SHORTS AND TO THE POINT: Emily Wilson’s DANNY’S GIRL amps up the WTF as an online couple meet for the first time

Emily Wilson’s short film DANNY’S GIRL, which recently debuted in the Midnight section at the Sundance Film Festival, follows the first meeting between Danny and Cleo after an online courtship, Alone for a moment shortly after picking Cleo up, Danny accidentally discovers something she has been carrying with her, causing him to have a moment of extreme panic. His reaction and the fact that he can’t “fix” it now adds to the already nearly insurmountable pressure he was feeling about their first meeting. At his home, Danny (literally) sweats it out, dreading Cleo’s discovery of what he knows and what he has done, while she tries to make sense out of it all and retain what had touched her about Danny online. Their evening soon becomes the stuff of nightmares, head shaking intentions and awkward comedy from which these two souls try to work through in order to make a connection.

DANNY’S GIRL takes a familiar scenario/setting: Online dating, and a first meeting between incredibly sensitive and shy people. Then it adds a healthy dollop of “What the hell was that?” and “What did hey just say?!” into the mix. The result is cringy in all the best ways with two people that are instantly recognizable within each of us (though we definitely would not admit to it) – even if we haven’t had moments of isolated desperation in the midst of a date like Danny and Cleo have.

1 So…fess up. Have you had any personal experience with online dating? And if so, how did it inspire DANNY’S GIRL? I used Tinder for 2 months, and it was overwhelming – but I’d try it again! In terms of DANNY’S GIRL, it was actually inspired by my friend’s long distance relationship at the time. And the internet generally feels like the perfect breeding ground for unwanted revelations and potential disappointment, which is great for dark comedy and horror.

2 Was the character of Danny inspired by anyone you know, and if he was, have you let that person know about it? 

Funnily enough, I wrote the screenplay specifically for my friend Danny Dikel. One day I just told him, “Danny, I’m writing a screenplay and I want you to be the lead,” and he agreed. He has a natural talent for comedic timing and a hilarious physicality, so that inspired the character coupled with his natural essence. Although the character of Danny is dialed way up, of course. Generally, I love writing awkward, outsider characters who feel alienated by the world in which they live. I’m also inspired by the work of R. Crumb, so everything sort of aligned perfectly to create the character.

3 Can you give some insight as to the challenges of hitting the sweet spot tonally in the film? Because it is a very unsettling and yet sweet world you’ve created for your onscreen couple – and a misstep could have easily tipped the scales in an unfortunate way in either direction.

Once I decided to make the film, perfecting the tone was definitely my biggest concern, so I appreciate you saying that we hit the sweet spot. Since the world of the film is heightened and the premise is a bit wacky, we needed to make sure that the character’s motivations and behaviors were rooted in sincere emotion. So we rehearsed a lot before shooting in order to make sure that we understood their decisions, cared deeply for them, and ultimately were rooting for them. Since that was the foundation, it freed us up to embrace and experiment with the darker, zanier stuff.

4 Can you give a specific instance where your documentary background helped you either on the set or in the editing room with this particular narrative project? 

If anything, because I do have so much experience in documentary, I had so much enthusiasm towards shotlisting and storyboarding every moment of DANNY’S GIRL. That element of control and pre-planning isn’t always available in the world of documentary, which is often unpredictable and less cinematic. So it was nice to flex those muscles, and really nail down how I wanted to tell the story visually, and with precision.

5 “Fireworks going off” is a common theme when it comes to the communication of love or romantic moments and it is used in a very funny and inventive way in DANNY’S GIRL. How did that idea come about? 

I love that you noticed that. It was actually the sound designer, Dean White, who put the fireworks sound effect under the “fertilization enzyme bursts.” It definitely adds another layer of victory and triumph, which is great for Danny.

6 Which one is the deal breaker: flop sweat or dangerously weak stomach? I had to google “flop sweat,” and I must say that what I thought up in my mind is much worse than what it actually is. I’d have to say the deal breaker would be a dangerously weak stomach. It would be more intrusive on a daily basis. I just imagine unnecessary rest stops, unnerving stomach gurgling, public transportation nightmares, having to carry Tums everywhere, etc. 

7 Popcorn or Candy?

I’m obsessed with popcorn and eat it every night, to the point where my molars hurt fairly consistently.