Butt intended No Clue as an homage to film noir and classic murder mysteries. “There is something about the ‘there has been a murder and who did it?’ that is intrinsically interesting to humans,” he explains. “It is a genre that has survived for thousands of years and it is a genre that transcends cultures. Every culture in the world seems to have their collection of murder mysteries.” While stand-up and sitcom humour is what has made Butt famous, he emphasizes that No Clue is not just a comedy. “I never wanted to make a zany, wacky comedy, I wanted to make a dark, gritty murder mystery that just happens to be funny because the main character who’s trying to solve the mystery is in over his head,” he explains. “If you took all the comedy out of it, it would still work as a movie.” When discussing possible directors, it didn’t take long for Butt and his executive producer Laura Lightbown to decide on Bessai. The fact that Lightbown is married to the director was no issue for Butt, or for the distributor. “When Carl’s name came into the mix and we talked to the distributor [eOne], they said that’s a great idea,” says Butt. “I had worked with Carl before on Hiccups, so we had a small working relationship. I knew we could get along,” says Butt. But most importantly Butt realized he needed a feature film veteran to help realize the vision. “I hired him [Bessai], because I needed someone to make this a visual, cinematic experience,” explains Butt. “And also somebody who knew how to get the most out of a dollar. Carl has the reputation for being able to make a film look like it’s more expensive than it is . . . This movie, it could not look any better.” For Bessai, No Clue is a walk in the park compared to the hard work that goes into low budget, auteur, indie filmmaking. “No Clue was a great experience, because I didn’t have to raise the money, I didn’t have to worry,” he says. “It was really nice to sail in and do one job. It was the least stressed work I’ve done in a long time.” Jan Kiesser (Fido, Luna, Spirit of the Whale) is the DOP on the movie. “He brings a level of expertise that is a bit bigger than I am used to,” says Bessai of working with Kiesser. “With Reel West November / December 2013
(Top) Amy Smart as ‘Kyra’ and Brent Butt as ‘Leo’; (Bottom) Brent Butt and David Koechner as ‘Ernie’. Photo By Diyah Pera
Jan, we had aspirations to do things that were a little bit more elevated, tools like cranes and picture cars and things that are a little more dynamic.” Having the Vancouver Film Orchestra record the film score at the Warehouse Studios was another first for Bessai. “I was spoiled,” he admits. “The soundtrack brings a level of scale and nuance to the movie.” But most of all, Bessai learned how to direct comedy from Butt. “One of the things I’ve learned from working with Brent is, you really need to stay on the joke. Meaning that if someone tells a joke and they’re saying something funny, you should really be looking at that person when they say the thing that is funny. Not cut away from them,” says Bessai. “Front and centre in this movie is Brent and the comedic tour he’s on.” Though No Clue targets an international audience, the shooting loca-
tion Vancouver is not hidden, quite to the contrary. “Brent really wanted to do something that showcased this city that he loves, Vancouver,” said Bessai. “The plot takes him into the world of videogame programming. There is a climactic scene in the harbour. We really employ the look and feel of the city of Vancouver in the movie.” Butt agrees: “In some ways, it’s a love letter to Vancouver. I’ve lived here twenty years now and I love the city so much. I never intended to move here. I just came here and never left. I wanted to make sure we showed how beautiful the city was and also how there are some real gritty, dark areas, back alleys and seedy characters.” The film also contains homages to places that are close to Butt’s heart, like the legendary comedy club Urban Well. While the film is uniquely set in Vancouver, both filmmakers are ex-
cited to look south of the 49th parallel. “I’m perfectly happy living and working in Canada, but I just want to be able to do projects that aren’t only appealing to Canadians, I want to be able to do projects that appeal to a global audience, and certainly to the American audience, because there is almost 400 million people living in our basement,” says Butt. Bessai is currently balancing his time between Vancouver and L.A. where he has a manager. “Nothing’s easier than popping back and forth between Vancouver and L.A.,” he says. “If you want to reach the international market with your movies, you can’t shutter yourself from the U.S.” With the film’s release slated for the spring, the production team is pulling out all the stops to promote No Clue. Butt’s tens of thousands of loyal followers, including those on Twitter No Clue continued on page 29 17