WE’LL TEL >>> KAYLA HERE WITH ANOTHER
VIDEO.
VIDEO. THE TOPIC OF TODAY’S VIDEO IS
PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE.
SO, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WHERE IS THERE.
WELL, "THERE" CAN BE ANYWHERE
THAT YOU WOULDN’T USUALLY GO,
MAYBE BECAUSE IT’S, LIKE, WEIRD
OR SCARY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>>
>> >> I THINK YOU’RE SO COOL.
>> I’M GOING TO STOP EATING WITH
YOU --
YOU -- >> CAN I SAY ONE THING PLEASE?
>> FINE.
>> FINE. >> THANK YOU.
LOOK, WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, I WAS
NOT COOL LIKE YOU.
YOU HAVE ALL THESE INTERESTS AND
YOUR VIDEOS AND JUST HOW YOU
EXPRESS YOURSELF IN THEM IS
SO -- IT’S JUST SO COOL.
IT’S SO GREAT.
AND I JUST THINK MAYBE YOU NEED
TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE A
LITTLE BIT MORE.
>> PLEASE STOP.
>> OH, MY GOSH, THIS IS SO GOOD.
A LOOK THERE AT THE NEW MOVIE
"EIGHTH GRADE" ABOUT A TEENAGE
GIRL ABOUT TO ENTER HIGH SCHOOL,
NAVIGATING TODAY’S ALL-CONSUMING
SOCIAL MEDIA AGE.
DID YOU SEE THE PHONE AT THE
TABLE AND SHE WAS LIKE, YOU
KNOW, LOOKING AT IT.
JOINING US NOW, THE FILM’S
WRITER AND DIRECTOR BEAU BURNEN.
THERE’S SO MANY THINGS.
THIS IS LIKE AN EXPLORATION OF
HUMAN ANXIETY IN THE TECHNOLOGY
AGE.
AGE. >> I WANTED TO WRITE A MOVIE
ABOUT HOW I WAS FEELING AT THE
TIME WHICH IS ANXIOUS.
THE MORE I REALIZED I THINK I
WAS FEEL LIKE A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL
FOR A REASON.
I FEEL LIKE MAYBE CULTURALLY
WE’RE GOING THROUGH A BIT OF AN
EIGHTH GRADE MOMENT.
FEELS LIKE, YEAH, THE CULTURE’S
SORT OF --
>> EIGHTH GRADE IS THE WORST.
>> IT FEELS LIKE RIGHT NOW IS A
VERY CRAZY TIME TO BE ALIVE AND
EIGHTH GRADE WAS THE CRAZIEST
TIME IN MY LIFE.
THE IDEA OF BEING IN EIGHTH
GRADE NOW FEELS IMPOSSIBLE.
>> WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO ACTS
LIKE HE’S IN EIGHTH GRADE NOW.
>> EIGHTH GRADE READING LEVEL.
>> THIS IS A CONNECTION, HIM AND
HIS PHONE AND HIS TWITTER.
>> THIS IS ABOUT THIS -- KIDS,
IF YOU’RE -- I HAVE A
14-YEAR-OLD, 11-YEAR-OLD
14-YEAR-OLD, 11-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, THIS IS THE DOMINANT
THING IN THEIR LIVES.
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE?
>> IT’S THE DOMINANT THING IN
YOUR LIFE, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >> IT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
NEWS -- IT’S PURE SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT’S A DAILY SCORECARD EVERY
SECOND ABOUT HOW THEY’RE DOING
AGAINST EVERY OTHER KID.
THE CONSTANT REMINDER OF WHAT
THEY’RE NOT DOING.
AND THEIR SELF-WORTH IS SO TIED
UP IN THIS.
AND AS A PARENT, IF YOU TALK TO
ANY PARENT OF TEENAGE KIDS, IT’S
LIKE THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU’RE
NAVIGATING.
NAVIGATING. YOU’RE IN THE --
>> I FEEL LIKE WE’RE ALL ACT
LIKE 13-YEAR-OLDS ON THE
INTERNET SO I WANTED TO TELL A
STORY ABOUT THE INTERNET -- ONE
GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WAS ACTING
THEIR OWN AGE MAYBE.
THE INTERNET MEANS SOMETHING TO
ME.
ME. I GREW UP WITH IT, I MEAN, A
LITTLE BIT.
LITTLE BIT. IT SORT OF BECAME UBIQUITOUS,
SOCIAL MEDIA, WHEN I WAS 17, 18.
I FELT IT WASN’T BEING TALKED
ENOUGH HONESTLY.
ENOUGH HONESTLY. THERE’S NOT ENOUGH DEPICTION
OF --
OF -- >> THAT’S YOU RIGHT THERE,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> THAT’S ME WITH AWFUL HAIR.
>> OKAY, SO YOU’RE DOING --
YOU’RE KIND OF DOWNPLAYING THE
THING YOU JUST SAID.
I WAS A LITTLE FAMILIAR.
YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST --
PERSONALLY ONE OF THE FIRST
VIRAL YOUTUBE SENSATIONS WHEN
YOU WERE LIKE 16, RIGHT?
>> 16, 17, YEAH.
>> THIS ISBIOGRAPHICAL IN A
WAY?
WAY? >> YES.
>> YES. THE GIRL IN THE MOVIE, SHE MAKES
VIDEOS BUT NO ONE SEES THEM.
YES, THE WAY KIDS EXPRESS
THEMSELVES ONLINE, TO ME, PEOPLE
SEE THEM AS NARCISSISTIC AND A
LIE.
LIE. IT ISN’T JUST THAT.
IT ISN’T JUST FAKE.
TRYING TO SPEAK YOURSELF IN
EXISTENCE.
EXISTENCE. TRYING TO LIVE OUT LOUD IN THE
AIR IN FRONT OF YOU BEFORE YOU
CAN PUT IT INTO ACTION I THINK
IS BEAUTIFUL AND ISN’T TALKED
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >> THEY ALL GO "HEY GUYS," THEY
ALL START --
>> HEY, GUYS, HELLO.
>> IT’S HOW WE START THE SHOW
MANY MORNINGS.
MANY MORNINGS. >> HERE’S MORE FROM THE MOVIE.
THIS IS KAYLA AND HER DAD.
>> CAN YOU NOT LOOK LIKE THAT
PLEASE?
PLEASE? >> WHAT?
>> WHAT? LIKE WHAT?
LIKE WHAT? >> JUST, LIKE, THE WAY YOU’RE
LOOKING.
LOOKING. >> LOOKING AT THE ROAD?
>> YOU CAN LOOK AT THE ROAD,
DAD.
DAD. I OBVIOUSLY DIDN’T MEAN THAT.
JUST LIKE DON’T BE WEIRD AND
QUIET WHILE YOU DO IT.
>> SORRY.
>> SORRY. HEY, HOW WAS THE --
>> NO, YOU’RE BEING QUIET, WHICH
IS FINE, JUST DON’T BE WEIRD AND
QUIET.
QUIET. BECAUSE I LOOK OVER AT YOU AND I
THINK YOU’RE ABOUT TO DRIVE US
INTO A TREE OR SOMETHING AND
THEN I FREAK OUT AND I CAN’T
TEXT MY FRIENDS.
BE QUIET AND DRIVE.
DON’T LOOK WEIRD AND SAD.
PLEASE.
PLEASE. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. THAT’S WORSE.
THAT’S WORSE. >> OH, MY GOD.
>> YOU NAILED IT.
>> TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE
PERFORMANCES.
PERFORMANCES. THE FATHER, JOSH HAMILTON AND
THE DAUGHTER ARE LIKE GIVING
INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES.
INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES. HOW DO YOU GET THESE
PERFORMANCES?
PERFORMANCES? >> THE DAD JOSH HAMILTON AND
KAYLA, ELSIE FISHER, FOR ME,
IT’S GIVING THE ACTORS
PERMISSION TO BE INARTICULATE.
SOMETIMES YOUNG KIDS IN MOVIES
ARE FORCED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK
WITH AN ABILITY THAT IS
SUSPICIOUSLY SIMILAR TO A
SCREENWRITER’S ABILITY TO SPEAK.
LIKE YOUNG POET LAUREATES.
THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A YOUNG
KID IS STRUGGLING TO SAY -- SO
THE SCRIPT IS WRITTEN LIKE,
YEAH, UM, THE THING ABOUT BEING
YOURSELF, LIKE, WAIT.
>> AND THEN ADD IN YOUR OWN.
WHICH MAKES IT BETTER.
>> JUST ABOUT GIVING THEM
PERMISSION TO SPEAK.
>> I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS AND I
HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IMPOSSIBLE
FEELING ON THE PART OF THE
PARENT.
PARENT. YOU FEEL THAT WITH THE FATHER.
YOU DON’T EVEN SEE HIM IN THE
SHOT.
SHOT. YOU’RE JUST LIKE OH.
>> I’VE NEVER SEEN ADOLESCENCE
NAILED LIKE THAT OR A
FATHER/DAUGHTER DYNAMIC.
FATHER/DAUGHTER DYNAMIC. THAT WAS ME.
WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?
I’LL DO ANYTHING.
>> AND THEY’RE SO MEAN.
ESPECIALLY GIRLS I WILL SAY.
BUT IN EIGHTH GRADE LIFE, GIRLS
AND BOYS CAN BE INCREDIBLY MEAN
TO EACH OTHER ON THIS.
IS THERE ANY INTERACTION WITH
OTHERS?
OTHERS? >> FOR ME, THE BULLYING HAS
BECOME MUCH MORE SUBTERRANEAN.
EVEN IF IT IS THAT, IT’S MUCH
MORE JUST WITHHOLDING ATTENTION.
I THINK ATTENTION IS SORT OF THE
CURRENCY KIDS MEASURE THEMSELVES
AGAINST.
AGAINST. SO IT’S MUCH LESS -- I THINK
KIDS WOULD LOVE TO GET SWIRLIES
AND BE SHOVED IN LOCKERS AGAIN.
IT’S A MUCH WEIRDER STRANGER
SPACE TO NAVIGATE.
>> IMPOSSIBLE AND ALSO
UNPREDICTABLE SPACE.
UNPREDICTABLE SPACE. LIKE, YOUR DAY CAN GO FROM, YOU
KNOW, FROM WONDERFUL TO THE
WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE WITH THE
TOUCH OF A BUTTON.
>> AND YOU JUST DON’T GET AWAY
FROM IT.
FROM IT. YOU WAKE UP WITH YOUR SOCIAL
LIFE AND YOU GO TO BED WITH IT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE
A CHOICE BETWEEN THE BACK OF
YOUR EYELIDS AND ALL OF THE
INFORMATION AND HISTORY OF THE
WORLD.
WORLD. THAT’S A --
>> HOW DO YOU SHARE -- LET’S
HELP SOME KIDS AT HOME OR SOME
PARENTS.
PARENTS. YOU BOTH ARE SOMEBODY WHO IS
KIND OF ON ONE SIDE OF IT, NOW
YOU’RE WRITE, DOCUMENTING,
ANALYZING IT.
ANALYZING IT. AS A PARENT, GIVE ME SOME RULES
OR GUIDELINE, HOW DO I MANAGE MY
CHILDREN WITH THIS?
>> PART OF IT FOR ME, I DON’T
WANT TO SPEAK WITH TOO MUCH
AUTHORITY BECAUSE I FEEL AS IN
IT AS ANYBODY.
I THINK PART OF IT IS ALSO
PAYING ATTENTION.
PAYING ATTENTION. I HOPE THE MOVIE TAKES INVENTORY
OF THIS.
OF THIS. IT’S NOT JUST LOOKING AT KID,
WHY ARE YOU ON YOUR PHONE ALL
THE TIME, BUT WHAT IS THE WORLD
WE’VE MADE FOR THEM TO LOOK UP
AT AND WHY THEY MAY WANT TO
IGNORE IT.
IGNORE IT. ALSO, TO JUST, YOU KNOW, LISTEN
TO THEM AND COMMUNICATE.
I THINK PART OF BEING AN
ADOLESCENT, AN ADOLESCENT/PARENT
RELATIONSHIP IS ABOUT THE PARENT
BEING A PUNCHING BAG.
LIKE, THEY’RE WORKING OUT SOME
OF THOSE FEELINGS.
THAT MIGHT BE -- IT’S NOT MEANT
TO GO PERFECTLY.
BUT I HOPE THE MOVIE -- BECAUSE
I’VE SEEN -- I THINK MOVIE HELPS
THE KIDS SYMPATHIZE WITH THE
PARENTS AND VICE VERSA.
>> IT’S GOT GREAT REVIEWS.
WE’VE GOT TO PLUG THIS A LITTLE
BIT.
BIT. "NEW YORK TIMES," GREAT REVIEWS.