Spike Feresten reveals ‘if it’s funny’ it went in ‘Unfrosted’; why Jerry Seinfeld is ‘a race car’ who hates cliches’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“Jerry remains committed to the funniest thing,” states Spike Feresten about writing with Jerry Seinfeld. In our recent webchat he adds, “You would be surprised at how quickly people lose sight of those simple directions. He also hates cliches. Even if you are going to write a thank you note, if you know Jerry, no cliches and keep it short.” When working on a script, “come up with a unique version of saying something or don’t say it at all. That makes the writing very lively.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
Feresten and Seinfeld both worked on “Unfrosted,” the new Netflix film about the wild fictional story of the creation of Pop-Tarts . Comparing toasting a tart and writing a movie, Feresten admits, “Making a Pop-Tart is much easier. Writing movies would be like if it took four years to toast the Pop-Tart and you had to check in on it every couple of hours. But, when it finally premiers it is delicious. It’s like biting into a really good blueberry frosted.”
Feresten, Seinfeld, Andy Robin and Barry Marder wrote “Unfrosted.” The comedy TV movie gives a fictionalized account of the creation of the Pop-Tart. Seinfeld directs the film (his first) and stars as Kellogg’s employee Bob Cabana. Feresten says, “The guideline from day one was very simple and so liberating: If it’s funny, we’re putting it in. Jerry would say that every day. We just wanted to make people laugh. We were in a dark time. Hollywood was churning out these depressing movies. We needed to be taking people out of this and giving them a little break. We thought we’d try that and here we are.”
In the film, cereal giants Kellogg’s and Post compete to invent “a shelf stable fruit pastry breakfast product.” Giving the story high stakes provides a launching pad for a film packed with jokes and absurdity. Feresten explains “Both companies had essentially the same product, but Kellogg’s came up with a better name. Everything we throw up, joke or otherwise, had to fit on that bare tree. It’s like decorating a Christmas tree. Jerry would say, ‘what would a funeral look like with full cereal honors? What would they do in this imaginary world?’ It was really ‘Seinfeld’ storytelling.”
Feresten has a long career in comedy. He hosted “Talkshow with Spike Feresten” rom 2006-2009. He also wrote for David Letterman before joining the writer’s room on “Seinfeld.” There he wrote the iconic ‘Soup Nazi’ episode. He says being a writer, “you can be the gas in a Prius or a race car. When you get guys like that, they’re race cars. Put the right gas in and you can write ‘The Soup Nazi.’ I can tell that story and nobody’s ever going to hear about it. Put it in that race car and it’s gonna explode. They can turn it into something beyond your ability.”
He reflects, “I’ve learned to listen closely to little ideas. To think maybe I shouldn’t go to the gym right now, maybe I should come back to Jerry and go, ‘you might have something there.’ Because ideas are fleeting, they are little thoughts. You’ll have a random thought in the dentist chair as a writer. Write it down. Look back on it later. Because it might be something.”
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