Movie Interview: 500 Days of Summer

Before 500 Days of Summer premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, director Marc Webb was established as a music video director, in fact he won a few MTV VMA's for his work for bands like the All-American Rejects and Weezer, and in his directorial movie debut, music plays a key role.

Radaronline.com sat down with the youthful director to discuss 500 Hundred Days of Summer which opens July 17th and grill him on that lamb that always shows up in his work.

RadarOnline.com: Before you directed this film you were a video director. What was your favorite video to direct?

MW: I have many favorites for different reasons.  I think my favorite concept was Brand New's Sic Transit Gloria.  Though my favorite video to shoot was POD's Change The World where the producer, the cinematographer and I traveled around the world for three weeks collecting footage. It was an adventure to say the least.

RadarOnline.com: How important would you say music is in 500 Days of Summer?

MW: I would say very important.  It's important because the characters talk about it in relation to each other (we all do) and it's important as a way to set the tone for certain scenes.  I tried not to rely on music the same way you do in a music video but there's a way that music can say something about the scene and character that other tools just cant. 

RadarOnline.com: What attracted you to this material?

MW: It's a guy's journey through a relationship.  We so often get (are forced) to see it through the woman's eyes.  There were a lot of technical challenges and crazy filmmaking tricks - but ultimately I just related to being that guy. 

RadarOnline.com: What was the first record or single you ever bought?

MW: Peter Gabriel.  Security.

RadarOnline.com: How did you discover Carla Bruni?

MW: One of my producers and friends, Hagai Shaham played her for me several years ago.  His sister in London had sent it to him.  It was before she was the First Lady of France.  He played me that song Quelqu'un M'a Dit on the way to the airport when we were both in bad mood.  The first time I heard it - I don't know- I found it soothing.  I definitely discovered the music before I knew about the personality. 

RadarOnline.com: What's with the Lamb?

MW: All I can say is read Thomas Pynchon's Crying of Lot 39.  It's a similar symbol to the Thurn and Taxis post horn.  It's not a long book and by the end of it - you might be a little annoyed (especially if you're the type that REALLY turned against Lost in Season 3) but at the very least you might have a better understanding of what the Lamb is.

RadarOnline.com: What is your next project going to be?

MW: I'm not 100% sure but Scott and Michael are adapting a novel called The Spectacular Now.  It's about a particularly charming, unwieldy 17 year old who's trying to save the world.  Of course, it's him that needs the saving...

Movie review coming tomorrow!