Coast To Coast Creatives
Coast To Coast Creatives
Diane Foster, Allison Lobel & Kelly Grant - Behind the Scenes of 'Easter Bloody Easter'
Prepare to be spellbound as the trio of Diane Foster, Alison Lobel and Kelly Grant takes us on an enthralling journey through the creation of "Easter Bloody Easter". Experience the alchemy of transforming Alison's first full-length screenplay into a cinematic delight, with Diane at the helm in her directorial debut and Kelly juggling the dual roles of actor and producer. Their tale promises not only an insider's look at the dynamic process of filmmaking but also the shared trials and triumphs that have bonded them since their acting school days.
Step into our world of laughter and screams as we recount the challenges of performing alongside a puppet jackalope and the joy of breathing life into this fantastical creature. Captivating stories of on-set creativity and the growth that comes from stepping into new roles, like Kelly's leap into production, are just the beginning. Diane's newfound passion for directing and the team's dedication to diversity also paint a vivid picture of the collaborative spirit at the heart of this project.
As we gear up for the premiere of "Easter Bloody Easter", share in the excitement of a score that transcends the film into an iconic experience, courtesy of Mark Vogel. From character creation to the strategic decisions in film distribution, you'll get a front-row seat to the every twist and turn in the soundtrack's development and the community vibe we're channeling for the big reveal. Join us for an episode that captures the essence of independent filmmaking at its finest.
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'Wallybird Productions' Official Website: https://wallybirdproductions.com/
Purchase 'Easter Bloody Easter' on Apple here: https://tv.apple.com/movie/easter-bloody-easter/umc.cmc.46y1e47n81byav0j9hvyut0n7
Diane Foster Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianefosterofficial/?hl=en
Allison Lobel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonlobel/
Kelly Grant Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkellygrant/
From Age & Fare: https://www.instagram.com/fromageandfare/
Welcome to Coast to Coast Creatives, a podcast for and about working professional artists within the entertainment industry. I'm Joe Funk, and here we interview actors, directors, photographers, writers and many, many more. Today, we'll be chatting with Diane Foster, alison Lobel and Kelly Grant. Together, they form the creative powerhouse behind the upcoming film Easter Bloody Easter. Alison discusses the writing process for this film and how it feels to watch her first full-length screenplay be brought to life. Kelly, stepping into the role of producer, talks about the act of juggling the technical and artistic sides of production and how her role as an actor informed her judgment in her new role. And Diane, the director and star of Easter Bloody Easter, provides insight ranging from the hiring of department heads to seeking domestic and international distribution. Please check out the links in the show notes to see how you yourself can watch this film, and please be sure to go and pre-order your copy today on iTunes.
Joe Funk:All right, let's dive on in with Diane Allison and Kelly of Easter Bloody Easter. We are now rolling. Everything you're saying is recorded and can be used in a court of law. Welcome, everybody. How are we all doing today?
Diane Foster:Awesome Great.
Joe Funk:I love it. I love to hear it. You're all calling in from Los Angeles, los Angeles area, and with us we have Diane Foster, alison Lobel and Kelly Grant. How, how is it going?
Diane Foster:It's amazing. It is a whirlwind experience releasing a film and we are moving and grooving and talking to a million people and it's amazing. It's amazing, very, very grateful.
Allison Lobel:Yeah, I've never experienced anything quite like this because, yeah, I've been working on many indies throughout the years but never have gotten like press and like a big premiere. So it's really just so exciting.
Joe Funk:I can't wait and the premiere is the end of March, correct?
Allison Lobel:Yes, at the New Art Theater.
Joe Funk:And this has been quite a process, especially for you, allison, because you are the writer of this project. How long have you been working on Easter, bloody Easter?
Allison Lobel:I wrote it in 2020. And it took me probably like three months to write. And then I showed it to Diane and Kelly and they really loved it and we're like let's make this movie. And I spent probably about two or three months doing more rewrites in 2021. And yeah, then we shot it and now it's coming out.
Joe Funk:I love that. I'm so excited. So many people have those stories about writing and creating projects during the COVID times, during the lockdown times, when it's like I have nothing else to do. I'm locked in my apartment. What can I do to be creative?
Allison Lobel:Exactly.
Joe Funk:And you two, you three of you, you, you have worked together, known each other for years now. Give us a little bit of a backstory on your relationship.
Diane Foster:Yeah, we have known each other a long time and have worked together several times and it's just been amazing.
Diane Foster:We met at acting school in Beverly Hills and we actually did a play together in Beverly Hills and San Francisco and that sort of set everything off because we loved working together so much. And both shows went really, really well and we were like we want to keep doing this and actually at first we were going to take it on the road. We were talking about doing the play in Texas, we were talking about doing it in New York, and then the pandemic hit and we were like, ok, we kind of have to shift because we can't do the play anymore, because you know, nobody can go out and see us and you can't be in a public forum. And then Alison wrote the movie and it was just sort of the perfect balance of everything. It was the experience that we had working together on the play and then her incredible, beautiful mind of making this world of Easter, bloody Easter and, you know, putting them together. It was really exciting to then go on a journey of making a film together, which is a whole different thing than doing a theatrical production.
Joe Funk:Oh yeah, very, very different experience, and you all wear multiple hats on this project as well. Let's go down the line and explain your various roles within Easter, bloody Easter.
Diane Foster:Okay, I guess I'll begin. I am the director, star of the film and producer, and the production company that I have, wally Bird Productions, was the one who put the movie together.
Allison Lobel:Hi, I'm Alison Lobel and I'm the writer and I'm also an actor in the film and a producer and actually composed a couple songs. But we have an amazing composer also who did the rest of the music, mark Vogel. He is incredible and he made this incredible tapestry of scary sounds for all the monsters.
Joe Funk:Yes, I saw. I saw some something in writing about the music and I can't wait to get into that later. And Kelly, how about you?
Kelly Grant:I'm Kelly Grant and I wear the hat of actor and first time producer.
Joe Funk:Amazing. So, yeah, you're all balancing so much within this project and this, this sounds like quite a unique project. Let me let me direct this question at you, allison, since you are the writer, without getting into any spoilers, give us a little overview of the plot.
Allison Lobel:Sure, easter Bunny Easter. It's a horror comedy about an evil Easter bunny, a jackalope, destroying a small town, texas's Easter celebration. So yeah, they get warnings about these evil bunnies that are coming, but they put on the Easter celebration anyway and there's a lot of gore and death and hilarity that ensues.
Joe Funk:I think it's funny when I hear you describe these scripts that you work on. I've talked to you about several of your scripts before and you are just such a light bubbly person and then you come out with there's comedy, but you come out with some horror films, so there's some gore in there. Where does this come from?
Allison Lobel:It's a good point. I'm actually a scaredy cat too, so I can't watch really scary movies. But I think that's the reason I like writing horror is because the way my brain works is an overactive imagination, and so I picture the creepiest, grossest things, and so I can put them on paper very easily, because they're what keep me up at night. And actually that's how I got the inspiration for this film. It was during the pandemic. I was taking a bath and I heard little skittering noises on my rooftop and I was like listen, it's probably a tiny little animal, but it was creeping me out so much and I was like that's fun. It's fun when something small and sweet can be so scary. And I'd heard at some point that it's really good to write a holiday movie because they're really easy to pitch out, because streamers are always looking for them, and so I was like you know what that could be? A bunny on the rooftop. And I just flowed with that and I was like I'm gonna make a scary bunny movie, do you?
Joe Funk:do you have? This is for all of you. Do you have a favorite holiday film, like a nostalgic film that you look back on? They're like oh, this reminds me of Christmas, this reminds me of fourth of July is. Do you have any favorites?
Diane Foster:Oh, my gosh For horror in particular, or just any in general. Oh yeah, I mean absolutely For me. I Halloween is, you know, classic, obviously to watch at Halloween, but also, like I love home Alone, I literally watch that every Christmas, like I'm a little kid, like I just love that movie so much.
Joe Funk:Oh yeah, Can't go wrong there. How about you two?
Allison Lobel:For me probably. Hocus Pocus is one of my favorite Halloween movies and, joe, you and I have watched Muppet, christmas Carol that's got to be my favorite Christmas movie of all time. Oh, I love that movie too, yeah For me.
Kelly Grant:I watch like every Christmas movie every year and all the bad ones that come out. But Elf, I think, is Christmas for me.
Joe Funk:I love it. I love it One of my favorites and the tone, just from watching the trailer kind of reminded me of this. I love and we've probably watched this together. Allison I love Krampus kind of reminded me of this. I love and we've probably watched this together, allison I love Krampus. It came out seven or eight years ago, a Christmas horror film with a lot of camp and a lot of humor in it and a lot of practical puppets and things like that. It's like, oh, this just looks right up my alley. Yes.
Diane Foster:I love that comparison. That is perfect, exactly.
Joe Funk:Yeah absolutely. That's a. That's a Christmas staple of mine.
Allison Lobel:Every year I force somebody to sit down and watch Krampus with me because it's so good and this is a tangent, but I was in New Zealand and we went to the Weta workshop where they built all the stuff for Lord of the Rings. They also did Krampus and so we saw some of the practicals for that and I was blown away. I love that movie because of how they used the puppetry and everything. We definitely leaned into that in our film as well.
Joe Funk:It's a lost art form of puppetry and miniatures within filmmaking. In my opinion, here in Atlanta there's a museum here that is like the National Museum of Puppetry, where they have all of the Henson, dark Crystal, sesame Street, everything like that. So if you're ever in Atlanta, come check that out, because it's really cool to see all of these puppets, all of these animatics and things like that.
Diane Foster:So yes, I would definitely go there. That sounds amazing.
Joe Funk:Yeah, check it out.
Diane Foster:I'm totally into that. We used all practical effects in Easter, bloody Easter. We had um Jesse Velez of Raptor house effects who did our demon bunnies. He created the hand um on Wednesday Netflix.
Diane Foster:Oh cool, yeah, which was incredible to have him and and all these you know, demon puppets. And then we had a couple of different, um, wonderful special effects People. Then we had a couple of different wonderful special effects people create the jackalope costume for that character, and again, all of our blood was done in camera. All that stuff. You know, I grew up watching that kind of stuff and it was really important to do it in camera and not, you know, have to rely on it. You know, doing it in post. I think there's something really special about seeing it done when you're doing it in camera as opposed to afterward.
Joe Funk:Yeah, let's talk a little bit about that Because, like we said, it's kind of a lost art form and a lot of the reasons why they move towards digital effects is budgetary reasons. It's because, you know, we can create this amazing, amazing landscape, the CGI landscape on a computer, or we could have these technicians working on all of these miniatures and that could take weeks or months to get that final, final image. So when it came to Easter Bloody Easter how did that factor into the budget and how important was it to bring those practicals to life on screen?
Diane Foster:Yeah, it was really important to do it in camera because I think that the nature of the film is very much quirky and we wanted, you know, we wanted to up the camp value certainly of the film and I think doing it in camera, as opposed to doing it in post, really elevated all of the different kills Definitely. And I think you know, budget wise we were really lucky because we got incredible people to do our special effects who really know what they're doing and wanted to do it, and we talked through every single kill. We talked through, you know, how each thing was going to be laid out, how it was going to happen. And you know, I think, that originally there were some things that Alison wrote that were amazing.
Diane Foster:I think at one point, like the whole town was destroyed and it was, like, you know, steven Spielberg style, and I was just like Alison we can't do it that way. We cannot have the airplane hit Mulver, texas, you know. So we had to kind of dial back some of it and we figured out a way how to do it that would work for our budget but was also really exciting for the audience and that, you know, we were able to really hit. Those things have a high kill count, as they say, which is important, certainly in horror film and and really just bring the magic of practical effects to this film. And we are so grateful to the artists that we have because their talent really shines through on this and it was important for us to do that.
Allison Lobel:When you have a character that's CGI, it's a lot harder to like, latch onto it, and I think it's so much more fun to have a villain that's like real and solid and like the bunnies are actual creatures. So, yeah, I always find it more interesting watching practicals than CGI.
Joe Funk:Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to bring up. You all have an acting background so I'm sure you appreciated having that physical interaction on set versus. You have to go in as the director, diane, and say it'll be here later, we're going to have a monster here later. Kind of use your imagination. It's such a different game to be interacting on set even if it is with a puppet.
Kelly Grant:It was more fun that way, like even the jackalope, like he was a big human, and then in the costume, like it was easy to react to him.
Diane Foster:So I appreciated that, that effect yeah, he was like seven feet tall with the costume on because it's so huge and then it has ears and you know, horns and all of that stuff. And it was really cool because he was Jamie Klein, who played the Jackalope, did all the physicality of the Jackalope, and then Miles Cooper, who voices the role, was there on set and he was reading the dialogue right next to camera as Jamie was doing the physicality, and that really allowed us to interact with him and really play and I think, at the end of the day, that's that's really what it's about. Creativity is about playing and we we were able to do that because, you know, everyone was totally in and was like let's, let's go there. You know, this is a giant jackalope and we are talking to him.
Joe Funk:I love it and you've brought all this nightmare fuel to life. Alison, Thank you so much for making your own personal nightmares, a feature film.
Kelly Grant:You're very welcome.
Joe Funk:I appreciate it, and we're kind of delving into the world of producing. Kelly, I'd like to hear a little bit about. You said this is your first time producing, correct? Yes, how did you find both the balancing act of acting and producing? But how was producing overall for you? How was the experience?
Kelly Grant:Just a huge learning experience for me and, like Diane has done this in the past, so like watching her and like all these moving parts that she had to keep track of, and like we were in production meetings. So usually as an actor, I just have to worry about my, my line, scripts and when I need to be on set. And now it's like, oh, there's so much before shooting, like we had meetings every week and you know the script was changing a lot and locations, so it was a lot of work really. And just going back to Diane, I don't know how she does it because it can be overwhelming. I'm like how do you keep track of all this? So, being a very organized person, I think matters as a producer.
Joe Funk:Yeah, nice person I think matters as a producer. Yeah, and which aspect of producing did you find the most surprising? As far as surprisingly difficult, something like I didn't think about this aspect. What part of the producing made you stop and pause and be like well, now I have new respect for producers everywhere.
Kelly Grant:I think it's everything that can go wrong and you got to be a fixer. Well, I think it's everything that can go wrong and you got to be a fixer. So, because that you can't really prepare for that, you can go in as prepared as possible, but then you also have to have a cool head, and it's never especially watching Diane, it was never. We can't do this. It's how are we going to do it and how are we going to move forward. That was always the mindset, so to me, that was like the biggest learning thing that I got from it.
Joe Funk:I imagine you have to put on a really good face and not show, oh no, how are we going to figure this out? How are we going to puzzle this back together? The rest of the crew has to look at you and be like, no, they got it covered. They understand what's going on. Diane, one more time, all of these titles that you had. List them out for us, please.
Diane Foster:Okay, hi, I'm Diane Foster and I am the director, star producer and production company for Easter Blood Easter. This is my feature film directorial debut. Yes.
Joe Funk:Okay, tell us about that.
Diane Foster:How has the experience been, Honestly, the most amazing thing other than being a mom. Truly, this has been the most amazing experience ever. And when Alison wrote the script, she said to me I want you to direct this. And I was like what? Oh my gosh, really me, and you know, I just have been producing forever and I have done, you know, music videos that I've directed and things like that. And I really appreciated that so much because it gave me the confidence to to move forward and say like, okay, I can do this.
Diane Foster:Somebody who I love and admire so much and in Alison Lobel, who is supremely talented and just an amazing person, um, you know, believes that like I can take her script and like, make this world on film. And, um, I loved every minute of it and I'm like now I'm like a director monster, I'm like I can't stop, I want to do, I want to do every, I want to direct every movie ever because it's so exciting. It really is, and I think that my type of personality lends itself to directing. It really does. It's like I love it. I love working with actors, I love talking to the crew, I love creating a world and, um, it's just, it's something that I've really found in myself. It is, it is a lane for me that I'm I'm really excited to continue doing, and I cannot wait for audiences to see this. I think what Allison wrote, and then you know me being in the director's chair and being able to, you know, bring it to life. It was a really incredible experience and I just want to do more and more.
Joe Funk:I can't wait for you to do that. And, and what was the most difficult thing, between specifically jumping, between acting in the project and directing, how do you, how do you, juggle those two roles?
Diane Foster:Yeah, I think that was the most challenging part, was sort of, you know, going back and forth with that, because you know Jeannie, the role of her, I mean, she's a very dynamic woman and she has a lot going on in this film. So it wasn't just kind of stepping in front of the camera and just reading lines. It was a lot of work to, you know, create this woman and her world and all of that. And I think, you know, honestly, having a wonderful team that I trusted was really important to know that I can be in front of the camera. And you know, we worked for months and months in pre-production and really and truly I say this to anyone who is making a film you must do that work, you must do that foundational work in pre-production, spend as much time as you can before you ever step foot on set, because those relationships that I created in pre-production were vital to me, trusting that I was going to do this scene and I can say, can we move on? And that we've got it Okay, great, we can move on next. And if I didn't have that feeling with all of the team that we made during pre-production, I would not have been able to be comfortable enough to then say, okay, we can move on, and then once I get to the edit room, oh no, like, what do I have? So I knew, going into it, okay, I feel really good about this, my particular portion, I can move on.
