"What Now" poster. Photo Credit: Ash Avildsen.

“What Now” movie poster. Photo Credit: Ash Avildsen.

GALO: Your father is a well-known director himself, being at the helm for films such as Rocky and Karate Kid, even winning an Academy Award for Best Director for the former in 1977. Have you ever felt any added pressure or inspiration that comes from him, or perhaps in wanting to impress upon him?

AA: One of the main reasons I had waited until I reached a true level of success in music is because I never wanted people to think I was just trying to emulate my dad, or trying to exploit my last name or something like that. I don’t really have a relationship with him whatsoever. I would love to one day and I hope eventually that that’s possible, but for reasons that I can’t really comprehend as a human, he’s chosen to never be a part of my life, so I was grateful that Sumerian was able to get to the point that I could go into film using my own finances and resources.

I am a huge fan of my dad’s work. I think he’s an incredible director and he’s directed some of my favorite films. I kind of always had — I don’t know if stigma or burden is the right word, but just a kind of a challenge with people; I guess they call them “trolls.” I’ll go on a message board and they’ll say, “Oh, the only reason Ash has been successful in music is because of his dad.” Basically saying I’m some rich kid that grew up with a big movie director dad who gave me all these connections, which is the furthest thing from the truth. To go back to it, do I feel added pressure? To some degree, I think people would be more critical. I don’t think this is my masterpiece, I think this is a really fun first film. It’s a low-budget indie comedy. I think the dialogue in it will really speak to a lot of people in that 20-35 age range, especially the people still doing online dating.

GALO: In addition to starring in What Now, you also wrote, directed and produced the film. Wearing all these hats as a first-time filmmaker, did you ever feel overwhelmed at all? Were there any moments where you thought that maybe one role was beginning to force you to neglect the others?

AA: I produced in the sense that I put together a plan, worked on financing and some location ideas, but I can’t say that I truly produced the film. As far as acting, I actually auditioned a number of people for the role. It was never something I felt I had to do [act in the film]. The three characters are based off of the actors playing them because we’re all good friends in real life. When I was auditioning people, nothing felt as authentic and real as the dynamic the three of us had. So at some point, I thought, ‘well, these characters are kind of based on us as far as the personalities [go],’ and I decided to just roll with it. One thing I’ll say was that I didn’t have as much time as I would’ve liked to go back and look at footage. You can’t be in front of the camera and behind it at the same time. That was the one place that I think it was hard to wear two hats at once. The days when I was just directing were way more relaxing, that’s for sure.

GALO: As you mentioned, some of the co-stars in this film are very good friends of yours. How, if at all, did that change the directing dynamic for you? In one sense, it might bring about a more relaxed and friendly set, but at the same time, it can be difficult to separate professional and personal roles. Did you face any challenges in this sense?

AA: There were a few moments where, as the director, if I felt a performance wasn’t coming out the way it needed to, I had to pull it out of them. In the heat of the moment, I could tell they were like, “Ash is being a fucking dick.” The beauty of it is that it’s all on tape, so we can all kick back and have a drink and talk about the differences. That’s all with the challenge. It’s hard, [though], to separate business from friendship in the heat of the moment.

It was always when the characters were showing those intense emotions, showing their insides — that was when I pushed them, and it was back and forth, too. I would look for some directing from them when I was in the scene. It was a very collaborative effort and very cool to be a part of it.

GALO: The trailer reveals a pretty star-studded cast, including a rendition of “99 Problems” by rapper Ice-T. What types of roles can we expect to see from some of these personalities?

AA: Well, first thing, I actually have to set the record straight. I didn’t even know this, but Ice-T was the originator of “99 Problems.” This is also in the film, but Ice-T wrote a song “99 Problems” over 20 years ago. The verses are different, but the entire chorus, the hook, the part that everybody knows by heart, was an original Ice-T song. When Ice-T is rapping in the movie, he’s doing the original version. Musically, it’s newer, more of a rock version of the song. But yeah, that’s one fun fact that gets revealed in the movie.

Ice-T and Coco play themselves, and they were kind enough to do that for me because of the relationship we’ve built with Sumerian [Records]. Steven Adler, who I’m actually good friends with now and might be working with in the future, plays a fictional ’80s rocker. Jim Ross, who was one of my favorite people to work with, is obviously a very famous WWE commentator and hall of famer, and in the film, he plays a kind of like evil boss. Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Diamond Dallas Page play themselves. Asking Alexandria, one of the biggest acts on Sumerian, they play themselves. DJ Quik plays himself; Jeffree Star plays a fictional character named Victoria; and Tosin Abasi from Animals of Leaders plays a fictional street performer, which is kind of funny because you have one of the most cutting-edge players just on the side of the street playing for change. Then there’s Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Bizzy Bone is a rapper trying to turn actor, who the three main characters live with. Krayzie Bone and Layzie Bone play two cops and Flesh-n-Bone plays a tow truck driver.

GALO: Dating sites are obviously a huge part of the film. Could you talk about why you chose this as your story’s focal point?

AA: I haven’t seen any films delve into swipe dating apps, which really have revolutionized online dating. Those parts serve as the catalyst to set up these entertaining scenarios and dates. These sites are really only in Act One to set up the dates and then from there, they are a catalyst for actually putting the characters at a bar meeting girls for the first time. That’s the meat and potatoes of this film — characters going on these dates that people can relate to. The whole movie takes places over the course of a week, except for the ending, where there is a little bit of a time lapse. But yeah, it is really [about] just people trying to meet and interact, and how social media and texting can throw wrenches into that.

GALO: In that same vein, how do you feel about the mix of social media and dating? Do you think that the accessibility that social media brings about is more beneficial, or does it simply cause people to become even more superficial?

AA: That’s in the eye of the beholder. It pretty much magnifies people’s character traits and flaws. I personally think online dating is great because you can read a lot about someone before meeting him or her, so you can have something to go off of. Being in a bar, you just bump into someone and try and make conversation. Or I can just sit at my computer and browse for an hour or two, and see if someone can be interesting to me. That’s what I think it is with these swipe-dating things, most people look at it and say, “right or left,” but it also kind of just cuts to the chase. I think there has to be a certain level of physical attraction for two people to be truly compatible as lovers. It’s just a necessary evil. And I think, as you fall more in love with someone, they become even more attractive to you than the first time you met them.

GALO: What Now seems to be a story very much set in the real world. All of the events are things that people can easily see themselves in, from confronting a friend about his ridiculous profile picture, to blind dates, to questioning one’s own path in life. Did you find any of your own experiences making their way into the script?

AA: Certain moments, yeah — one thing that I think really goes for everyone is with these little dots that come up on the screen. You can see that they’re typing and [then they] stop and don’t say anything. That’s an interesting scenario to be in, like what were you going to say? You obviously read what I sent, so what does that mean? Texting is a double-edged sword. People are reading it, but you put your own tone to the words. I always tell my staff when they’re doing business, “just pick up the phone and call.” It’s always better to have a conversation than just text or e-mail.


Video courtesy of Sumerian Records.

“What Now” will be available on cable and Internet VOD starting April 1, 2015. For more information about the film, you can visit WhatNowMovie.com. || Featured image: Filmmaker Ash Avildsen. Photo Credit: Bobby Quillard.