Rhys Mitchell In The Writers’ Room/
- September 8, 2020
Rhys Mitchell is an actor, writer and director who has starred in shows like Barracuda, Upper Middle Bogan & Glitch. He has directed music videos for Client Liaison & Banoffee as well as a bunch of short films and sketches. He’s also in the band Mouth Tooth and is Tommy’s childhood friend.
In this episode we chat about David Blaine, the importance of bees, Rhys’s approach to writing and the new BMC phone number!
On this episode of Hump Day Replay:
- David Blaine (Ep 829 / Ep 832 / Ep 839 / Ep 840 / Ep 841 / Ep 843)
- Skydiving
- Rhys’s humiliating audition
- Myer Magician Grace Peris
- Bees used as medicine (Ep 773 / Ep 841)
- Chairman Rick’s beehive
- The Queen Bee
- Screenplay Sundays (Ep 830 / Ep 837 / Ep 844)
- Table read etiquette
- Remembering lines
- A read through of GB’s screenplay
- Feedback on the screenplay
- Rhys’s writing process
- Making sketches with Paul Foot
- BMC phone number (Ep 842)
- JJ’s email buddy (Ep 587)
- Jess’s thoughts on BMC comms
- Tommy’s oldest friend (Ep 183 / Ep 197 / Ep 235 / Ep 239 / Ep 300 / Ep 472 / Ep 773)
Rhys on Instagram: @dripcoffee
Rhys’s band Mouth Tooth
Rhys’s work and contact
@humpdayreplay on Instagram
Email us: humpdayreplay@thedailytalkshow.com
This is produced by BIG MEDIA COMPANY.
0:05
It's Hump Day replay.
0:14
replay, replay the show about the daily talk show where we look back at highlights from the week and chat about and with a guest. And today we've got actor, director, musician, boxer
0:32
What else? I don't know I'm a boxing enthusiast. I wouldn't identify as a gymnast I used to. I used to compete in genetics
0:42
on origin this anymore though. I really
0:44
noticed
0:45
x extremeness Well, extremeness race Mitchell, everybody. He's wearing his gronk T. looking really good.
0:56
Wow. feelings. feeling alright. Yeah, can't complain. You know, I'm not I'm not the gymnast I once was, but I feel okay.
1:04
I mean, I mean, we're all still feeling a little bit tired September to David Blaine. He waitstaff all night to am so we're still in the recovery. But was he?
1:17
Was he floating around in balloon with balloons?
1:19
Yeah, it was. Yeah, that was it. It was okay.
1:22
I mean, so he, yeah, he grabbed a bunch of balloons floated up and parachuted down. And it was live streamed across the world via YouTube. And, I mean, Josh was just obsessed with it.
1:36
He basically lives like a 10 year old, like what a 10 year old would think that they would do when they're an adult. You know, it's the kind of things you imagine as a child like I'm a float up with balloons and parachute down.
1:49
I think that was the whole idea. I think he saw maybe up or whatever. Yeah. And then wanted to copy it. So he he grabbed on a bunch of balloons floated up. I mean, It was pretty good.
2:01
He's probably in cahoots with the devil. And that's why I can do this stuff. made a deal.
2:08
We've got Jason grace here as well again, thank you guys for coming on again for having me.
2:16
What else we got to do today?
2:19
This is a highlight of the
2:19
week. That's the thing with that with COVID there's not much going on really there's like, if you you try and latch on to any bit of entertainment that you can nothing that's exactly what Josh did with the David Blaine stuff. He just went crazy. This week he roped Tommy into it and then He even told Mason to use it as a talking point during an important meeting.
2:41
Which I am not over I find that so fucking funny. Who gives advice
2:47
for
2:49
what the hell
2:52
that is the definition of a micromanager.
2:57
David Blaine David blind David blind. He's like The Houdini on steroids but Houdini probably has a use on steroids on August 31. ascension is happening. He's got a bunch of balloons and he's gonna hold on to them and he's gonna let it take him up into the sky.
3:12
I haven't been listening to magic for since I was
3:15
10 David Blaine postpones helium balloon flight. The new date is September two. There's gonna be a light one. You stay out. Yes. Something to fucking do. Coming in a little tired this morning.
3:27
You and I both had about five hours sleep the car trigger. He he did something pretty wacky. Like my asshole was clenched.
3:35
Mason had a big business meeting so very excited for him. Can you explain the advice I gave
3:41
is like might bring up the fact that we're all tired from watching David Blaine. I have a little panic at the stands like man small so what I say what I say is like man, we are so tight the whole time like watching David Blaine all night.
3:54
You can even watch it. He's our I didn't know your
4:03
Sounds like a bit from the start as well. I had a bit of a panic didn't know what to talk about. But
4:06
yeah, Tommy is such a poet.
4:11
My asshole was clenched
4:13
his response to
4:17
feel that though, that feels like
4:21
it was like that, like my feet was sweating when I was watching it. It's pretty. It's pretty crazy. But I mean, there's been other live streams that have been more crazy than that one to be honest. I'm
4:30
really I mean, what live streams if you said
4:32
Felix Felix Baumgartner? Hey, I just jumped out of am there buddy? Like spaceship
4:42
app show that went up into like the atmosphere or whatever. Yeah. And it got to the point where is almost I think, edge of space sort of vibe, and then he just jumped in it was in freefall. I think he holds or he held the record for the longest freefall. And then, and then an executive from Google actually did it two weeks later and beat us record. Just a Mater's.
5:00
Oh really? How annoying.
5:04
Is that something to do with Google? Like was that a publicity thing? I'm serious. Why?
5:09
I don't know. So Red Bull was a publicity thing, but I reckon this bloke was just like, you know, all cashed up from Google and just went and did it. pretty outrageous. Have any of us jumped out of a plane?
5:20
I have absolutely.
5:21
No, I want to.
5:22
It's really good.
5:26
Yeah, where did you do it race in Queensland. When I was like 16 or something? I did 14,000 feet. I think that's like, yeah, the way I did tandem obviously. I had a friend who. Yeah, I had a friend who tried to do it by himself, and he got tangled in the air. first ever job, and he untangled himself in the air and survived. Oh my God. He's one of those. Yeah, he did like a week's course and then jumped out of a plane. awake. It's funny. Oh, it's like wait before you jump
5:59
on it. For years for comms degrade, he
6:04
wakes up jumping out of a plane.
