Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: Off the Record, Quiver Distrubtion

Off the Record Director Kirsten Foe on Music, Adversity & Jim Irsay

Writer/director Kristen Foe spoke to Bleeding Cool about her Quiver music drama "Off the Record", Qualley, casting, Jim Irsay and more.

Kirsten Foe is a Jill-of-all-Trades success story in Hollywood, initially coming up through the stunt world and taking the occasional acting role before embracing a role behind the scenes in cinematography, writing, producing, and directing. Inspired by her rise in Hollywood and anecdotes from friends within the entertainment industry, she turned that into a romantic music drama, Off the Record, from Quiver Distribution. The film follows Astor Grey (Rainey Qualley), a rising singer-songwriter, who falls for washed-up rock star Brandyn Verge (Ryan Hansen). Their whirlwind romance spirals into a dark tale of manipulation, forcing Astor to fight for her independence and reclaim her music and identity. Foe spoke to Bleeding Cool about how Off the Record became a story rooted in feminism, how Qualley lived her character's journey, Qualley and Hansen's chemistry, the supporting cast, and how executive producer and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay became one of her biggest supporters.

Off the Record Writer and Director Kirsten Foe on Film Became a Story of Courage and Perseverance

Bleeding Cool: What's the inspiration behind 'Off the Record?'

A lot of the inspiration comes from personal experiences. I came up in the stunt industry, which is a male-dominated industry, so many of my experiences translated into Astor's experiences. There were also plenty of stories from the music industry about women who had to fight for their autonomy, songs, and lives.

What made Rainey and Ryan so perfect for these roles, and how did they develop their chemistry on screen?

Rainey, honestly, we could not have found a better Astor. Aster's story parallels Rainey's in that she also has a music career based out of Los Angeles. A lot of the locations where we filmed were places, coincidentally, where she performed, and she brought a lot of Astor's nuances to the character. Her best friend in real life plays her best friend in the movie, Olivia Sui. There was a vulnerability Rainey was able to tap into because she has lived these experiences that really come across in the highs and the lows.
With Ryan, because Brandyn is a very complicated character, we liked the idea of having someone who was very likable from the get-go, someone we're familiar with, that we trust. I wanted to make the point that it's harder to believe that the people that we like are doing bad things, so it takes a little longer for us to see the red flags when somebody is affable and likable. Ryan is all of those things in real life, very much a good guy, and he chose to do this because he has daughters, which I find admirable. He shows the charming side of [Brandyn] and goes into the dark places. When we said, "Cut!" [Ryan] would come right back to be a joy to have on set, which was important. I didn't want to terrorize people in real life with the character.

How did their chemistry develop?

It was interesting. The first scene we filmed with them is him coming to her on the boat and giving her the guitar, and it was a perfect scene, because they didn't know each other. There was a feeling of her being a little too closed off and standoffish towards him, which may have also come from the fact that this was the first time they met each other, right? I felt that worked, and then, as they became friends, we were in the desert filming, and that became the first time anyone heard her sing in front of the fire.
Ryan's reaction to that was very genuine, and he was like, "Oh my gosh! You can sing!" He knew, obviously, the character was going to sing. The respect that grew from that experience blossomed. And so a lot of what we were filming in the desert, they were getting to know each other and becoming friends. They had a lot of respect for what each other was bringing to their respective characters, and as a director, it was a dream, because as they're getting to know each other in real life, they are on the screen. I feel like it translated.

Could you talk about how you got the rest of the cast with Julia [Campbell], Will [Peltz], and Rebecca [De Mornay], and how you got cameos in Billy [Gibbons], Peyton [Manning], and Edgerrin [James]?

We had an amazing connection with our executive producer, Jim Irsay, who owns the Indianapolis Colts. As big as he is a football fan, I would say he's probably even a bigger music fan. He came onto this project as an advocate for me as a female filmmaker, but he was also excited about the music side of this. We got a cover of a Tom Petty song by Brandy Carlisle and Jason Isabell, because Jim had those connections. He also had connections to Billy Gibbons and, of course, (Colts legend) Peyton Manning. Jim was gracious enough to make those calls for us.

I grew up watching movies that Rebecca was in, I've always been a huge fan of hers, and she's a powerful woman. She seemed like the perfect person, and when I spoke with her, I got that vibe. She also has a 25-year-old daughter. She got the character (of Kate) and she has that fierce protective nature already, so I knew it was going to translate through. We were lucky with Julia Campbell, too, as Rainey's mom, Rosemary. She's the nicest woman, very different from Christie Masters (from 1997's 'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion') [laughs]. It's funny to me that's the role she's best known for, because she was the exact opposite. She was the warmest and most lovely person, not to mention that she also has a daughter around the same age as Rainey. That personal connection was able to come through.

Off the Record is currently available on demand and digital.

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