How the stars aligned for the launch of WW7 Entertainment

Earlier this month, comedy-focused commercial production company World War Seven (WW7) launched WW7 Entertainment – ​​an entertainment division to produce feature films, episodes, podcasts and more, led by producers Peter Kline and Alex Needles.

“We are planning to work together [WW7 partner, David] Shafei and the amazing roster of talented directors at WW7… bring comedic filmmakers who are more traditionally in the entertainment industry but align with WW7’s brand ethos, creating our own curated list that builds on the great work the company has done in “The decade has been curated for the last few years,” Alex tells LBB.

Aiming to produce more of the “novel, unexpected and entertaining stories” for which WW7 has become known in the commercial arena, the division launched with a familiar sense of subversive humor and produced “Pavements,” an unusual documentary-musical hybrid about the legendary 90s band Pavement starring Jason Schwartzman, Tim Heidecker and Joe Keery and directed by Alex Ross Perry. Other upcoming projects include a documentary for Sony Pictures Classics, a true crime podcast series with Wondery, and a number of scripted comedy projects.

LBB’s Ben Conway caught up with Alex and Peter to discuss their plans for the new department and how they’re looking for writers and directors with diverse voices that align with WW7’s sensibilities.

Above: Producers Alex Needles and Peter Kline

LBB> What was the trigger for the launch of WW7 Entertainment?

Peter> Alex and I knew it [WW7 founders] David [Shafei] and Josh [Ferrazzano]and Sloane [Skala, executive producer] for many years. We have long admired what they built during World War Seven. It was more a question of timing and synchronicity. Our sensibilities have always been the same and WW7 has reached a stage of maturity where they have killed the commercial game and are now ready to expand into new things – particularly entertainment. So the stars really aligned this year.

LBB> In short, what are the main features of WW7 Entertainment? What do you need to work with other companies for and what can you achieve internally?

Alex> We truly build from the ground up and engage our creative staff from the start. We help generate ideas and help develop the story – or we find the story. We create materials that we believe will stand out in the market and then bring in strategic partners, be it a key executive producer or a key part of the casting.

Peter> Because we have been working at the intersection of brand work and traditional entertainment for a long time, we have been very successful in attracting key brand partners to support traditional entertainment. We are drawn to materials that are unique and innovative. We advocate for artists who have a unique voice and want to set new standards. While it may be challenging to deliver these projects, we believe that ultimate success and longevity in this industry comes from doing great and courageous work.

LBB> You are producers of the quirky documentary-musical hybrid “Pavements,” about the band Pavement, which debuted in Venice. What can you tell us about this project?

Peter> The special thing about this film is that it is practically unclassifiable. It breaks the somewhat hackneyed form of music documentation and turns it on its head. From the start, we knew that if we were going to make a documentary about Pavement, one of my favorite bands from the ’90s and perhaps the model for the distant, ironic, anti-commercial ethos that characterized that era, then we knew we couldn’t do it easily do. We never thought about going to a documentary filmmaker, but rather a narrative filmmaker who could invent and create their own interpretation of what the band Pavement represents. Alex Ross Perry was our first choice and luckily he was a big fan of the band.

Alex> We were incredibly grateful to premiere the film at the Venice International Film Festival this month and to be there with the cast and crew. Such response and reaction is incredible and a real confirmation of the last few years. Next week we’re off to the New York Film Festival, with a special concert by the band before our home premiere, which we’re all really excited about. It’s unique to have this kind of relationship between the protagonists and partners in the film.

LBB> The film stars well-known names such as Jason Schwartzman, Tim Heidecker and Joe Keery – what were the most fulfilling and challenging moments in the development of the project?

Peter> Alex Ross Perry was incredible at coming up with brilliant, creative, borderline unproducible ideas, providing all the pieces, including an incredible cast, an incredible script, and even a completely fleshed out musical, and saying, “Guys, we have to do this do that day.” – Make it happen, whatever it takes. On the other hand, after capturing all the amazing, different parts, we had an incredible creative partner – producer and editor Robert Greene – who, along with Alex, helped develop this really unique, strange, perfect, associative architecture that helped us achieve this by filming together. Our absolute favorite thing to do is work with creative people and help bring their wild, beautiful ideas to life.

LBB> In addition to films, the division will also work on episodic offerings and podcasts. How have you prepared your company to work with these media? How is it different from the World War 7 advertising page?

Alex> In addition to some documentaries and podcasts that will be released next year, we are also developing narrative projects for film and television. We plan to work with Shafei and the amazing roster of talented directors at WW7, bringing in comedic filmmakers who are more traditionally in the entertainment industry but align with WW7’s brand ethos, and create our own curated list built on the amazing work , which the company has curated over the last decade.

LBB> You say the entertainment projects will embody WW7’s patented blend of eccentricity and craftsmanship – how do you find new projects to develop and artists to collaborate with on this long-form content?

Peter> It really just depends on what we find interesting, funny and unique. Ultimately, it is a curation process. We are drawn to certain writers and directors because of their different viewpoints and naturally seek out those voices. The rest tends to evolve from there. Great creators have great ideas and we love bringing them to life.

Alex> WW7 has always been drawn to novel, unexpected and entertaining forms of storytelling. That’s one of the reasons we were so excited to join forces. Our sensibilities are very well aligned, so decisions about what to pursue are usually easy.

LBB> What other specialties or focuses do you have besides comedy? For example, what projects or previous experiences prepared you for work as a documentary filmmaker or podcaster?

Peter> As producers, we have successfully bridged the gap between brands and traditional entertainment, working with global brands like Lyft, Pepsi and Coinbase – in both the short-form world and traditional long-form entertainment. It is a delicate, nuanced process as both sides need to be trained to work together. The goal is always to create exciting and interesting work, and during this transitional period in both advertising and entertainment, it is important to think about new forms of partnership and how to do work that benefits everyone.

Alex> Peter and I have similar sensibilities but different backgrounds. I think that’s what makes us so dynamic: we identify the things that are important to us artistically or ethically and bring our own specialty and background to the creative or financial task. And despite a lot of what we hear from the market about what is needed to meet certain mandates or what projects might be most profitable, we have a unique perspective – and stubbornness – to dedicate the time to what we believe is right. We hope the work speaks for itself.