Inside Undercard with Wanda Sykes & Director Tamika Miller

WEBVTT

00:00.031 --> 00:01.053
[SPEAKER_03]: Got it.

00:01.073 --> 00:03.096
[SPEAKER_03]: So I want to say welcome to movie lovers tonight.

00:03.136 --> 00:07.162
[SPEAKER_03]: I do appreciate you guys taking the time out of your night to be able to talk about your movie.

00:07.422 --> 00:10.086
[SPEAKER_03]: I've really enjoyed Rossy and I both really enjoyed your film.

00:10.987 --> 00:17.357
[SPEAKER_03]: And the thing that really captured me was the fact that this is one of his first traumatic role.

00:18.238 --> 00:24.047
[SPEAKER_03]: And you know, I'm always used to hearing it singing her really

00:24.027 --> 00:27.290
[SPEAKER_03]: You know, and then I'm seeing her dramatic shops happening.

00:27.330 --> 00:31.575
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm really mean that I actually cried and certain moments of this film.

00:31.615 --> 00:33.417
[SPEAKER_03]: This really Catholic my heart.

00:33.877 --> 00:36.920
[SPEAKER_03]: I really felt that struggle within you of this undercard.

00:36.980 --> 00:46.770
[SPEAKER_03]: Only the undercard of the fight that's happening with your son in the movie or the your daughter, but it's actually life in general, of being the undercard.

00:47.371 --> 00:49.333
[SPEAKER_03]: I have battle within everyday life.

00:49.393 --> 00:51.435
[SPEAKER_03]: So I just want to commend you both.

00:51.415 --> 01:18.739
[SPEAKER_02]: um as a director as an actor you guys did a really great job with this movie right yeah i watched a movie last night and i watched a movie this morning you guys i'm laying on the couch and i'm watching the film and i'm really i'm into it i mean wanted to see you play such an emotional character to be vulnerable the scene where you're with your son and you you guys finally

01:18.719 --> 01:29.876
[SPEAKER_02]: I am crying because the scene was so emotional and you're crying and he's telling you about how much you've hurt him and what you've done and I'm just tear to just streaming down.

01:30.257 --> 01:39.731
[SPEAKER_02]: You did a really good performance was great and I do want to mention that you guys won, let's see, Newport Beach Film Festival best US feature.

01:40.172 --> 01:43.316
[SPEAKER_02]: You also won the St. Louis International Film Festival.

01:43.697 --> 01:47.663
[SPEAKER_02]: When you got this script, what did you think about it when you got this script?

01:48.031 --> 01:48.732
[SPEAKER_00]: It was great.

01:49.393 --> 01:57.387
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I love the script to make also have prepared a deck and everything.

01:57.588 --> 02:03.358
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, she knew exactly how she wanted the film to look, the tone of the film.

02:03.738 --> 02:08.126
[SPEAKER_00]: She was so clear about the division for this film.

02:09.749 --> 02:12.874
[SPEAKER_00]: For me, I was the only one that was,

02:12.854 --> 02:31.926
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought I was the part that I was a little shaking on, you know, I'm like, you want me to do it, you know, I'm like, I'm on paper, it looks like you know what you're doing but, you know, I was like, so we're clearly taking for said no.

02:35.112 --> 02:41.126
[SPEAKER_00]: All the black women in Hollywood really, that wasn't what they did.

02:41.146 --> 02:45.015
[SPEAKER_00]: They did something wrong with her, but what's happening?

02:46.078 --> 02:52.834
[SPEAKER_00]: What's she was, you know, very persistent and, and...

02:53.573 --> 02:57.919
[SPEAKER_00]: just was confident and made me feel confident that I could pull this all.

02:58.440 --> 03:05.850
[SPEAKER_02]: To me, when you had, I'm sorry, when you had the script, did you think instantly one-to-sex, one-to-sex can do this?

03:05.870 --> 03:06.831
[SPEAKER_02]: Because we've never seen her.

03:07.152 --> 03:08.033
[SPEAKER_02]: She's always funny.

03:08.113 --> 03:10.116
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, she's in our kids' movies.

03:10.136 --> 03:10.817
[SPEAKER_02]: She's funny.

