Drinking Buddies
Drinking Buddies
Drinking Buddies
Presents
Drinking Buddies
A film by Joe Swanberg
(90 min., U.S., 2013)
Language: English
Official Selection:
2013 SXSW Film Festival
2013 Seattle International Film Festival
2013 Maryland Film Festival
Distribution Publicity
Bonne Smith
Star PR
1028 Queen Street West Tel: 416-488-4436
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6J 1H6 Fax: 416-488-8438
Tel: 416-516-9775 Fax: 416-516-0651 E-mail: starpr@sympatico.ca
E-mail: info@mongrelmedia.com
www.mongrelmedia.com
2
Q&A WITH DIRECTOR JOE SWANBERG
The inspiration originally came from two places: The first was studio comedies of the
early 1970's, specifically BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE and Elaine May's THE
HEARTBREAK KID, which were both mainstream films (and big hits!) that portrayed
complicated, interesting characters and adult points-of-view. The most important lesson I
took from these films is that they never forgot to be funny, which earned them the space
to also be complex and challenging.
The second inspiration was the craft beer world. Craft beer is the most exciting business
in America right now, if you ask me, and I wanted to get inside a world that I love. I'm a
home brewer and a craft beer advocate, and as the years passed, I realized that nobody
was making a movie about it.
I started talking to a friend of mine, Kate Thomas, who works for Half Acre Brewing in
Chicago. She told me about her job, and about being a woman in a very male dominated
industry. Through her stories, and other conversations with friends who work at
breweries, I started to form the Kate character, who has learned to thrive in her
surroundings. The other main character, Luke, and his girlfriend, Jill, are modeled after
my wife and I at a certain point in our relationship before we were married, when we
were still trying to figure things out.
As with all of my films, once I had the cast in place we started to work on the characters
and the story together. Olivia had great ideas about Kate, and brought a lot of her own
life to it. Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick shared their own relationship experiences
with me so that we could blend them with mine to make Luke and Jill as relatable as
possible. Once we all started talking about these issues, we realized how universal they
are. Everyone struggles to balance relationships and platonic friendships with the
opposite sex. Everyone has doubts and questions about whether they're with the right
person, or whether they could be happier with someone else. We had fun throughout the
shoot talking about these subjects and working our ideas into the film.
I start with a few broad subjects or themes that I'm interested in and I work with my
collaborators to generate specific ideas. This usually happens through phone calls and
emails, in a very casual way, as opposed to writing sessions with a specific goal in mind.
3
As certain ideas start to solidify, I will create an outline to give the film some shape.
These outlines are usually a page or two long with a short paragraph describing my idea
of the scene. I typically go into production with only the outline to work from, and the
writing process continues on set with the actors. As we film a scene, we are writing and
rewriting with each take, and also writing the next day's scenes based on how the current
day is going.
With DRINKING BUDDIES, I needed a way to communicate with the art, wardrobe
and locations departments, so I took my outline and expanded it into something much
closer to a traditional script. It was mostly free of dialogue, but it conveyed in great
detail the scenes in the film, where they took place, what the locations looked like, and
what the actions were. This allowed us to schedule the film and incorporate the entire
infrastructure without sacrificing the freedom for the actors and I to figure certain things
out in the moment.
The first take of any scene I do is usually the "writing" take. Occasionally we get exactly
what I'm hoping for and we only do something once, but typically we use the first take to
shape the scene, keeping certain things and making adjustments to other things. The
dialogue is always improvised, and there are variations from take to take, but we're
working toward a unified version of the scene that feels right. Once we have something
we like, we go from there.
With this film, for the first time, you worked using a more traditional production
infrastructure – how did this affect the way you made the film and why did you do this?
I wanted to tell a story about these characters, and the craft beer world, and the film
naturally evolved into being the size it is. There wasn't a concerted effort to make
something "BIGGER." We just looked at the locations we needed, the kind of crew we
needed, and I pursued the actors I wanted to work with, and everything else fell into place
accordingly. The size of the film is exactly what it needed to be to tell the story in the
way I wanted to tell it.
Despite the much larger crew, we still had to be able to break down and be flexible when
necessary. Our main location in the film is a brewery and they were busy making beer
every day that we were there. We had to be sure that we were never in their way. The
4
brewers were suspicious of us at first, and seemed a bit territorial, but the head brewer,
Jim Cibak, took Jake under his wing and taught all of us a lot about making beer. All of
the employees at the brewery have cameos in the film and many times I would see them
sitting at the monitor watching takes or talking to the actors and crew about filmmaking.
It felt like a cultural exchange in the best way!