Diane Foster:There were definitely scenes where I was like I want to see playback, but on a film like this we don't have a lot of time to do that. So I had to trust. I can't watch every scene. I do, you know, I couldn't watch it back over and over again. So I just needed to myself, first of all, be prepared as an actor and do my due diligence of who I was as this character of Jeannie and then be able to just flip that hat back and forth of like, okay, cool, we got it moving on, and then come behind the camera and watch the actor that I just acted with and then direct them. So it was, it was exciting and, honestly again, I think with my type of personality, it just it works. So I love that, I love the challenge and, um, you know I would do it a million times over again.
Joe Funk:Yeah, I think that the key takeaway from there is the trust that you have in your co-stars and your department heads. Kevin Smith, the director, always says that the best directors are the people that have complete trust in their department heads. They say, ok, you are art department, you're going to bring me the best ideas and I'm going to say yes or no to this. We're going to work me the best ideas and I'm going to say yes or no to this. We're going to work together and move forward. But it's bringing the director some of some of your best ideas and then yes, or knowing those and passing on those if you have to. And I'm sure you've already assembled such a, such a great team from being the head of Wally Bird. So how many of these crew members have you worked with previously?
Diane Foster:Well, interestingly enough, some of the department heads I had worked with on other Wally Bird productions and I knew, ok, these people are going to be really great to to work with again, especially like the hair and makeup team. A couple of the producers were actually people that I had never worked with before in that capacity. I had worked with them, maybe in a different capacity, maybe they had done different roles on a film and I saw, okay, you know, these people are really engaged and they give their all to it and that was a key factor as well, and I think it really came down to, you know, every single person who stepped foot on set. We interviewed prior to them actually stepping foot on set.
Diane Foster:It was really important to bring a certain kind of energy to the set.
Diane Foster:You know we were going to be working long hours and because, you know, I had to wear so many hats and because Allison and Kelly also had to wear so many hats, it was really important that we had a very cohesive team that was like, ok, we're all in, I'm going to pass this football and you're going to catch it and run to, you know, the end of the line there and score a touchdown.
Diane Foster:Like it was important to to do that with people who know more than me and you know, if you can do that, then you're you know you're golden because you know these people are bringing their expertise and their passion for it and I really think that was the thing. At the end of the day, some of the people we knew, some we didn't, but we worked again a lot in pre-production to really, you know, ensure that once we got on set, we were, you know, we were going to be able to take any challenges that came to us head on. And sure, at the end of the day, things are constantly changing on a film set, but we were prepared, going into it and we had those relationships of you know we're working, you know, every single week, getting on Zooms and talking to one another and talking this through. That we had that trust moving forward, going into it conversations, how Wally Bird is.
Joe Funk:I think you describe it as being committed to fostering diversity and equality across the board. Can you talk a little bit about how that was accomplished on this production?
Diane Foster:Yes, that is vital to the mission of Wally Bird Productions. We want to see, both in front and behind the camera, people who are diverse. We want to see a lot of females, both in front and behind the camera, people who are diverse. We want to see a lot of females and we were able to do that on this film. We were actually awarded the reframe stamp from Women in Film, which is a collaboration of the Sundance Institute and IMDB, for having gender parity.
Diane Foster:We were incredibly lucky and grateful to have a 95% female identifying crew and we also have a very large cast.
Diane Foster:We had a lot of females in the cast as well and it was just great to look around and be like, wow, look at all these badass females on set every single day who are just bringing their A game.
Diane Foster:And I just love, love it so much because I think, historically, women a lot of times our stories are written by men and it's just hard to actually go like wait a minute, that doesn't feel right because that's not how we live it, because we actually live in those shoes every single day.
Diane Foster:So I think being able to not only give opportunities to the stories of women, but also to the roles in, especially leadership positions, is so important, vital to my mission at Wally Bird, that we are, you know, moving that needle forward and making sure that women are seen and heard, and we are are hearing their stories and we are giving them the opportunities that they don't normally get. And I just want to keep looking around my sets and seeing incredible, diverse females all the time. We're going to keep doing that at Wally bird and I'm so grateful that we did that on Easter bloody Easter and also that we were, you know, seen for it from the reframe stamp from Women in Film. That's a huge, just a huge accolade to get, especially with all the films that they do give that to, so we're really grateful to have it.
Joe Funk:Congratulations on that. And it is more difficult than anyone could imagine to have all of these departments filled with women, because the breakdown by department is pretty vast Men versus women, like the percentages. I remember when I worked at the Directors Guild we got the breakdown of the directors and those were closer to equal. But then we also got the breakdown from the Cinematographers Union and that was like 95% men, male DPs and 5% women. So it's amazing what you're doing.
Diane Foster:Thank you so much. Yeah, the numbers are actually horrifying. It's like watching a horror movie. It's like wow, and I think you know, year after year, it just you know, it's, you know, we want to have females in this position and we're like going through the weeds trying to find them. Um, because the numbers are so small.
Diane Foster:Um, and Alexa Cha, who is our cinematographer. It was her first feature film. She has now gone on to, uh, work at universal music group and she does all kinds of music videos for huge pop stars. And to see her go from, you know, her feature film debut as a cinematographer to now doing what she's doing, it just it lights me up and I love that.
Diane Foster:And just seeing all the incredible women that we worked with and what they're doing. And you know, it's really about the women who have come before us, who are the trailblazers, who have been able to allow us to be in these positions. And I think, you know, as long as I live, I'm going to continue moving that forward for the women that are behind me and also for the women that have come before me to say thank you for, you know, giving me the opportunity to be in this position. It really means a lot. So, yeah, we have to keep doing it and if you are in a position to be able to hire people, really think about that, that you want to, you want to give women and you want to give people who are diverse an opportunity, because you know they don't normally get to do it.
Joe Funk:Yeah, exactly. And, allison, I want to know how does it feel to see your script transformed from the page into a full production, and were there any moments that were particularly surreal on set?
Allison Lobel:Yeah, it was very cool. I've written many things but I've never had anything produced before, so it was one of the coolest things was just the first day showing up and seeing all these people working together to make something that I'd written like just seeing all the tents get set up and like people in the costumes and makeup and all the art department and everyone who'd read my script and imagined what it would be. And nothing was exactly how I imagined it would be. But it was just even better because there were so many different minds and creative ideas that were forming. That was like grander than I could have ever imagined. And I think the most rewarding was the first day I saw the jackalope on set and just being like, oh my God, this monster is is real, I imagine it and now he's here, like that had to be the coolest thing that's ever happened to me.
Joe Funk:So, yeah, just it was just unreal seeing my script come to life and we we mentioned earlier that with with the script, diane said well, we, you know we can't have what. Was it? A helicopter crash? What happened?
Allison Lobel:I don't know if we specifically had a helicopter crash, but we did have a a big. The whole town got destroyed. We did have a motorcycle jump over a cliff and that had to go.
Joe Funk:Yeah, I want to know how that is going to affect your screenwriting moving forward. Do you still want to shoot for the stars? Are you going to try to be a little bit more pragmatic with your scripts and have that adaption process and figure that out with the budget? Where are you going to fall now as a writer?
Allison Lobel:That's a really good question. I think, yeah, I like in a first draft to just like let my mind go where it wants to go and just feel it and like not worry too much about budget. But having said that, I've actually already written the sequel to Easter, buddy Easter and I would say it's quite a bit cheaper than the first one. Like it's going to be huge and grand and amazing. But I think I do have a more practical mind for what costs a lot of money and I think, subconsciously, I must have thought about that while I was writing this, because I'm like, oh, I actually have thought about that while I was writing this because I'm like, oh, I actually have less locations this time and thank goodness you didn't destroy the town and I didn't have a helicopter building.
Joe Funk:Thank you, You're welcome.
Allison Lobel:Diane, yeah, so I think I still like to go where my mind goes, but I think I have a better idea of what budget I actually have going forward.
Joe Funk:Any other genres that you want to dabble in?
Allison Lobel:I actually am currently writing a kind of enchanted kind of movie. I worked as a party princess for many years, and so I am writing for the first time something that is not horror at all. It's pure comedy, fish out of water kind of film. So that's been fun. I keep wanting to throw in some blood or some murder and I'm like this movie doesn't need blood and murder. It's a different thing, and yeah, so I've been dabbling in that, but I think I'll always write something funny. I think that's just what I like to do.
Joe Funk:Jumping off of that, let's talk a little bit about bringing Kelly on board as a producer, our first time in this role. What was the conversation that happened between the two of you, and why now for producing on your end, kelly?
Kelly Grant:I think the three of us I don't know this again came from the play and then it was just always the three of us. We're always like we're doing this, we're moving this forward, and I wasn't really expecting to be a producer but Diane and Allison have always like kept me there and I was willing to. I was excited to learn Like I never had quite the thought of producing or the opportunity. So I don't know if it was ever a conversation you got. It just kind of happened and I was like OK, let's go. I have a lot of more learning to do and a lot more watching Diane do what she does because, like she said, it does take a personality to do it. But I did like it. I liked being a part of, I like seeing the movie like from the ground up. That was really exciting. So I like being involved, I think that from the very, very beginning and just seeing this come to life, because it's kind of it's amazing, like how a movie ever gets made. Oh yeah, it's a miracle.
Diane Foster:And I will say Kelly is an amazing producer, because Kelly is a great person and she keeps great relationships, and that's really part of being a great producer is, and I think she doesn't realize what an amazing producer she is, as well as an amazing actress and just a beautiful person, period. So I hope that you continue doing it, kelly, because you're absolutely fabulous and, by the way, we have a lot more of these Easter films to make, so you are definitely producing those as well.
Joe Funk:Sounds like you're coming back, kelly, I think so, whether you like, it or not, you're a producer now. Yep, it's in me now let's talk a little bit about the distribution process. For a project like this, distribution is one of the most daunting aspects as a filmmaker. It can stop a lot of creatives from even taking a chance on their projects.
Diane Foster:What was the distribution process like for Easter, bloody Easter for this film and filmmaking and I learned a lot through this process. Yes, I, you know, run Wally Bird Productions but never had, quite you know, the trajectory of doing it, from inception all the way through distribution, and it is a ton of work and it's a sort of like a mystery. You know, you make a movie and a lot of people don't talk about distribution, they really don't go into the ins and outs of it, because there is so much to it. You know we spent, you know we shot for it was almost 20 days, something like that, which is, you know, pretty standard for an indie film and then we spent about a year and a half in post-production and the movie was actually done in 2023.
Diane Foster:It was done last year, but I had hired sales agents to come on board the film, because my idea from the beginning with this film was, you know, I had done a lot of film festivals, certainly with all the other films at Wally Bird Productions, but really this film was like we want to go direct to distribution and we want to be in millions of households all over the world and in order to do that, we wanted to obviously get a sales agent on board right away and I had taken distribution courses and things like that on online platforms. Stage 32 is an amazing one, so I knew that going into it, so hired the sales agent and they were like you know, this movie is wonderful, they loved it and it's going to sell really, really well, but we have to wait until 2024 for it to come out. So it was a whole nother year. The movie was already done, but we were just kind of in a waiting game of making it happen and, of course, everyone was reaching out like when's it coming out? When's it coming out? And I'm like just be patient. And I think that's the other thing is like as a filmmaker, just like you know, stay true to the vision. Don't let people push you around of like it has to come out now, do it when it's supposed to and do it do it right.