03:10.897 --> 03:12.199
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, one-to-does stand-up.

03:12.259 --> 03:18.147
[SPEAKER_02]: So, to see her, did you know, okay, this is, this is who I want to play, Cheryl?

03:18.464 --> 03:19.546
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, absolutely.

03:20.327 --> 03:20.627
[SPEAKER_01]: I knew.

03:20.647 --> 03:31.443
[SPEAKER_01]: I co-wrote this script with my writing partner, Anita Cal, and I was just really intrigued.

03:31.463 --> 03:35.609
[SPEAKER_01]: And I've been a fan of Wanda's work for many years.

03:35.729 --> 03:48.167
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was just so intrigued by the possibility of her in this role, because we had never seen her in anything quite like this.

03:48.772 --> 04:17.142
[SPEAKER_01]: And I knew that she would knock it out the park to be pranked and I know that because one that has such a great following, she's very, she's beloved, that I felt that her fans, her audience would go on this journey with her and what we had to do was stay true to the

04:18.016 --> 04:23.031
[SPEAKER_03]: Right, you don't have to trust the process and be able to know that you can actually get the best out of your actors.

04:23.512 --> 04:25.297
[SPEAKER_03]: And I believe that's what you did.

04:25.498 --> 04:27.102
[SPEAKER_03]: You actually got the best out of Wanda.

04:27.183 --> 04:28.908
[SPEAKER_03]: I really felt that struggle within her.

04:28.988 --> 04:33.240
[SPEAKER_03]: But also, too, I just like your overall view of like...

04:33.220 --> 04:35.745
[SPEAKER_03]: the cinematography of the film itself.

04:36.025 --> 04:38.570
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought it was very good, very well captured.

04:38.630 --> 04:45.723
[SPEAKER_03]: When you're dealing with filming locations and stuff like that, how did you know this is where I want to be?

04:45.803 --> 04:56.443
[SPEAKER_03]: This is the set that I picked out that I think that would be perfect only for me, but as far as this story that I want to be coming out on the script out on the film.

04:57.520 --> 05:12.559
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I'm very clear, you know, I'm the kind of director who really, I'm all about preparation, you know, I'm all about really having a good sense of what that space is going to look like.

05:12.539 --> 05:19.946
[SPEAKER_01]: you know, and I can just hand that over to my cinematographer, my production designer, like I always give them a really good template.

05:19.986 --> 05:21.588
[SPEAKER_01]: I spend quite a bit of time on that.

05:22.068 --> 05:27.714
[SPEAKER_01]: And so when I go, and I also give that to my location manager, there's a location scout, we'll say.

05:27.754 --> 05:28.034
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.

05:28.415 --> 05:31.558
[SPEAKER_01]: So they have a really good sense of what's in my head.

05:31.578 --> 05:38.665
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think that in order for my vision to come through and come through,

05:39.590 --> 05:43.856
[SPEAKER_01]: My collaborators need to have a sense of what's going on in my head.

05:44.357 --> 05:57.835
[SPEAKER_01]: And so, yeah, I mean, every from how Boba teens gym looks to that scene where, you know, we're outside of this abandoned hotel, it was important to me that that,

05:57.815 --> 06:05.706
[SPEAKER_01]: palette in that texture, you know, and that bit of grittiness was a part of this film.

06:05.987 --> 06:09.572
[SPEAKER_03]: Right, I felt very atmospheric as far as the look and the tone of it is.

06:09.872 --> 06:17.924
[SPEAKER_03]: And I love that look of the gym because of the fact it has that old school, Rocky Balboa kind of flavor to it, of the gym, this sweatingness.

06:18.224 --> 06:23.772
[SPEAKER_03]: I can actually feel this sweatingness and how hot it is in such a

06:25.456 --> 06:32.172
[SPEAKER_02]: to say about the boxing, the choreography for the boxing.

06:32.833 --> 06:42.857
[SPEAKER_02]: That was done really well because as we're watching this fight that we're waiting for, this huge fight to go on with Wanda Sun and Film Keith.

06:43.107 --> 06:45.911
[SPEAKER_02]: I found myself forgetting, this is a movie.

