Live from SXSW Blueprints to create better stories
Check out the highlights of the full chat. Answers to questions from the interview were altered to make them more concise.
On writing great characters:
Mark: "Everything starts with writing. The key concept that inspired the first story four office workers talking in a presentation was not exactly thrilling. However, creating great characters opened up the narrative. We spent lots of time thinking about who these people were, what they looked like, how they differ and complement one another, and how we could use these characters to make the story more enjoyable and entertaining.
We wanted to highlight the problem and each character's flaw in order to make them more accessible. That's where the authenticity is in. My goal is to make everything imperfect and celebrate that, because it's the reason characters are charming. It's the reason you like it.
The key is to not think of these movies as normal commercials. I like going deep into each character's backstory. The more information, the better. The individual stories of backstories help that character from the start including: production, design, wardrobe. This makes it easier for the viewers to know who each character is onscreen. Therefore, I make these characters for the actors to come and inhabit You can sense this when you watch the film. I think when you start watching the three films, you will start to sense the continual impact."
Infractions to the law:
Mark: "My tip would be to talk to individuals who are like you. Be as truthful as is possible. A lot of the media world is well-groomed. You go through that advertising process in which the edges of the characters and the stories have been sanded down. The best advice I can give you is to push away from that process and be brave enough to present the world in the way it is.
For example, in my first movie I produced in collaboration with Apple, I had a guy lick the iPad. I had this kid lick the tablet, and later the crew is thinking, "What the hell's he doing?" I'm always telling that they, "Oh, can we crush this? Do we have a plan? Can I use it as a coaster?" Just make it authentic. Return to what's real in your writing, the stories we are telling. This is what draws people in and makes the characters and stories endearing."
When integrating the product
Mark: "How you see the film's product is extremely thought-provoking. The whole thing is tied to the writing. I attempt to use the product as the main ingredient in every scene. I sketch around the product, build scenes around the product. The product must take us from here to there. When you weave the product into a film like that, then it's not gratuitous as it's a one of the stories that you're telling."
On taking risks:
There's no better way to test your limits in order to create good entertainment, and establish a strong connection with your brand. It's my belief that's the main aspect: you must be prepared to take some risk, and also build strong relationships with the people who you are taking on risk with as well. Advertising often gets shielded or protected from the work. However, if you remove some layers, you can speak to people like people."