6:06
I know it's quite mad, but the tandem one they just like cross your arms, open them up, you know, count to three or whatever. And then that's it. And then you go. When did you do it? Nice.
6:19
I did it. I did it straight after high school. So we went to New Zealand and I did it in Wanaka I think it was like Wanaka. And so it was, I think it's the same as you race like 14,000 feet or whatever. And surprisingly, I wasn't like I thought it was gonna be way more scared because I don't like heights. Yeah. And but it was more just like when when you come out of the plane, it's more just like a floating sense.
6:42
Yeah, it's quite surreal. You don't realise you're falling and the freefall is only like 45 seconds, but it feels like 10 minutes of just seeing that that looks like you're just looking at a landscape or something like that. Because
6:55
Yeah, that's the same, exactly the same. I was like, I'm going to be scared of this because I'm scared of heights but as soon as you fall Down the earth isn't getting any closer though like you can't there's no depth there doesn't actually feel like you're hitting the ground Yeah. And then you're floating perfectly still because I've got like the stabiliser coming out of your back or whatever. And so you just kind of like
7:13
yeah, I've never I've never had such in like an empty mind You know, I imagine that's like what people who meditate regularly feel that kind of like you cannot you literally can't think of anything else. You're just so present because it's the most overwhelming experience the most overwhelming sensation and obviously your your adrenaline is pumping like crazy. So you're just bullish just have the most clear and blank mind, which is probably why people get addicted to it.
7:42
Yeah, for sure. I mean, what I wouldn't try though bungee jumping. I've done that. I wouldn't recommend that that Oh, you've done areas shit. Yeah. That that. That's the fear of falling like JV you can see coming like it's not good.
7:57
Also, I imagine it like wrenches your spine.
8:01
Oh, that's okay. The tags the tags not bad.
8:03
Is it? Is it gradual? Or is it like a sudden like,
8:06
not odds? It's a little bit gradual. The scariest part though is just like when you waddle out to the edge because your legs up and you've got no balance, so you're just like holding on. You don't know if you're gonna, like, accidentally fall off. Then when you jump like the ground just comes so quick. Yeah, nothing like skydiving. Oh, pick skydiving any day. Yeah, over a bungee jump. I
8:26
mean, I'm glad I got the shit out of my system when I was like, 1617 you know, once you get a bit older, you start to realise like, you're actually very vulnerable at all times. Like you can. What's the point? Really? I mean, like, sure it's a big rush, but it feels so risky. Although I guess statistically, it's not you probably more at risk driving a car.
8:48
I don't know, I guess but
8:49
it's just like, I don't know if there's any point in taking those like floating up with balloons or whatever. Like I'm happy David Blaine's doing it but like, a fucking hell that's pointless.
8:59
What does achieve.
9:01
Yeah. But then again, it's kind of cool. I mean, like, yeah, everything is ultimately meaningless. You might as well float up and bungee like parachute is makes more sense than like just sitting in an office all day long, making someone reading. Although he's earning a fortune in supporting his family floating around, so
9:24
it's actually
9:25
justifying it.
9:27
Yeah, it's like he's managed to find a hole in the pocket. No one else is doing it. I mean, everyone's talking about him. Yeah, be a genius. Actually. I've gone like full circle on this guy. He's in the dark. But now I'm like, actually, I don't know. I'm I'm like, it's eccentric and like, power to it. We should stop trying to, you know, we need to encourage Mark centricity and like, you know, more people more like that. It's It's fun. We'll make life what's my life? What makes life fun? On
10:02
the box.
10:02
Yeah, I think so.
10:04
I mean, I'm sure you've come across a bunch of crazy people in LA, like, Yeah. Is it?
10:10
Oh my god, by the way, sorry. Can I just go back? Remember when I spoke about the B thing, man? Yeah, I sent the article to the to the guy's Uber driver was right.
10:21
And it's that we'll get to that.
10:29
Have you actually have Have you had any wacky sort of like, business meetings like auditions that you go new, where you just like, Man, that that person's like, number one is centric, but like what they're doing is out,
10:40
right. I think it's more that I've made a fool of myself. You know, like, yeah, you know, I had an audition. I don't know if I mentioned this ever on the show. But I had to it was a casting director who's quite influential and someone I've really wanted to be in the good books off. And at one point, I was and I went in, and I did this same And I had to sing like a Broadway song. And have I spoken about this on the show like right before me like a guy from Riverdale went on. He a guy from Riverdale like a real hunk type guy was in the room and I could hear him just now American or Canadian and like like piercing blue eyes you know like ripped like all those Riverdale guys like Jesus caveat like the way Netflix imagines high school students is so insane and like young people like these bodybuilders like milk like Bondi street sharks anyway. But um, so I go into this like this audition I have this thing this Broadway song and I've just heard this Riverdale guy like nailing it. And it was just so unsettling because he was like, just nailing the song or hitting it like he's obviously musical theatre train, which I am not surprisingly. And then I went in and like, just did the audition. I could see that it was going okay. And as soon as I sang the song, it was like felt they couldn't get me out of the room quick enough, because it was such a specific style of singing. You know, it was like, full on Broadway. And it was so humiliating and just like the probably one of the one of the worst experiences I've had as an in an audition. And also one time, I had to do a stain in Spanish. And I had the flu was generally said just go home and type it yourself. And it was really yeah, it's so bad because you burn a bridge so easily there, you know.
12:34
Yeah. So you know, additions today, like if you haven't made the role, or even if you have potentially got the role, do they just kick you out? And they'd be like, Oh, no, Do you get any vibe that you might have done? Well, huh?
12:47
Yeah, sometimes you do. Everyone varies. But you know, when it's going badly, you know what I mean? It's like going on an awkward diet. Yeah, sure. It's, oh, it feels like dating every time you know, I got a you know, just trying to impress someone. Show off about life and talk about who you are and the hope they like you and invite you back. But, you know, there's a lot of that lie so we in town though, man, you meet so many weirdos all the time.
13:12
Yeah, right. They're all like quite supportive in that industry out there like, oh, man, you're gonna make it.
13:17
Yeah, I think that that caught that culture exists, but I don't know it can be pretty cutthroat, too. You know, people are pretty competitive. So
13:27
that on the on the public humiliation stuff. Yeah. Has anyone ever done the magic like magic on the side of the street like JB Jess, great race? Have you guys done magic before in front of people? Oh, no
13:42
way. No, only I used to do magic just around the house with dad and stuff. But no, I never did the busking thing.