06:46.492 --> 06:59.573
[SPEAKER_02]: What do you get in work that, like, I'm like, Keith, come on, Keith, get up and want to, did you box before because this was like natural for you, kind of the things that you were talking about, telling him to take the hit like this, do that.

07:00.314 --> 07:07.225
[SPEAKER_02]: We forgot we were watching the film, it was like I'm watching a real boxing match and we're rooting for Keith, like we want you and Keith the right.

07:08.183 --> 07:17.538
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, to me because, you know, she wanted to make sure that I was prepared and felt comfortable in that position, you know, so, like I said, day one, she was, I said, okay, I'll do it.

07:17.558 --> 07:29.837
[SPEAKER_00]: She wanted me to go to law car gyms and be in the park gym, Saturday morning, I'm like, I haven't signed any paperwork, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to do that, I'm not going

07:32.078 --> 07:37.028
[SPEAKER_00]: We ain't no deal with it, she just didn't want me to get pushed into face.

07:39.472 --> 07:49.532
[SPEAKER_00]: So, and I started training, I started training immediately, you know, you know, with my trainer and then I fell in a lower box and I'm still doing it.

07:49.552 --> 07:51.255
[SPEAKER_00]: I still, I still try.

07:51.636 --> 07:52.618
[SPEAKER_02]: That's awesome.

07:52.717 --> 08:09.983
[SPEAKER_02]: For the scenes where you are just being vulnerable, those scenes, how long did it take for you to shoot that main scene that I was talking about where you and Keith are going at it, and he's telling you about the burden marks on him, how long did that take because that's why I lost it at.

08:10.385 --> 08:32.933
[SPEAKER_01]: to make a we didn't do that many takes her okay well I think we only did a couple of takes well we never rehearsed that scene okay that's one of my favorite scenes in the film yeah you know I think for obvious reasons and it was important to me that we sort of we didn't rehearse that scene we kind of stayed away from that scene because I knew that it would require

08:33.233 --> 08:48.117
[SPEAKER_01]: so much emotion and, and, and, and, and, rawness and vulnerability from my actors, you know, from Wanda and Bidley, there's not something I wanted to just, you know, rehearse.

08:48.798 --> 08:51.242
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, what, what I knew,

08:51.222 --> 09:02.903
[SPEAKER_01]: to do, to give us to a performance that I felt would be believable, was to get Wanda and Bentley together to rehearse.

09:04.146 --> 09:08.674
[SPEAKER_01]: But not rehearse the script, but just to be in each other's presence.

09:08.654 --> 09:22.993
[SPEAKER_01]: And we did a series of exercises, things that I really love to do as a director, and it's really about getting the actors to trust each other and getting the actors to feel safe with being vulnerable.

09:23.534 --> 09:32.326
[SPEAKER_01]: And we were able to do that in rehearsal and that gave me confidence, and I think in one can speak to that, it's why I think it gave one Bentley some confidence as well.

09:32.386 --> 09:35.110
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, okay, we're here.

09:35.851 --> 09:36.872
[SPEAKER_01]: We got this.

09:37.190 --> 09:58.573
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, we walked out of that room before we even started filming this was doing this one this workshop with to make a and that's when I knew like, oh, I think I'm going to I can pull this off not I think I know we're going to be okay I was like, oh, we're going to be good we're going to be this is going to be great.

09:59.735 --> 10:01.798
[SPEAKER_03]: Right.

10:01.818 --> 10:01.919
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

10:02.379 --> 10:02.780
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

10:02.800 --> 10:04.162
[SPEAKER_03]: So here's the thing.

10:04.182 --> 10:09.511
[SPEAKER_03]: I'd like to fact that, you know, you actually have the dojo relationship between this other young actor and yourself.

10:10.272 --> 10:17.203
[SPEAKER_03]: And I love the chemistry between the y'all too, because I think that you actually do need to have that one on one with each other to actually make us

10:17.183 --> 10:35.850
[SPEAKER_03]: cares and audience about this love as a mother and also was a son and then seeing the things that he went through it just torn me apart because seeing those marks on his body and stuff just tore me up and then when you guys embraced it was like that cast of ear was like wow

10:35.830 --> 10:51.662
[SPEAKER_03]: Like I was just drawn into a Wanda and you know, I love the fact that you're willing to try something new They haven't done before, but just drama and it works so well for you and my other thing is to like my question is this You master stand up

10:51.642 --> 10:55.926
[SPEAKER_03]: Your master's sitcoms, your voice work it down, it's her version of Wanda.

