How ‘Ruby Sparks’ Came to Life
August 7, 2012
The new film 'Ruby Sparks' marks the return to the screen of the
directing couple Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the husband and
wife tandem behind the Academy Award winning, 'Little Miss
Sunshine'. It's also the first film from a new couple on the
independent film scene, Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano.
'Ruby Sparks' represents a true collaborative effort on the part
of writer, directors, and actors. Where one couple worked
diligently to get the script in performing shape, another worked
tirelessly to get it financed and produced. As one couple acted out
the scenes in advance to get the blocking, dialogue and pacing
right, the other couple carefully crafted the writing to make the
words on the page effortlessly translate to the screen.
Faris states, "What was great was that John and I have worked
together for a long time and Paul and Zoe have been together for
almost 5 years. We all have a really good rapport so the lines of
communication were really good. You can't hope to have more
committed actors: she wrote it and he was with her through every
stage of writing it. So they were so invested in their part in the
film so that was a real luxury."
As the idea gelled into a story which grew into the script, Kazan
and Dano set about the task of getting the film made. Dano took an
Executive Producer credit on 'Ruby Sparks', and utilized his
experience in Hollywood to make this story advance from page to
screen. Dayton and Faris took the script and fleshed out the
details in a way unique to this couple.
"We took advantage that there's two of us and explored the scenes
together privately, in order to have a sense of what we're going to
be asking of our actors," stated Faris. "What are the feelings in
the scene? Where are the conflict and the tension? The more you
know going in, the better. So we try to put ourselves thru the
paces as much as we can, that way on the set we really know what
we're chasing after."
See 'Ruby Sparks' at select CinéArts
theatres. Let us know if you've seen the film and give us your
opinion.
