#Dave Theune

[feliznavipod]

Episode 111 - Dave Theune

Dave Theune drops by the show this week!

Subscribe on iTunes.

Mandatory non-iTunes link. 

[boardwalkaudio]

76. Dave Theune & Doing Comedy On Your Own Terms

76. Dave Theune & Doing Comedy On Your Own Terms

We’re back! 2017! Will this be the only podcast I record all year? Who knows! Today on the show, it’s Dave Theune. Los Angeles improvisers may know Dave from the legendary Bangarang, or Sassy Bluff, or Midbest, or his run with Bonafide on Maude Night. And, all the TV watchers may have seen dave on Brooklyn 99, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Michael Bolton’s Big Sexy Valentine’s Day Special, or in 1000…

[rymo]

Everything I directed in 2017

In 2017, I left a full-time editing job to go “all in” on directing. I directed 28-ish things—some small, some bigger than small but still not quite medium. And a lot of it was stuff that I just (probably) wouldn’t have been able to do if I was in a full time job. I grew a lot, learned a lot, and emailed/talked to a lot of strangers (I am a man without fear and will never die).

STATS: Of “jobs” I did, 36% were directing, 43% were editing, 17.4% were cinematography. I did 22.1% of all jobs for no pay. I directed 4 things written by Jessica Ross, 5 things written by John Milhiser, and 8 projects for CollegeHumor. I did sketches, short films, interstitial runner videos for a handful of live sketch shows, a pilot (Ultra Chef), and two web-series (All Access Avery and Weed is Chill) that are both trapped in post-production for a little while longer. I also DP’d probably another 45 minutes of projects, and let’s say I edited a million billion hours of things that I don’t necessarily remember right now.

All these strange children have my DNA in them! I love them.

Simon and Garfunkel and McCormick

The Flirt

Tina Jone-Smith - IN PROGRESS

Weed Is… - IN PROGRESS So I think in january the UCB digital program was broken up, but my team--Gordon--decided to shoot ONE MORE SERIES. Five episodes, Dave Theune is trapped in a web-series (specifically, a bad Broad City rip-off).

My Boyfriend’s Back

LaLaLand Activist

The Follower

CollegeHumor - Car DJ

Dis Raps for Hire

Another Dis Raps for Hire

A very Specific Twin Peaks Sketch

Healthy Dad TV Critic

CollegeHumor - Too Many Weddings

The Load

CollegeHumor - How Being In Public Feels: Men Vs Women

Bombardier Storybook Interstitials

CollegeHumor - Sorry My Car is So Gross

CollegeHumor - Awkward Amount of Time Station

Bombardier Alley’s Cats “Tampon Commercials”

CollegeHumor - A New Way to Buy Bowls

CollegeHumor - Standing Up for Yourself as a Woman, But Not Too Much

CollegeHumor - Now is the Time to Do Something

That’s What NO Feels Like

Ultra Chef - IN PROGRESS (pilot)

4:19 - Caterers

All Access Avery - IN PROGRESS (five episodes)

Bombardier Turk Me Downtown videos

Continuity

DIRECTING GOALS:

1 - CONTINUE WORKING TO ESCAPE THE SCRAPPINESS VORTEX. My hometown/comfort zone is “Ultra No-Budget Filmmaking”. If we have no money and no time, I will still get really great results. I can direct and light and shoot and visualize the edit all while literally sprinting. This is a great skill, I’m proud of it, and it’s FUN to shoot this way, but… “Doing a lot with a little” isn’t the same observable skillset as “doing a lot with a lot”, especially to the people who could theoretically give me money to make something big. I want to be making big things. Bigger things!

I THINK this is gonna look like: me asking people for the resources we need to make the thing we’re making better, doing maybe one or two jobs (instead of all the jobs and exhausting myself), asking for help and hands, and letting other people spend their money (instead of encouraging everyone else to have my no-budget scrappy mindset). It’s also gonna involve me seeking out those bigger projects/jobs, telling people I want them, and pitching myself as capable of them.

But also: I’m still gonna do a lot of little videos. I love them, I need them. They are my food.

2 - DO PERSONAL WORK. I didn’t direct anything that I wrote last year! I have no excuses except fear and not wanting to burden other people. This is embarrassing! It’s very comfortable for me to show up for the work of others and lift them up and support them. (If someone asks for help, I’m all in, instantly, even if I don’t really know them! It’s weird!) It’s very difficult for me to push for my own things, or even just believe I have something worth saying. But I do! So… I’M WORKING ON IT.

3 - KEEP IT SIMPLE. I get very complex pretty quickly, and I sometimes overwhelm people or let myself get too technical. I also sometimes/often exhaust myself before I’ve begun a thing! I want everything to be perfect and this over complication and perfectionism has caused me to miss opportunities. I don’t want to do that anymore!

