Director/Actor Anderson .Paak, along with his son Soul, discuss their upcoming film "K-Pops" at the Variety Studio at TIFF.
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00:00It was kind of tough sometimes for me to turn off the dad and put on the director.
00:04I just felt like sometimes it was tough for me to separate because I wanted to also be
00:08there for him as a dad, make sure he was comfortable, but also get the best take I
00:12could so that he enjoys it so we can watch something that we can be proud of in the end.
00:16Thank you both for being here.
00:27I want to start with Anderson.
00:29Obviously, you have your music career, you DJ, you also have restaurants.
00:34Why even direct a movie?
00:36I mean, what was the inspiration to enter this world?
00:40Well, it was my son who inspired it.
00:43I was at the house during quarantine, you know, no more touring.
00:48And I got a chance to spend a lot of time with him and my family and got to see what
00:53they were into.
00:54And my house was being taken over by K-pop at the time.
00:57And BTS was just all I ever heard.
01:00And that's when I posed the question.
01:02I know you know about BTS, but what do you know about BET, you know?
01:07And yeah, it all started there.
01:10Then we started doing YouTube skits.
01:13And I got more into the YouTube skits than him.
01:17I started editing them and filming them.
01:19And I started seeing how naturally talented he was and fun.
01:22And we started creating such a bond doing it.
01:24And I forgot about everything else I was doing.
01:26I forgot about shows and everything.
01:28I just wanted to spend more time with him, having fun doing skits.
01:31And I was like, son, I want to write a movie for us.
01:36This could be funny, you know?
01:38And I was thinking, I wanted to direct it because I didn't want anybody else to play
01:45my son but my son.
01:46And I knew I wanted to be there with him and be able to spend time with him and direct
01:50him and also star in it with him.
01:54And the idea, we worked on it, it was maybe over three years ago when it started.
02:00And it took a crazy form.
02:03And now we're at TIFF.
02:04And it's like, it's amazing to be able to cross the finish line and be able to play
02:08it in a huge theater and see the reactions of people.
02:11How much of yourselves are in the characters?
02:15There's a lot.
02:17BJ is the role I play.
02:19And there's a little bit of the early stages of my career with BJ, with me playing in dive
02:27bars and thinking that, you know, that was pretty much as good as it was going to get,
02:33getting the weekends at the bars and getting drink tickets and playing in karaoke bands.
02:39That's how we started.
02:40And I didn't really think about much about the future until I had my first son, until
02:46I started a family.
02:46And it gave me more of a reason to develop more of a work ethic and build more than just
02:51me.
02:52And that's where BJ's story arc kind of goes.
02:55He was really selfish and self-absorbed and thinks that, you know, if he's going to make
03:01it and he doesn't make it, then he becomes a bitter musician.
03:04But in the end, when he finds Tay, he becomes really just into Tay and working with him
03:10and seeing how smart and fast and awesome he is and puts his dreams aside and becomes
03:16really apparent.
03:17And that was pretty much what happened to me when we were doing these skits and like
03:21hanging out more.
03:22What about you, Saul?
03:23And what was your impression of your dad as a director?
03:27Yeah.
03:28Well, at the end of the day, he is my dad.
03:31So it was not really that different.
03:35But when he had his director's hat on, it was pretty easy for me to act.
03:42If it was like someone else, it would have been more difficult, I'd say.
03:46But it was my dad.
03:47So he kind of knew my preferences and my weaknesses and strengths.
03:51So, yeah, I think that's a good part of not only him being my director as a dad, but also
03:59the actor, because in the film, he is my dad.
04:04So that's it is the bond is real.
04:08It's more authentic that way.
04:10So that's what I think.
04:11Yeah.
04:12And Anderson, obviously, it's your first time directing.
04:15What were the things you found most challenging?
04:17And then also specifically to directing your own kid, what did you find challenging about that?
04:22Oh, man.
04:24You know, when you're doing music and doing shows, the amount of people that you work with
04:29is way more condensed.
04:30And I've been working with them for years.
04:33And with movies, there's so many departments and there's so many things that go
04:39beyond just directing actors.
04:41You have to put out so many fires and you have to be able to communicate
04:44your vision very specific and be very clear, because a lot of times you don't have a lot of
04:49time to waste.
04:51And time is money.
04:52And it's you're dealing with bigger budgets and more people.
04:57And you just have to know how to communicate and talk to the actors.
05:00And even though Sol is my son, it was kind of tough sometimes for me to turn off the dad
05:06and put on the director.
05:08I just feel like sometimes it was tough for me to separate because I wanted to also be
05:12there for him as a dad.
05:13Make sure he's comfortable, but also get the best take I could so that he enjoys it, so
05:17we can watch something that we can be proud of in the end.
05:20But luckily, he's such a natural and really good with taking direction.
05:24And he trusted his director, trusted his dad, that it was a smooth process.
05:29And it was one of the most fulfilling, creatively.
05:32Sol, did you always want to be an actor or was it this project that made you think like,
05:36oh, I guess I could do this?
05:38Did I want to be an actor?
05:40No.
05:40I didn't have any passion whatsoever before we filmed.
05:48I didn't really see myself as an actor.
05:50But until like when we started filming, I was like, oh, I have a little potential.
05:56I don't know.
05:57I just like before this film, I didn't really have any thoughts about acting or pursuing
06:05acting at all.
06:07Did you get any advice from any of the co-stars in the movie besides your dad?
06:11Yes.
06:11Shout out to Sarah, my acting teacher.
06:15She helped me a lot.
06:18My acting teacher helped me a lot with improving my acting and stuff and my lines and even
06:25improvising.
06:26So that was great.
06:27Without her, I wouldn't have been.
06:31Anderson, I want to ask, obviously, Bruno Mars is back with a song with Lady Gaga.
06:36Are there any conversations about doing another Silksonic album?
06:40You know, I've been so like engulfed in this movie.
06:43It's been taking over my life.
06:45So the main conversations I'm having, I've been with my editors, I've been with my music
06:51editors and mastering and coloring.
06:53And that's pretty much been my life for the last few years.
06:57And so even when I was working with Bruno, I was always coming back to this working on
07:01the script.
07:02So it's taken over.
07:03And the last time I hung out with Bruno was just recently.
07:06I came out on his show.
07:07And I think that Silksonic always has a place to put out more music.
07:13And we'll always have that group and always have that outlet to do it.
07:17So we'll just see.
07:18Time will tell.
07:19So you're not just going to go four for four and retire with that?
07:25The last thing I wanted to ask you both is being at Toronto Film Festival together and
07:30not only having completed the movie, but showing it in front of an audience and being
07:34around the festival.
07:37How special is that of a moment to share that with each other?
07:40It's huge.
07:41I mean, this whole thing started from YouTube skits and me just wanting to develop a bond
07:46with my son.
07:47My mom said that it's one thing for your kids to love you and to hang out.
07:51But it's another thing for you to have a real bond with them and create memories that last
07:55forever and show by example that you could start something and finish it strong.
08:01I learned so much in the process.
08:03And I learned so much about my son and watched him grow.
08:06And I couldn't be prouder of the project and just being able to have those memories and
08:13somewhat of like a love letter to my young Serski over here.
08:18It's huge.
08:19And then for it to be able to get into TIFF, such a prestigious festival, it's everything.
08:24We just had the premiere yesterday and we haven't really had a screening before this.
08:31And watching it in that big theater with thousands of people laughing.
08:35And it was the feeling was just almost overwhelming.
08:38And I'm just so proud that he was able to trust me and go through with it and finish
08:43and just he shines so, so bright on the screen.
08:46And it's inspired me to continue.
08:49And I'm excited about what the future holds with me and film.
08:54So have you met any fun celebrities while being here?
08:57Fun celebrities.
09:01Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:03So my son, yeah, John Cheadle, Selena Gomez, Selma.
09:11What else?
09:14Yikes.
09:15I think that's pretty much it.
09:16Like for the major ones.
09:17Yeah, it's a pretty good rock.
09:18It was crazy.
09:19Yeah.
09:21Well, thank you so much for being here.
09:22Both of you.
09:23Congratulations on the film.