Anderson .Paak on Directing His Son Soul in the Family Comedy "K-Pops" | Variety Studio at TIFF 2024 - video Dailymotion

Variety

Director/Actor Anderson .Paak, along with his son Soul, discuss their upcoming film "K-Pops" at the Variety Studio at TIFF.

Transcript

00:00It was kind of tough sometimes for me to turn off the dad and put on the director.

00:04I just felt like sometimes it was tough for me to separate because I wanted to also be

00:08there for him as a dad, make sure he was comfortable, but also get the best take I

00:12could so that he enjoys it so we can watch something that we can be proud of in the end.

00:16Thank you both for being here.

00:27I want to start with Anderson.

00:29Obviously, you have your music career, you DJ, you also have restaurants.

00:34Why even direct a movie?

00:36I mean, what was the inspiration to enter this world?

00:40Well, it was my son who inspired it.

00:43I was at the house during quarantine, you know, no more touring.

00:48And I got a chance to spend a lot of time with him and my family and got to see what

00:53they were into.

00:54And my house was being taken over by K-pop at the time.

00:57And BTS was just all I ever heard.

01:00And that's when I posed the question.

01:02I know you know about BTS, but what do you know about BET, you know?

01:07And yeah, it all started there.

01:10Then we started doing YouTube skits.

01:13And I got more into the YouTube skits than him.

01:17I started editing them and filming them.

01:19And I started seeing how naturally talented he was and fun.

01:22And we started creating such a bond doing it.

01:24And I forgot about everything else I was doing.

01:26I forgot about shows and everything.

01:28I just wanted to spend more time with him, having fun doing skits.

01:31And I was like, son, I want to write a movie for us.

01:36This could be funny, you know?

01:38And I was thinking, I wanted to direct it because I didn't want anybody else to play

01:45my son but my son.

01:46And I knew I wanted to be there with him and be able to spend time with him and direct

01:50him and also star in it with him.

01:54And the idea, we worked on it, it was maybe over three years ago when it started.

02:00And it took a crazy form.

02:03And now we're at TIFF.

02:04And it's like, it's amazing to be able to cross the finish line and be able to play

02:08it in a huge theater and see the reactions of people.

02:11How much of yourselves are in the characters?

02:15There's a lot.

02:17BJ is the role I play.

02:19And there's a little bit of the early stages of my career with BJ, with me playing in dive

02:27bars and thinking that, you know, that was pretty much as good as it was going to get,

02:33getting the weekends at the bars and getting drink tickets and playing in karaoke bands.

02:39That's how we started.

02:40And I didn't really think about much about the future until I had my first son, until

02:46I started a family.

02:46And it gave me more of a reason to develop more of a work ethic and build more than just

02:51me.

02:52And that's where BJ's story arc kind of goes.

02:55He was really selfish and self-absorbed and thinks that, you know, if he's going to make

03:01it and he doesn't make it, then he becomes a bitter musician.

03:04But in the end, when he finds Tay, he becomes really just into Tay and working with him

03:10and seeing how smart and fast and awesome he is and puts his dreams aside and becomes

03:16really apparent.

03:17And that was pretty much what happened to me when we were doing these skits and like

03:21hanging out more.

03:22What about you, Saul?

03:23And what was your impression of your dad as a director?

03:27Yeah.

03:28Well, at the end of the day, he is my dad.

03:31So it was not really that different.

03:35But when he had his director's hat on, it was pretty easy for me to act.

03:42If it was like someone else, it would have been more difficult, I'd say.

03:46But it was my dad.

03:47So he kind of knew my preferences and my weaknesses and strengths.

03:51So, yeah, I think that's a good part of not only him being my director as a dad, but also

03:59the actor, because in the film, he is my dad.

04:04So that's it is the bond is real.

04:08It's more authentic that way.

04:10So that's what I think.

04:11Yeah.

04:12And Anderson, obviously, it's your first time directing.

04:15What were the things you found most challenging?

04:17And then also specifically to directing your own kid, what did you find challenging about that?

04:22Oh, man.

04:24You know, when you're doing music and doing shows, the amount of people that you work with

04:29is way more condensed.

04:30And I've been working with them for years.

04:33And with movies, there's so many departments and there's so many things that go

04:39beyond just directing actors.