Diane Foster:And, um, you know, the amazing thing about this film is that every distributor that we went out to I would say almost every distributor we went out to wanted to put the movie out. Um, and even when I went out to sales agents, it was like I contacted them directly and they all were like we want this movie. And what a thrilling, amazing thing to hear yes, yes, yes, yes, especially in this business, because you normally hear no all the time. So I knew we had something really special, you know, going through that process. So once we had the sales agent, it was really, you know, up to them to then sell to. You know, find a distributor who was going to put us out essentially worldwide. And you know, we're coming out with Gravitas Ventures in America and then we are, we also sold to Latin America, we also sold to the UK, so we will be definitely in those this Easter and then, you know, we're going to be in every territory in the world. It's just a matter of time and getting out to those places.
Diane Foster:So the process is long, you know, and I think the thing that filmmakers need to know about the process of distribution is there's a lot of delivery and a lot of technical aspects to distribution yes, your film, but there's also other things clearance, title reports, captions, subtitles. There's all these things that you don't think about when you are making a movie and then you have to kind of do that on the other side and you're like oh, I realized I need to do this, which also costs money. It is not cheap to go through distribution. So there is a whole process and you have to, you know, be cleared and there's all contracts and all these kinds of things. So it really is very much the business of show. So I think it's important for filmmakers to understand that and I really want to dive deep into that more and and obviously happy to talk to you about it further, but also like just to talk to other filmmakers about the process of distribution, because there really is a lot.
Diane Foster:See it, you know you have your distribution, you get that, you get your distribution partners and then you have to plan a release, and that release is your publicist and the people that are marketing the film with you from the distributor. So there's teams of people that are it's their job to do this. So you're constantly meeting with them and talking to them, and it's about taking the brand of the movie and then putting it out worldwide to audiences, and what does that look like? So distribution is, I would say, sort of like the sixth tier of filmmaking, um, and it really is part of the process and you, you, you have to be willing to go through it and do it, because it does take time, energy and money to do that. So, knowing that, moving forward and going into your film, these are going to be things that you have to do.
Joe Funk:And I imagine you also have to battle some of the stigma of left brain, right brain, artistic versus technical. A lot of people will say I'm just the artist, I don't really want to dive into the business side, but to be successful you got to blend both of those together, correct?
Diane Foster:Absolutely and also really being able to separate you as the creator and especially for me on this film, as the director and sort of what I envision and that creative part, and then also the producer side, which is like, well, you know, this is the way that it has to be or this is the way that you know they're wanting to present it, and sort of melding those two things together and not being emotional about it. You know you really have to remove the emotion when making a film, you know. You know you're creative and there's a lot of emotions that come with that, which is beautiful and wonderful. But as far as this being a business which it is show business, you have to you really have to, you know, have your head on straight of oh, this is, this is what it has to be and this is how we're going to move forward with it. And just being able to separate yourself really is is really important and not take things personally, I think is the biggest thing. And you know we are releasing a film and there's going to be people who love this movie. There's going to be people who absolutely hate it and you know, going into it, going like we made what we wanted to make and we love it.
Diane Foster:I love this movie so much it makes me laugh hysterically when I just even think about some of the scenes, and I'm excited for that and I know that audiences are going to love it. But you always have people in the mix. Not everybody loves everything, and that's okay. I don't love everything. So being able to separate yourself and go, I'm not going to take this personally. It's not for everybody, and that's okay. I don't love everything. So being able to separate yourself and go, I'm not going to take this personally. It's not for everybody, and that's cool. But I know the audience, who this is for and that's who we made this movie for. We made this movie for us and we made that for them as well.
Joe Funk:And when you're talking about having to disconnect yourself from some of some of your emotions when it comes to the artistic product, I'm curious, allison, did you, did you have to do a lot of that with presenting this script and saying, well, this has to be changed, this like I like this, we'll keep this. Was it difficult for you emotionally to see this in the development process, the pre and the production?
Allison Lobel:Definitely. I mean, it's always hard to separate yourself from your art. But yeah, I had a really good team with me giving me notes and oftentimes I'd get some notes and I'd be like I don't know about that. And then I think a couple days and I'm like, oh, they're totally right, I definitely need to change it. So yeah, the script changed so much. In the months leading up to shooting. I was writing all the time and at first it was really.
Allison Lobel:It was hard and I think it made me a much better writer to be able to like disconnect a little bit and just like look at the film practically as opposed to like it. Being my child and I've definitely done that more since writing this film because I've learned not to look at it kind of as I would as an audience member you know the way I'll watch a movie and be like, oh, I wish they'd done this and this and this, and thinking about that with my film I'd be like how would I feel if I were sitting down and watching this? Would I be kind of bored? At this point, it definitely has helped me a lot as an artist to be able to go in things a little more practically, as well as being able to jump in and be on the journey and just be the artist. So like it's good to have both, to be able to look at things in all the different ways.
Joe Funk:And you always hear people say don't go into business with your friends, don't lend money to your friends, don't do creative activities with your friends, because you never know what sort of wedge that that can cause within friendships. For all three of you, how was dealing with being friends and being professionals and artists? How did those all blend together on this project?
Allison Lobel:I mean it was wonderful. Honestly, the pre-production stuff was stressful. Going into it, like I was like I've never done anything like this before, but the minute we were all on set together it was the funnest thing I've ever done in my life. Like everywhere I looked, I was like I love that person, I love that person and everyone is working their asses off and it was one of the best film experiences I've ever had. Being on the set Like it was just an absolute joy.
Kelly Grant:Yeah, I agree with Allison Like every day was just a all. Of August was a blast Like, and it felt like family and any day I get to be with these two I'm like it's a good day. And then we get to act together Like, yes, that's why we're doing this, we just like each other.