And then some rapid-fire goals:

Stop sabotaging myself in meetings with people who can give me money, let myself celebrate the successes instead of immediately worrying about the next thing, get better at pitching/marketing myself, invite other people into my life.

And also: keep trusting my guts and my heart and my brain.

Okay. This post is too long, but please trust there are longer versions on my hard drive. Let’s make some tv shows together!! Join me! This city will turn to dust beneath our feet for we are the light and wind itself.

[themikemclendon]

NEW PODS

FANTASY FLIX LEAGUE #30

One commissioner's down, but the League holds strong! Guest commissioner Joan Ford (Gay of Thrones) joins Mike and Mark around the table to talk (what else?!) Thrones! Who dies?? Who flies??? And who cries????? Of course, we see more of Shazam, La Llorona, and rabbits, and why you should go viral if your kid dies!

Plus, Mike refuses to stop saying "cunch those nungies," no matter how much we beg, and the b*****b in Ghostbusters gets some serious filmic analysis!

Also, stay tuned for the first (and maybe only!) edition of I'm Awake/Take A Break!

I’M TOO EFFING HIGH #129

Live from UCB Sunset, Paul Rust (Love), Suzi Barrett (Drunk History), and Dave Theune (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) help us celebrate 420, plus hear a special performance from Luke Null (SNL)

“I’m Too Effing High” is written and produced by James Mastreani, Mike McLendon, Matt Newell, Dhruv Uday Singh, and Andrew Steven.

Special thanks to Shaun Fisher and NextVRi.

For live dates, past episodes, and more, visit: imtooeffinghigh.com

[themanifestoshow]

6 MORE SHOWS

Only 6 more chances to catch The Manifesto Show.... 8pm - Doors Open 8:30pm - Free Show Begins Osito (Scott Thiede, Drew Marquardt, Grace Folsom, Trevor Reece, Keeley Bright, Bryan Rainstein, Austin Highsmith) Youth Group (Ego Nwodim, Patrick McDonald, Jessica Seay Klatt, Peter Banifaz) Vegan Heat (Veronica Gruba, Nicole Villela, Kody Schmidt, Cory Webster) 9:30pm (no intermission) Penguins on the Playground with special guest Dave Theune! (Mark David Christenson, Jen Krueger) Stro Bros (Beth Appel, Paul Welsh, Dan Black, Sarah Claspell, Matt Mayer) E = MC Hammer (Celeste Busa, Kellan Meador, Dairus Hamilton-Smith, Jan Lefrancncois Gijzen, and BJ Emery) We are located at: The Clubhouse [theclubhouseimprov.com] 1607 N Vermont Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027 We are improv for the people so admission is free, but we urge performers and audience alike to throw a few rubles in the donation bucket. There will also be beer and water available with donation!

[ucbcomedy]

Tales from the Set of Divorce Complex!

UCBComedy and Digital Team Gordon are proud to debut Divorce Complex, a short film you can watch here. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, it tells the story of a very divorced man, living in an apartment complex full of divorced people, who learns who he is when no one wants to be his emergency contact. It’s a story of looking for that special someone...or, honestly, anyone.

We asked the amazing artists and comedians from Gordon about some of their favorite memories on set and about all the work that went into production.

Here’s what they had to say!

Emily Maya Mills, Performer (Wendy) & Co-Producer:

We knew the complex was going to be a character in the story and I love that we achieved the claustrophobia and strangeness we were dreaming up in development...I'm all about heartache in comedy so it was really satisfying to run at it so completely - and with so many deeply funny people.

Marie Lively, Producer & Story Development:

One of the apartments that we were using was owned by a very nice, but particular guy. It was clear his bedroom was off limits, and he wasn’t super stoked we were using his kitchen and living room as Basecamp. One day when he was at work, we locked ourselves out of his apartment, so naturally I looked for a way in. We ended up breaking into his bedroom by climbing through the window. We agreed best to keep it to ourselves and not let him know. However, later he says, ‘Was anyone in my bedroom?’ I played dumb and said, ‘No, I don't think so.’ He ask if I could come look at something. There on the bedroom wall was a dirty black handprint under the window and a red sharpie on the ground that had fallen out of my pocket.  We all had a big laugh, and I realized any hopes I had to be a cat burglar were dashed.

Emily Alpren, Co-Producer & Production Designer:

The challenge for Gordon isn’t unique to web series: how can we create a visual world that authentic to the story and characters without spending much more than a dime? However, what’s unique is the spirit and generosity of the team. For art and production design for Divorce Complex, probably 98 percent of art came from the team. We tear down curtains in our homes, ransack our own personal shelves, walls and storage spaces to pull together a cohesive look for Ron and the supporting characters. We were able to find a location (apartment complex) that was filled with members of the UCB community. So this production was really homegrown. Production wise, being able to use multiple - we used three - apartments in the same complex was a dream.

