Q&A With Brett Michael Innes, Director “Daryn’s Gym”

The mocumentary comedy, Daryn’s Gym, from writer-director, Brett Michael Innes. Daryn’s Gym was released nationwide on 1 December 2021.

SAMDB got the chance to do a Q&A with director of Daryn’s Gym, Brett Michael Innes.

Set in a family gym in Randburg, the film sees the lovable Daryn JNR pitted against the ruthless owner of a multi-national fitness centre as he fights to keep his family legacy alive.

Some of your past credits come from varied genres, listing amongst others “Fiela se Kind”, “Sink”, and “The Story of Racheltjie De Beer”. Daryn’s Gym is a departure from those more dramatic genres. Why the change?

It’s definitely a pivot from my usual heavy content but one that I’m so glad I made as I got to explore another creative part of myself while also engaging in the kind of content that I believe audiences currently want to watch. After a year of lockdown and load shedding, no one wants to turn on the tv and watch more heavy stuff so I decided to create something that would meet the viewers where they are at. I am a huge fan of mocumentary comedy as a viewer so it was very much in line with my taste preference.

What would you see as the most important quality needed for a director of a comedy film?

There are many sub-genres in the comedy space and, as I considered the mocumentary style, I realized that these are all directed as dramas with the comedy being found in the human moments and not in slapstick reactions or caricatures. For me it meant that any time we were tempted to ‘try and be funny’ we would always take a step back and ‘play to truth, not to the punch line’. In doing so it allowed us to create characters who felt rooted in reality and also meant that the comedy was found around the truth.

You’ve said you were inspired to write Daryn’s Gym because of a gym across the road from you. There must have been many interesting and colourful characters training there that would have contributed to ideas for the story. Anything in particular that stands out from the many memories?

Gym culture is one that I feel carries a ton of room for comedy as the people who are a part of this space are really dynamic and interesting. From the yoga moms to the fitness bros, the pensioners to the trainers, all of them have strong opinions around how to do life and the funniest ways of living this out. The film doesn’t set out to mock the sub-culture but rather find the humour in the way they go about their day. I mean, anyone who has seen a fitness influencer lifting their shirt to pose for a flexed selfie in the gym mirror knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Did you have any special process to prepare for Daryn’s Gym? Can you share a little about that.

Unlike my previous films which required heavy preparation in terms of execution, the mocumentary style requires a certain flexibility that allows the filmmakers to find the magic as opposed to curate it. This meant that we would arrive on set with a strong script and, together with a team of talented humans, ‘find the scene’ as we allowed it to grow in the space we were shooting. Not only does this add to the documentary feel of the piece but it also allowed up to play and find things that wouldn’t have been on the page. We prepared to be surprised

Did you find wearing both a director and writer hat meant that one helped the other?

I’ve always been the writer of the films I’ve directed so the two can’t be separated for me. As a writer, my scripts are written not just with my directing in mind but also with the edit in focus so that I know where moments can cut.

Given the current global pandemic, have you found you’ve needed to make a big shift in work methodology, from on-set procedures to eventual feature release?

ilming during COVID is no joke and, beyond adjusting to wearing a mask all day that literally hides my expression and mannerisms from the people I’m trying to create with, it added an extra layer of tension as every day brought with it the fear of being shut down due to an exposure. Needless to say, I am super grateful that we managed to come out of the experience with no exposures on set and a movie that actually makes sense.

Could you share a little about where to from here, for you?

Where to from here? To keep making movies and hopefully get budgets that will allow me to create more complex narratives. There are a couple of dramas cooking in the background so here’s hoping I get to go into 2022 with one that is ready to shoot. The comedy bug, however, has bitten so I look forward to exploring new avenues for myself as time goes on.

Any piece of advice for aspiring writers / directors?

Advise to people wanting to get into the industry? Watch movies. And lots of them. And not just the popcorn content that is churned out from the US. Get on Netflix and Showmax and watch cinema from Mexico, South Korea, Lebanon and Norway. Learn how different cultures express their cinematic voice so that when you get the chance to make your film, you do so from an informed space.

Read more about Drayn’s Gym

Watch Daryn’s Gym on eVOD

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb