JA: Good.
CA: You have an 860 number where are you located?
JA: I am in LA, I have a Connecticut number, I have had it for 13 years but for some reason my mom thinks if I change the number it will be long distance so I keep it.
CA: On Happy Camp you directed it, you wrote it, you starred in it, how did it all come about?
JA: So I have been working with flower films professionally for 12 years and we always knew that we wanted to do something together. My friend Chris Miller is president there. He is a fantastic guy. We started kicking some ideas around. When we started doing this I knew they wanted to get back into genre films and I knew they did Donnie Darko so why not.
All of a sudden I came up with the idea for Happy Camp and I went in and pitched it to Drew(Barrymore) and Chris and Nancy and they loved it. From the get go they were big supporters of the project and I signed on Anne Taylor to help produce it with me and Mike came on board and we put pen to paper and developed it with Flower Films. It was a long process but it was pretty amazing
CA: How long ago did you come up with the concept?
JA: 2010, late 2010 I don’t want to admit it but yeah. You want to make films and we started at the infant stage until now when we are releasing it. I learned a lot more than I expected.
CA: When I saw Flower Films was producing it took me by surprise it’s not something I would associate with Drew Barrymore.
JA: They did do Donnie Darko about fifteen years ago. They have been out of the genre game for a while now and were looking to do something; I said I will take that opportunity.
CA: In what capacity were you working with them before?
JA: I was working with Chris Miller in several capacities, doing different things for the company. He knew I was writing and acting at the time. Kind of an assistant and I was like “do you want to make a film”. I gave them some ideas. They are an amazing company. Drew and Nancy and Chris they are the nicest people
CA: That’s awesome they believed you in rather than saying “that’s great you have an idea, so do a million other people”.
JA: Yeah, I met Chris 12 years ago. I was an Extra on Charlie’s Angels Two. He was kind of like a Mentor it was great.
CA: When writing it out, how much was written out and how much did you guys improvise?
JA: The great thing was we wrote the script together. 85 pages this is what you’re going to shoot. I wanted it to be organic; Mike Anne and Teddy were friends and had good chemistry together. I let them play a little too but they stuck to the script. It was tough since I was in front of the camera as well.
CA: So you wrote the scene where they zoom on your ass while you fix the engine?
JA: Exactly, why wouldn’t you put that in the script? We planned so much. It was 9 days and we were 7 people but they played around a little bit and why wouldn’t you capture that, it’s cinematic beauty.
CA: So everyone knew each other prior to filming?
JA: Annie and Mike had known each other they went to school together and I had met Annie a few months prior and Teddy knew Annie. We had one guy drop out and so we got Teddy. I was a bit of the outsider, but a 14 hour drive together up to Happy Camp will get you to know someone for sure.
CA: How did you come up with the idea of exploring someone’s childhood?
JA: It all starts with characters to me, I wanted it all to be about what’s going in Mikes head and be nostalgic. And be about his brother, his family and emotions. I wanted to make a narrative about Mike and his journey up there.
CA: Were those real locals in the film?
JA: Yeah, The guy “Rattlesnake Frank” is real. That guy is a character he is unbelievable. He lived in the woods for like 20 years. When I went up there I met all these people and they had great stories about Happy Camp. Kyle we call him “Daniel Day Kyle”, The guy can spin a yarn. I thought it would be great they live up there.
CA: I thought they had to be locals. They didn’t seem forced. It brings you into the town.
JA: I said we have to find a way to get these people in. Happy Camp is a very cool place.
CA: What’s next for you?
JA: A few things, I am working on a TV show about a used car lot that is a comedy and two genre films, and a script out called ‘the worst day since yesterday’ that’s a comedy about my experiences during Hell Week.
I think the ones I am really excited about is one called ‘unconscious’ and one about Snuff films.
CA: Snuff films, Nice.
JA: I really like to write, I was acting for ten years. I like to write. I like to direct. I like the guys like Joe Swanberg and Adam Wingard, guys that do it all. We are also about to launch our own production company.
CA: It sounds like you have a full head of steam.
JA: Blue collar, It’s tough but it’s fun.
