Written Interview: Judd Apatow
Variety interviews writer-director Judd Apatow:
CG: What do you think the success of “Bridesmaids” will do for female-driven comedies?
JA: It’s made it pretty clear that there’s a gigantic market for movies like “Bridesmaids” and movies that star women or are intended for a female audience. People assume that men will drag women into every hardcore action movie out there and that occasionally a woman will drag a guy to a romantic comedy. There’s an enormous amount of stereotypes which aren’t true in our industry. If you make a strong movie, which appeals to a female audience, then people will want to go see it. Most (follow-up) movies aren’t good, so the only way that this trend will continue is if somebody makes another great movie. I’m sure it will happen, but it won’t happen just because they’re trying to make a movie with women or for women. Usually what happens with a trend like this (is) the next few aren’t very good. And then people say, “Was that a fluke?” It wasn’t a fluke. People just like good movies.
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CG: How much improv do you leave room for within the scripts that you write and direct?
JA: To me the entire project is about improvisation. I’m trying to be loose in the writing and leave a lot of space for something interesting to happen when we rehearse, then I do more rewrites. On the set, we shoot the scene and we are open to any suggestion and any idea that can better it at the time. Some days we stick close to the script, and some days we forget to even look at what was written in the first place. It changes, but I feel like when people are spontaneous, their acting is more interesting. People pay attention differently, and they react differently. It is fun to see things evolve naturally, and every once in a while something cool and magical happens. Or that’s just rationalization, and I am too lazy to actually figure everything out until the day we shoot.
I love every line of that first answer, especially these two: (1) “There’s an enormous amount of stereotypes which aren’t true in our industry.” (2) “People just like good movies.” Want to figure out a way to reverse the downward trend of movie ticket sales? Plaster those two quotes in every producer and studio exec’s office. Hell, for every writer, director, agent, and manager as well.
For the rest of the interview, go here.