One thing I loved about my smaller productions, that I was fearful of losing, was the
sense of fun and the spirit of togetherness. So at the first production meeting I gave a
speech and declared a Fun Mandate for the film. I was sure to point out that "fun" did not
mean "easy." We were all going to be working very hard, make no mistake, but that
didn't mean we couldn't have fun while doing it. I strongly believe that a fun film set
produces better work from all involved and ultimately a better film. Thankfully there
was a great team working on the film and it was the most enjoyable filmmaking
experience I've had.
Working with actors remains the most inspiring part of the filmmaking process for me,
and DRINKING BUDDIES allowed me to devote most of my energy to this. I was
lucky to have a few days with Olivia and Jake before we started shooting, and I used this
time to familiarize them with the Chicago craft beer world. We brewed beer together in
my basement, so they could see how it's made, and then we took a trip to the Three
Floyd's brewery, where my friend Andrew Mason, who brews there, showed them
around. I knew I wasn't going to turn either of them into beer experts in 2 days, but I
wanted them to soak up the atmosphere and get a sense of the people who work in a
brewery. During this beer boot camp, we were also discussing the characters and the
story and finding ways to plug Olivia and Jake's experiences into the story.
We scheduled the film in such a way that Olivia and Jake would have a week of shooting
together before Anna and Ron got to town. I wanted to give them space to play and
figure some things out before we got into the meat of the story. We worked quickly the
first few days, doing small, playful scenes, and then moved toward more dramatic
moments. They quickly found a rhythm with each other and started to add to the story
and the characters with each scene.
When Anna and Ron arrived, we had to work on the fly, building the relationships and
the character dynamics while we were shooting. This is how I'm used to working, so I
felt right at home. Everything was made easier by the fact that these actors are incredibly
good at what they do, and things like continuity are second nature to them. So despite the
improvisation, and looseness of the dialogue, the actors could always hit their marks and
keep certain actions consistent in a way that made editing very easy.
In the middle of the shoot we spent 3 days filming at a beachfront cabin in Michigan, and
this was the perfect way to decompress while also getting work done. After we would
wrap for the day, the cast and crew would go swimming and build bonfires on the beach.
It was during this period that I got to know the actors the best, and we moved into the
5
second half of the shoot with a great level of trust and camaraderie between everyone
working on the film.
CAST Q&A
Why did you want to work with Joe Swanberg and how did you like making the
film?
Olivia Wilde
I wanted to work with Joe after seeing HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS and hearing
fantastic things about him as a collaborator. I wanted to experiment with his unusual
process of making a film (improvising the entire script) and dive into the unknown with
only an open mind. I loved my first few conversations with Joe about the characters and
we really just seemed to get along and jive immediately. His idea for the story was
immediately intriguing.
I loved making this film. I felt inspired on an entirely new level. We were set free and
dared to be honest. Joe is brilliant, because he allows the actors to feel safe while letting
go of their typical process, and he is a master editor.
Jake Johnson
I wanted to work with Joe because Joe is all about freedom. He told me when pitching the
idea to me that whatever I was feeling each day would be what my character was feeling.
He wants his movies to be a true collaboration. I found him to be true to his word and a
true honor to work with him.
Anna Kendrick
I was excited about the idea of working with Joe because of this gorgeous honesty in his
films and was equally excited by our brief and awkward first meeting over Skype where
even then I got my first glimpse of his intelligence and confidence; I knew that he was
someone whose instincts I could trust completely.
Signing onto the film was terrifying and I was sure I was going to end up the weakest link
but the environment when I arrived was so relaxed and supportive. It was a really freeing
experience. Everyone in the cast was so talented and open and on top of that you always
had Joe as your safety net. You felt like you could be really brave.
6
Ron Livingston
I love Joe's confidence in his storytelling. He really works without a net, and invites you
to work that way, too, and it's exhilarating. You get the feeling from him that he can
make a movie out of whatever you give him, which allows you the freedom to give him
whatever you want. Say what you want, do what you want, change it up every take
(which is maybe two) -- it's a hell of a way to make a movie. What's unfathomable to me
is that it seems to work. Which means that those of us taking years and spending millions
of dollars to make movies have a lot of explaining to do.
7
ABOUT THE CAST
Wilde was most recently seen in Warner Bros.’ upcoming staple comedy THE
INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE in which she stars as the female lead opposite
Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey. Released on March 8, 2013, the film tells
the story of a once-successful and legendary Las Vegas magic duo who reunite to face off
against a hotshot up-and-coming "street" magician. Following later in September, on the
dramatic front, she will star as Suzy Miller in Ron Howard’s RUSH, a Formula One
drama about the rivalry between drivers Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) and James Hunt
(Chris Hemsworth).
Wilde is a board member of Artists For Peace and Justice and sits on the foundation
board of the ACLU of Southern California.
