Director JASON MOORE talks about finding the “perfect pitch” in this exclusive interview discussing his latest film, SHOTGUN WEDDING.
JASON MOORE is one of the most upbeat energetic filmmakers around. He knows his target audience, he knows his strong suits, and he knows how to make a film or a television show starting with cutting his directorial chops on tv hits like “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill” all the way up to directing the smash hit film “Pitch Perfect” and thereafter, the comedy gem “Sisters” starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph. He knows laugh-out-loud funny comedy, teen angst, light drama, and brings it all to the fore with a strong directorial vision, good storytelling and heart. And he does just that and more with SHOTGUN WEDDING.
A delightfully fun romcom romp with cinematic touchstones and influences that put comedy, action, and romance on the map, SHOTGUN WEDDING is directed by Moore with script by Mark Hammer, and stars, among others, Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Coolidge, Lenny Kravitz, Sônia Braga, and Cheech Marin.
“In ‘Shotgun Wedding’, Darcy (Jennifer Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding, just as the couple begin to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage. ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ takes on a whole new meaning in this hilarious, adrenaline-fueled adventure as Darcy and Tom must save their loved ones—if they don’t kill each other first.”
A destination wedding film shot on location in the Dominican Republic, SHOTGUN WEDDING has plenty of comedy and lots of laughs (as well as some sweet “awwww” moments), but also a large cast and plenty of action which presented challenges for Moore in terms of (1) showcasing talent so that it fueled the story and wasn’t just a “comedy cameo”, (2) balancing comedy and action, and (3) overcoming the logistical challenges of the jungle topography while incorporating it into the storyline for both its beauty and the action. Moore successfully masters all.
In this exclusive interview JASON MOORE breaks it all down starting with the script and location scouting, and delving into casting and character growth, the brilliance of scene-stealing Jennifer Coolidge as well as that of Lenny Kravitz, working with cinematographer Peter Deming, the production design of Page Buckner, navigating the “jungle”, showcasing the beauty of the landscape and tropical vistas, shooting action sequences both outdoors in the jungle but also indoors in a small kitchen area, costume considerations with scheduling thanks to multiple sequences with an entire cast in a swimming pool in wedding garb and the need to “dry out” costumes between scenes (not to mention worry about garment degradation from chlorine), continuity of Jennifer Lopez wedding gown action sequencing, working with editor Doc Crotzer and the challenges of editing in not only finding the comedic beats and overall pacing of the film but the layering of visual nuance within those beats, and so much more.
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, Exclusive Interview 01/12/2023
SHOTGUN WEDDING will release globally on Prime Video January 27, 2023
