Interview By: Bruce Bluett
As a seasoned director and actor in independent film, Jon Favreau and IFC seem like a match made in heaven. Although Favreau has mostly moved away from the realm of independent film, he still clings to the less traveled path with his current project on IFC. Dinner For Five is a Jon Favreau experiment that has succeeded in it's mission of blending celebrities and famous personalities in relaxed and open discussion. Created and hosted by Favreau, Dinner For Five follows a loose and relaxed format, completely unscripted, and filled with unique perspective. Very seldom is there a topic of major discussion, there are only the four celebrity guests, Favreau, and food. As director, Favreau must choose which parts of the meal are television worthy. Sometimes it may be tough to narrow it down because so much of the footage is usable.
'The way we balance the show out is editing,' says Favreau. 'We made a decision early on for it not to be like a talk show. The whole show kind of came about from me seeing what I liked and didn't like about doing publicity. Going on Charlie Rose was a great experience because there was no one yelling 'Cut, Action'. There weren't crewmembers running around throwing him hand signals. It's all very distracting; you don't see it but on all the big late night talk shows, you're in the middle of a three-ring circus. There is someone keeping the crowd warmed up'it' all about the crowd and what people at home are seeing. I wanted to make it about the guests. I found on Charlie Rose, when I was a guest after Swingers, being put very much at ease because the cameras are all robotic. You're in a room that's not too big, there's an oak table, there's him, and there's a black curtain. There's nobody in the room and you're just sitting in there talking to him. After about five or ten minute you lose sight of the fact that you're on television. We wanted to be in a restaurant with no crew, there are a couple cameramen with long lenses about 10-20 feet away from the guests. When we sit down, they are already rolling and'we just eat'.
One may begin to wonder just how entertaining watching celebrities eat really is. Not to worry, great conversation naturally sparks.
'Sometimes we have over three hours of tape. Actually, the second show we shot, (Gary) Shandling wanted to get out of there in forty-five minutes. So, we were lucky that they all were funny so we could use it all. But now the shoots last about two hours. And since the show has been on for a while, the guests sort of know the format. They aren't a scared or confused by it', Favreau explains. 'So, they come in and were literally rolling as they are sitting down. There is no crew; only just a couple of cameramen'they don't even know were rolling yet. I'm not even asking them questions either. So, now that they know what the show is, they can ask each other question. As they conversations just start, there is a lot more usable footage.'
Not only is the show a creative idea, but also it goes over very well with the restaurants they chose to shoot in.
'The good thing is, restaurants love publicity because that's how they esteem themselves. They want to get good reviews, and they want to get famous people to like their food. A mystique often develops around it. Also, we plug the restaurant at the beginning of the show. And now on the DVD there is a extra were you can look up information as to where these restaurants are. We really appreciate the fact that they roll out the red carpet for us, and we like to reciprocate.'
While the show shies away from traditional talk show format, there are some elements that are arguably 'reality' based.
'People want to see real events. What people aren't as concerned about now is production value, seeing beautiful sets, seeing glitzy shows'people have seen it all. They want to see something real. So, by giving them real moments and editing it together in a way that's interesting and clever, it provides effective entertainment for a very specific audience.
John Favreau's endeavors have paid off, making the show a success for a network he has come to respect.
'We aren't driven by ratings, we aren't driven by advertising. We are simply driven by what we find interesting and what we think will make a good show, and what will fit into IFC. There is a lot of freedom.'
Catch Dinner For Five at 10 PM Fridays on IFC, or check www.ifctv.com for your local listings. Also, the first season of Dinner For Five is available in stores now!
BruceBluett@TheCinemaSource.com