Jake Johnson currently stars with Zooey Deschanel in Fox’s hit new series “New Girl”
and recently co-starred alongside Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in 21 JUMP STREET
and starred opposite Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass in Colin Trevorrow‘s film SAFETY
NOT GUARANTEED, which premiered to rave reviews at last year’s Sundance Film
Festival and South by Southwest, and released theatrically in June 2012. He just
wrapped two films back-to-back: Joe Swanberg’s independent film DRINKING
8
BUDDIES, in which Jake stars alongside Olivia Wilde and Anna Kendrick, as well as
Jenee LaMarque’s indie THE PRETTY ONE, starring alongside Zoe Kazan.
Jake was born in Chicago and graduated from Tisch School of the Arts at New York
University. He has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as both an actor and
writer. As an actor, he has worked with David Mamet, Larry David, Bob Odenkirk, John
Landis, Ivan Reitman, Nick Stoller, and Adam McKay. In 2009, Jake starred in PAPER
HEART with Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera directed by Nick Jasenovic. The film was
nominated for the Grand Jury Prize that year at the Sundance Film Festival. He recently
starred opposite Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman in Paramount’s NO STRINGS
ATTACHED directed by Ivan Reitman, as well as the independent film CEREMONY,
opposite Uma Thurman and Michael Angarano.
Anna Kendrick has a slew of new projects lined up that showcase her impressive range as
an actress. Recently, she voiced a character in the creepily entertaining Focus animated
feature PARANORMAN; which was just nominated for an Oscar. She also starred In
David Ayer’s intense crime drama END OF WATCH opposite Jake Gyllenhaal.
Kendrick was the lead in Universal’s hit summer comedy/musical PITCH PERFECT.
Kendrick recently wrapped filming Dylan Kidd's comedy GET A JOB with Bryan
Cranston, as well as the Robert Redford drama THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, and the
comedy, DRINKING BUDDIES opposite Olivia Wilde and Ron Livingston.
Last year Kendrick starred in Summit Entertainment’s dramatic comedy 50/50 with Seth
Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film received rave reviews from fans and critics
alike as well as several prestigious award nominations.
2013 is proving to be a busy year thus far for Ron Livingston. In January, Lynn Shelton’s
TOUCHY FEELY in which he co-stars with Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney and
Ellen Page premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, his film
DRINKING BUDDIES had its World Premiere at SXSW in March. Joe Swanberg directs
Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick and Jake Johnson in the film. Ron recently filmed
PARKLAND in Austin alongside a stellar cast, which includes Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob
Thornton and Marcia Gay Harden. Later this year, Ron returns to HBO as a new series
regular on “Boardwalk Empire”.
9
This summer, Livingston stars in New Line’s supernatural thriller, THE CONJURING
along with Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga and Lili Taylor. Based on the real life story of
the Perron family and their horrifying experiences while living in a haunted Rhode Island
farmhouse in the 1970’s. James Wan directs the film.
Livingston may be best known as the star of the cult hit OFFICE SPACE. Directed by
Mike Judge and starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, the film has gone on to become one
of the industry’s best-selling film/DVD rentals of all time. In the film, he played a
disgruntled young office worker caught up in the corporate rat race.
Raised in Iowa, Livingston graduated from Marion High School and attended Yale
University. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
10
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
11
PAUL M. BERNON and SAM SLATER, Producers
BURN LATER Productions was founded in 2012 by Paul Bernon and Sam Slater to
produce and finance films, television, and web content. The company and its principals
have produced films such as “Pasadena”, which stars Cheryl Hines and Peter
Bogdanovich and is slated for release in 2013, “An Oversimplification of Her Beauty”,
Official Selection; Sundance 2012, Rotterdam 2012; co-produced with Shawn “Jay-Z”
Carter, acquired by the Cinema Guild and slated for release in early 2013, “Teacher of
the Year”, Official Selection; Tribeca Film Festival 2012, Funny Or Die Selection 2012,
and the Sundance institute sponsored documentary “Best Kept Secret”, which deals with
adults with autism aging out of the Newark school system. BURN LATER is currently in
development on five films, a television series, and are actively looking to produce and
finance additional content.
12
SUNLIGHT JR. with Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon, REVENGE FOR JOLLY with
Kristen Wiig, Elijah Wood, Ryan Phillippe and Oscar Isaacs and Braden King's HERE
with Ben Foster and Lubna Azabal . She is also thrilled to have styled Bon Jovi's latest
videos for director Fisher Stevens.
Other favorite projects as a Production and Costume Designer include: recreating Abu
Grhaib and Guantanamo prison cells for Alex Gibney's Academy Award winning
documentary Taxi to the Dark Side, period recreation design for the Oprah's MASTER
CLASS with Radical Media and HISTORY CHANNEL documentaries about Jesus,
Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln with director Trey Nelson and last but not least,
Willie Nelson's music video for You Don't Know Me with Danny Clinch.
