5 Questions with John Purcell
The absurd “Brunch!,” directed by John Purcell, finds two friends chatting over, you guessed it, brunch. We asked Purcell how the project started, what the biggest challenge was, and what comes next for him…
1. Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
I was born in Ireland and lived there until I was around twenty-six. I moved to New York in 2011 to get a Masters in forensic psychology and ultimately work in that field. Around that time, I started taking improv classes because I was always a huge comedy fan. Improv classes led to regular performing around New York, and I quickly realized that I wanted to be a comedian, not a forensic psychologist.
In 2014, I decided to start making my own videos. I created a web series called Business Work that ended up getting a small following. I made 29 episodes in total and each one was 1-2 minutes long. The whole thing was done on a shoestring budget with a tiny crew but it was very enjoyable because everyone involved was a friend. It was also how I learned to direct and edit. I moved to LA in 2016 and have been slogging away here ever since.
2. What’s the backstory here - what was the initial idea and how did it evolve from there?
Most of the things I make start with me wanting to work with particular actors and then writing a script with them in mind. I had worked with Megan a lot back in New York and she's now LA-based so I was excited to do something with her again. Tobin is someone I've known for a few years but never worked with. He put out a bunch of weird comedy videos last year that I thought were really funny so I wanted to write something for him.
Once I had the actors in mind, I tried to come up with an idea that would be cheap to produce. I kept the script below five pages so we could shoot it all in one day. I set it outside so we wouldn't need to rent lights. And so on. After I came up with the premise of two friends having brunch, I just tried to pack it with as many jokes and fun moments as I could.
3. What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And generally what part of the creative process do you enjoy the best, and the least?
Finding a good location took a bit of time because I had something very particular in mind. I spent hours on Peerspace looking at houses and eventually found this awesome little place in Silver Lake. The owner was very cool and easy to deal with--that made the shoot a lot less stressful.
I think I enjoy writing, directing, and editing equally. I do not love producing and it stresses me out a lot. But I'm a control freak so I will probably continue to produce my own stuff.
4. What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
I recently watched Songs From The Second Floor by Roy Andersson and I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it. The pacing is very slow and there's little in the way of narrative. However, it was the most original comedy I've seen in years. Each time he cuts to a new shot, there is a joke of some kind in the frame. That kind of attention to detail is like candy to me.
5. What’s next for you?
I'm currently writing my next short which I hope to shoot early next year. If all goes to plan, I'll make two shorts in 2020. I'm also writing a feature with my wife. More generally, I did some directing for CollegeHumor last month and that was fun, so hopefully there is more freelance directing in my future.
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Website: http://jpurcell.org
Instagram: @johnpurcell
Twitter: @johnapurcell