Even though I’m responsible for Production Design and Art, it’s Gordon that makes our shoots possible to look so good. (My apartment, on the other hand, has been stripped of any interesting touches since our first Gordon production.)

Will Hines, Performer (Ron) & Writer:

I enjoyed getting to be sad on purpose for the sake of art.

Carissa Dorson, Director of Photography:

The apartment that we shot in was perfect because a handful of our friends within the UCB community live there. They basically let us take over their apartments for three days, and we are eternally grateful for that!

I’m amazed at the production quality that we achieved on zero budget. The only money that we spent on equipment was to rent some Lomo anamorphic lenses. I was really excited to shoot with them and add a distinct style to the short.

I chose anamorphic lenses because they really served to isolate our main character, Ron, in his world. The depth of field of anamorphic lenses is really special - the out-of-focus area in the background takes on a painterly quality, and it really helps draw the audience's eye to the subject. The Lomo anamorphics also have a significant amount of distortion, which gives a heightened vibe to the shots. It really matches the world of Divorce Complex, which is slightly ‘off.’ Anamorphic lenses automatically make films look more cinematic, and we are the ‘cinematic narrative’ team, after all.

Danny Cohen, Head Writer:

It was important for me to make Will Hines roll his eyes when we were writing. That’s how many of the dumber things made it into the script. And we still have never met each other.

Dave [Theune] said he was a huge pizza fan, even suggesting places to order from. When we finally had pizza for lunch, he quizzically declared ‘what the hell is this?'

Diana Fishman, Editor:

Carissa [Dorson], our Director of Photography, shot on a RED Dragon camera in 4 and 6k, and I edit in Avid. This was the first project for which I have done an offline edit and then an upres myself without an assistant editor so it was a good challenge and learning experience for me.

A fun tidbit that I was nervous about on set, was that we had to cheat a lot of the apartment entrances because the doorways of the actual apartments weren't right for the scene. We would shoot the exterior at a different location than the interior of the scene. Ryan [Moulton], Carissa, Emily [Alpren] and I figured out the framing so that the shots could be cheated and it was very satisfying to have it all work out in the edit.

As for editorial process, I did a first rough-cut and put some temp music in, which I sent to Danny [Cohen], who composed all the music and Ryan, who directed. Then Ryan and I worked together for several days to try different takes, refine the edit and make cuts. Danny fed us new tracks to score with as he created them and we gave him feedback and new videos as we adjusted the edit. The process was smooth, very collaborative and went quite quickly as we wanted to submit to festivals. When Ryan was happy with the director's cut, we sent to the rest of the team for notes and eventually to Nate [Russell] for his input. Everyone was super positive and gave constructive notes which we were able to incorporate.

In Divorce Complex, we found our voice as a team: a quirky melancholic tone that doesn't take itself too seriously, that is funny yet grounded in real human experience.  Once we locked the edit, my husband, who is a re-recording mixer and mixed our last project Pricks, enhanced the sound design and did the audio mix and Carissa with the help of a colorist friend did the color correction.  I'm really proud of how Divorce Complex came out, particularly since it was entirely a labor of love and so many people helped us just because they believed in the project. I hope that lots of people will see it and enjoy it.

Check out Divorce Complex on Vimeo now and have a great Valentines day!

[dco1]

Come watch this new short from Gordon (a video making group I am the head writer and composer for).

A very divorced man, in an apartment complex full of divorced people, learns who he is when no one wants to be his emergency contact.

Ron - Will Hines Wendy - Emily Maya Mills Jason - Joel Spence Tyler - Ben Rodgers Paramedic - Feodor Chin Fred - Jonny Svarzbein Carl - Pedro Lopez Bathrobe Dad - Dave Theune Terri - Diana Fishman Meditation Voice - Marie Lively

Directed by Ryan Moulton Written by Danny Cohen & Will Hines Produced by Marie Lively Director of Photography - Carissa Dorson Art Director - Emily Alpren Editor - Diana Fishman Co-producers - Emily Alpren, Diana Fishman, Will Hines, Emily Maya Mills, Dave Theune Story by Danny Cohen, Will Hines, Marie Lively Original Music by Danny Cohen

Sound Mixers - Anthony Kozlowski, Jacob Harrold Assistant Camera - Nicola Newton Gaffer - Kendall McCrory Art Production - Assistant Tamar Rubin Production Assistants - Nico Bellame, Chris Bouzane, Alejandro Cardona, Kelly Coughlin, Laurie Magers, Morgan Morris, Marcella Riley Re-Recording Mixer - Ryan David Adams

