The stars of Love & Air Sex' sit down to chat about indie rom-coms, the art of collaboration, and why storytelling should be an actor's main objective.
Love & Air Sex is one of those rare movies that successfully blends romance, comedy, raunchiness, and genuine pathos into an accessible indie package. Set in his home base of Austin, Texas, director Bryan Poyser (Dear Pillow, Lovers of Hate)'s story of love and forgiveness offers a peek into Austin's thriving nightlife scene while providing an authentic portrayal of modern relationships. What only adds to the fun is that an several important sequences takes place at the World Air Sex Championship at the famed Alamo Drafthouse.
Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism) and Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield) star as Cathy and Stan, a pair of ex-lovers who, thanks to a little internet stalking, happen to be in Austin the same weekend. Though the two are rarely on-screen together, Bell and Stahl-David generate wonderful chemistry that radiates even when one is off screen.
We had the opportunity to speak with Bell and Stahl-David about the film, working in different storytelling media and the importance of staying creative in between projects.Tribeca: Love & Air Sex marks the first time that either one of you has appeared in a romantic comedy. What were your first reactions to the script? At what page did you know you wanted to be a part of the film?
Michael Stahl-David: Well, the very first scene with my character Stan masturbating [laughs] certainly caught my attention. What really struck me was that after he finishes, he reaches for a Kleenex box and when he realizes there's nothing inside, he just grabs the fitted sheet. That to me was so dark, funny and sad just real. I was really intrigued at that point [laughs] and eagerly read the rest of the script.
Ashley Bell: I think it's the most exciting thing in the world to have a script emailed to you. You just never know what story will be packed inside. It's so fun to read it without any initial judgments. I feel like I devoured the script because I was so curious. I was attracted to the role of Cathy beside she finds herself walking that fine line between Should I fall back in love and go back to a way that I know? or Should I move on or should plunge into a new relationship? I also was really excited by her awkwardness it was something I could relate to.
Tribeca: It was so interesting to see a romantic comedy with characters with real flaws like real people.
AB: Yes! Michael you said something so wonderful yesterday. Love & Air Sex is not your trite studio romantic comedy. The film features interesting characters in real-life situations. Some story lines work out and some don't because that's real life.
A director who allows actors the freedom to collaborate is the bravest kind of director.
Tribeca: Obviously, the film is very performance-driven, and you both are wonderful. If you had to pick one word to describe Bryan as a director, what would that be and why? Can you talk about the ways that you were able to collaborate with him?
MSD: Joyful would be my one word. It takes so much work to get a movie made. It's kind of amazing to think about how many hours of a filmmaker's life are spent on set. Bryan was just so psyched everyday. He had this incredible looseness to him. Bryan was also so accepting of our ideas and was happy to let us try things and improvise. Some directors can be tight or controlling or anxious when it gets down to crunch time, but Bryan just seemed really happy.
AB: Joyful is the perfect word. Bryan had such a direct vision for what he wanted and how he wanted the story to be told. He beautifully weaved a love story and a breakup story in the Air Sex world. At the same time, he still was open and spontaneous. He would ask us what our character would think and then let us try different things. A director who allows actors the freedom to collaborate is the bravest kind of director.
Tribeca: The main ensemble of Love & Air Sex also includes Zach Cregger and Sara Paxton. Did the four of you bond as a group? How did Bryan help facilitate that process?
AB: Bryan had this perfectly calculated and coordinated group bonding session for a few days before filming. It was like, We're going to do crash course and you guys are going to be best friends and have tons of history in like three days. We played badminton and came up with secret handshakes. He also did a really cool exercise where he had us write break up letters to each other in character, which on the more meaningful side of things, provided a strong subtext for whatever we were going to go through.
Tribeca: Love & Air Sex was primarily shot in Austin. Is Austin the new indie Hollywood? What's the best thing about making films in Austin?
MSD: The locations you can get are pretty special. We were shooting in the airport; we were shooting in all these well-known establishments. There was just a tremendous ease to it all. We could shoot openly on the street without any gawkers even on 6th Street, which was chaotic. The fact that we could shoot at will was cool.
AB: I feel like Bryan is so Austin film he's so that world. Everybody just opened up their doors to him. Two of my favorite scenes in the film were filmed at Justine's, which I think is newer Austin, and then at The Broken Spoke, a dance hall that could not possibly exist in L.A. or New York.
MSD: The ceilings were like seven feet tall.
AB: You could just feel the years of dance that have been pounded into that floor. To me, that is Austin.
Tribeca: Love & Air Sex has received an incredible amount of support through the Austin community and beyond. Bryan, producer Trace Sheehan and their team successfully held a Kickstarter campaign to take the film on the road.
AB: I think what Bryan has
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The stars of Love & Air Sex' sit down to chat about indie rom-coms, the art of collaboration, and why storytelling should be an actor's main objective. 
