How WW7 basked in the Legend of the Lizard

When did you become involved with the GEICO project? Was it always intended to be an extended documentary, or did that develop during the process?

This project came to me through the ordinary bidding process. However, as soon as I read the scripts, met the creatives, and understood the bigger concept, I knew it was something I had to be part of.

If I remember correctly, it was initially scoped for four spots, with a teaser and a long-form piece. At the time, we thought the long-form would be two to four minutes, combining all the best stuff from the four spots. But when we started shooting, we all suspected that the long-form piece had the potential to grow into something much bigger.

What were the initial steps? Which aspects did you need to establish first?

The main thing for me was to first identify the conflicts. Not necessarily that the Gecko had enemies, but I wanted to figure out some dynamics between the Gecko and his friends and family that could lead to more comedy. 

When we started shooting, we all suspected that the long-form piece had the potential to grow into something much bigger.

The Martin Agency brilliantly used the caveman as the foil, the one character that could go after the Gecko. I tried to find those dynamics in his friends and family, making them a bit complicated; Ilove mixed with jealousy, ownership, or competition. Things that could give our actors more ways into the scripts and their own improvisation.

How did you film the 'documentary'?

When shooting a mockumentary, I like to be method in approach. Sounds silly, but it works. We don’t want to just do a caricature of a documentary; we want to go at it as if it’s real. When thinking about the approach, it’s essential to do it as a documentary crew would—that means a leaner production. We worked with the amazing Polly Morgan and tried to embrace a more stripped-down shooting style. 

There were moments, because of schedule needs, where we required more support and gear than an average Netflix documentary, but I always tried to stay true to this stripped-down way of thinking. That was not the case for production design - Melissa Meyers and her team had to craft a world of Gecko memorabilia and history and then weave it into our sets while trying to make the overall world feel authentic.

As for the writing, Dustin Dodd, Graham Utenberger, and Ryan Raab did a brilliant job. They brought so much to the table that we built even further together. With my producer, Michael Mitchell, we designed a production where we could capture as many of those ideas on film as possible. 

We were so lucky to have skilled improvisers who could nail their scripted lines and then push it all further.

It was a complicated little puzzle, and every day was packed with setups and tiny moments, especially with what we asked each actor to do. We went to set with more than just lines for the actors; we had character worksheets (which Graham and Dustin crushed) to give them enough character backstory to make the lines and their stories their own.

Then, on set, I would improvise with the actors, in character as this documentarian, always trying to ground the tone in reality. Even my 1st AD, Jason Lombardo, got into it, bringing some actors to the interview chair as if they actually were that person. The actors took their lines and ran with them. 

We were so lucky to have skilled improvisers who could nail their scripted lines and then push it all further. This goes back to the idea of their relationships with the Gecko and how each relationship helped or hindered their own lives. We also spiraled down these little absurd wormholes—gecko burrows, if you will. For instance, we have a Gecko superfan at GeckCon, Molly. It wasn’t enough that they loved the Gecko; we wanted to have emotional repercussions with her stepmother, Tammy. That’s the best kind of madness to me.

What were your influences on the style and content of the film?

The main two references for me were the Arnold Netflix documentary and almost everything Christopher Guest has ever done. Arnold for the style and emotional grandiosity, and Guest for his characters’ intense commitment to their points of view and general absurdity.

How was the story developed?

The Martin team began the process with an incredible book of scripts, themes, and ideas. They really love the Gecko and know him. Then, together with production, casting, and the art department, we expanded the world, added some new stuff, and opened up other aspects. 

It was one of the most joyful commercial processes I’ve ever been a part of. Geico had so much confidence and trust in Martin and production, and themselves, really. They never shied away from pushing the work. It was awesome.

What was the most challenging aspect of the filming and editing process?

The most challenging thing? Huh. Well, it was a lot of work, for sure. But it was the best kind of work. The puzzle of how we would fit it all into our shoot time was definitely not easy. Thank you again, Michael Mitchell and Jason Lombardo.

The main two references for me were the Arnold Netflix documentary and almost everything Christopher Guest has ever done.

The edit was equally challenging. We shot 17 hours of footage, 19 if you include the Gecko Commercial archive. Nick Divers at Cabin, with the help of Chris Kelly, cut the campaign, carving the long form out of all of it. I’ve worked with Nick now on three branded mockumentary projects. The most recent was for the Oreo Doomsday Vault. He was my first call when I started working on the treatment. Nick is a brilliant comedy editor. But as good as he is at making comedy work, he’s just as gifted at finding the heart of characters. It’s the understanding that even something as silly as a doc about a lizard can still have a bit of soul. This campaign wouldn’t have been half as good without him.