10:56.086 --> 11:05.636
[SPEAKER_03]: We still haven't seen it on spring yet, because seriously, I would love to see you go all the way with drama or something that we really feel passionate about.

11:05.776 --> 11:11.382
[SPEAKER_03]: I would love to know what is the, what is Wanda wanting to do next?

11:11.862 --> 11:13.324
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

11:13.344 --> 11:14.125
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, poor.

11:14.405 --> 11:16.367
[UNKNOWN]: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

11:25.409 --> 11:41.030
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a project, my project in with me, you know, whatever the next great thing is it comes my way and I, and you know, it doesn't make it with me and I feel like I can do it just in that's the project.

11:41.150 --> 11:44.915
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't have a big board somewhere with Ryan.

11:44.935 --> 11:47.518
[SPEAKER_00]: Just like, oh, I need to go ahead and write.

11:48.815 --> 11:49.496
[SPEAKER_03]: I got you.

11:49.856 --> 11:55.663
[SPEAKER_03]: But yeah, another thing too is like, how do you have to tap into playing this character?

11:55.683 --> 11:56.323
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't even know that.

11:56.344 --> 11:57.305
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

11:57.325 --> 12:04.993
[SPEAKER_03]: Because that's something I was wondering about, like, how did you just like, I know you had to do research to do the boxing and stuff like that.

12:05.374 --> 12:15.345
[SPEAKER_03]: But how did you get into like, okay, that's struggle, that internal struggle of alcoholism and then having to get into that mindset, right?

12:16.895 --> 12:42.632
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's, like again, I could say it was, it's so well written that there were a lot of questions I had about Cheryl, but we did go through an exercise of like, what do you think Cheryl would do in this situation or where, you know, how did she feel about this and so we

12:43.034 --> 12:44.375
[SPEAKER_00]: really good actors.

12:45.336 --> 12:46.798
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to be empathetic.

12:46.878 --> 12:48.960
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to be able to touch into that.

12:49.421 --> 12:53.024
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

12:53.905 --> 12:55.447
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, I'm a mom.

12:55.547 --> 13:01.674
[SPEAKER_00]: So, I just imagine not being able to provide for my, you know, for my child.

13:01.814 --> 13:07.860
[SPEAKER_00]: And, or someone take it away in my child.

13:07.840 --> 13:24.225
[SPEAKER_00]: And also, you know, make it mistakes and mistreating someone and needing that forgiveness, you know, but also you have to get to a place where you, you got to forgive yourself first, right?

13:24.485 --> 13:25.547
[SPEAKER_03]: Right.

13:25.627 --> 13:29.333
[SPEAKER_00]: And also, with Cheryl, I thought about it on my, wow, okay, she's a boxer.

13:29.873 --> 13:30.895
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's

13:31.685 --> 13:34.668
[SPEAKER_00]: She always, you know, the first thing you learn boxing, you have to keep your guard up.

13:35.029 --> 13:36.530
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, always keep your guard up.

13:37.091 --> 13:37.772
[SPEAKER_00]: Give me a thumbs up.

13:38.272 --> 13:46.621
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, life, you know, can't deal with her blows, but, you know, she's like, okay, I'm going to get my shot in, though.

13:47.662 --> 13:56.612
[SPEAKER_00]: So, that keeps her going, but when it comes to her son, she's got to drop those hands and let him let him

13:57.470 --> 14:06.383
[SPEAKER_00]: just give me so that she has to take those touches that he needs to give and then for order her to you know to move on with that relationship.

14:07.038 --> 14:09.220
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, I, I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

14:09.401 --> 14:15.507
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I, I enjoyed all the actors that in the baby girl who played me because she did, she was just so adorable.

14:15.528 --> 14:16.749
[SPEAKER_02]: She did a really good job.

14:17.390 --> 14:23.777
[SPEAKER_02]: The boxers were amazing, both of them, to make a, what can we expect from you next?

14:23.877 --> 14:25.118
[SPEAKER_02]: What are we going to get from you next?