Special Thanks Nate Russel, Julie Gomez, Marla Black, Cody Zieglar, UCBComedy, Gabe Dee, Patrick Baker, Neil Casey, Meredith Knesevitch, Joel Spence, Alice Wetterlund, Nate Fernald, Gary Bisig, Andrew Penczner, Jon Orner, Ron Wong, Will Sampson, Keslow Camera

[feralaudio]

73 – RIP Most Of The Nutty Uncles with Dave Theune and Kyle McGrath

A member of the band the Nutty Uncles comes around to talk about the terrible accident in which he lost his bandmates…which may or may not have been his fault. Featuring Dave Theune and Kyle McGrath

[jacobreed]

I directed this sketch, "Goodnight, I Love You," written by and starring MidBest (Casey Feigh + Dave Theune). It's a fun one, and I'm really proud of how it turned out.

Thanks to DP Clay Larsen as well as the sweet PA stylings of Kyle Kubo, production sound by Neil Kimball, sound mix from Austin Wood, original score from Greg Smith, color by Phil Dennison & Josh Macdonald, and makeup by Veronica Rodarte. Thanks also for Jennie Aguirre (and Ben!) for letting us film at their home, and to Matt Mazany for making this all happen.

Fun fact: I'm linking directly to the sketch I directed, because I'm a narcissist, but watch the rest of their Test Tube episode, which stars a lot of wonderful and funny people and was directed by the very talented Sergio Cilli.

[boardwalkaudio]

46 - Dave Theune & Victoria Longwell in "Sad Songs & Sloppy Joes"

46 – Dave Theune & Victoria Longwell in “Sad Songs & Sloppy Joes”

Dave Theune (Blunt Talk, Fresh Off the Boat) and Victoria Longwell (UCB’s Dicaprio, The Flowers of Fantastico) join the show for our last of four episodes with real life couples! Dave tells a story about a recent romantic getaway to Solvang, Victoria shares a story about a time an ex used her story in a newspaper and the whole gang talks about sad songs. These true stories inspire absolutely made…

[thecomedyhipster]

Alana Johnston, Dave Theune, Aggie Hewitt at Sketch Showdown

[themikemclendon]

SPECTACLE - Comedy Show

See some of the funniest improv comedians at the top of their game create impromptu scenes based off performances by some of the most renowned standups, musicians, storytellers, and more.

With special guests: Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live) Jackie Tohn (GLOW) Colton Dunn (Superstore) Craig Cackowski (Drunk History)

Featuring a rotating cast of:

Lauren Lapkus, Betsy Sodaro, Ally Beardsley, Carl Tart, John Gemberling, Tim Baltz, Jacob Wysocki, Alex Fernie, Laci Mosley, Mano Agapion, Dave Theune, Suzi Barrett, Devin Field, Drew DiFonzo Marks, Nick Mandernach, Ali Ghandour, Ryan Meharry, Toni Charline, Kimia Behpoornia, Mike McLendon, Matt Newell, Laura Chinn, Dhruv Uday Singh, Greg Gallant, and Dan Lippert.

Hosted by: James Mastraieni and Andrew Steven

Plus surprise guests, and more…

[themanifestoshow]

5 More Shows

Only 5 more chances to catch The Manifesto Show....

8pm - Doors Open

8:30pm - Free Show Begins

Chaz Dean (Chuck Maa, Clark Canez, Cassi Jerkins, Robbie Weber, Saagar Shaik, Natalie Benedict, Bozant Katzakian, Rosie Leisure, Brian Bakos)

Literally Anything (Kale Hills, Matt Rath, Julia Meltzer, Haley Hepworth, Talia Tabin, Josh Brekhus)

Plumbum (Wayland McQueen, Katie Plattner, Jeremy Culhane, Gerald Grissette, Erin Raeman, Joe Weber)

9:30pm (no intermission)

Penguins on the Playground with special guest Heather Campbell! (Mark David Christenson, Jen Krueger)

FALCON (Ally Beardsley, Heather Anne Campbell, Scout Durwood, Suzi Barett, Becky Drysdale)

Bangarang! (Toni Charline, Adam McCabe, Ryan Meharry, Jacob Reed, Betsy Sodaro, Ryan Stanger, Dave Theune)

We are located at: The Clubhouse [theclubhouseimprov.com] 1607 N Vermont Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027

We are improv for the people so admission is free, but we urge performers and audience alike to throw a few rubles in the donation bucket. There will also be beer and water available with donation!

https://www.facebook.com/events/206789463140070/

[iloveimproviser]

Dave Theune

[earwolf]

improv4humans Bonus Cut: Bump It

It’s time to get warmed up for this week’s bonus episode of improv4humans! Our guests Lauren Lapkus, Dave Theune, and Eugene Cordero go to work with a scene inspired by a story about a rival town.