For his latest film release, Tyler Labine has returned to his Canadian roots to co-star with Chace Crawford in Mountain Men, opening in Vancouver at the Vancity Theatre on August 28th.

We spoke with Tyler Labine to get his thoughts on Mountain Men, collaborations with family, the differences between acting in Vancouver vs. Los Angeles, and how online streaming platforms can have a positive impact on film and television development.

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Your newest release, Mountain Men is opening in Vancouver on August 28th. Can you tell us a little bit about the film and what the process was like for you as an actor from the early stages of the film all the way to theatrical release?

The film is essentially a two-hander about semi-estranged brothers who get stranded on a mountain and run into some serious life or death stakes trying to get down. I was always really invested and involved in this project because it is about brothers and the essence of being a brother and it also happens to be written and directed by… my brother. So to help him bring this vision to life was my pleasure as well as my brotherly duty. Gotta rep up.

Your brother is Cameron Labine. You’ve also worked with him in the past on projects like Control Alt Delete. What is the experience like working with your brother on films and what are the advantages of that dynamic?

Cam and I have a certain understanding and a real, effective short hand. So short that sometimes it’s almost non-existent. He can communicate a lot to me through a look and well-placed “hmmmm”.

Same goes for me. Although I am definitely the mouthpiece of the two of us. I’ve never been accused of not having enough to say. I think the depth of our understanding is so deep that we don’t actually understand it. Understood?

You’ve enjoyed a lot of success in film and television. How does your preparation for a role change between television and film roles?

TV is always a much more lengthy process and you and the writers have some time and a bit of a cushion to “learn” your character. Learn the arcs. Learn the story.

I feel like in film, much more prep is needed. You only have a finite amount of resources, time being the most precious of them, to tell this exact story and be this exact character. To go on this specific journey and to do it well. That just takes a bit of a mental shift going between the two. But it really is required in different ways for each.

What’s the most important lesson that you’ve learned in your career?

That everybody’s time is equally valuable. I’m not just talking about actors being late, or directors behind schedule. I’m talking about basic respect for others’ time. Whether that means that those people get to do their jobs to their fullest potential or if it means that everybody gets to go home and see their families for dinner that night. Respect everybody’s time and effort. It takes a village.

You’ve worked a great deal in Vancouver and Los Angeles. What are the advantages of each city in terms of what they offer for film and television productions? 

I have a real soft spot for Vancouver. I love this city. I think the landscape itself is pretty unbeatable. It’s very versatile. The crews and the talent in this town are amazing. The talent period, is amazing here. But there was a ceiling here for how far I could go as an actor. I hope I’m not speaking out of line but personally, I needed to go south to pursue the jobs that I wanted. That sucks. But it’s what a lot of us have to do.

Los Angeles is a great town to shoot in. It’s a well-oiled machine. Let’s just put it that way. No shortage of grease in that town. Plus California is a beautiful state. Gorgeous. No tax credits to help snag productions. A bit cocky in my opinion.

What would be your advice to actors who are thinking about making the move from Vancouver to Los Angeles?

Nothing is written in stone. It’s an easy commute, and you can always leave. I think honestly, if you are an actor here and you don’t ever give yourself the shot at going there and really grabbing the brass ring, you may miss your shot.

Again, no disrespect to people who choose to stay here. I’m saying if you feel it in your guts that LA is the place you wanna be or at least go try on, go! You’ll never regret trying, you’ll always regret not trying.

You’ve enjoyed a lot of comedic roles in your career. What do you think are the three most important elements for making a successful comedy scene?

Rhythm. Rhythm. Rhythm.

If you can’t feel the flow of a scene… If you can’t literally feel the flow of comedy, then the rhythm is off. We’ve all felt it when the rhythm is right. It’s lightning in a bottle. But you can learn to harness that lightning by finding your rhythm. Listen to your fellow actors, listen to their rhythm, their cadence, find their groove. Pretty soon it’s all you’ll hear. It’s like the comedy matrix.

Your series, Deadbeat was created for Hulu. From your standpoint, how can online streaming services like that benefit the entertainment industry?

In so many ways. It opens a flood gate of material that would not have necessarily seen the light of day otherwise. I think more unique and offbeat voices will get heard and find their homes on these platforms. It is also just the way of the future. It is the way we as people want to view things. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyhow. Where there is a void, someone will fill it. Does that mean that inevitably, more horses**t will also be produced? Yes. But there will be so much more to choose from.

What books and authors have been influential in your career so far? 

Stephen King. I mean, pretty much name a book of his and I’m a fan.

Haruki Murakami’s Hard boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. My favourite book of all time. I have read it at least 6 times.

Where can we go to find out more about you and keep up with your projects?

IMDB as always, is a great tool. I’m also very active on Twitter @TyLabine and I have a podcast on WolfPop called Picking Favorites with Zach Levi and myself. You can find that on TheNerdMachine.com and iTunes and EarWolf.

