As a child actor, Jason Woliner knew he wanted to be a Director. He started with a mini DV camera and set out to make a feature for Sundance. He dropped out of college, convinced a few friends to join him, and ended up making a “long student film.” The 97-minute “terrible, horrorible” project taught him a great deal about filmmaking.
Over the years, Jason has worked with Patton Oswalt, Aziz Ansari, and Jon Benjamin. He’s Directed Parks and Recreation, New Girl, Nathan for You, and Last Man on Earth. Most recently, Jason has created the unusual mini series, Paul T. Goldman.
The description reads, “One man's efforts to uncover the truth thrust him into a labyrinth of fraud, deception, and criminality that transform him ‘from wimp to warrior.’” Like Borat, it’s a mixture of real and unreal, focused on one unusual character.
In this interview, Jason talks about his love for specific comedies, why he generally avoids “for hire” work, how he found a unique niche in the comedy industry, working for “real laughs” during a pitch, and how to execute on unique ideas to find the “best, funniest version.”
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