13:51
I never did it busking? It was part of a job though. What do you make out of the job
14:00
So when I when I when I worked at Maya like what the year after high school finished I think Maya Maya is in like shopping centre now. Yeah, that's Yeah, IT department store around Christmas time one of their major products that are pushing was these magic sets. So there's like two of us that got trained up in to do like all the all the magical tricks and then we just had to perform them for shoppers like for three hours at a time. And it was so embarrassing. My friends would come and I was like,
14:30
Oh, here we go.
14:32
Like do a salsa trick guys.
14:35
Like I have to because I used to have to dress up as I'm like Sonic the Hedgehog at gaming expos. And also, like I did Santa Claus for a while I worked for like a promotion coming in. It was like at Meijer and stuff as well. And I remember seeing my actual boss and I was, you know, I go into a storeroom and in flight this fucking costume and put on like a bee in the hat and everything. And thankfully, no one could recognise me bows. Awesome. humiliating, and the company never paid me. They also wash the costume so you get into the Sonic and some other because we're all the gymnast we do it like off. Do you know your gymnastics career has concluded at the age of 20 or whatever, you know, you you like go and do these jobs. And then you put on these suits and they used to have like, they'd be full of sweat from like the day before. So filthy. Like nerds just punch in the back of the head.
15:30
Oh, my goodness.
15:32
Speaking of unique jobs and crazy things in LA, you did mention his story. Last time you're on the show race. And like you said just before, it's kind of come full circle in the Uber driver you're talking about might have been onto something.
15:48
I got a great base story, actually, really. I'm in an Uber pool, right? He's like, you know, I died. And I was like, because I was clinically dead. cancer and I cured it. Like how and he's like beestings and he goes up in the glove box. thing. I'm putting this in a straight guy. I open it. There was a fucking clear box full of bass, live bees. And he goes, you know, I'm looking for Sting, buddy.
16:21
Anyway, here's fun race Mitchell sent this to us
16:23
bee venom, rapidly killing cancerous cells, breast cancer cells.
16:29
And he was part like, I actually haven't been back to his last message, man. That's great. He's like, post about
16:36
that is insane.
16:37
Wow.
16:38
Crazy Wi Fi. Really? Yeah. Harry Perkins. watches that Research Centre in Wi Fi.
16:47
Wow. Yeah, there's actually a Netflix dako about it. I'm on at the moment. It's called I'm unwell. And like one of the episodes the last episode is all about this. It's crazy.
16:57
It turns out that that person was right. And that there was some truth in what they were saying. But they also said that, you know, this was an alien simulation. So maybe that's what we'll find out next. Maybe that's what the ag will post next because it's, it's just, it's pretty shocking to think of how important bees really offer us. And more and more, you know, if something I would really enforce if I had any influence is like every spare rooftop, you have to have like a rooftop garden with a beehive.
17:33
That would be like, one of them.
17:35
Yeah, they grind it.
17:36
Yeah, for sure. Like this is my dad's birthday is coming up. And we've always wanted to get a beehive for the backyard. And so for his birthday, we're getting a beehive. Right? So it's like, we're it's a rental thing. And so you pay like 400 bucks a year, and they come every few weeks or whatever, and they, you know, maintain the hive and check if there's any diseases and stuff but
17:58
I'm I'm fired up for it. You can You know, you can instal a sort of a tap on the back. And it's like, honey will come out.
18:05
Yeah, there's like a flower. I think that that specific ones like flower hive, I think the brand is like a specific like, beehive thing. It's like we get like 10 kg of honey as
18:16
well even honey like local honey can really helped with hay fever. You know, because it has the pollen in it. The bees are unbelievable. We'd be fucking dead without them have no food. I mean, now they're curing people potentially a little bit. They apparently they're quite good for pain and inflammation, but they have to die. So
18:39
even like, how would you be interesting, buddy? Do you actually just hope
18:42
I think I would have gone to his house or SAT miserable in a car park. And just like run base down his spine and he would have done the same to me.
18:52
How many is he doing?
18:54
I think a lot I mean, he's tub was fucking packed with bass. It was a blast. Like a lunch box full of bass. It is sad, cruel. It was
19:04
just picking them up with his finger. Yeah, and just putting it on his back.
19:08
Yeah, like he obviously knows how to handle it
19:10
and pick up a bay last.
19:15
Honestly sad because you'd have to like twist them around. like you'd pick them up, twist them around and then lie to you even shove it into something. No clue.
19:23
I'm sure he was gonna teach me all of it.
19:27
You've not had it happen to me. I would have been like, can you please pull the car over right now? It
19:30
was a big bad vibe. I was like, I was happy. It was a pool at that point. Yeah, I told I think I mentioned on the show. I gave him five stars. Because I probably shouldn't have because I'm like, What if someone with a bee elegy gets in? But like, I didn't think about that later. But these were very much enclosed. They were in the glove box in a box. That was like in a breathing space lie. Yeah, there's holes in their house. Yeah.
19:57
Also, I wonder if like venom has to do with when they pollinate, like, rather than just being stuck in the box. So they might not be actual might not be useful or might not actually cure. Yeah, when if they can't pollinate and everything
20:11
that's turned on.
20:12
There's also also five stars as well, because if another cancer patient gets in, hello,
20:18
yeah, sure. I just thought like people need to have experiences like this. Just going back to what I was saying. I'm like, this is a really eccentric experience which would change the maybe change the course of your life. This interaction. I don't know I love those. I love those kind of people. I think that's such a gift when you run into someone like that, that will completely like wobble your worldview. And just it's an experience that you will you won't you're very rarely have.
20:48
So we're gonna put the base anyway. Nice. You're just in the backyard.
20:51
in the backyard. Yeah, we got like a little pool section. So I think I think we'll just start with one hive, because I'm pretty sure there are a lot of Asian one hive.
20:59
Yeah. Is it a bird? But you can't say yes it's like yeah,
21:02
yeah it's like if I have known a happy happy box maybe like two to three foot long maybe. And then it's like yes like it What if a square and then I don't know what the deal is or what they do in there, but
21:16
you should get one in the office.
21:22
But well, I don't know like structurally like what are they? If it's just a like, there must be something in the box.
