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One of our biggest influences was this duo called Sugar and Spice. Do you see yourself that way? Who inspired you? You’ve been branded as a face of New Zealand comedy. We added things too, like the character of Peter and a bit more scares. We really fleshed out his character a lot. He just looks different than the rest of us and has a different energy because he’s not super aware of the camera, and if he is it makes him super more inhibited in a charming way and not stunted way. But a lot of stuff in the short, like putting Stu in it, who was just a guy helping us… he’s an IT guy in real life and he really stood out. And since then there have been other documentaries like “Troll Hunter” and a Belgian film called “Vampires,” which is actually a documentary about vampires. We didn’t really play it to anyone because we wanted to hold on to the idea and we thought if someone saw it they would try to do a similar idea. When we first thought of it, we applied for funding in New Zealand by shooting a short film that was 20 minutes. (Sort of like the vampire “Boyhood.”) How did the project evolve over time? Taika told me that you conceived of this idea 12 years ago. We’ve tried to make them actual characters and stay true to a lot of the folklore and movie-lore about vampires. It’s not another “Scary Movie” parody of vampires. We don’t try to break any rules we try to keep vampire characters. I was obsessed with vampires as a kid, so we’re very respectful to vampire mythology.
TAIKA WAITITI FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS MOVIE
Where does this movie fit into the pantheon of vampire movies? Indiewire sat down with Clement to discuss the inner workings of his comedy, his “Flight of the Conchords” legacy, and his unique partnership with Waititi. “It wasn’t just promotion, but part of humor and fun of the movie,” said Schoenbrum. Some videos were them, and some were character vampires in the movie.” Clement and Waititi galvanized both fundraising and publicity by expanding the story of the film to their Kickstarter campaign. “They were active, making videos almost every day to keep fans involved.
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“‘What We Do in the Shadows’ is by far the largest raise we’ve had for theatrical distribution thus far,” said Dan Schoenbrun of Kickstarter.
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The duo raised nearly $500,000 dollars via Kickstarter to bring the film to theaters. To avoid being denied a theatrical release, Clement and Waititi harnessed the power of their respective fan bases and decided to take distribution into their own hands. What’s innovative about the film isn’t limited to its sharp sense of humor.