An interesting and fun conversation with the dynamic and thoughtful writer/director QUINN SHEPHARD talking about her latest film, NOT OKAY.
QUINN SHEPHARD is truly a dynamic and exciting storyteller. She is unapologetic in the stories she tells and pushes the envelope using all the tools in the cinematic toolbox to bring a film to life. We saw that with her freshman feature directorial, Blame, and now we see -and hear – Quinn’s voice even more strongly with NOT OKAY. Starring Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien, and Mia Isaac, along with an exceedingly strong supporting cast, NOT OKAY is a film for our times.
SYNOPSIS: “Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), an aimless aspiring writer with no friends, no romantic prospects and — worst of all — no followers, fakes an Instagram-friendly trip to Paris in the hopes of boosting her social media clout. When a terrifying incident strikes the City of Lights, Danni unwittingly falls into a lie bigger than she ever imagined. She “returns” a hero, scooping up the man of her dreams Colin (Dylan O’Brien), and even striking up an unlikely friendship with Rowan (Mia Isaac), a real trauma survivor dedicated to societal change. As an influencer and advocate, Danni finally has the life and audience she always wanted. But it’s only a matter of time before the facade cracks, and she learns the hard way that the Internet loves a takedown.”
With NOT OKAY, Quinn holds a mirror up to our collective selves using biting satire, and powerhouse performances courtesy of Zoey Deutch and Mia Isaac, to lay bare social commentary on the internet and social media influencers, to show us how we have devolved in our humanity and sensibilities and how “we” are to blame for the power influencers and social media platforms hold, the price of “fame”, and the toll that has taken on society and individuals with “influencers” having more weight and merit than the actual news events and genuine advocacy happening in the world around us.
Ripe with visual metaphor that expands upon the solidly written script, Quinn’s collaboration with her cinematographer Robby Baumgartner and their stunning visual grammar drives the film, capturing the minutest details brought to life through Jason Singleton’s production design and Katy Porter’s set dress, not to mention impeccable costume design by Sarah Laux along with hair and make-up. With every frame of the film, we feel an intense immersion into the world of influencers and influencing, but punctuated with an overriding, and freeing, eye-opening by the film’s third act.
In this exclusive interview, QUINN SHEPHARD bares all, digging into the nuts and bolts of crafting the story of NOT OKAY, casting and character development, collaboration with her department heads – Robby Baumgartner, Jason Singleton, Katy Porter, Sarah Laux and others, research into the world of influencers and the various social media platforms, and so much more.
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 07/27/2022
NOT OKAY is available only on Hulu.
@notokaymovie / @notokayfilm
