Daniel Kwan

Daniel Kwan, director/producer known for Everything Everywhere All at Once; Jonathan Wang, producer who led production and industry coalition-building; Ted Tremper, comedy/journalism producer who shaped interviews. They talk about making an accessible AI documentary, centering parenting to humanize the story, balancing hope and risk, representing opposing views, theatrical audience reactions, and organizing the film industry around AI.

Filmmakers Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known for their acclaimed work on 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' delve into the multiverse concept. They explore how the film intertwines personal choices with existential themes, reflecting on how technology influences our decision-making. Lively discussions on the creative process reveal their unique storytelling approach, balancing humor and philosophy. The duo emphasizes the importance of kindness and the role of filmmakers in shaping relatable narratives amid chaos, all while navigating the complexities of modern life.

Topics covered include: The Cheesecake Factory’s experimental tasting kitchen, navigating the technical logistics of the Butt Plug Fight Scene, child stunt doubles, Everything Everywhere as the greatest case for optimism, fantasies of bringing Swiss Army Man 2 to Broadway, Kwan’s mom’s meatballs, overblown headlines, Radcliffe’s karaoke track of choice (“The Real Slim Shady”), the Equus poster in his parents' bathroom, growing up on set of Harry Potter surrounded by legends, hating school but loving learning, hyper-specific personal email addresses, the influence of anime, the history of birds being witnesses in murder trials, and nominal predestination.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a sci-fi comedy independent film that came out in the spring of 2022. It’s a huge hit that made over $100 million at the box office. It’s already been named the best movie of the year by several publications and awards organizations. The movie stars the legendary actress Michelle Yeoh, and was directed by the Daniels, the directing duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The score for the film is by the band Son Lux. In addition to the score, Son Lux also made the original song for the film’s end credits: "This is a Life," featuring two prestigious guest vocalists: Mitski and David Byrne of the Talking Heads. For this episode, I spoke to Ryan Lott from Son Lux, as well as the Daniels. Ryan tells the story of how the song was created, with his bandmates and Mitski and David Byrne and Daniels all adding to it and shaping it. For more, visit songexploder.net/son-lux.

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert share a first name, a passion for filmmaking and now awards for Best Director. But the duo known as Daniels have backgrounds that are as divergent as the multiverse they invented for Everything Everywhere All At Once. They talk to Marc about their distinctions, such as growing up with undiagnosed ADHD versus being an academic overachiever, one being influenced by Rian Johnson's Brick, the other an acolyte of Tim & Eric, and various embarrassing moments of their youth that helped define their work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.