Earlier this month, comedy-focused commercial production company World War Seven (WW7) launched WW7 Entertainment, an entertainment division that will produce feature films, episodes, podcasts and more, with producers Peter Klein and Alex Needles. was to be operated.
“We plan to cooperate [WW7 partner, David] Shafei and an incredible roster of talented World War II directors…the company’s previously hand-picked selection of comedic filmmakers who align with the entertainment industry’s traditional yet WWII brand ethos. We create our own selection of works based on great works. 10 years,” Alex told LBB.
Aiming to create more of the “fresh, unexpected and entertaining stories” that World War II became known for in the commercial world, the division will start with its familiar subversive sense of humor and create unconventional documentary Produced the mental musical “Pavements.” Starring Jason Schwartzman, Tim Heidecker, and Joe Keery, and directed by Alex Ross Perry, this hybrid is based on the iconic ’90s band Pavement. Other upcoming projects include a Sony Pictures Classics documentary, a true crime podcast series with Wonderly, and a scripted comedy project.
LBB’s Ben Conway caught up with Alex and Peter to discuss their plans for the new division and how they’re looking for writers and directors with distinctive voices that match their World War 7 sensibilities.
Above: Producers Alex Needles and Peter Klein
LBB>What was the impetus for starting WW7 Entertainment?
Peter> Alex and I knew [WW7 founders] david [Shafei] and josh [Ferrazzano]Sloan [Skala, executive producer] For many years. We have long admired what they built in World War VII. It was more a matter of timing and synchronicity. Our sensibilities have always been in sync, and WW7 has reached the maturity of breaking the commercial game and is now ready to expand into new things, especially entertainment. So, the stars really aligned this year.
LBB> Could you briefly explain the main features of WW7 Entertainment? Why do we need to partner with other companies? And what can we achieve in-house?
Alex> We truly build from the ground up and engage with creative collaborators from the beginning. We are in the field of ideas, helping to develop stories and finding stories. We create material that we think will stand out in the market and bring on board strategic partners, whether it’s key executive producer attachments or key castings.
Peter> Because we have been working at the intersection of brand activities and traditional entertainment for many years, we have had great success in bringing in major brand partners to support traditional entertainment. We are drawn to unique and innovative materials. We support artists with unique voices who are pushing the limits. We believe that ultimate success and longevity in this industry comes from creating bold and great work, even if these projects are difficult to realize.
LBB> You are the producer of Pavements, a quirky documentary-musical hybrid about the band Pavement, which debuted in Venice. Can you tell us about that project?
Peter> This film is unique in that it is virtually unclassifiable. It explodes and turns the somewhat tired music documentary format on its head. If we were to make a documentary about Pavement, one of my favorite bands of the ’90s and perhaps the model for the insular, cynical, anti-commercial spirit that defined that era, we’d have to start from the beginning. I knew I needed to do that. I couldn’t do anything direct. We had never thought of going to a documentary filmmaker, but rather a narrative filmmaker who could invent and create a unique interpretation of what the band Pavement represents. Alex Ross Perry was our first choice and luckily he was a huge fan of the band.
Alex> I’m so grateful to have been able to premiere this film at the Venice Film Festival this month and to be there with the cast and crew. It’s been incredible to have such a reception and response and it really shows what we’ve achieved over the last few years. It will be at the New York Film Festival next week, and prior to the domestic premiere there will be a special concert by the band that we are all really looking forward to. This kind of relationship between the film’s subjects and their partners is unique.
LBB> The film stars big names like Jason Schwartzman, Tim Heidecker, and Joe Keery, but what was the most fulfilling and challenging moment in developing the project?
Peter > Alex Ross Perry is brilliant, creative, and brilliant at coming up with ideas that seem impossible to realize, and he delivers all the elements, including a great cast, script, and even a fully-finished musical. Guys, we need to do this in 2019.” This date – make it happen no matter what. ” Once we had shot all of this amazing and foreign material, we had a wonderful creative partner on the other side in producer and editor Robert Greene. He, along with Alex, helped us come up with this truly unique, strange, perfect, associative architecture. Shoot a movie together. What we love most is working with creative people and helping them promote their wild and beautiful ideas.
LBB> In addition to movies, this division will also work on providing episodes and podcasts. How did you start a business dealing with these media? How is that different or similar to the advertising side of World War II?
Alex> In addition to some documentaries and podcasts already coming out next year, we also have narrative projects in development for film and television. We work with an incredible roster of talented directors from Sherfei and World War II, as well as creating comedy films that are in the more traditional entertainment industry but align with the brand ethos of World War II. We plan to bring in the best of the best and create our own curated slate of amazing work. The works have been carefully selected by the company over the past 10 years.
LBB> Entertainment The project will embody the combination of whimsy and craft that was patented in World War II. How do you find new projects to develop and artists to collaborate with on this long-form content? Are you there?
Peter> What really matters is what we find interesting, interesting, and unique. After all, it’s a curation process. We are drawn to the unique perspective of a particular writer or director and naturally seek out their opinion. The rest tends to develop from there. Great creators have great ideas and we love bringing them to life.
Alex> World War II has always appealed to me for its novel, unexpected, and interesting way of telling stories. That’s part of the reason we were excited to collaborate. Because our sensibilities are so aligned, decisions about what to pursue tend to be easy.
LBB> Besides comedy, what other areas of expertise or focus do you have? For example, what projects or previous experiences have prepared you for documentary work or podcasting?
Peter> As producers, we have successfully bridged the gap between brands and traditional entertainment, working with global brands such as Lyft, Pepsi, and Coinbase, both in the short-form world and traditional long-form entertainment. We have been collaborating with This is a delicate and nuanced process as both parties need to be educated on how to work together. The goal is always to create exciting and interesting work, and during this period of transition in both advertising and entertainment, it’s important to consider new forms of partnership and ways to carry out work that benefits everyone.
Alex> Peter and I have similar sensibilities, but we come from different backgrounds. I think that’s what makes us dynamic. We identify what is important to us, artistically or ethically, and bring our disciplines and backgrounds to our creative or economic work. And even though we hear a lot from the market about what it takes to fulfill a particular mission or what is the most viable project, we are unique in spending our time doing what feels right. perspective and stubbornness. I hope this piece speaks for itself.