With The FP out in select theaters this weekend, it only seems fitting that I now post my interview with the co-writer, co-director and star of the film, Jason Trost (JTRO). During our little chat, Jason shed light on not one, but two sequels to the film in addition to the backstory of the amazing boots he and his brother donned and what it was like to work with his very talented family.
Alex: First off I just wanted to say me and my co-cofounder loved the film.
Jason Trost: Oh thanks a lot
Alex: How did you guys come up with the idea for The FP and how long did it take to finalize the script?
Jason: Oh god, the idea came about, I’d have to say, eight years ago now when basically my buddy and I used to play Dance Dance Revolution. At the time I think we were like 16 years old in high school, and we were like this game is so ridiculous, but at the same time we were also playing video games like Def Jam and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, and all these super thug games. But we also, because we were boys at that age, hated the OC so we made this weird mirage of those kind of thug things with that kind of weirdo sea mentality and we made these shorts in high school. And then my brother ended up seeing them and he was like wow, stop any other shorts that you’re making and make a feature script of this, pursue that one, and I’m like “really, this one? this weird dance dance thing?” And then I basically ended up making a short a few years later, like an actual real one because I wrote the feature length script and just took the first 10 minutes of the actual feature script and I made the short [from it] and then that somehow led to the movie getting funded and that lead us to where we are now. It’s a long 8 years, sarcastic joke. That I’m surprised anybody wants to see.
[laughs]
Alex: oh man that’s crazy
Alex: So your whole family was involved in the production of the FP, was this the first time that’s happened and can you describe the experience of working with everybody?
Jason: Yeah, it’s definitely the first thing we all worked together on. It was super awesome, there’s the ups and downs of family stuff but I think having our family work on it, we all have different creative skills, which is awesome, and I have no idea how it even worked out, we all kind of became the fantastic four. We all have strengths in different areas but it helped because we had no money on this thing and the way we had to push each other, I don’t think we could have gotten away with pushing other people who weren’t getting paid in the movie. Sso we absolutely could not have done it without each other for sure.
Alex: Do you plan on developing more films that have this complete family effort in the future?
Jason: Oh yeah, definitely, and at the very least we’ll do an FP 2 and 3.
Alex: Oh sweet.
That will definitely happen, whether the world wants it or not they’re getting them. We definitely have more things in the works that are coming for sure.
Alex: Now to focus on the film itself, where did you find those boots because they’re awesome?
Jason: It’s actually funny, they are the only thing that’s made it from the original shorts all the way to the movie because my dad, being the packrat he is because he’s a special effects coordinator and that’s just kind of what they do, he knew this other packrat that he met at breakfast up in Frazier Park and they made this under the table deal for like 20 bucks and my dad got two pairs of those and I always thought they were so ridiculous and I’m like “dad, why do you need these things? Why do you need these deep snow arctic expedition boot?s” and he’s like “oh you never know when the post apocalypse comes” and I’m like “alright, can I use them for my movie?” So those boots are kind of the genesis of The FP. They mean a lot to me.
[laughs]
Alex: They’re amazing, my buddy wants a pair so badly.
Jason: I don’t even know where to tell you to find them, we just got them from an under table deal from some crazy person. So who knows, if you have $20 and a lot of time on your hands then you never know.
Alex: How did you come up with the names for the characters?
Jason: It’s a lot easier than you might think. Obviously JTRO is just myself, BTRO is my brother. You know, Brandon Trost, Jason Trost. KCDC was based off of my friend who originally played it in the high school short, she was Kyle and he liked ACDC so we called him KCDC. L Dubba E is just my buddy Lee, so L double E in Lee. I mean all the characters are pretty much based on that in some way or another except BLT and some of the other ones but, and you know, sugga nigga, I just thought that was funny [laughs]. Most of them are based on actual people’s names in some way or form.
Alex: Why did you decide that a white, redneck Mr. T would be the ideal villain?
Jason: Actually you know, I thought it was really funny and it made no sense. He’s just based on a [inaudible audio-sorry] cause there’s a bunch of redneck, or not even redneck, but just like hick kids for whatever reason think they’re street. They’ve watched Bad Boys and they watched 8 Mile and they think they know what the street is and they’re hard, so they kind of just act like that and it’s the most ridiculous thing in the world because you’re like you live in Frazier park, there is no such thing as the street up here. It was so bizarre to me, that whole world and I’ve talked to so many other people from small towns and they know that same guy and everybody has that group of kids in their town. Why are you guys talking like wiggers and talking about disrespect, you have no idea what you’re talking about. I guess it’s just such an elaborate joke on my generation as a whole, is that guy.
[laughs]
Alex: Oh, I understand it completely.
Alex: In the beginning, how did BTRO actually die? What killed him? Because L Dubba E had a similar fate but he didn’t die and I know he didn’t compete in Omega Gansta mode.
Jason: Quite simply, BTRO wasn’t expecting the unexpected. He got 187’d, the game was too much for him.
Alex: Alright, that works. Simple enough.
Alex: So what happened to JTRO’s eye?
Jason: Ah, you know, shit’s tough in the FP. Perhaps we’ll cover that in the sequel. That’s the long and short answer.
Alex: Alright, I can deal with that. As long as they explain it in The FP 2, I want to know.
Jason: Actually, F2P to be precise.
Alex: Ohh, F2P, I like it.
Alex: Who came up with the idea to have the ending scene be the way it was as opposed to the usual kiss? ‘Cause I thought it was brilliant.
Jason: Oddly enough, I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me, but I’ve had that scene ending script since I was 15 and I finally got to squeeze it into the movie just because I thought it was the funniest thing ever. Because everyone is always just the kiss, nobody goes the extra mile and so it makes so much sense in the FP where they don’t do things like everybody else up there.
Alex: I mean that’s how they should all end. Really, when a guy is saving the girl he should get a little more than the kiss.
Jason: Yeah, I feel like in real life that’s what would happen. You know, I remember when we showed the movie to Neveldine and Taylor, who did the Crank movies, and it was around the time I think they saw it when they were doing Crank 2 and Stathem’s like on fire and flipping off the camera and they were really pumped on their ending and then they saw our ending and their like “you fucking assholes, you win.”
[laughs]
Alex: That is great.
Alex: So besides, the two FP films, what other projects are you working on and will they be co-directed with your brother?
Jason: Umm yeah, there is something else my brother and I will be co-directing this summer I believe, and I’ll probably be making a secret one off movie by myself because Brandon is off shooting a big Seth Rogan movie, so I’m going to do something in the meantime. We definitely have things swirling around for sure.
Alex: Lastly, so what was it like to act and direct?
Jason: Actually, I enjoyed it a lot because for me it’s like being a quarterback on a football team. I can actually be right out there in the field and know exactly what’s happening and I can relate to be people, and so having to be behind the monitor and trying to figure out is that performance working, why isn’t this, that and the other thing. I find it’s just much easier when you’re actually out there. But I mean that’s just me, I know a lot of people that think the contrary.
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