04:41You have to put out so many fires and you have to be able to communicate

04:44your vision very specific and be very clear, because a lot of times you don't have a lot of

04:49time to waste.

04:51And time is money.

04:52And it's you're dealing with bigger budgets and more people.

04:57And you just have to know how to communicate and talk to the actors.

05:00And even though Sol is my son, it was kind of tough sometimes for me to turn off the dad

05:06and put on the director.

05:08I just feel like sometimes it was tough for me to separate because I wanted to also be

05:12there for him as a dad.

05:13Make sure he's comfortable, but also get the best take I could so that he enjoys it, so

05:17we can watch something that we can be proud of in the end.

05:20But luckily, he's such a natural and really good with taking direction.

05:24And he trusted his director, trusted his dad, that it was a smooth process.

05:29And it was one of the most fulfilling, creatively.

05:32Sol, did you always want to be an actor or was it this project that made you think like,

05:36oh, I guess I could do this?

05:38Did I want to be an actor?

05:40No.

05:40I didn't have any passion whatsoever before we filmed.

05:48I didn't really see myself as an actor.

05:50But until like when we started filming, I was like, oh, I have a little potential.

05:56I don't know.

05:57I just like before this film, I didn't really have any thoughts about acting or pursuing

06:05acting at all.

06:07Did you get any advice from any of the co-stars in the movie besides your dad?

06:11Yes.

06:11Shout out to Sarah, my acting teacher.

06:15She helped me a lot.

06:18My acting teacher helped me a lot with improving my acting and stuff and my lines and even

06:25improvising.

06:26So that was great.

06:27Without her, I wouldn't have been.

06:31Anderson, I want to ask, obviously, Bruno Mars is back with a song with Lady Gaga.

06:36Are there any conversations about doing another Silksonic album?

06:40You know, I've been so like engulfed in this movie.

06:43It's been taking over my life.

06:45So the main conversations I'm having, I've been with my editors, I've been with my music

06:51editors and mastering and coloring.

06:53And that's pretty much been my life for the last few years.

06:57And so even when I was working with Bruno, I was always coming back to this working on

07:01the script.

07:02So it's taken over.

07:03And the last time I hung out with Bruno was just recently.

07:06I came out on his show.

07:07And I think that Silksonic always has a place to put out more music.

07:13And we'll always have that group and always have that outlet to do it.

07:17So we'll just see.

07:18Time will tell.

07:19So you're not just going to go four for four and retire with that?

07:25The last thing I wanted to ask you both is being at Toronto Film Festival together and

07:30not only having completed the movie, but showing it in front of an audience and being

07:34around the festival.

07:37How special is that of a moment to share that with each other?

07:40It's huge.

07:41I mean, this whole thing started from YouTube skits and me just wanting to develop a bond

07:46with my son.

07:47My mom said that it's one thing for your kids to love you and to hang out.

07:51But it's another thing for you to have a real bond with them and create memories that last

07:55forever and show by example that you could start something and finish it strong.

08:01I learned so much in the process.

08:03And I learned so much about my son and watched him grow.

08:06And I couldn't be prouder of the project and just being able to have those memories and

08:13somewhat of like a love letter to my young Serski over here.

08:18It's huge.

08:19And then for it to be able to get into TIFF, such a prestigious festival, it's everything.

08:24We just had the premiere yesterday and we haven't really had a screening before this.

08:31And watching it in that big theater with thousands of people laughing.

08:35And it was the feeling was just almost overwhelming.

08:38And I'm just so proud that he was able to trust me and go through with it and finish

08:43and just he shines so, so bright on the screen.

08:46And it's inspired me to continue.

08:49And I'm excited about what the future holds with me and film.

08:54So have you met any fun celebrities while being here?

08:57Fun celebrities.

09:01Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

09:03So my son, yeah, John Cheadle, Selena Gomez, Selma.

09:11What else?

09:14Yikes.

09:15I think that's pretty much it.

09:16Like for the major ones.

09:17Yeah, it's a pretty good rock.

09:18It was crazy.

09:19Yeah.

09:21Well, thank you so much for being here.

09:22Both of you.

09:23Congratulations on the film.

Anderson .Paak on Directing His Son Soul in the Family Comedy "K-Pops" | Variety Studio at TIFF 2024

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