“I just did it as a joke,” Philippou tells EW today.
“It turned into this whole big thing!”
“It was just us experimenting with different filmmaking techniques,” Danny says of the RackaRacka videos.
Sophie Wilde in ‘Talk to Me’.Credit: A24
“We were all just practicing a lot of stunts and VFX.
It was a training ground for us as filmmakers.”
Michael recalls how he would volunteer to work on films for the thrill of being on set.
Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou.Michael Buckner/Getty Images
“No one would turn away a free pair of hands,” he says.
“So, I would do all these shoots for free.
One of the producers said, ‘Next film you will be paid.’
Sophie Wilde in ‘Talk to Me’.A24
And that wasThe Babadook.
It was the first time I saw a director really care about what she was making.
Jen cared about every single frame.
She wasn’t just there for a paycheck.
She was there to create art, and I really admired that about her.”
While continuing to work on the RackaRacka videos, Danny developed the script for what would becomeTalk to Me.
“The Youtube stuff was very specific content made for a very specific audience,” he says.
“I didn’t feel like I could be truly creative or personal on that stuff.
WritingTalk to Mewas like a personal, therapeutic [process].”
“That thing, was not even my idea,” he says.
“It was getting made in the background for six months.
I just was the one driving.”
“After I got the audition, I looked up their YouTube content and was like, Okay!
I’m interested to see what this would be like!”
And what was her experience of working with a couple of viral-stars-turned-filmmakers?
“They’re crazy, but in the best way,” she says.
“I’m so in love with the two of them.
They bring this frenetic energy to set, which is really exciting to be a part of.
They care so much about filmmaking and their actors and the environment they’re making on set.
Michael describes the film’s reception at the Utah-based festival as “completely surreal.”
“Braking, things take 10 times longer to slow down,” the filmmaker says.
“We hit nobody!
We hit nobody!”
Talk to Mehits theaters this Friday.
Want more movie news?
