Shawn Barnes – An Xperience Interview

Shawn Barnes – An Xperience Interview – by Liam Sweeny.

Shawn Barnes is an area filmmaker who moonlights in comedy. We had a chat about both.

RRX: Sometimes an idea can get lost in translation. A great story can meet the reality of fundraising, logistics, location issues, etc., and could pull that idea down, but it could also open up possibilities. Have you ever had a project going sideways only to end up better than the original idea might have been?

SB: I like to think we always try to work within our means. Therefore, we usually have realistic expectations for the outcome. Money and opportunity cannot replace a good story, quality writing, professional technical ability, or a stellar performance. Whether or not we have the funding or location we desire, we know we can control those facets of the project.
That said, it is important to get outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself. When in preproduction for a project, we always look for opportunities to go above and beyond what we may think is possible at our level.
A good example of this is our most recent film, “Break Glass.” Much of the story takes place in a moving car, something that is a challenge at any level of filmmaking. There are many solutions to this problem that can easily be remedied with money, something we did not have. We knew that if we didn’t pull off a convincing driving sequence, the viewer would be distracted by the scene’s technical shortcomings and lose sight of the story. We got together and asked ourselves, “If money was no object, how would we like to shoot the scene?” Ideally, we would put the car on a trailer and mount cameras to the car. We would also close off a section of highway so we wouldn’t have to worry about traffic. After discussing this seemingly impossible dream we said “Wait, why can’t we do that?” After making a few phone calls and calling in a couple of favors, before we knew it we had a truck, trailer, and a person to drive us. As well as permission from the local Sheriff’s office to film along Route 5S between Amsterdam and Fort Plain. Now we have driving scenes that look great and another arrow for our filmmaking quiver.

RRX: So you’re a comedian and a filmmaker. Does that mean you focus on making comedies or are those two different sides of you?

SB: My knee-jerk reaction is to say those are two different sides of me. However, I suppose my body of work would say otherwise.
Though the feature films I’ve worked on typically fall in the drama category, they are certainly on the comedy spectrum. People often try to find the humor in otherwise dark moments in their lives and I think both my comedy as well as the films I’ve produced have aspects of this condition.

RRX: As a person doing two creative pursuits, the energies and vibes from what you do travel over to any other things you do and season them. What from your role as a comedian do you think really influences your filmmaking?

SB: Trim the fat! When you’re writing a joke it is important to keep in mind that you’re working with a limited amount of stage time. Don’t waste what little time you have setting up a weak punchline with little payoff. The same goes for filmmaking. You might feel like you have all the time in the world to work with when you’re making a feature film. However, once you start editing, you’ll quickly realize you don’t. Give the audience some credit. They don’t need to be spoon-fed the plot.

RRX: Have you ever been on stage and had someone heckle you so good you had to actually give them props? Why do you think it’s okay to heckle a comedian, or do you think it’s okay?

SB: When I first started doing comedy, I was quick to react to any audience member I heard talking in the crowd. I would take it personally and often attack them for what was often no more than them just making a quick comment to a friend.
I’ve learned over time that this not only throws a wrench into my set but also puts everyone in the audience on edge if not handled properly.
There is a trend in comedy right now of comedians posting clips on social media of them doing what is known as “crowd-work.” For some comics, it’s what they do best but in my opinion, those comedians are few and far between. The result of this trend is that potential audience members see these clips, go to a comedy show, and then proceed to heckle the performer because they think it’s helping their act. It’s not. Trust me, if a comedian wants you to be part of the show, they’ll let you know.

RRX: As a comedian, you have to challenge the audience sometimes, get them to the edge of where they’re comfortable. And we talked about heckling, but you can straddle a fine line. Have you ever crossed it, do you think?

SB: I think that depends on your style of comedy. There are certainly very good comedians out there who are not only funny but can do it without pushing an audience to their limits.
I believe that, aside from blatant hate speech, comedians have the right to say whatever they want on stage. Therefore, I believe the audience has a responsibility to react accordingly. You don’t have to think a comedian is funny. You even have the right to be offended. So either don’t laugh or simply leave.
As for myself, I wouldn’t consider myself a comedian that typically crosses the line. Though I do have a couple jokes in my set that can be misleading. I enjoy making an audience think I’m going to say something offensive and then pull the rug out from under them and turn it into something ridiculous.

RRX: If you were filming a comedy and had to base it anywhere in the Capital District, where would it be? (Bonus points for exact locations.)

SB: Just about every Friday night I’m in Saratoga for the open mic at The Comedy Works. Both before and after the mic, other comedians and I will frequent some of the bars and restaurants on Caroline Street. I’ve witnessed plenty of ridiculous moments during that time. Enough so that this question may have just inspired me to shoot a documentary called “Fridays on Caroline.” So thank you for that.

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