Fans of Welcome to the Rileys had become accustomed to speaking with its producer Giovanni Agnelli; first, via the Internet Movie Database (IMDB). Then later, with the movie's twitter account he set up on his own, as well as his personal account. The communication he had with fans was unheard of; someone in his position just did not have the time, energy or interest in dealing with the fans.
It appears that he changed all the rules. And other movie industry people started to follow suit.
Although he is used to communicating with fans, he’s usually a man of few words. We were able to speak with him and get some interesting questions answered about: How he ended up in the position he’s in today, how he got a hold of the script, what it was like to work with the actors and be on the set, and also what’s next!
@bellasguardian - How did you get into the movie business?
Giovanni Agnelli - I started out wanting to be an actor. I had friends in the business that were always telling me I had the “look” to be an actor. I took a few classes and videotaped them. After reviewing, I realized that the look was ok, but the talent was nowhere to be found. I decided right then to focus my efforts behind the camera.
-Did you always know you wanted to work in movies?
Not at all, I actually wanted to work in real estate. I love architecture and design but dealing with insane newlyweds looking for their dream nest seemed like a one way road to hell.
-What was it that drew you to being a producer?
I love movies. I love television. I am a fan of the bizarre tiny film and the epic blockbuster. I wanted to have a chance to make other people feel what I felt when I was sitting there looking up at that screen. There is an amazing allure to Hollywood
-What was your first job?
I worked as a waiter at the Olive Garden for a couple days. I am absolutely not coordinated enough to be trusted with walking and doing anything else at the same time.
-What is the one quality that makes you such a great producer?
I don’t believe that I am a great producer. I believe I am persistent, and I have incredible patience. It is the equivalent to being able to juggle. A producer needs to keep all the elements needed to make a film in the air at once, continually moving until all of the pieces fall into place.
I got the script via Ridley Scott at Scott Free. We were doing another project with Tony Scott, but it fell through. We really enjoyed working together and wanted to find another project that we could work on.
-What drew you to wanting to make the movie?
Initially it wasn’t the film I wanted to work on as our first production. Although I loved the material and related to almost every aspect of the script, we were warned about all of the pitfalls of making an American drama in this current climate. I was hoping to find something more genre specific and having the potential of being an international hit. We were asked to meet with Jake Scott the director. We didn’t want to meet with somebody if we weren’t going to make the film. Michael Costigan persisted that we just take the meeting (there’s that persistence thing again)
About 20 minutes into the meeting we knew that this was going to be our film. Jake’s understanding and knowledge of the characters and subtext of the script was mind blowing. This was not one of a dozen projects he was working on, this was THE film he was going to make with or without us.
-Who was attached to the movie when you picked it up?
Jake Scott was attached to direct. He had met with Kristen and James and was very excited for the possibilities of them being in the film. Melissa Leo was the final casting piece. We looked at several actresses before deciding Melissa was perfect for the role.
There is a nasty game of foreign pre-sales when making a film. Producers have to attach actors that have foreign value to their projects to raise money to get their films made. This flawed process makes it so difficult to make films with actors based on their ability to do an amazing job in the role as opposed to selling a certain number of territories.
The pre-sale system forces you to look to the past creatively, instead of being able to utilize unknown fresh talent. We were very lucky that we were in a position to cast and finance this film based on who we thought would nail the performances in these roles without worrying about foreign sales numbers. That allowed us to finance this film with Kristen, James and Melissa. They were all absolutely perfect for these roles.
-How often were you on set?
I was on set almost every day, all day. I always travel with my family. I brought my nephew who is blind and autistic. He was on the set with me quite a bit as well. I didn’t have to travel back and forth to be with my family like some of the others. I was very lucky.
-What was it like to film in New Orleans
It was life changing. I was really afraid to go. I had never been there and I had heard stories that it was not safe after Katrina. I was there for about 45 minutes before I fell in love with it. The people of New Orleans Los Angeles
-As a producer, what was your role on the movie?
My role was to stay out of people’s way hahaha!! Everyone has a job and a department head. We started with an amazing producer, Michael Costigan and an incredible line producer, Bergan Swanson. When you are working with people that you trust and respect it filters down through the whole crew, it allowed me the ability to focus on what I personally wanted to do which was to protect the director, to protect his vision. I was told by many of the crew that this was the best experience they had ever had working on a film. It was so relaxed and fun. Jakes confidence gave a sense of comfort to everyone.
