In this week’s episode of the Filmmaker’s Podcast, host Dom Lenoir takes the reins while Giles Alderson is away in Bulgaria. We are thrilled to welcome back director Josh Greenbaum for an esteemed “hat trick” third appearance on the show, along with actor and screenwriter Sean Clements.
We dive into their new film, The Dink, a pickleball sports comedy that captures the nostalgic magic of late 90s and 2000s filmmaking. While the film brings the laughs, it also tackles universal and relatable themes like parental pressure, coaching aspirations, identity, ego, and pursuing second chances in your 40s.
Josh and Sean share their filmmaking process, discussing how to successfully direct non-actors and improvisers, the art of trimming “precious” scenes for the greater good of the movie, and what it was like collaborating with producer Ben Stiller.
What We Discuss in This Episode:
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The Return of Josh Greenbaum: Celebrating Josh’s third appearance on the podcast and why he was drawn to The Dink as his next project.
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The World of Pickleball: Exploring the absurdity, accessibility, and real-life tennis community controversy surrounding the fastest-growing racket sport.
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Nostalgic Comedy & Themes: Harking back to classic 90s/2000s comedies like Happy Gilmore, Best in Show, Dodgeball, and The Wedding Singer, while exploring universal themes of identity, ego, and parental pressure.
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Screenwriting Origins: Sean Clements shares his personal journey as a former junior tennis player, his initial resistance to pickleball, and how finding an unlikely community of older players inspired the script.
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Collaborating with Ben Stiller: How Ben Stiller came on board to produce, his script notes, and how he helped bring former pro tennis player Andy Roddick into the cast.
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Directing Improvisers & Non-Actors: Josh’s philosophy on creating a safe set where actors aren’t afraid to fail, letting comedic talents like Aaron Chen ad-lib, and guiding dramatic actors like Ed Harris and non-actors like Andy Roddick to play their roles straight for maximum comedic effect.
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Kill Your Darlings (What’s Good for the Movie): Sean talks about the transition from sitcom writing to feature films and a pivotal note from Josh on shortening a dramatic scene to serve the overall pacing of the film.
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The Power of Music: Using needle drops (from country music to Britney Spears’ “Work Bitch”) and score by Dara Taylor to drive character and emotional tone.
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Summer Filmmaking Advice: Dom’s closing thoughts on how filmmakers can balance taking a summer break while prepping development and location scouting for the September autumn rush.
Host: Dom Lenoir
Guests: Josh Greenbaum & Sean Clements
The DINK is our now on APPLE TV
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🎬 Credits
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Written, Edited & Produced by: Giles Alderson @gilesalderson
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Logo & Banner Art by: Lois Creative
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Theme Music by: John J. Harvey
#TheDink #JoshGreenbaum #SeanClements #Pickleball #SportsComedy #Filmmaking #Screenwriting #Directing #BenStiller #AppleTV #TheFilmmakersPodcast #IndieFilm #Podcast
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