Please keep your eyes peeled. I have lots coming up.

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Our thanks to Tyler Labine for speaking with us!

To see Mountain Men at the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver, please visit VIFF.org for showtimes.

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Recommended Reading

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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Stephen King

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Misery
Stephen King, Adapted by Simon Moore

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The Shawshank
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The Shooting Script
Frank Darabont

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The post The Biz Interview: Tyler Labine appeared first on Biz Books.

Case in point: Cameron Labine, the director of Control Alt Delete.

In case you missed it in theatres or on the festival circuit at VIFF and TIFF, this former Bizzer’s cinematic labour of computer love arrives on DVD this week.

We figured that this was a great time to catch up with Cameron and ask him about how the film came to be and hear his own insights into the directorial process.

For those people who are new to the world of Control Alt Delete, what would you like them to know about the film going in?

I’d like them to know that they are going to see some things they probably haven’t seen before. Like computer sex. Or compulation, as we call it. And that it’s okay to become aroused.

Can you tell us about the casting process for the film and how that came to be?

I wrote the lead role of Lewis with my brother, Tyler Labine, in mind. I also wrote roles for friends Geoff Gustafson, Keith Dallas and Bro Gilbert. The rest of the cast came in to read for our casting director Sue Brouse and myself. Alisen Down was a wonderful surprise as the uptight office manager, Angela. And Sonja Bennett made the role of Jane something special. I got lucky.

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to Independent Filmmaking

As a director, what are the most effective ways to communicate your vistion to actors on the set?

I was an actor for years so I share a vocabulary with them. Although I’m not very technical. I just like to talk it out, like we’re having a beer. Unless they’re making some left-field choice I generally work with what they bring, rather than micro-managing the performances. Once you cast them, you should pretty much know what you’re going to get.

What was the most difficult scene for you to film?

The first scene of the film! We did a slow dolly through Lewis’s apartment and then settled on he and his girlfriend fumbling their way through a 69 position. Laura Bertram and Ty were great sports but it was a tense environment, exasperated by me and the DP trying to do something technically challenging with the camera. Bad idea. But it turned out okay in the end.

After completing the film, you screened it at several film festivals, including Vancouver and Toronto, before securing Canadian distribution with E1 Entertainment. What can you tell us about your journey from the festival circuit to theatrical distribution?

Well, getting in to TIFF creates a nice buzz and we suddenly had the distributors courting us. So we showed it to our first choice, E1, and they
bought the world wide rights before we even screened at the festival. That was a thrill, and a relief. I had a lot of fun travelling around with the
film but the other highlight was receiving the Film Guide Inspiration Award at VIFF, in front of the home town crowd.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Canadian filmmakers right now?

I would say our problems all start with the dismal box-office. Feature film is a tough business in general right now, but when Canadian films are only pulling in 1% of domestic box-office, you know it’s unsustainable. So it’s becoming increasingly hard to put together financing. Even with all the “soft money” (telefilm, tax-credits) available here. Frankly, it’s very discouraging. I’ve been looking to TV as a relatively vibrant alternative.

As a filmmaker, how would you describe your stylistic footprint? How do you try to be different from what’s out there and who’s work are you influenced by?

I’m interested in exploring the darker parts of the human experience in a fun and irreverent way. Control Alt Delete is about some pretty serious
stuff — addiction, pornography, fetishism, anxiety — but it’s always encouraging you too laugh at it. I mean, come on, you think you’re the first
person to want to screw a computer? Well, maybe that’s a bad example. But I feel that if we can laugh at ourselves, our problems become manageable.

I’m influenced by everybody. And I usually think of specific influential films more that artists. But I would say I draw especially on Woody Allen, Hal Hartley, Billy Wilder and The Coen Brothers.

You wrote the screenplay for the film, as well. Where do you get your inspiration from and what comes to you first — the words or images of the story?

In the case of CAD it was the image…of the dude…doing it. But then came the words, and I would say that I generally think in words more than images. For better or worse.

If you could recommend one book about screenwriting or directing, which would it be and why?

Right now, it would be Inside Story by Dara Marks. It’s a brilliant examination of how story, character and theme work together in a screenplay. Overall though, it would have to be Sculpting In Time by Andrei Tarkovsky, the greatest film director of all time. Reading that book is like going to church.

What upcoming projects are you developing that you can share with us?

As I said, television is looking pretty good right now, so I have several projects in development with different production companies and
broadcasters. It’s cool, it pays, and I don’t know about you, but I love TV right now. I just started Nurse Jackie and Breaking Bad and it hurts my brain to choose which episode to watch next. I cant even keep up with all the cool stuff on TV. It’s become a really exciting form over the last
while, ever since The Sopranos and Six Feet Under busted down the door.

The post The Biz Interview: Cameron Labine – Director of “Control Alt Delete” appeared first on Biz Books.