Diane Foster:Yeah, I will. I will also say those sentiments as well. I mean I love Alison and Kelly so much as people, but then being able to create with them and, you know, go on this journey of Jeannie Carroll and Mary Lou is just like wow, how could it made our friendship even stronger? I mean, I look at both of them as like my sisters, like I would stop traffic for both of them, I would do anything for either one of them, and I think, working together in that capacity, it really made me realize what incredible people they both are and like, oh wow, I have some really incredible badass women that I'm friends with who are not only talented but like good people, and that just makes you feel good and it makes you like trust yourself, that, like you know, oh, I'm, I've got great people in my life and it really has given, I think, our friendship a level to it that you know I actually don't have with anyone else and it's really, it's really beautiful.
Joe Funk:What I enjoyed was looking through your IMDB for this project and saying, oh, I know that person, I know this person, I know this person, and you're all so good at maintaining good relationships with good people, which is so so important to this process. Let's talk a little bit about the music of this film and how that came to be.
Diane Foster:Yes we had it Go for it, Allison.
Allison Lobel:Okay, well, I'll talk a little bit and you should talk more because you know Mark much better than I do. But I just want to say Mark Vogel created this amazing tapestry of music for this film. He created different themes for our jackalope and for genie and it really helps tell the story and it's very it's got that classic like 80s camp A lot of times. That really is the creature feature music and we have an album coming out with all the songs and, yeah, I am blown away by what Mark did for this film. It really it's what made the film work, because I saw the early cut and I was like this is fantastic. And then I saw it with all the music and I was like, oh my god, this is epic. Mark really did a magical job with this film.
Diane Foster:Yes, absolutely, mark Vogel is a dream. He is like, he's become like my brother through this process. I met him through we have the same publicist and she was like you know, you have to meet him. And we met and it was instant, we were just instant connection. And when Alison had written the script and she had, she had already had some songs and she, she knew that I was a singer and she was like I want Jeannie to sing in this and, um, you know, we're going to have other people singing in it at the Easter Palooza, um, and I was like fantastic.
Diane Foster:And went to Mark and that was very, very early on in the process and I just said you know, do you want to make an Easter film about a giant jackalope killing people? And he was like I am totally in. And we worked tirelessly together to create the sound of this. And Mark is somebody who is so talented, we work so well together. I would just say to him I'm thinking this and he would go oh, yeah, like this, and then do, do, do, do, do on the piano in the studio and I'm like yeah, that's it. And that is how the entire thing came to be. We just went back and forth. He created the Jackalope theme. He literally created a theme for every single character in the film.
Diane Foster:There are seven, over 75 pieces of music in the film, and that is not even including songs. So it is a very musical movie. That's why I say all the time it's very much like a Rocky Horror Picture Show, because people are going to be singing along to this movie as much as they are going to be laughing and screaming at the same time time. So what an amazing process to work with him, somebody who really knows themselves as a musician and can bring a sound which you know film and sound, film and music together and that is the. That is it. And we also had Pekah Thomas, who's the sound designer and, between you know, all three of you know us working together.
Diane Foster:It was just a really magical combination. We have a soundtrack coming out which is incredible, which has you know us working together. It was just a really magical combination. We have a soundtrack coming out which is incredible, which has, you know, there's 10, 10 songs that are on the soundtrack. There's even more songs in the film.
Diane Foster:So we're really, really excited about it because they are very like their Easter classics and we really wanted to make songs that people could sing every single Easter and that is absolutely what you're going to get with this movie. So it's incredible and just the way that he, you know, kind of came up with different things and you know, we we recorded bunnies, like actually eating carrots, and then kind of worked that sound, you know, it was all these like really kooky kind of creative things to create the sound of not only Easter, blood Easter, but Wahlberg, texas and these people who live there and what it. What an amazing experience and and yeah, I'll work with Mark a million times over he really, he really got it. He really got the movie movie, he got the humor, he got the horror element and people are just gonna absolutely love it when they hear it and that that soundtrack will be available on spotify.
Diane Foster:And yes, and it's also on collector, a limited edition collector's vinyl, which is so exciting because the uh record itself is peep yellow colored, so it is a really cool collector's edition. You know we're not making a ton of them, it's limited so you absolutely have to get it while it's hot. We're working with LBC Badger Records, which is a cool Long Beach, you know, record company, and yeah, they're putting out the vinyl and it's really cool.
Joe Funk:You're making all of our nostalgic hearts so happy. You got the vinyl, you got the Blu-ray, you got the DVD. We can have all our physical medium for this one.
Diane Foster:Yes absolutely.
Joe Funk:Let's talk a little bit about and this is again for all three of you what do you hope that audiences take away from watching Easter, bloody Easter.
Allison Lobel:I hope that they have just the time of their lives. I hope that they scream a little bit and laugh a lot and I hope that they just remember these creatures and that they think about them that night when they try to go to sleep and they get a little scared the way I would.
Kelly Grant:Yeah, I just hope everyone just has a blast and laughs and gets the song stuck in their head and I want it to be like a rewatch, like you watch because, like Rocky Horror and you know, like Diane was saying, you want people to dress up and just like, have it be. This thing they watch every Easter.
Diane Foster:Yes, I would also say that I think I want people to take away. I want them to have an amazing time. I want them to laugh, scream and sing along, and I also want them to look at the world that we created and go, wow, I really love that town of Wahlberg, texas. Those are some crazy kooky ass people and look around at it and just go like that's the world that we all live in. And I think that's what's even more exciting is that we have a super diverse cast and everyone is so wonderfully talented in it and I and I hope that audiences go like.
Diane Foster:This is so cool that people that you wouldn't normally see together in this movie are together in this movie and that they enjoy it, they laugh, and that they, they continue, they watch it with their families over and over again. I think that's. The other exciting thing is that it's horror comedy, but it is not um, it is something that, like, you can watch with your grandma, but you can also watch with your like five year old nephew. You know it's like it's really for all ages, and I think that's what's so exciting about it is that we finally have an Easter film that families can watch every single year together as a tradition and go like let's watch Easter, bloody Easter, and have a blast and just laugh together, sing together and, you know, keep doing it for years to come.