-What gave you the idea to become so involved on the IMDB boards & on twitter?
I am a fan of the movies. I have always gone onto fan sites and participated in discussions related to my favourite films. When we started WTTR the immediate fan support was outrageous. Then I started thinking “Why can’t someone in my position talk to them?” No one is excited about making movies in Hollywood
-Was there a certain demographic they were aiming for?
Yes, an intelligent audience. Hollywood CGI or big set pieces.
-Was there a concern about the Twilight fans? And not having to try to cater to them?
No, absolutely not. I look at the Twilight fans as a blessing. Because of Twilight, fans are going to see films they might have missed otherwise. They are looking back at the actors past films and taking interest in their future films. They get to discover whole new worlds. The Twilight fans have been such a unified force that it has given the actors the ability to choose roles that they may not have been able to do before. The possibility of a whole new audience being exposed to independent film making is actually really exciting.
-What was it like to work with the cast?
I didn’t “meet Melissa” until we finished hahaha!! I only met Lois. Melissa was so involved in the character, it was like she was living and breathing Lois. She’s an amazing person and actress. It was like meeting a totally different person when we finished filming. She shed the character and I was very impressed. She is a delight!!
Jim is intense and amazing. The chemistry between James and Kristen, watching them do take after take, it was mesmerizing. He is such a large physical presence and yet so incredibly vulnerable in his acting. He is powerful.
-Did you have a lot of interaction with Jake? What was he like to work with?
Jake is amazing. I have the highest praise for him. He is incredibly passionate, professional, he never got angry, he never yelled. Time after time, people came up to me and said this is the best movie they’ve ever worked on. Jake respected everyone and in turn everyone respected Jake through his example. The amount of preparation he put into this film is staggering. He has notebooks filled with scene after scene storyboarded out. He was also very collaborative with all of us. He actually shared his vision with us as a whole. I would work with Jake any time, any place.
-Was Ken (Hixon) often on set? Did he have input into how scenes were played out or changed?
Ken was on set for majority of the shooting. He definitely had input. Just because something works on the written page, it doesn’t mean it’s going to translate well on the screen. In a few of those instances he would re work the words until he and Jake felt they were honest and real. He would fight for what he thought was right and would give up when it was needed. He is a total professional. I am a huge fan of his writing.
There have been fan sites, youtube videos, Facebook pages, Twitter pages, hundreds of thousands of fans supporting the process. It is like a giant family. This movie became their movie. Unlike some other films, I believe we gave the film over to the fans during pre-production. They got to be a part of everything from the beginning. They feel responsible for this movie as much as I do. It’s like we all watched the conception, we watched it develop and grow and it’s about to be born. It is going to be released into the world and it will have millions of parents guiding it through the next phases. I really feel the love from the fans. I believe they know how much I love them too. I have become close with several of them. I would do this again and again with any movie I make.
-Without giving any spoilers, what was your favourite scene?
I will tell you after it comes out!
-For those that have read the script, we know that the ending in the movie is actually different. Can you explain why it was changed?
Kristen and Jake didn’t think it was authentic. The whole thing was a very collaborative process. In the end it seemed to flow and make more sense. The basic repetitive thread is honesty. It needs to be honest.
-What are your expectations for the movie?
I hope the film allows the actors to show that they are more than their iconic roles of the past. I really hope that they are given the recognition they deserve when the awards roll out. They busted their asses and there isn’t a trace of Twilight, Sopranos, or Frozen River
-Can you tell us how the trailer is coming? Will it be ready in time for “The Runaways” DVD release?
The trailer will be on the DVD in July
-We know your next potential film that is in the works is The Twilight Zone with Leonardo Dicaprio. Is there anything at all you can revel about it?
I actually can’t, they are still working on the script. It’s all very hush hush top secret kind of stuff.
-What do you think about 3D movies? Would you ever consider making a 3D movie?
I love 3D movies. I see most that come out. I thought Avatar was incredible. I’m not a science fiction guy, but I was totally swept way. I saw a sneak preview of Toy Story 3, it is so good. I am dying to make a great haunted house movie in 3D that I can shoot in New Orleans
So with that, we wish to Thank Giovanni for taking the time to speak with us, on this, the Eve of the start of the Los Angeles Film Festival where, in just one week, Welcome to the Rileys will have two screenings. One Friday, June 25 & again on Sunday, June 27th. Both screenings are currently sold out.
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xoxo
Carrie
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