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DEADLINE: Tell us about your personal experiences with theater camp.
Were there teachers or counselors who made a particular impact on you?
And I feel like I really wanted to use her kind of wild spirit in this film.
Molly Gordon and Nick LiebermanMatt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
I think [it was] that, coupled with, Okay, yes, Im seeing you.
Yes, these beautiful moments are happening.
But I need you to hit this spotexactlyas it is in the next 15 minutes or something.
Molly Gordon and Ben Platt inTheater CampSearchlight Pictures
What was discussed, and how did you convince her that you could deliver on your vision?
GORDON: It was really hard to get this made.
I wish I could manifest that kind of intensity that I had at the time.
I met Jessica doingBooksmart, and I would always stay after I was done with my scenes.
I just wanted to be a part of it in a deeper way.
And she was like, Can we get lunch?
I see that you want more than this.
You always can come to me if you have any ideas.
And so years later, when we were like, What to do with this project?
we brought it to her.
And I want to be a part of something like this.
I want to help these young losers make their first film.
How did you prepare?
LIEBERMAN: I think you could only take one of those things you just said at a time.
We were working off a scriptment, so a lot of the dialogue was improvised.
How many jokes do we need written?
How much structure do we need to give it?
We definitely need those kinds of products.
Just trying to be as research-heavy as possible on the front end.
GORDON: We were shooting like 360.
The word pumpkin-ing makes my stomach hurt.
LIEBERMAN: Yeah, it was real.
GORDON: You dont need to do a million takes.
Did I get it?
Just trust and jump off the bridge.
We would shoot like 10 scenes in a day, and its like, you might do it.
Everyones starting to overthink it by that point.
That just wasnt possible.
DEADLINE: Were you figuring out aspects to this methodology as you were making the film?
Its hard to imagine a more seamless end result.
We knew we needed someone who had worked with real people and wasnt precious about lighting.
We never would do beauty lighting.
But Nick and I knew exactly what we wanted it to look like before we wrote the movie.
We always wanted it to look like it was shot on film.
Id also been editing documentaries, [learning], What do you need?
How can you set yourself up?
Like, we couldnt have a crane suddenly.
We couldnt afford it.
Maybe we wouldve loved to have a crane.
But Nate is brilliant, our DP.
DEADLINE: The kids in the film are incredible performers.
How did you find them?
GORDON: They are kids that we found through our casting directors, Bernie Telsey and Kristian Charbonier.
People that felt like they just were like, All I want to do is be a theater kid.
This is all Ive ever wanted.
And we were just so lucky that we found these amazing kids.
We had too many kids.
I think thats what theater camp is.
Its a place where anyone can be themselves.
DEADLINE: What are your future plans as filmmakers?
I think its a scary time for art, in general.
One, will we be paid for our art?
And two, can real stories be put on screen?
Or is it just Marvel?
Comedies like yours are testament to the fact that quality work is still being done.
I think its just getting that ball rolling again because everything went to zero inertia, freezing point.
Maybe other people will laugh, too.
GORDON: But also, it used to be, What are we going to do night?
Lets go see a movie.
And with streaming its like, Oh, I can go home and watch anything that I want.
And then you kind of end up not watching anything.
I also think people need to ask more people on dates, one, to go see films.
What, in your mind, can renew it?
GORDON: I think…original films.
Im so excited to go make something again.
But I dont know.
Its hard for me sometimes to get to the theater.
I think weve got to figure out how to reach more people.
I think theres value to those things, too.
We cant just cede that ground.
Because what if theyre doing other things [while theyre watching]?
You know what I mean?
But thats not how we should take in art.
I respect the fact that a lot of people just want to put something on while theyre making dinner.
Theres no judgment on that.
