Summary
Anderson .Paakhas astounded audiences for the better part of fifteen years with his musical talent.
The list goes on and on and on.
‘K-Pops!’
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
Anderson, would you mind doing the honors and giving a brief synopsis of your film?
ANDERSON .PAAK: The film is about a washed-up musician played by myself.
He goes by BJ and finds out that his long-lost son could be the next big K-pop star.
It’s played by my real son.
And that’s pretty much it.
It’s not easy to get a green light on a first feature.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
He wanted to do YouTube.
Right then is when I saw how talented he was and how natural he was.
We started really bonding by doing the videos.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
He was like, You want to direct it?
And I was like, Yeah, for sure.
He’s like, Okay, be here tomorrow at 7am for the first meeting.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
I tried to cancel the meeting because I was hungover and stuff.
It’s not like the music industry.
That’s when I was like, Alright, I’m gonna really do this and buckle down.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
The Grammy winner brings a personal journey to the screen against the K-pop music scene.
I feel like that’s the same with the movie business.
The Many Collaborative Modes of Anderson .Paak
He’s locked in as a director.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
He really can take out the noise.
I’ll open this up to the whole cast.
Again, first feature as a director right here.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
I am hopeful there will be many more in Anderson’s future.
KEVIN WOO: I can elaborate.
We also created this family bond, and it made us feel really safe to just play around.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
He brought up really great ideas during the set, and he just brought the best out of everyone.
So, thank you, Andy.
I really appreciate that.
Image via Erik Ian
It was never, like, too serious.
It’s not just like Anderson is like this as he’s writing, directing, acting.
I was really seeing that happen and he was kind of wanting to focus on that.
He really can take out the noise.
That was kind of interesting to see.
I don’t think you get that with directors.
And I’m like, Oh, okay.
So you know exactly what he wants from you, you know what I mean?
He directed me as if it was music, and then I just got it.
I was like, Okay, take a breath.
And then it was like all the pieces just came together.
I’ll stick with you for a minute, Cathy, to start digging into everybody’s characters.
You’re the host of Wild Card.
There are many singing competition shows out there.
Is there any particular show hosts that you channeled in your own performance here?
SHIM:Producer 101.
So I come from a K-pop background.
They all helped me with my Korean, specifically for the show dialogue, very different than Korean dialogue.
For me, they really threw me into that world ofProducer 101.
I’m in between the two.
It was just an iconic, powerful role to be able to make my own.
So, it’s just a combination of all things.
I’m curious to hear how your answers to this might differ.
What does stardom mean to each of them, and why do they want it?
He’s waiting on his moment.
He’s always trying to take his moment, really opportunistic, and it doesn’t happen for him.
Years go by, and then he becomes one of those bitter musicians.
I could still go viral.
I could still be that guy.
And he’s always had that.
I think that’s the difference between me and Tae Young.
He not seeking that.
I think BJ, more so, wants all the glitz and glam that comes with it.
That’s kind of how it is in real life, too.
It’s almost like it’s his destiny.
It’s in his DNA to want the same thing and to be so connected to his father.
Kevin, I heard Kang is the best in the competition.
What specifically makes him the best, and how does he behave as the best?
Is he a jerk about it, or is he more humble?
I was a K-pop idol myself from the early stages of K-pop before it became a global phenomenon.
In the real K-pop world, the training process is very strenuous and very long.
He’s worked his whole life up to this point, and he’s very, very driven.
That’s all I can say.
Jonnie, get ready for a big two-parter.
You play Cash in the movie, and you’re also a producer on the film.
PARK: I think it’s definitely a little bit of art imitating life.
I was like, Do you mind playing the drums for this thing?
I’m trying to serenade.
So I’ve seen his journey in real life to where he’s gone so far.
As a producer, it’s been a crazy journey for us coming from music into TV and film.
He literally looked at me and was like, So, is this real or what?
We weren’t sure.
But even when I saw the TikTok, I was like, There’s something there.
That TikTok actually explains the whole idea of this movie and the cultural exchange we have.
Given you’ve made it through to the finish line, it makes me comfortable asking this question.
I don’t know if I’m going to be able to overcome this challenge?
PAAK: It wasn’t necessarily when we started shooting, it wasbeforeshooting.
I didn’t think I could pull it off.
We were going through scripts, and I was co-writer with Khaila Amazan.
I didn’t realize how much work it was just to get the script to where we liked it.
It takes over your life, especially if you’re directing it.
Before going into production, I didn’t think I could pull it off.
I didn’t know if I had the skill set.
I didn’t know if I even knew what I was doing.
I just thought I bit too much than I could chew.
I might have done too much.
Then the strike happened, and I was like, Okay, this is my out!
I asked him, I’m like, Soul, do you still want to do it?
And he was like, Ibetterdo it.
I’ve been in acting classes for months.
Then I was like, I’m gonna do it.
Once we got into shooting, I was obsessed.
It was like being in a summer camp.
I was learning so much and having a really good time.
Learning that you’re made for it.
You already shotAtlantisand it sounds like such an interesting film.
I don’t even know what to picture with a filmmaker like that and that kind of log line.
Are you able to tease anything in terms of what that movie might feel like?
PAAK: I’ll just say Michel is very French.
It wasn’t a huge role or anything, but it was a pretty meaty role.
It was cool to see that he’s developing things on the spot.
You try a run, and then you wanna see, How did I do?
And he’s just kind of looking at you.
He’s very playful, very silly, and it was just a fun atmosphere to be in.
It’s a musical, so I think it’s gonna be really awesome.
But yeah, I really enjoyed it.
It was great music and a great cast.
PAAK: Working with Missy [Elliott] and stuff was really cool.
And also Roxstar Entertainment, our event producing partner and Photagonist Canada for the photo and video services.
