With the documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop opening in limited release this weekend, I was recently able to interview director Rodman Flender.  As a big fan of Conan O'Brien, I was one of the many who thought NBC's decision to let him go was a mistake, and I've still not forgiven Jay Leno for screwing Conan out of his job.  #TeamCoco.  If you're not aware, the documentary offers an inside look at O’Brien after his departure from The Tonight Show and it "offers a window into the private writers room and rehearsal halls as O’Brien’s Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour is almost instantly assembled and mounted."  If you're a Conan fan, you should definitely check it out.

During my extended interview with Flender, we talked about how the project came together, the editing process, what will be on the eventual DVD/Blu-ray, how much control did Conan have over the film, what kind of camera did he use and how large was his crew, Conan’s penchant for doing meet-and-greets and secret shows on his days off, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Director Rodman Flender

  • :31 How the project came together and how soon after Conan left NBC they got started.
  • 1:52 Talks about editing the film and how much footage they had to go through after all was said and done.
  • 3:25 How involved Conan was in the creative process. Talks about whether there was anything that Conan didn’t want filmed.
  • 6:23 Talks about the challenges in the editing process and what scenes he ultimately had to cut from the film.
  • 7:42 DVD/Blu-ray extras. Says they’re working on it right now, but there will be more concert footage, editing room scenes, etc. Talks about scenes that will be included on the disc.
  • 9:19 Whether or not he will release a director’s cut.
  • 9:41 Talks about the experience of screening the film at South By Southwest.
  • 11:08 The logistics of filming. Talks about how big the crew was and what equipment they used.
  • 13:21 How often he had to tell people to pause while he changed camera batteries/memory cards.
  • 14:03 Talks about what times during the day they would film and whether or not there was a set schedule of “filming times.”
  • 15:10 Talks about Conan’s penchant for doing meet-and-greets and secret shows on his days off.
  • 16:05 From his days directing television, talks about the show that he remembers most fondly, Tales From the Crypt.

 

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop poster