21:29
There are rows for when I've volunteered at something for years ago we went and visited like I am this like hive in Perth, and she saw she showed us all picked it up and showed us all the bees and the hives and everything and quite interesting.
21:44
Yeah, it's really incredulous. They've such hard workers to
21:51
rely on them so good, but it made me the queen. Ah, life
21:58
long everyone's obsessed. Review Yeah, you just sit beside they're like yeah, actually
22:06
you know, everyone
22:07
Yes. Makes it acquaint yes it just born that way like how does it How does a normal baby turn into a queen?
22:14
I mean you're born into it like the like the Royal
22:18
the royal family. Yeah.
22:22
I just I just sit in the middle of the hive and everyone just gives them food brings food and stuff.
22:27
You know I really I don't know enough about bass driver.
22:32
I've got a baby comes a queen Bay thanks to the efforts of the existing worker bees in the hive, a young larva. Okay, a newly hatched baby insect is fed special food called royal jelly by the worker bees and royal jelly is richer than the fruit given to the worker larvae and is necessary for the larva to develop into a fertile queen bee. So there's peasant food and there's Queen
22:58
that's like the Royals. really is.
23:01
Wow Wait, which is a part of nature too right?
23:04
You know also the queen bee stays fertile for her entire life
23:09
solid. Wow, she saw the bays.
23:12
I mean is that why it's so fat because it's pregnant all the time.
23:16
Pop that into Google
23:19
why Queen base fat
23:23
all the time.
23:25
Oh my god sorry. Okay, hang on. So sometimes the queen bee goes missing from the hive. Under these circumstances or when the queen bee does the worker bees need to find a new queen. So if she dies sorry if she's still alive the worker bees may kill her or they may let her live alongside the new queen bee until she dies naturally.
23:45
What what makes it I wonder how they decide like get together and talk about
23:50
they like to Gallo's
23:54
fascinating creatures. I think they I think I'm becoming very interested in bass. Yeah
24:03
they're pretty amazing animals
24:06
hang on so is the Queen Bey The only one popping out kids
24:10
Yeah Is that right
24:12
I don't know actually that's actually just that's just this surely that's ancestral then there's just too many brothers and sisters flying about
24:19
that's actually a good point like what happens with the day and I it's it says a queen can live up to 2000 eggs a day which is one egg every 43 seconds wow always made today
24:30
is one one to 1.5 millimetres long and is each egg become a bay
24:36
and they all mail because fuck that sausage fest are we
24:39
are we all googling days right now because
24:44
one of my professors at uni Shay studied Bayes and honey and all that and looking at the bacterial signals between honey and thing and how Bayes helped with stuff like that which is quite interesting, busy.
24:56
I What about like a mannequin base like Manuka Queen Bey must be worth so much cash.
25:03
Isn't my new car, just a flower or just the plant, but he tries it.
25:09
A coin, a coin. They only leave 152 days a honeybee. And by the way, it shows you how little I know about them I accidentally said bazer and animals
25:22
that's just
25:24
the Queen's the Queen's live between two and four years.
25:30
Maybe they are the only ones popping out kids and then the new queen comes along and takes over
25:37
a movie we should watch a movie together.
25:40
Jerry Seinfeld?
25:41
Yeah.
25:43
That's great. Zachary wine from Auntie Donna. You know, you know, he friends with the Auntie Donna boys race.
25:48
Well, actually funny story. broden has dated my cousin for many, many years of burdens like family.
25:55
Oh, amazing.
25:56
Yeah, I'm really close with the anti donor guys. The great So good. That's so
26:01
funny. It's so funny. That's so good. But anyway, I was gonna say that Zach is doing a live reading of the bay movie script. So we will tune in. We've been doing a bit of screenplay writing ourselves. Josh has been obsessed with getting index cards, and we're doing master class and that sort of thing. So maybe we could learn a thing or two from you. As a professional screenwriter, oh,
26:28
yeah, for sure. I can do my best to try to help.
26:34
Basically brought in this segment called screenplay Sundays, where every Sunday, we'll run through a script, and we'll give each other feedback and stuff. So So here's a few highlights from that. On Sunday, it's gonna be screenwriting Sunday's or screen.
26:47
This is great. Yeah,
26:48
we run through a saying that one of us has written now that I've got the index cards, I've got sort of everything that I need to the main thing with screenwriting is you need a clear intention and an obstacle The first time you mentioned characters name. They should be in all capital letters with a young man Tommy nervously pacing around on the bottom floor, either lifts.
27:08
If you're reading this, it means I'm dead.
27:11
Yeah, just a leader of that. Thanks. I'll be there in five.
27:15
he slams on the brakes and does a U turn. 744 sorry man, I can't serve
27:21
you without a mass champ.
27:23
Saves This is an improv. read the script. You were having an airing? Yes. Sorry. Like I reckon they were more words that you put into the script and read not on
27:35
it's what great actors do not can we confirm or deny that at a at a table raid? Do you improv a little bit Are you writing word for word
27:46
at a table read? No way. But um, I there are times in auditions that you will you will improv a little bit, you know and but sometimes it can be really Era they if you if they could really, you know ruin that they sort of cadence and the rhythm of the of the scene or the script, and if they're really particular, they might not like it. But I've had experiences where I auditioned for like a Judd Apatow film that hasn't come out yet. And I, in my audition, the casting director, who is so good, she just started improvising. And I didn't know that that was coming. But it's obviously the style in which they cast and they, so we just started improving the rest of the Seine. And then I couldn't do it because I was in LA and not New York, anyway, but it was just a tiny little thing. But um, yeah, it was really fun. So I just like suddenly it was an IT WAS IN problem or going off the book, but generally you don't unless or you can ask you could do like one take on the book, word for word, and then you could be Could I try another one? and play with it a bit or whatever, but it's always polite, I think to ask because if the writers in the room too, they might be offended, they might find it like, you know, you don't know. Yeah, and if someone's super precious as well. It really depends. I feel like with comedies, generally you have more room to that. Unless it's really tightly written, you know, and like, it's all like, punchy and, and like, there's lots of beats and people go off each other like, I can't Yeah, I don't know. It's I think it's script by script, but in a table read. No, I don't know that. Because you're gonna hear the scripts. You got to hear how it sounds. You got to like, sure. Hear, like imagine the world so first time it ever is, like, read out by and brought to life by different voices and actors and stuff. Table reads,
29:48
right. Are you putting in like 100% in a table? Right. Are you kind of timing?