13
CREDITS
Burn Later Presents
Olivia Wilde
Jake Johnson
Anna Kendrick
Ron Livingston
Casting by
Mark Bennett
Costume Designer
Amanda Ford
Production Designer
Brandon Tonner-Connolly
Music Supervisor
Chris Swanson
Director of Photography
Ben Richardson
Co-Producers
Alex Witherill
Chris Modoono
Executive Producer
Mike Witherill
14
Executive Producers
Ashley Bernon
Jessica Klapman
Executive Producers
David Kaplan
Anish Savjani
Olivia Wilde
Produced By
Paul Bernon
Sam Slater
Produced by
Andrea Roa
Joe Swanberg
Alicia Van Couvering
END SCROLL
CAST
Kate Olivia Wilde
15
CREW
16
Sara Sochnuk
Production Manager Margaret J. Orlando
Production Supervisor Jacqueline "JJ" Ingram
Production Coordinator Rebecca Pyles
Production Accountant Drew Durepos
Accounting Clerk Mark Barth
Beer Consultant
Kate Thomas
Andrew Mason
Jim Cibak
POST PRODUCTION
17
Re-Recording Engineer Drew Weir
Audio Editor Nick Biscardi
Audio Post Supervision Risé Sanders
Additional ADR Monkeyland Audio
Gigantic
Title Design Carl Williamson
Title Animation Spencer Morin
Payroll Team Payroll Services
Auditor Susan Goetz, C.P.A.
Script Clearance Indieclear
Carol Compton
Music Supervisor Chris Swanson
Music Supervision Counsel Grant Manship
Music Supervision Legal Assistant Kathy Cook
Legal Counsel
André Des Rochers Esq.
Anita Surendran Esq.
Gray Krauss Des Rochers LLP
Production Insurance
Film Emporium
Csilla K. Criner
Director Wishes to
Thank
Special Thanks
Alyssa Bricklin Gully Nassiri
Garrett Brown Mike Nichols
Camping World RV Rentals Marie Nguyen
Chicago Film Office Janet Pierson
18
Phil Dembinski Todd Rubenstein
Jill Donenfeld Krista Sahakian
Jay Gassner Ellen Shire
Jason Heyman Cynthia Schwartz
Illinois Film Office Mick Sullivan
Adam Kersh Kevin Volchokk
Carrie Holt de Lama Jason Weinberg
Jen Lame Susan Wrubel
Rich Moskal Jo Yao
Emily Lu Warren Zavala
MUSIC CREDITS
19
Lady Luck
Written by Richard Swift
Performed by Richard Swift
Published by dancecontestwinner (ASCAP).
Courtesy of Secretly Canadian
In Decay
Composed by Daniel Lee
Lyrics by Daniel Lee and April Aliermo
Performed by Phèdre
Published by Daps Records
Courtesy of Daps Records
Cayucos
Written by Zach Yudin
Performed by Cayucas
Published by cayucacayucacayucas (BMI). Administered by The Royalty
Network, Inc.
Courtesy of Secretly Canadian
How Do I Know
Written by Luke Temple, Michael Bloch, Jennifer Turner, Peter Hale,
Kristina Lieberson (ASCAP)
Performed by Here We Go Magic
Published by Polar Patrol Publishing administered by Kobalt Music.
Courtesy of Secretly Canadian Records
Dragon
Written by Christoffer Gunrup
Performed by The Amazing
Published by Sony/ATV Tunes (ASCAP)
20
Courtesy of Subliminal Sounds / Fashionpolice
Cotton Strands
Written by Jack Sharp & Joe Hollick
Performed by Wolf People
Published by Wolf People (PRS). Administered by Sentric Music.
Courtesy of Jagjaguwar
San Francisco
Written by Jonathan Rado & Sam France
Performed by Foxygen
Published by Breakfast Horse Music (ASCAP). Administered by Secretly
Canadian Publishing.
Courtesy of Jagjaguwar
Borrowed Time
Written by Winston James Yellen
Performed by Night Beds
Published by Lost Springs Publishing (BMI). Administered by Secretly
Canadian Publishing.
Courtesy of Dead Oceans
In The Darkness
Written by Jonathan Rado & Sam France
Performed by Foxygen
Published by Breakfast Horse Music (ASCAP). Administered by Secretly
Canadian Publishing.
Courtesy of Jagjaguwar
Tonight
Written by Sibylle Baier
Performed by Sibylle Baier
21
Published by Soultube Music
Courtesy of Orange Twin Records
22