Lead Actor Andy Ryan interviews the multi-talented Matt Okine (Writer, Producer, Star)
Matt Okine: The Future Machine is an independent comedy series produced specifically for short-format online and mobile viewing. It follows the story of two mates who build a time-machine in their lounge room, in order to resolve an argument they had whilst drinking the night before.
It was created by Dirty Karma Productions, which consists of Award-winning director, David Barker, Comedian Matt Okine (that’s me), & Tropfest Finalist, Tom Sheldrick. It also stars two of Australia’s rising stars, Cariba Heine (H2O, Bait 3D) & Andy Ryan (Tomorrow When the War Began, The Jesters). I round-out the incredibly talented (and modest) cast.
AR: What are the next steps now that the show is finished?
MO: Our plan is to release the episodes gradually over the next few weeks, building a strong and loyal fan-base, and implementing several unique marketing techniques to help spread word of The Future Machine to the masses – first locally, then nationally, then intergalactically.
AR: What exactly was “PubeGate”?
MO: “PubeGate” was one of those unique marketing techniques.
To spread word that the series was about to launch, we thought we’d send some funny hand-written letters to various important people in the media in order to generate a bit of interest in the show.
The letters were allegedly from the future, claiming that the economic meltdown of 2045 had resulted in everyone trading in celebrity pubic hair…. And attached to the letters were some stray hairs. Three ‘Efrons’ and a ‘Clooney’, to be exact.
Some people LOVED it, and some people absolutely hated it. We got various pieces of press both online and in papers that catered to both sides… It was an interesting campaign, nonetheless, and it certainly showed us that some people have absolutely NO sense of humour and are more interested in reporting about which sushi-bar Jodi Gordan likes to eat at, than they are at supporting independent film in this country.
AR: What was David and Tom’s (fellow co-creators) reaction to the final product?
MO: David, Tom & I are all extremely proud of the final product. It’s always an amazing experience watching something that you’ve written on some pieces of paper in a backyard, turn into a fully-fledged production with some of Australia’s rising stars as the faces of it. We’re all particularly excited too, because we’re getting such a great response from the first couple of episodes, and we already know just how freakin’ awesome the series continues to get, so we can’t wait for everyone else to see them!
AR: Will The Future Machine go for a second series?
MO: The beauty of The Future Machine is that there really are no boundaries. From the moment the characters decide they’re going to build a time-machine, they break-down that wall of ‘reality’, creating a world where anything is possible, and we hope to explore so many of those possibilities in - not just a second series - but several more series to come.
Oh yeh – We also need someone to give us a shit-load of cash…
AR: What’s next for Dirty Karma Productions?
MO: Well - we still have the Time Machine left-over from filming, so I’m thinking of taking a cheeky trip to the 2014 Brazil World Cup…
If that doesn’t happen, we’re really looking to continue making state-of-the-art webseries for the public to enjoy. I’m genuinely hoping to be a major part of the format’s rise in this country.
AR: What was it like working with the Andy Ryan?
MO: When you’re running an incredibly tight schedule, with difficult set-ups, green-screens, and a story that jumps back and forth in time, it’s SO critical to have an experienced actor! It’s absolutely safe to say that without Andy, we couldn’t have accomplished what we did. Even if he did spend the entire shoot in his underpants, and demanded that his trailer be filled with ‘maltesers with all the chocolate-covering removed…’.
AR: How could you afford the Andy Ryan on such a low-budget production?
MO: We really just had to cover his wage at the call-centre for one week….
Haha! No – in all honesty – Both Andy & Cariba worked for really generous ‘mates rates’, as did most of the crew. When everyone involved is willing to donate so much of their time and effort for such modest wages, it’s definitely a sign that you’ve got a truly great product on your hands! (Or that the blackmail worked…)
AR: Will Andy Ryan get to have his first on screen kiss the second series?
MO: Whether Andy’s character, Tom, and his on-screen love, Katie Hill (Cariba Heine), will ever kiss, will eventually depend on whether we can lift the AVO that Cariba placed on Andy after the first season…
AR: Being a stand up comedian, are you amazed at Andy Ryan's comic timing, much like the rest of the nation?
MO: As a stand-up comedian, I definitely have an eye for what’s truly laughalicious, and I would definitely say that Andy Ryan’s true talents lie with being funny, without realizing that he’s being funny. Much like Johnny Drama from Entourage.
I could definitely see Andy Ryan being a Comedy-Magician…. Or maybe even a funny Busker.
AR: Was Andy Ryan a professional?
MO: If needing 17 takes on a simple one-shot, at the end of a 12-hour day, two days in a row, because me and him are laughing too much is ‘professional’….. Then, yes. He is definitely professional.
Now, can we please stop talking about you??
AR: Oh, sure… What was the hardest thing about the whole shoot?
MO: Filming the scenes with the cat was definitely the most stressful few hours that we had all week.
I mean, we had rain, and crew having to leave, and re-shoots, and continuity issues, and costume malfunctions like any other shoot, but if anyone out there is thinking, “Hey, this shooting schedule isn’t quite hectic and stressful enough….” Just throw a wild, untrained animal up in that mix, and it should sort you right out, champ!
AR: How did you get the cat to film in the future machine?
MO: Our professional animal wrangler provided “Kitty” from one of the ‘film animal’ training centres….
And by “professional animal wrangler”, I mean “production manager”….
And by “film animal training centres”, I mean “stinky back-alley in Western Sydney”….
And by “provided”, I mean “cat-napped”….
What I’m trying to say is -- If the cat in The Future Machine looks disturbingly like your treasured “Mogi”, then it’s only a coincidence!
The Future Machine is available to view at here. Watch, subscribe, and tell your friends!