29:53
A little bit? Yeah, you're not putting in 100% but you're definitely creating the feel of the world. Yeah. Cuz like the producers and stuff and the director and everyone will be there. And yeah, they'll hear it for the first time. And they can use it to rewrite a lot of the time you table rate and then they'll read right off that they make me more nervous than going on to set though. Really? Yeah because it's the first time you meet everyone and it's like reading in front of the class. I find table reads really scary and intimidating.
30:22
Well, I just want to know why you did it. Like what were you thinking about it? Or were you just feeling it?
30:28
Just sort of making it a bit like
30:32
it's like, I need to personalise this a little bit.
30:35
It was it wasn't like I was adding, you know, whole sentences. It was just adding like an almond an eye here and there, you know. Yeah.
30:42
Yeah, it wasn't. I got in trouble for that once in an audition. Real upset. I mean,
30:50
how do you stop that? I think I have a problem with that. I'm gonna pause. Yeah, I don't know. The sheet. Do you remember lines like I couldn't imagine Getting a big document of words and remembering it.
31:03
I know it's it's just it's, it's really it can be really hard. It can be really hot. It's just something you have to practice over and over and find ways there's apps that can help. There's just like, Marlon Brando used to stick them all around the room and put them on the back of his coffee cup and stuff. So you're saying you're reading the coffee cup? Or
31:22
are you like flashcards on it, like if you got a bunch of
31:24
some, some nose, I do what I call teleprompter. And I'll have my the person that I'm reading with scrolling on the computer behind the camera. Sometimes if there's a lot and it's like specific, and I have to get it all correct, and they'll scroll and raid, and I'll use the computer as my island instead of the person. And then just rate and sometimes it gives a really authentic audition because you're kind of saying it for the first time, like you would if it was real life.
31:56
Race I've actually written a screenplay great So I thought in spirit of screenplay Sundays, it's in the zoom chat. So if you guys opened it up in zoom, there's a little PDF.
32:08
Which part of my art there's my
32:14
race you just,
32:15
yeah, gone. Just quickly, I was gonna say first piece of feedback race. What do we think of the formatting? of the script?
32:22
Um, so far seems okay.
32:25
Yeah. Okay, great. Yeah. So this is fade in. It's a, it's free, you can still use it for free or if you want to pay for the full version. You get free updates, which Okay, guys with final draft Do you think you have to pay for uploads right? Yeah. Yeah. Anyway. Okay. So, race, you can call the action. Do you
32:46
mean read that? You want me to read the big print?
32:49
Yep. Read the big print and look and everyone else because just the characters.
32:53
Okay. The wedding magician, written by George Martin copyright Hump Day replay. Interior lounge room morning. We see a young man race sitting at his round dining table shuffling cards his housemate GB enters with a cup of tea.
33:16
With to how you feeling.
33:19
Today is the day. I think if I start with my red black trick that will set the tone should be a shoo in.
33:28
Right idea. So what time you meeting them?
33:30
It's actually just over zoom, which is awesome. The bridges, the bride is called grace and the groom is Mason. Apparently they've auditioned 10 magicians before me. So pressures on
33:43
you we're just just breath.
33:45
Thanks, man. The best housemate and I appreciate you. I'm just going to join the zoom now. Race puts his tea to the side and opens up the computer. Grace and Mason awaiting on the zoom.
33:59
Hi Race Lovely to meet you.
34:01
Likewise, thanks so much for the opportunity. And welcome to Reese's Pieces of magic.
34:08
So if you just want to give us your first trick and we're ready when you are
34:12
good luck Matt Reese put on his top hat and grabs his cards. He begins shuffling them. We can see his hand shaking with nerves. GB is out of shot giving him thumbs up. Reese drops the cards and they spray all over the floor. Sorry, one sec.
34:30
Look, I think we're saying enough.
34:32
given the chance.
34:35
Race fumbles picks up the cards when he notices a message written on the four of hearts. It's from a rival magician called Jess. We hear Jesse's voice as he writes the note.
34:48
Keep this handy you'll need it.
34:50
As he sits back the table. The Zoom call has ended GB is nowhere to be seen. And it seems he has entered another realm restez The four of hearts. What the hell? He looks down and sees he is insane. He's now wearing a tuxedo. He turns his head and walks towards a strange black curtain and peaks around the corner. He's backstage at a mate at a magic show. Jess is performing on stage too much applause and laughter the bride and groom are front and centre.
35:25
And which card do you have? The four of hearts
35:29
just turned in point. Reese who is half on stage who's half on stage. He shows the crash before of hearts he's holding and they go wild. The carbon turned into a beehive. And he gets attacked by bees and dies.
35:47
Sorry, buddy, but there's no place for the two of us in this industry.
35:50
And see. Wow.
35:59
Oh, it's a hora.
36:03
It's not, it's not bad. It's very much like it wraps up very quickly
36:06
with my feedback to myself as well, because I, so I started writing this and I was like, I mean, when you're writing, do you have the whole story in mind when you start writing?
36:18
Yeah, you're, like five years ago, I know, I genuinely would would outline first and I'd ride out all the older saying, oh, that act and the saints within them. And then, you know, I brought it out it's like paragraph with ideas of what the dialogue might be and stuff like that. And you would know your story and what you know, the the arcs of the story and where it's where you know, the structure of it, and then you would start to script it up. After you've written the outline would be my general approach.
36:47
Like, yes, I just started writing and I just say what happens?
