ITV-Dave_Srock

THE INTERVIEW

January 6th, 2022

DAVE SROCK

DIRECTOR OF GUYS WEEKEND

BEST COMEDY – 2021 NOVEMBER EDITION

Dave, tell us a little more about yourself. Where did your desire to be a director come from ?

I grew up in Michigan and like many used the family home camcorder to make my own movies with friends as I grew up. The older I got it became more clear that it wasn’t just a hobby to pass the time, it was a passion of mine that was never going to fade out. The first initial spark or moment that I wanted to make movies was Jurassic Park. As a child seeing that movie in the theater, it really was the ultimate movie experience. Understanding that Spielberg had made Jaws, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park gave me the interest to seek out other filmmakers and appreciate the different voices behind the scenes.

What were your references and your inspirations for making Guys Weekend ?

Zach Foster and I have made many projects under our name Momma Outta Bullets. As a filmmaker my main inspiration came from Michael Mann and John Carpenter.
They are two filmmakers who have a style and tone that can be dark, but also fun. Momma Outta Bullets is the result of two friends who love comedy but also love suspense, thrillers and horror. Existing in a dark but funny world is typically the main inspiration and at this point we had not made anything about relationships.

Guys Weekend came to be from living in that dark world but tackling how complicated and stressful a toxic relationship can be and pairing it against a great couple who only tries to see the good in things.

The work with the actors is very interesting in your film, how did you work with them ?

All of the actors in Guys Weekend are close friends and we have all made projects together in the past. Everyone involved has already been part of other Momma Outta Bullets films, making it the perfect scenario to have fun and make a movie. We are all speaking the same language, we all get the same humor, we all want the same end result for the project.
The cast also doubles up as the crew whenever needed. Working with them in Momma Outta Bullets is the definition of teamwork.

Existing in a dark but funny world is typically the main inspiration and at this point we had not made anything about relationships.

Your film won the BEST COMEDY at the RED MOVIE AWARDS, can you tell us more about your writing process ?

Writing for me is always about stripping the movie down into the leanest and most efficient version of the story. Whenever Zach and I write something we are constantly checking if anything ever drags, cutting out the fat and then going back and cutting out more. Pacing really ends up defining a lot of what our comedy becomes.

The couple in the movie are very “toxic”, it’s often the worst characters that make the funniest characters, how did you build those characters ?

When we wrote the script, Zach and I wanted each scene to only amplify how toxic they were as a couple. We wanted the viewer to know from the first scene that something was off about them, but not have it fully click that they are complete hypocrites and living in their own fantasy until the momentum picks up.
Using their out of control behavior to pair up against two solid, honest and caring people was always at the core of the humor and we never strayed from that in writing their dialogue

Zack Foster, who wrote the film with you, also plays in it, so he has a role tailored to him, what advantages and what disadvantages does that imply ?

The main advantage is we both know the story from the concept phase, so when we get to shooting and I’m more focused on the filmmaking and he’s more dialed in on his performance, we are still actively discussing what’s happening, why it’s happening and where it fits into the edit. All of the roles were written for the actors who played them and we try to do that as much as possible.

When we wrote the script, Zach and I wanted each scene to only amplify how toxic they were as a couple.

We also notice that the music is very present in the film, electronic sounds why this choice?

I’m a huge lover of movie scores, so the music is very important to me in the role it plays for the viewer. Donnie Gee is not only an amazing composer but he’s also one of my closest friends. He’s composed the music for just about all of the Momma Outta Bullets films and has also acted in many of them. He’s a triple, quadruple, quintuple threat and is a key factor in making our films work.

For Guys Weekend the approach was to have the music reflect the chaotic nature of the main couple. We didn’t want the music to feel organic, wholesome or familiar. The music had to feel like it was living in the heads of the toxic couple and Donnie did an amazing job of carrying that tension in the music.

Is it complicated to produce a short film today? What were your constraints ?

The complicated part is logistics and budget. We are a small team and have to pay our rent like everyone. The amount of time it takes to write, schedule and edit a short film can be difficult to fit into your day to day schedule. However, pushing through that isn’t really something I think about, it’s just the nature of life. Making a film HAS to happen, it’s my passion, it’s compulsive, it’s just who I am. I’m lucky to have great friends who want to do the same.

We didn't want the music to feel organic, wholesome or familiar. The music had to feel like it was living in the heads of the toxic couple and Donnie did an amazing job of carrying that tension in the music.

What is your next project ?

I’m currently writing more content to make for Momma Outta Bullets, but really pushing to get our first feature film made. It’s really the main thing I’ve been chasing all this time and making the shorts has helped me learn a lot, but we are ready for bigger stories. Zach and I have a feature script that is based on one of our short films Creative Juices that we are eager to get off the ground and hope to make in the near future.