:24not really
04:25but that's never stopped
04:26anywhere else
04:26we need an influencer
04:28gotta love the internet
04:29let's spread the word man
04:29let's get it out there
04:30what do you need me for
04:31you think they're onto us
04:32yes obviously
04:35can they surveil us
04:36I don't know man
04:38there's this
04:39scary hitman dude
04:41who wants to like
04:42kill us
04:42want to save the trail
04:44or not
04:44you know what I do
04:45then trust me
04:46this is obviously
04:47a comedy a drama
04:48but it's interesting
04:49because it's almost
04:50a satire at heart
04:52in terms of certain ways
04:54but the thing is
04:55that ultimately
04:56it just comes back
04:57to humanity
04:58you know
04:58that last shot
04:59just that little thing
05:01you know
05:02that you do
05:03with but like
05:04it says so much
05:05about you know
05:06you know
05:06in a world
05:06where we're all
05:07digital
05:07we're doing this
05:08there's something
05:09to be said
05:10of being in that
05:11space
05:11and interacting
05:13yeah I mean
05:14you said it
05:15it really is
05:16I mean
05:17all films are
05:18about relationships
05:19and people
05:19and whatever
05:20they're going through
05:21and this is just
05:21like you said
05:22it's a modern
05:22spin on that
05:23even in a world
05:24of cryptocurrency
05:25which is hyper
05:26I mean it's all
05:27internet driven
05:27it's literally
05:28digitalized currency
05:29that might
05:29at least they're
05:30striving to upend
05:31the financial system
05:32of the whole world
05:32even within that
05:33this is about
05:33relationships with people
05:34I mean at the end
05:35of the day
05:35the human journey
05:36is just about
05:37relationships with other people
05:38and of course
05:39the events that are
05:39happening in your life
05:40and you're striving
05:40to do that
05:41so that scene
05:42at the end
05:43that you mentioned
05:43is an example
05:44of what Danny
05:44was just talking about
05:45and Tyler was talking about
05:46that was fantastic
05:47I mean we were
05:48setting up the camera
05:48or something
05:49and Danny was
05:50I think it was
05:50one of your guys
05:51idea to do the
05:52the arm thing
05:53because in the beginning
05:54of the movie
05:54it goes one way
05:55in the end
05:55it goes back
05:56the other way
05:56and that's just
05:57an example
05:57of kind of what
05:57Danny was like
05:58we didn't
05:58we didn't plan
05:59for that
05:59but like Danny
06:01and Tyler
06:01were kind of
06:02talking about
06:02you know
06:03you set up
06:04and then you have
06:04those brief little moments
06:05which like you said
06:06it emphasized
06:06the humanity
06:07and the rest
06:07of those two characters
06:08so it is a nice button
06:09at the end of the film
06:10I mean I love how
06:11that movie
06:11and they're overlooking
06:12and just kind of
06:13seeing off
06:14into kind of
06:15where their life's
06:15going to go now
06:16after the movie wraps up
06:18launch goondom
06:18we'll be millionaires
06:19before sunset
06:21that easy huh
06:23this was the one place
06:24we had to be free
06:25now that I want to
06:26take that away
06:26from us too
06:28not if I have anything
06:29to say about it
06:31let me go first
06:33why
06:34I'll clear the premises
06:35then keep watching
06:36clear the premises
06:37what is this
06:38James Bond
06:40I don't know
06:43trust and loyalty
06:44both within the characters
06:45but with each other
06:46as actors
06:47and understanding
06:48sort of that
06:49if you'd like to
06:50talk about that
06:51just real quick
06:52and then I'll let you
06:52both go
06:53yeah I felt
06:55what I loved
06:56about the script
06:57was there's
06:58the universals
06:59of friendship
07:01and trust
07:02and these things
07:03that ground it
07:04in something
07:05that everybody
07:06can understand
07:06and then candidly
07:08there is a
07:09touching on
07:10a series of topics
07:12that definitely
07:12feel topical
07:13for audiences today
07:16and I think
07:17a great piece
07:18of art
07:19at least
07:20I'm not
07:21proclaiming that
07:22we've necessarily
07:22created a great piece
07:23of art
07:23although I am very
07:24proud of it
07:25that's for audiences
07:26to say
07:27but a great piece
07:28of art would
07:29in theory
07:30touch on both
07:31these things
07:32that will connect
07:33with people
07:33hundreds of years
07:34from now
07:34or hundred years
07:35prior
07:35those things
07:36that have always
07:36been true
07:37those things
07:38about friendship
07:38and all of that
07:40but then also
07:41touching on
07:42the modern
07:43struggles
07:44that we face
07:44in 2026
07:45and audiences
07:46clamoring for that
07:47and this touching
07:48on that
07:48people feeling like
07:49oh you know
07:50this development
07:51company coming in
07:52and taking over
07:53this piece of land
07:54and we're trying
07:54to protect
07:54that piece of land
07:56there's no
07:56avoiding the fact
07:57that that is
07:58on people's minds
07:59for sure
07:59and I think
07:59we approach it
08:00in an interesting way
08:01you know
08:02we're not wagging
08:02the finger
08:03necessarily
08:03and we're not
08:07approaching it
08:07we're approaching
08:08it with satire
08:09like you said
08:09we're approaching
08:10it in a comedic way
08:11which I think
08:11is a very cool take
08:13and just a story
08:14about you know
08:16it feels like
08:17the little man
08:19you know
08:19going up against
08:20the big man
08:20like it's just
08:21that that story
08:22that we can all
08:23relate to
08:23and that you know
08:24stands the test
08:25of time
08:25because it just
08:27it just feels
08:27so relatable
08:28you know
08:29we have these
08:29these two people
08:30who are way out
08:31of their league
08:33in a situation
08:34and they have
08:35we have to see
08:36how they get out
08:36of it
08:36and so you know
08:38through that chemistry
08:39and through that
08:40that just
08:41you know
08:42that ambition
08:43that they have
08:44you know
08:44they do their best
08:46to accomplish that
08:47and so that's
08:47what was so fun
08:48about it
08:49and the balance
08:49of fighting
08:50for something
08:51that's so
08:52that's so human
08:53you know
08:53fighting for the dunes
08:55while using
08:56something that's
08:57so technical
08:58and so you know
08:59so based in the internet
09:01and just
09:03and not as like
09:04organic
09:05and so
09:06it's a fun story
09:08that I feel like
09:08I've never seen before
09:09and so
09:10I'm so grateful
09:11that we got to be
09:12a part of it together
09:12I'm so grateful

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