14:25.278 --> 14:29.383
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't wait to see your next film, you're, what, what you're having for us.

14:30.123 --> 14:32.406
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I can't wait to see my next room, too.

14:36.150 --> 14:37.972
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm looking forward to seeing you.

14:38.272 --> 14:46.361
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm writing a couple of things and you know, there's definitely a couple of projects out there that I'm interested in helping.

14:47.102 --> 14:49.164
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll see they come my way.

14:50.285 --> 14:56.552
[SPEAKER_01]: But right now, you know, after ten years in the making of Undercard, I want to see

14:56.532 --> 15:16.954
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to get it to the marketplace and I want the film to to resonate with viewers and and have people post about it and and give it great reviews and tell people about it and and be grassroots and getting the word out because this isn't an independent film and that's important.

15:16.934 --> 15:17.615
[SPEAKER_03]: Hi, great.

15:17.815 --> 15:19.296
[SPEAKER_03]: Independent film is important.

15:19.376 --> 15:29.685
[SPEAKER_03]: It actually is the most important thing to me because we're in the podcast, but it's just as important to people that are in this business to actually have their name put out there.

15:30.226 --> 15:32.568
[SPEAKER_03]: And in fact, that work, I've been telling people about this movie.

15:32.708 --> 15:33.629
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I guess well.

15:34.550 --> 15:40.575
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, every chase I got like today, I'm like, look, you guys need to check out the new one to psychs movie is fantastic.

15:40.735 --> 15:46.941
[SPEAKER_03]: It's something that you haven't seen

15:46.921 --> 15:49.112
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm like Trishana Bosers.

15:49.172 --> 15:49.755
[SPEAKER_03]: Is the comedy?

15:49.795 --> 15:50.659
[SPEAKER_02]: No, it's comedy.

15:51.222 --> 15:51.845
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm comedy.

15:52.348 --> 15:53.674
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not a comedy.

16:01.771 --> 16:18.933
[SPEAKER_02]: Little bit we're going to be reviewing this after we're going to be reviewing this right after the interview and everything Thank you very well We'll be good Of course It's a great film It's going to be spoiler free so we're not going to tell anyone what happens at the end so Exactly Don't worry about that.

16:18.993 --> 16:19.213
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

16:19.454 --> 16:19.954
[SPEAKER_03]: No.

16:19.974 --> 16:20.936
[SPEAKER_03]: Don't have a tight lid on it.

16:20.956 --> 16:21.957
[SPEAKER_03]: It'll be perfectly fine.

16:22.057 --> 16:23.018
[SPEAKER_03]: I promise you.

16:23.098 --> 16:24.240
[SPEAKER_03]: We'll do you guys justice.

16:24.540 --> 16:25.041
[SPEAKER_03]: Absolutely.

16:25.461 --> 16:27.424
[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you You're very welcome

16:27.404 --> 16:27.925
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.

16:28.447 --> 16:30.493
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, with that being said, thank you, Wanda.

16:30.513 --> 16:31.195
[SPEAKER_03]: Think it to me.

16:31.275 --> 16:32.338
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.

16:32.358 --> 16:32.920
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.

16:32.960 --> 16:34.143
[SPEAKER_03]: It's been a blast.

16:34.424 --> 16:35.607
[SPEAKER_03]: I love laughing with you, Wanda.

16:35.648 --> 16:36.249
[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you again.

16:36.289 --> 16:37.673
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.

16:37.693 --> 16:38.516
[SPEAKER_03]: Good morning.

16:38.536 --> 16:39.057
[SPEAKER_03]: Good morning.

16:39.077 --> 16:40.441
[SPEAKER_03]: Good morning.

16:40.903 --> 16:41.183
[SPEAKER_03]: Good morning.

16:41.203 --> 16:41.745
[SPEAKER_03]: That's nice.

16:41.765 --> 16:42.226
[SPEAKER_03]: What happened?

16:43.329 --> 16:44.172
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, guys.

16:44.473 --> 16:45.094
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, thank you.

16:45.115 --> 16:46.318
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you.

16:46.358 --> 16:47.261
[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you, too.

16:48.023 --> 16:48.805
[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you.