36:52
Well, that's fine, too. Who cares? I mean, when they
36:55
find when I got into the other realm part, I just confused myself and I was gonna go Maybe like I wanted somehow to get to be go back in time type thing. And Jess had done the trick. And so then I just like, I wouldn't
37:09
give up on it. I mean, it's like a first draft, just keep working on it. I just think it's very, it's very much like, and it was all a dream. At this point, he said read words. So I think like an attendee to a Jay Z. So I would I would look at look at, yeah, just open it up again, and maybe outline a bit more. It could be it could be good. The beehive is like, very kind of left of centre. Yeah, yeah. But maybe that's fine. I would try that. I would track that early though. I would plot that somehow. Well, like suddenly bees either be or whatever. Yeah, sure. That's just seems
37:50
so odd to be having. You could be having your cup of tea in the backyard on the balcony and their plants with bees flying around
37:57
them. That's what I mean by tracking the base. Like, just plant that idea, and then maybe try to explain it somehow. I like that
38:04
What? Like, what's your what's your creative process when you're writing instead a dumb question, is it
38:13
I don't think I mean everybody is different and I don't think there are any real rules. I but yeah, like for me I would I generally just like, right. So, like that Uber story, right, I'd write that out and then I think about how could I turn that into a film that actually has like, a three x structural has some sort of theme or message or whatever. And then I might, it might not as a standard it might not just be a piece within something else. And then I would just Yeah, I would just try to take all these these different ideas I have, like when I was writing my pilot we had so we had a doc document like 60 pages of ideas. Just yeah for like the series, and then we would look it out our favourite it But then we'd also have to think about the thing, the themes of the episode that are gonna, you know, reflect throughout the show the, the origin story of how these people meet each other. So it all depends on what what it is, like, if you're writing a short film that might just be like, what's a message you want to convey? Or, or an interesting story you heard, but then how can you structure it? So it's actually makes an interesting film that an audience is gonna like, as well. And then you start to Yeah, outline the act. And then I would script it up.
39:33
So you, you then some way like, detached from what it's going to become, because it might actually be like, you might go into a thinking or this could be like a bill more than, you know, a pilot episode for a TV show, but it's actually then becomes one little bit within something.
39:49
Yeah, it could for sure. I mean, it depends on like, when I wrote my pilot, I knew that it had to be within that structure. So I knew I was running a pilot and knew I wanted to write a TVC And then that's what we were commissioned to do. So that had like the boundaries actually like those creative restrictions because I sometimes find a more creative when I have a role to go off.
40:11
Yeah. And also like think given anything.
40:14
Yeah, if it's too vast I think you don't it's it's can be confronting. I sometimes like the idea of like, it can only be 30 minutes or it can be five minutes. I personally like those restrictions. I was
40:26
like, I've had people to compare it to the edge of the canvas, you know, if you've got a time restraint, yeah. Or, or you've got a certain amount of time to do something as well. Like, yeah, you give yourself unlimited time to create something you're going to take all the time in the world and Yeah, probably never finish it.
40:40
Yeah, yeah. I don't know. I think there's like everybody's approach is so different. And there's so many different types of storytellers and filmmakers and TV writers and whatever puts you in a space where you can be your you can write your most original and creative ideas is pleased. The approach you should take I don't think like, yeah, like, I watched that David Lynch masterclass. And he so he doesn't even like, understand writer's block, you know, like he's just like, he just follows his. He like meditates on ideas and then writes his films based on images. He's saying that he might not necessarily understand. And he's like, he's stories show themselves to him as he writes sort of thing or as he meditates. So that's pretty interesting. And then I know people that are really rigid with their writing. What did that what does that mean? Well, they've really conformed to structure and to the rules of screenwriting, to like, classic screenwriting. So
41:39
what point here
41:40
yeah, exactly that sort of thing. Like an archetype or plot or whatever, you know?
41:45
Is it like a discipline thing? If you if you have writer's block, do you just take the day off? Or do you try and go through it? Um, I, I,
41:56
I don't know. I sometimes think it's good to do stuff like my friend. I work with a lot Jessica Barclay Lauren who have made a bunch of short films with. She allows herself to write for two hours a day. And even if she's on a roll, she'll stop, which is kind of cool. And if she's not getting anything out, she has to just like, try for two hours. I think that's pretty cool. I personally would just like move on to a different thing. So if I was somebody my girlfriend and I would do when we were trying to write scripts, because she writes as well, we would do 15 minutes of stream of consciousness writing. Yeah. So if we couldn't write anything else was just a stream of consciousness writing and you kind of can surprise yourself with the things that come out. It could be really simple like, talking about the carpet in the room or whatever it is, but it just gets you into that headspace and like, that glassy, I don't know. I mean, I'm still learning like I'm very like, I'm only 10 I studied screenwriting, but I've only really been technically a professional writer for like a year. You know, my pilot was the first thing I wrote for accompany for somebody else but everything else was like short films or just things myself.
43:06
So with the pilot Have you got the whole series sort of mapped out, but it's not completely written and in the first episode you've written a whole script is that the but
43:15
we we gave examples of other episodes and then like an overall arc of like, where the characters would end up and how they help each other in the journey but no, because like even the pilot changed so much. And then with notes from the network and stuff, it changes, you got to be a bit open, because you're also working like for business for a company, then they want to make it like, I'm sure that people want to watch. So yeah, I don't know. Yeah, right.
43:41
any interest in writing theatre or anything?
43:44
Um, I don't think that's really my skill. Personally, I I really like screen. But yeah, I like reading plays, you know, but it's not i like i like theatre, but I don't think it's like, it's not what I studied. And that's not what I really want the world. I know Which sometimes makes me feel like a fraud as an actor? Really? Yeah, for sure because I have friends that have you know, been on Broadway and stuff in the states and I feel like in the acting world of people saying that theatre is like the the pinnacle isn't isn't a hierarchy it depends on a person I felt like you when I went to New York City it did feel that way. But in LA it's all about TV and film, you know? Yeah, so, but it depends on the person. There's like more culture around theatre for sure like that feels more like highbrow To be honest, it feels like a different type of actor which I'm sure you can imagine. And then but I personally love screen.
44:41
Yeah. What about when you're writing in Have you written in a writers room with like a bunch of other people before and
44:47
yeah, I guess with my pilot I did. I write with two other people. And then if we got the show, we were going to build a writers room. Okay, we should be solid cooling whiteboarding and that sort of thing. Yeah, for sure. We did. All of that. Yeah, that'd be fun. Yeah, I'd love to be in a writers room. like it'd be like this, but you just riffing on good ideas. So I mean, they're no bad ideas. No idea is better than another idea. It's all about how you do it, right? Like, it's basically recycled. Like the stories were telling and stuff. It's just a different approach.
45:19
How long does it take to write a pilot? or How long did it take to write your pilot?
