Austin Film Festival - Funniest
The Funniest Person in Austin contest has been held for over 30 years to determine the best stand-up comedian in the city. This documentary follows the preparations, worries, and hopes of six comedians all looking to take the crown during the 2015 contest. Funniest is an intimate, behind the scenes look at funny people competing to get the last laugh.
Interview with Director/Producer Dustin Svehlak
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
My co-director Katie Pengra and I are heavily involved in the Austin, Texas standup comedy scene, her being a performer and me taping and producing live shows. We are both intrigued by Cap City Comedy Club’s annual Funniest Person In Austin (FPIA) contest and when we realized the 30th iteration was imminent, we began discussing how to document it properly.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
People enjoy standup comedy but it’s rare that you get this intimate and honest view into that world let alone from a diverse group of individuals. Funniest allows an audience to experience the successes and failures of being a comedian while also managing to be really funny and, as I’ve been told, touching.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We tried very hard to focus on our individual stories rather than the FPIA contest itself. FPIA is basically the framework of our documentary but within that, we follow these six comics as they learn about themselves and each comes out the other side with some sort of revelation. It was important that these themes be relatable- balancing family with your career, balancing your career with your passion, determining when you’ve had enough and need to try something more and so on. Without these themes, Funniest is just another standup comedy doc so it’s really what sets us apart.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
We had a basic outline of the film prior to shooting but of course as with any documentary, you have to follow where the story goes. We focused on 8 comics through the course of a 6 month period. After we had completed principal photography, we decided 2 of the comics we followed had stories similar to others and so we excised them from the film.
After approximately 5 months of post-production, we had a rough cut that was around 105 minutes. After countless rounds of notes from friends and a private test screening, we ended up with an 88 minute picture lock.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Early in the rough cut stage we did receive some feedback that was incredibly helpful and allowed us to better shape the narrative. As I mentioned, we chose to focus more on the stories of our individuals rather than the FPIA contest itself and that is direct feedback we received as a result of our test screening.
All that said, the feedback for our final cut has been overwhelmingly positive and our premiere at last month’s Austin Film Festival was incredible.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Asking for feedback is simultaneously rewarding and defeating. The most challenging piece for me personally was this long shot we used to cold open a sequence of a commuter train approaching the viewer. I’m such a huge fan of pregnant pauses, either for comedic or dramatic effect, but in this instance the audience was ready to get moving. So we literally split the difference and cut the shot in half and to be honest, the film and that shot in particular is better for it.
Insert your favorite idiom (be ready to kill your babies, etc) but it’s always true. Remove your ego from the equation, watch the scene with fresh eyes, and after a few times, you won’t miss seeing that train shot go on for twice as long.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
For a film such as ours where we have almost no budget, any opportunity to showcase is incredibly valuable. I also really value any opportunity to get feedback, even if it’s just a clip from the film someone critiques for us!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this point, our last step is getting the film out there via distribution. We have a few inquiries and are progressing but nothing is concrete as of yet. We’re also on the lookout for more festival opportunities, targeting the Texas region but also comedy genre festivals as well.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The best we can hope for a film like this it to bring more awareness to not only the Austin, Texas comedy scene but to standup comedy in general. Most audiences only see comics on Comedy Central or Netflix and think, “well those guys are untouchable and only play these giant theaters.” In reality, there is a great comedy scene in almost every major metropolitan city in the country and you can see a very entertaining show almost anywhere.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think the big question Funniest poses is how diversity plays a part in success. We’re dealing with the microcosm of standup comedy but does it matter how old you are? Does your gender make a difference? Race? We found an amazing group of comics to follow dealing with a combination of these questions and my hope is that an audience of non-comics can look at these questions and apply them to their daily life as well.
Would you like to add anything else?
Funniest is just an absolute blast to watch with an audience. Although our ultimate goal and the most likely way viewers will see the film is at home, nothing compares to a theater full of laughter. If you have the opportunity to see our film with an audience, do it!
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Katie Pengra and I continue to own and operate our production company, Voltaic Video, along with my wife Jenifer Svehlak. We have several projects in various stages of development, having recently shot a reality TV show pilot as well as producing a live show in partnership with Cap City Comedy Club.
Interview: November 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Funniest
The Funniest Person in Austin contest has been held for over 30 years to determine the best stand-up comedian in the city. This documentary follows the preparations, worries, and hopes of six comedians all looking to take the crown during the 2015 contest. Funniest is an intimate, behind the scenes look at funny people competing to get the last laugh.
Length:
88 minutes
Director:
Dustin Svehlak
Katie Pengra
Producer:
Dustin Svehlak
Katie Pengra
Jenifer Svehlak
Writer:
Katie Pengra
Dustin Svehlak
About the writer, director and producer:
Owning and operating Voltaic Video for over a decade, Dustin Svehlak has had the good fortune of collaborating with the thriving local comedy talent in Austin, TX.
Katie Pengra is an accomplished performer, filmmaker, and photographer. She made a short version of this documentary for her master’s thesis project 2 years ago.
Key cast:
Lashonda Lester
Danny Palumbo
Avery Moore
Norman Wilkerson
Carina Magyar
Montgomery Wayne
Looking for:
distributors
film festival directors
Funders:
Austin Film Society Grant
Small crowdfunding effort through PayPal
Made in association with:
Austin Film Society
Release date:
TDB