For writer-directorTyler Cornack(Butt Boy), it’s home or at least, it was.
First off, huge congratulations on the film.
Tyler, would you mind doing the honors and giving a brief synopsis?
Image by Photagonist
TYLER CORNACK: I’ll do my best.
It’s a love letter to Florida.
He’s sort of at odds with his family a little bit, and he starts this strange relationship.
Image by Photagonist
The only creature he can bond with in life just happens to be this strange fish.
They connect in a weird way, and I think they sort of need each other in the story.
KIRK FOX: It felt good to me.
Image via SXSW
CORNACK: That’s all that matters.
JOHNNY PEMBERTON: It’s hard to describe.
Youve got to see the movie to even understand what it is.
Image by Photagonist
The tone of it is so curious.
I believe you mention this in your director’s statement.
CORNACK: Oh, I’m so glad to hear that.
Image by Photagonist
I’m a big fan of beach movies.
It’s like, how can you combine those and sort of make that work?
So, that was the idea.
Image via SXSW
I wanted to talk about the development of this story.
I love asking this question, but especially when someone has such a curious high concept.
CORNACK: I think it was two things sort of coinciding.
Image via SXSW
First of all, this location.
It was his 30th birthday party, and I was like, That’s so crazy.
I grew up on this beach.
Image by Photagonist
It’s funny to me that it’s in Tampa.
It’s funny that it’s on the Gulf of Mexico.
It shouldn’t be there, but that’s part of the joke a little bit.
That’s a big deal!
You’re like, Okay, can I read it?
Well, I gotta write it first.
Image via Prime Video
And then you never hear back from them.
So it was just amazing that this thing actually coalesced.
I met Tyler because I sawButt Boy, and I was a huge fan of it.
It happened so organically.
CORNACK: The first time I met you, I said, What are your thoughts on mermaids?
That was the beginning of it.
Did everyone get asked that question?
Whatareyour thoughts on mermaids?
AVERY POTEMRI: I don’t think I got asked that question.
You probably have a lot of thoughts on mermaids now.
CORNACK: She knows more about it than anyone.
I want to ask the three of you about working with Johnny as a scene partner.
POTEMRI: Johnny is a wonderful person to work with.
Hes just so present with you in the room.
So, that warm, little-stressed feeling is really comforting to be around.
KEVIN DUNN: We met about three minutes before we started rolling.
PEMBERTON: Probably three hours.
He had maybe 24 hours to learn that giant monologue.
He knocked it out of the park.
That whole end monologue24 hours.
PEMBERTON: He saved the movie, really.
I’ll stick with that a bit longer.
Kirk, so sorry to cut you off!
It’s about a mermaid.
DUNN: I didn’t even read it before we shot it.
I read the film afterward.
CORNACK: We shot pick-ups months later, and he was still doing the monologue.
He still had it memorized.
DUNN: Its seared into my brain.
I’m just happy to be here.
I’m not here to talk about Johnny, though.
[Laughs] I love Johnny.
It was fun working with him.
It was a gentle ride.
Well, not quite.
PEMBERTON: Close enough!
FOX: I’m kidding.
But it was great for me.
I had a blast.
He’s a comedian, I’m a comedian.
We met at The Comedy Store with Tyler, and Tyler put us together.
CORNACK: I’ve always been a giant fan of Kirk’s.
Twelve years ago, I would just go see him at the Comedy Store all the time.
Johnny, I think you reached out to him.
I think it was an Instagram DM.
I was like, This is so cool and surreal.
FOX: It was just fun to pick up somebody and take him there.
Felt like a date.
CORNACK: Felt like a date.
But anyway, I’m just a giant fan of his, too, so it was very cool.
Ive got to get to the mermaid stuff now.
CORNACK: There’s a story with that.
He was this mad scientist sort of real character.
So, we were going to make a mermaid movie with no mermaid.
So, what was four months became 10 days.
We had to push the whole schedule, and nowthey had 10 days to create this creature.
Not to mention, a hurricane had just hit.
Everyone that was in Florida had to evacuate.
So, there are some horror stories that go along with this.
That said, they did such an incredible job.
I met with them, I told them exactly what I was thinking, and they ran with it.
They were sending me pictures as we were in prep for other things.
Then, Avery came aboard.
Luckily, we got Avery out of it, but we then had to take new body castings.
Avery had to go…
It was like, Alright, so this movie is calledMermaid.
I remember I walked into the trailer, and I’m like, Here it is!
But then all those elements are just absolutely stellar in the finished product.
CORNACK: I think there’s something to that with a lot of things.
I think there’s something to that.
I think that’s kind of my favorite part about the movie.
I always sayit has frayed edges, and that’s kind of what makes it special.
Avery, I’ll come your way now to talk about this whole process.
This is your first feature.
What a way to jump into feature filmmaking!
I was reading a little bit about a dance background.
That was something that I wasn’t nervous about.
I was way more nervous about all the things I’ve never done before.
And I’m like, Oh, I played the mermaid.
Its easier for me to dive into things full force than take it slow.
I feel like I do better when it’s all at once.
Then you went on to say, I wouldn’t dare bore you with the details.
Now’s the time to bore us with the details.
It’s the classic punk rock thing.
I think that’s really all I meant by it.
You’ve been in certain rooms.
Not like nowI feel very comfortable here.
I can definitely understand that.
FOX: Skip was actually very personal for me, as well.
I’ve just always wanted to own a strip joint, so it kind of balanced out.
I had the mustache, and I just went in there, and it felt right.
PEMBERTON: I always wanted to be overleveraged and have tons of debt for making a giant tank.
So, that’s all I needed to say is it worked out for me, as well.
Will We See Thaddeus in ‘Fallout’ Season 2?
“Everyone just wants to stay alive.”
Johnny, you know what I’m wrapping with here,Fallout.
PEMBERTON:Fallouts a great show.
I love the show.
I want to ask about Season 2.
PEMBERTON: There’s definitely a Season 2 of the show.
I’ve heard there’s a Season 2, firsthand, second-hand, third-hand.
Season 2 is happening.
I’m going to dare to try one more question.
Gosh, stands to gain?
Everyone just wants to stay alive.
It’s way too complicated for poor Thaddeus brain.
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