The Town with Matthew Belloni

Secrets to Commercial Filmmaking With 'The Housemaid' Director Paul Feig

36 min

Paul Feig, director of the surprise blockbuster 'The Housemaid,' shares his methodical approach to commercial filmmaking, emphasizing audience engagement and data-driven decisions. He discusses how extensive test screenings, strategic marketing, and understanding theatrical appeal contribute to lower-budget films finding success in cinemas. Feig also touches on the challenges of mixed-genre movies and the distinct experiences of theatrical versus streaming releases.

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✨ Key Takeaways

1

Audience-Centric Filmmaking: Paul Feig employs rigorous, recruited test screenings, even using cameras to observe audience reactions, to ensure his films resonate with a broad audience and generate positive word-of-mouth.
2

Strategic Marketing Collaboration: After a past 'movie jail' experience, Feig now actively collaborates with marketing teams from the dailies stage, valuing their commercial instincts and executing viral stunts to drive theatrical attendance.
3

Theatrical Appeal of Mixed-Genre: He believes that for lower-budget films to succeed theatrically today, they often need to be mixed-genre (e.g., thriller with comedic elements) to offer a unique, communal experience.
4

The 'Undeniable' Project: Feig's litmus test for picking projects is whether he, as an unknown audience member, would feel an undeniable urge to see the movie after watching its trailer.
5

Streaming vs. Theatrical Engagement: Feig notes that streaming audiences are often distracted, impacting critical reception and requiring different pacing compared to the captive, communal experience of a movie theater.

💬 Notable Quotes

"I'm not making independent films. I'm not making art films. I'm making commercial movie. Look, I want them to be great. I don't want them to be, you know, just product. But at the same time I I was in movie jail once Matt."
"The reason that movie works is because Kristen Wigg was a mess when we meet her. She's got this great friendship. It falls apart. And we're just like, please get that back together. She sorts herself out. And then you were like, oh, thank God. You know, it's the People latch into that movie emotionally because of that story of that love story between these two friends."
"The biggest vice I give is because it's all about picking the project... if I was sitting in a theater and I didn't know me and I saw a trailer for that movie, would I say, I gotta go see that."