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Roadside Attractions releases Camp Hideout nationwide on September 15th, 2023. NYC MOVIE GURU: How did you find the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking the audience emotionally as well as intellectually? Sean Olson: With Camp Hideout, our goal was always to follow the trajectory of the Noah character from the get-go. There are a lot of those hijinks and fun, but we really tried to balance everything with where he was headed and his change in the movie. So, we intercut a lot of those big, over-the-top, fun sequences with real subtle moments with him and Jake (Corbin Bleu) and their conversations. Yes, it was a delicate balance, but it was one of those things that, as the story progressed, we found ways to interweave it in. Everything in the movie is always focused on character. It's always focused on where Noah is in his life and how these friends really help to change his life. NYC MOVIE GURU: What was the process like to figure out how and when to incorporate exposition? Camp Hideout gets to the meat of the story at the summer camp very quickly, but a lot happens during the first five minutes. SO: Thank you for that because that was something that was a great debate for a long time. When I first got the script, it took about 30 pages to get to the summer camp. It's a kid's movie. The kids want to be at the camp. So, everything leading up to that is set up for us being there. So, we took a kid-centric approach. All the scenes revolve around what the kids are doing. They're the ones who are leading the story. So, with getting to the camp, we took a nonlinear approach where you start off at this fantastic moment of, "Where's Noah?" We really worked hard to introduce him in a fun, dynamic way. So, before you even get to a line of dialogue with him, you really get the sense of what this character is all about. He's on the run from a security guard. What did he steal? What happened? Why is he in these circumstances? There are all these questions that come up and then the first people who he talks to outside of Selena (Amanda Leighton) who's been, kind of, having his back for a long period of time, are other kids. You really see the nostalgic, summer camp excitement, but he doesn't want to be a part of it. We really, really worked hard to consolidate and make it so that we got to camp as soon as possible because that's where the fun is. I think that's what families and kids really want to see. NYC MOVIE GURU: There's a lot of goofy fun throughout the film. Even the villains are very goofy. How important and challenging is it to capture that goofiness? SO: With our villains, Willis and Charlie, I always feel like, especially since it's a family movie, you're looking at it as a sort of live action cartoon in certain regards. There are sight gags and things that wouldn't necessarily happen in the real world, but it's what makes it fun and interesting. I think, for us, what makes it interesting is this assortment of cast of characters. You have Christopher Lloyd who's always a larger-than-life character. If you look at some of his past films, those characters don't exist in the real world, but in the movie world, they're a lot of fun to watch and to experience. Christopher really participated in the creation of the character of Falco---in his style and look. So, what you have is this fun creation that both parents and kids in the audience are going to look at as something very accessible, too. Then you have that balance of larger-than-life and Jake who really plays the whole thing straight, but really resonates with younger kids. Not only is he a mentor in the movie, but was a mentor on set, as well, with our younger cast. We just had a blast with him. NYC MOVIE GURU: There's a poetic, profound and moving scene with Noah and Jake sitting by the lake. If the soul were a garden like it's described in that scene, which emotions do you think is most challenging for Noah to cultivate as the gardener of his soul? SO: I think that, for Noah, trust is the biggest challenge. He has trust issues in believing in people. He has been, kind of, at the bad end of circumstances for a long period of time. So, for him to trust and find relationships and friendships in Camp Hideout, it's something that's a big challenge for him. As the movie progresses, the jaded aspect that he has about things, it starts to change and cultivate and turn into something emotional and exciting. He finds that he's not alone. He has a group of people who love him and have his back. That was one of my favorite scenes in the film. I have to give a shout-out to my wife, Kat, who wrote the final draft of the script. One of the things that we always wanted to do is to deliver a message, but we didn't want it to be overly preachy. We just wanted it to be a normal conversation that somebody would have that is really trying to guide somebody into the right direction. But if you hit somebody over the head on it, you're not going to reach them. I think that that's what really makes Camp Hideout stand out from other movies. We have that dynamic comedy, but we also have that heart. I think that that's what makes it stand out as a camp movie. NYC MOVIE GURU: How introspective do you think Noah is? How important is introspection? SO: I think that it's very important. As Noah's character progresses, it's something that he becomes more aware of and starts thinking about more. He has that one major emotional moment at the end where he goes, "What is everybody doing here?" That, to me, and the scene with him and Falco in the car, is really the heart of the movie. Falco is doing most of the talking, but Noah is thinking about everything that has gone on prior and is really thinking about how it's affecting him as a character and as a human being. NYC MOVIE GURU: How do you think Noah would react to Pablo Neruda's poem, "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming."? SO: That's a really great quote. Noah, in the middle of the movie, would probably just walk away and say, "Those are just flowers." I think that it's something that would really resonate with his character as it progresses. NYC MOVIE GURU: Since poetry is often a form of protest for and/or against something, what do you think Camp Hideout is a protest for and/or against? SO: Camp Hideout is a protest for friendship, relationships and trust and that it's never too late to ask and reach out for help. That's the core of Camp Hideout NYC MOVIE GURU: Thank you for making a live action movie for families. That's something very rare these days. SO: That was something that, as parents, we wanted something that kids will watch, parents will watch, and that you can turn it on in the other room and not have to worry about any offensive content or anything. That was really our super goal in moving the movie. It's fun for kids, but also fun and accessible for parents. NYC MOVIE GURU: Which films do you think would pair well with Camp Hideout in a double feature? SO: Obviously, the go-to would be to watch Back to the Future and then Camp Hideout just because of the Christopher Lloyd connection. Or The Sandlot. That might even be a better one because of the kids telling the tall tales. Main Page Interviews Menu Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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