Joe Funk:I love it. I feel like we need a film to fill that slot, because we all have the Christmas films, we all have the horror films for Halloween, but there's a few that kind of fall through the cracks. And that's Thanksgiving, even though they they have planes, trays and automobiles is usually what people go to there. But as far as easter goes, I don't really have a film that I would, that I'd be reaching for and and you've talked- now you do, now, I do, now, I do, and you talked a bit about.
Joe Funk:You've mentioned rocky horror a couple of times and how, uh, that's an interactive experience when, when you're watching that film. Was that something you had in mind before shooting or is it like, did you find that in the editing process? Where did that idea come about?
Diane Foster:Yeah, definitely, that was through the editing process. I didn't think of that like going into it, I realized that we had a lot of music as we were going through and I think, through the editing process working with Mark, you know, we already obviously had songs. Alison had written some songs to be in the film but through that process I was like, oh wow, we're like creating a lot of music and watching through the edit and then working in the studio with Mark, it was like this really, this needs this sound and this needs this music. And it just became more and more musical. As sort of we went through it and it was so exciting because I'm like, oh my gosh, that's totally, first of all, my background. I come from musical theater. So as a musical theater nerd, I was like I am so excited about this and I think other people are going to be too, and sort of, as we went through it and the characters are so unique and like each character has its own thing. It's had its own look. It's like own. You know you're you're going to want to be like Eugene at Halloween. You know you're going to want to be Mary Lou. You're going to want to. You know you're going to want to be these characters at Easter, whatever. And I think, as we went through it, I really started to realize, oh, wow, like, this is so much like Rocky Horror and you know the songs are so fantastic and you know you just are singing them.
Diane Foster:And Pekka Thomas, our sound designer, who's so incredible and we were very lucky to get him kept saying to me this movie is an earworm. It is an earworm, it just sticks with you in your ears over and over again. He's like I'm just walking around the grocery store and I just hear carol saying this in my ear. Right, I hear these, these, these. You know the dialogue from the film. So it's just exciting. Because someone like that, who is a you know, many time Emmy award winning sound designer, for him to have an earworm of this movie was like, okay, we've done something really really right. Um, so yeah, I think, um, I think people are going to really get that, uh, when? When they watch it. So it's exciting. We want people to dress up and sing along.
Joe Funk:You know, every Easter, Are you going to bring any of that, that dressing up, that quirkiness to the premiere? Are there any plans for that yet?
Diane Foster:Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, we absolutely are going to. There's going to be many surprises. I don't want to, you know, divulge too much, but there is going to be some very fun people who are going to be on the red carpet with us, who are going to show up in a very exciting way. So I guess you'll just have to be there to see it. But, of course, everyone who is in the virtual world they will. They will get to see it because we will absolutely have a videographer there capturing it all.
Diane Foster:Yes, and someone you might know, joe, might be there, dressed up in a certain way, of course I would assume no less from this, this production at this point and and I'll also say that the, the dress code for our premiere is um easter, best dark easter, or glamour cowboy, or a little of all if the uh listeners are not in the Los Angeles area.
Joe Funk:Now's a great time. Why don't you plug wherever we can follow you on socials and how we can watch it at home?
Diane Foster:OK, I'll start. You can follow me at Diane Foster Official on Instagram, facebook and TikTok. You can follow Wallyberg Productions, which is my production company, at Wallyberg Productions on Instagram, facebook and TikTok. You can follow Wallyberg Productions, which is my production company, at Wallyberg Productions on Instagram and you can also pre-order the film right now on iTunes, apple TV. Please go to the link in my bio on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. You'll get that link right away. It is imperative for independent filmmakers to get lots of pre-orders on their movies, so we appreciate and are so grateful for the support. It helps us get elevated on iTunes and Apple TV so that more and more people will see it. So if you pre-order, what you're doing is giving independent filmmakers an opportunity to have their work seen, and we have over a hundred creatives working on this film that were just passionate and wanting to do it. So I implore all of you to please go and support and pre-order with the link that I am sure that you will put in the notes. So we appreciate it.
Joe Funk:Yeah, and Kelly and Allison, you want to plug some of yours as well.
Kelly Grant:Sure, I'm on Instagram and Facebook at. I am Kelly Grant and if you're into charcuterie, follow Formagin Fair as well, which we'll have some at the premiere, because I just started a little side business.
Joe Funk:That's awesome, that's so cool and Allison.
Allison Lobel:Yeah, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok at Allison Lobel.
Joe Funk:Amazing. I'll again put all of these links in the show notes so everyone can go and please check them out. Well, thank you so much, all three of you, for being here today, for chatting with us about Easter, bloody Easter. This was really informative, and I'm even more excited than I was beforehand to see this. I already got my preorder on iTunes, so I'm even more excited than I was beforehand to see this. I already got my pre-order on iTunes, so I'm ready to go. I'm ready for this and I hope to see some really, really cool pictures from the premiere.
Allison Lobel:Thank you so much, Joe. This has been so fun talking to you from across the country.
Joe Funk:I miss you. I miss you too. I wish I could be there with you guys.
Diane Foster:I wish that too, we wish too. We wish to. You're always so wonderful and can't thank you enough for all your great questions and your amazing energy, and just support in general has been instrumental.
Joe Funk:So thank you, thank you so of course, of course, and you're all welcome back at any time. I'm sure we got the sequel that you might be producing. You have many other projects with Wally Bird. You guys are officially friends of the show. Come back anytime, please. Thank you so much. Thanks, joe.
Allison Lobel:Thank you guys have a good rest of your day.