How do you balance writing jokes and punch-lines versus timing physical comedy on camera when filming?
CM: There’s no balance per se. Everything is about timing. We’re always adjusting the timing on the page and on the day of shooting and in the editing room until we seem to get it right…and those early test audiences tell us if we need to readjust or not. Half the battle is figuring out the right setup, and then determining if we have too little or too much setup for any given joke. We’ve gone from crickets to huge laughs with the slightest adjustment in timing and setup. It’s nerve-wracking, to be honest. Mania: As a first-time director on a film this size how was production different? CM: Budgets and schedules are tied to the amount and scale of the work you must complete. The truth is that there’s probably never enough time or money. The one thing that I did have to get used to was the physical aspect of the job. It’s a real marathon, and you’re concentrating anywhere from 12 to 17 hours a day, five days a week, week after week. Mania: You did direct before—The Specials—which, coi
