In Conversation with Gracie Roebuck co-Director of Lucky Louie

Grace Roebuck is a Los Angeles writer, director, and producer. Her first film, Lucky Louie, which she co-wrote and co-directed with her father, Daniel Roebuck, was just released this spring. She majored in TV Production at Cal State Northridge, and before that spent much of her childhood on sets, standing in the shadows and watching. In addition to writing, directing, and producing she hopes to be a show creator and eventual showrunner.

indieactivity: How would you describe your work as a director?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): I really love the minutiae as a director. The quiet vignettes and meticulous details that might not be considered necessary, but I find so special to discover as a viewer. I try to always embed moments like that in whatever I am creating.

How did you get into directing?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): I always knew I loved writing, but directing was a territory I thought I wouldn’t venture into for a while. In college I had a really incredible professor who taught directing, and it was the first time I felt capable of being in that position, thanks to the lessons he taught and exercises we did. I remember thinking that I loved how it felt. Years later on my first film, that feeling was still there, and even more palpable. On a poetic note, my eighth grade superlative was: Become a Director. I like to think the universe knew what was in my path before I truly did.

How do you choose a project to direct?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): I think any project is a possible project as long as it’s a story you want to tell, and believe in it. It translates on the screen when you can genuinely stand behind the story you’re trying to share with the world.

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What uniqueness can female directors bring to film/tv/cinema?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): Women are natural multitaskers, problem solvers, and are the calm in any storm. We make sure everyone’s fed, put out fires- big and small–, and are on standby to fix the inevitable problems that will arise on set. I also feel women are inherently empathetic, and it can at times be easier for us to search for and discover that vulnerability and rawness we often seek out in performances.

Do you often take courses to increase your craft?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): I am constantly writing or revising past things I have written. I try to read every night before bed. And I watch a lot, and I mean a lot, of films and television shows. If I think the writing is really fantastic on a series, I re-watch with closed captioning and try to only pay attention to the dialogue. I think it’s the best way to “study.”

If I have writer’s block I watch one of the films or shows that first made me realize I wanted to work in this industry. Before filming something of my own, I re-watch films that have a shooting style and aesthetic I might want to take inspiration from for my respective project, I pay close attention to the way they frame shots, edit, etc. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such talented storytellers today, but especially from our past.

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What books do you read?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): I have always enjoyed reading, dating back to secretly reading Nancy Drew way past my bedtime. Donna Tartt is my favorite author, with Stephanie Danler and Ann Patchett right behind her. I usually lean towards fiction, but every once in a while I sprinkle in some non-fiction. I recently finished Danler’s fierce and tender memoir, Stray. Currently on my nightstand: The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan; Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow; and Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl.

Why would you choose an actor, writer, or producer? what do you look for?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): When someone is eager about the project and wants to be there, it make a huge difference. Everyone is there for the same reason: they value the opportunity to tell whatever story it is you’re telling, and they believe in it. In addition to that, we only want to surround ourselves with good people. People who want to work hard and lead with kindness,

When you are offered a project, what things do you put in place to deliver a good job?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): Preparedness goes such a long way. It helps every other department when you as a director have a clear vision and you’re able to efficiently share that with your crew members. Patience, kindness, and an ability to adapt quickly without becoming frazzled,

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Briefly explain your latest work
Gracie Roebuck (GR): Lucky Louie is a family-friendly whondunnit, centered around a fifty-year-old bank robbery. A retired detective, four ex-convicts, and a forensics psychology major come together, with the help of their community, to finally solve the case.

Explain key challenges on your last film?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): Lucky Louie was born in the middle of the pandemic. Originally we were going to film The Hail Mary, which was announced in March 2020 right before everything happened and The Hail Mary was put on pause. A few months later my dad pitched an idea he had. We had it written in a month. A month later we were prepping and a month after that we were shooting. So it all happened very quickly, but we were able to pull it off. And on top of that, we navigated how to safely make a movie during Covid. We are so fortunate that even under those circumstances, no one on our set got sick.

What ‘thing/situation’ helps you during production?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): It is important to always remember that everyone is there to make the same thing. Your crew members are your team, and you’re all in it together. It also helps when you surround yourself with a team full of dedicated and talented individuals. (I am so lucky to have worked beside many of the same people on four movies already!) Delegate and trust people in their respective departments. It alleviates so much stress and the endless list of things to complete before filming even begins.

Explain a creative choice you took on the set of a recent production?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): A choice made early on for Lucky Louie was wanting to play homage to the old school Agatha Christie tales. We watched many of the original films, and wanted to replicate the format found in a traditional ending of a whodunnit, which is a “summation scene,” or the big reveal. It was a style we studied intensely while writing the screenplay and returned to it once filming our own summation scene.

How do you advise directors to find projects?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): Try to meet and spend time with as many creative people as possible. Help each other make shorts. Edit one another’s writing. And be on the lookout for your peers. I think more job possibilities come through colleagues and friends than we realize.

How did you finance your film?
Gracie Roebuck (GR): For Lucky Louie, our financing came through our non-profit, A Channel of Peace, an organization working towards creating family-friendly films. This was our first project under this umbrella. The next film also made through the non-profit is called The Hail Mary.

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Gracie Roebuck (GR): this is a placeholder text, that indicates that the content for this template must be placed between this block, to allow the article to hold a firm structure and also kill time for the writer or editor.

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