45:23
It took us
45:25
and
45:26
it took us a few is saying you like, you have to get like an over Yeah, the story arc and the characters like development and stuff. Like that's quite a
45:36
yes. Wow. approach was we shot some scenes. So we wrote little sketches first and later, like, like vignettes were like 10 of them. And then we actually write more, and they would just like dialogue like what what you wrote George, that that size. I'm serious about that length? Yeah, we weren't 10 of them. But we had a lot of ideas and we picked so I said We wrote 10 we wrote, like maybe 30 or 40 scenes, that that represented the characters and it was basically Odd Couple relationship, you know? And then we shot 10. Then we added to them, we looked at them, like, Is there something here? And then like, Where could it go? And then we started mapping that out, and then we pitched it. We've broad brushstrokes of what the pilot might look like, what the series might look like, and what other episodes might look like. And the network had seen those shorts, so they understood the dynamic. And then so overall, it was like a year, I'd say, maybe more during the shooting and the writing of everything. And we'd been talking about it for like a year and a half. And then the actual pilot writing was a few months. Yeah.
46:55
Pile after change a bit as you were kind of thinking in the future about
46:59
you. Yeah, ideas. Yeah, and a change with the notes from the network. But then we got more notes and then COVID shut production down, as I mentioned. So then we just like the last set of notes, we, we just left it because it was like, well, it's probably not going ahead right now.
47:16
or breaking
47:19
it is yeah, it's, it's really, it's so annoying because you develop it with a network, and then you create a relationship. And then if it can't happen, you start again, basically, and another network might have completely different ideas. So yeah, right. You know, it's stressful. It was a it was a real come down, we're gonna say
47:42
yeah, I did a bit of googling of view last night, actually, just on YouTube, and I came across a bunch of old sketches with Paul foot.
47:49
Oh, my God
47:52
was the guy that was hilarious. Oh, so I met Paul through my friend God. Do you guys know Paul, do you all know Paul?
47:58
No. I mean, I'm They seen him at the comedy festival.
48:01
He's like, his first show was directed by no fielding. He has that sort of, you know, sort of, like surreal sort of Mighty Boosh Mighty Boosh kind of comedy, and he's very intelligent. I mean, he studied mathematics at Oxford. He's like a genius, brilliant mind. And he ended up becoming a comedian. Because he didn't know what else to do is what he said. And yeah, he's a really eccentric, like a real eccentric. And we just used to hang out when he came to Melbourne to do the comedy fast I met him through my friend miles man who's another comedian. He was like you got to meet this guy in like first time we went to his house he had this like blue jelly is like the only thing in his fridge like a premade jelly and it's like, invited him over to like see the jelly wildlings is so artificial. Like he just like on another planet, but he's just such a sweetie. And then yeah, we Just started hanging out and shooting little sketches together because he he just loved you know, just making things up on the spot improv just have fun and put them out.
49:11
Yeah, so I mean, you can tell Yeah, I can tell in those videos I just been little video that
49:15
this sorry silly like sometimes I'm like, why did you post that? Like we were just like mucking around on our iPhone and I'm like, why did you put that on YouTube? YouTube? You know? Yeah, I used to have a lot more sketches on YouTube, but I got rid of all of them. Thank God
49:34
from like, when I was 19 when you get a role in actual paying gig, not like a sketch that you're doing for you. Yeah. How does your manager communicate it with you? Is it a phone call?
49:45
Yeah, or an email and usually a phone call actually, every time I booked a job or is a phone call, which is always cool, because it will say like, I remember the first time I booked a job I was literally loading a van Full of like, seafood, I was working at some, some restaurant. And I auditioned for this thing. And it was like the United States was calling me and I was like, This is gotta be like, you know, some telemarketer or something. And it was my manager and I didn't know who was like he got the job. You're going to Florida. And then like, two weeks later, I was living in Miami. Oh, that's when I did that FX series sharklets. That was so strange. Because like, yeah, to two weeks, I was meant to be on a plane have a visa and everything. It was crazy. And it was inauguration weekend, like Trump was just coming in. So it was like everything was delayed like for visas and stuff, but we managed to happen and they just had to push my flight by a week but there was like a window without like, maybe he won't be able to do it. And that was really stressful too. Yeah, so you just get a call and then your life can change quite dramatically and you live in another country and that's it. And so you're always like living out of your bag. I mean, at the last two and a half years in LA, I lived out of a bag. I'm still living out of a bag. Like I don't have a fixed address anymore. You know, I lived
51:10
in college that day, like just just working, you know, living out of a bag auditioning.
51:17
You know What's so funny? My, my favourite room that I had in LA, was my friend's like walking wardrobe that I just like decked out with fairy lights. And it was like, truly like, living in a coffin. It was like my fate would touch the wall when I slept and like, it was tiny, but it was like this. It just I have this memory of like, I don't know, I felt like I was really, I was really grinding. Like, I was like, I'm, I'm compromising, you know, too, and I'm living in a cupboard and I'm gonna work my butt off. So then when you do actually get a job or something, it feels so good. Because you're like, now I can get a room. And then my next room, I like to leave Don't I think it was Eagle, one bullet Eagle Rock Boulevard. And it was so loud. It sounded like the motorbikes in my room. It was like, right on the, on the highway. It was, it was horrible. And then like every room slowly got a little bit better. And then I finally got a fixed address and then had to move back because of COVID. It's alright though, it just seems to characterise
52:24
where you're going to fix the dress. And this week, big developments for BIG MEDIA COMPANY in the daily talk show. We've got a fixed phone number. So people can call BIG MEDIA COMPANY and actually talk to Joshua, or Jess or Mason, pretty much everyone except me actually. And, and so that's exciting. So there's a big investment there. And also, after that, we'll hear you giving us your rundown on your hierarchy of communication methods.
52:56
We've invested, it sounds like a silly thing to invest in a phone
52:59
Number The number is 0399810408. And when you Google our phone number what you'll find is big media companies phone number used to be zeros, phone number, the counting software, because every time someone has a question about how to reconcile something they call
53:17
Do you have a hierarchy within sort of comms? What? I love
53:21
an email.
53:22
Oh, you don't want to be email buddies? Yeah,
53:24
sure. salutely genuinely email number one, then text message. And then Instagram dm I hate talking on phone calls. Is it is it there? You don't i don't answer phone calls.
53:36
They freaked me out. I'd love to start an email relationship with you. So let's do
53:39
that actually can
53:42
never do it.
53:44
I sent him two emails.
53:48
He sent me one Wow.
53:49
Yeah, I was like, I like being pen pals. I like I don't know I love a letter. I like writing things out like formulating what I want to say and Put it, put it down in writing emails are great for me. And also I can reflect back on them. You know, I'm such a, I'm going to go a bit woowoo here, but I'm such a Capricorn like sometimes I'll reread emails I've written that I'm proud of, because of how well I feel like I wrote the email and formulated my idea. I was like, Wow, that's a great email. I want to relive that.
54:22
I relate to that so much.
54:24
Yes. Really?
54:26
Yeah, I always go back into my sent folders and like reread emails
54:32
during the day,
54:34
Josh complaints about and you just
54:36
Probably, yeah, so that's, that's what first came to my mind when you played that cuz Josh has an issue with emails and reading emails. He just doesn't do it and he just doesn't respond. Yep. Wow. It's a real sticking point with us because
54:51
you obviously love an email.
54:53
And you know, I that's it. Yeah, my job
54:55
well, if you want to email me, you can email me anytime and I'll we'd love to stop. Maybe we should start the pen pal relationship. Yeah, because Josh did not come through.
55:07
He says that when when emails are too long that they're dead, the words dancing on the page. I know.
55:14
Makes no sense. You know what's funny about Josh, I always say this. At first you don't realise how kind of lateral his thinking is now eccentric he is. You know what I mean? He, the more you get to know him, the more kind of peculiar and interesting and funny he is.
55:32
Yeah, totally agree.
55:34
Definitely. It's cool.
55:37
It's he he's the gift that keeps on giving, I'd say.
55:40
Sure. Just what do you think about the phone number? And I get I mean, we've also we didn't really touch on it in the snippet, but we've also now got little chat boxes on the website. He's actually been obsessing over to be honest because like Grace has got messages from Josh has been Right. Can you hop on the live chat for me? I want to talk to you like sort of test it out. Okay,
56:05
get on there. I've also had random daemons with him on the website chat box
56:11
and then like half an hour conversations like they're not. They're not short. They're not a test. Does it come through to his computer? Oh, he's fine. How does it work? It's it's a computer and then the phone will also go through the phone and the computer both just what do you what do you think about the phone?
56:28
Um, yeah, I mean, I'm on board. Now. It's just like with anything like Asana Spark, what else have we got that? It's just introducing it when things you know, as simple another way, but once you get used to it, you It's fine. you integrate it into your working life. I haven't actually used it properly yet. And no one's called me on it yet, but except for Josh, obviously. But yeah, the thing that I find funny about it is the recording all this scriptwriting
57:01
Oh yes, the the phone not only grabs a transcript of the conversation, it also records the course so you can play it back. Oh, really?
57:12
Which is like a telemarketer thing to
57:14
be honest. Like, there must be some privacy thing. Were you saying that it needs to be recorded for training purposes? Or
57:19
they probably should be.
57:21
I think you can flick it on and off. Sorry. That's the thing. Yeah. And so he recorded our conversation and my name came up as Oh my god, Jeff.
57:35
All right.
57:36
Yeah, well, um, but yeah, I'm on board. It's fine. Like it's just you still working on mobile? Really? I would rather pick up the phone and get an answer straightaway then have to wait for a text message bar. Hmm.
57:47
I understand. I was some things but I think when I was talking about not loving a phone call, it's more like when people just want to chat for like quite a while on kind of like, you know, this could And this could have been an email sort of thing, you know, checking an email, pop it in an email, just like hit the dot points. Like, I've got some friends that like they that they call and we just, you know, quite verbose and we'll just talk at me for a long time and it could just sometimes you don't point guy. Yeah, I think so. Like, I just want to know what Yeah, I think so.
58:21
Long emails or short emails.
58:24
Are ages. Good. I like an email.
58:27
Just in general. Yeah,
58:28
I think I just like to read the thing. So I can like reread it and like, I Tommy's got a real issue with me not answering the phone. It's like being a part of our relationship, like consistent. But I called I called him yesterday, we had a good chat. So
58:42
to finish up, that could be quite a good segue. You are, you know, Tommy's oldest and best friend. So I've just cut together a few little moments of when you're mentioned, just so you can feel good about your
58:55
race Michel. Michel race, Michel. Michel is in gentlemen raise Mitchell from over Because he's got he's made in the building Tommy and race best mates since they were five years old for me your household as a kid growing up was like he could have almost had its own TV show
59:10
that was growing up
59:11
with Tommy like just quickly while rest as I'm getting B's. Oh Jesus
59:15
needs a drink for me to open up about our history together. I was given
59:19
this T shirt for my 18th birthday from Rhys Mitchell. Oh my god, it's Tommy
59:23
jacket.
59:24
Oh my god. Is that Tommy jacket? I mean Reese Mitchell is probably the one that is solid friends been him did gymnastics together but he did drown homie. You have this man who I haven't seen in ages because he lives in LA now. I can't wait to see him. The last drive in cinema I went to was with Rhys Mitchell and he's and his dad. One of my favourite name drops is you know, to Kamakura. Yeah, I'm basically Sam. I mean, his dad was on the fruit is right. On the fruit. Right.
59:49
Well, my dad is Mark Mitchell. He's not convert. Yes,
59:51
I can remember when I got punched in from the side. We were at the party. I was there.
1:00:00
Sticking by him even when he gets his nose broken Oh,
1:00:02
man, far out. That's nothing. I love Tommy I am, you know, till death do us part. That's nice.
1:00:13
Yeah, we do love to me.
1:00:14
He's crying. He's a very loyal friend. He's one of the most encouraging supportive friends have ever had inconsistent. And we've been through a lot together. So, you know, he's, he's Yeah, he's a lifer.
1:00:28
Thanks so much for coming on race. That was lots of fun. Thanks for the feedback for the script. And I know next time when we can hang out together, be fun to film some stuff and actually write some sketches. Yeah,
1:00:39
why don't we do a thing where you write a first draft and even if you're unsure about it, we make it. That'd be funny, because even if they're rude, even if the scripts need a lot of work, I think it would be funny. I think
1:00:52
that'll be like interesting. I'd love to film. I'd love to film a sketch with you. I think
1:00:57
that's something to look forward to. You got to have hope. Open The darkness of all this stuff is around and how we got to just keep staying creative and optimistic and doing stuff like this.
1:01:09
Thanks for having me so much. Thanks for having me.
1:01:14
Catch you later guys. Bye