I'm Harmony, director of Spring Breakers, AMA

Are we going to see lots of titties in the movie?

of course. thats what lifes about.

Good afternoon. I just wanted to say that the film, Kids, was great and taught me a lot about the dangers of unprotected sex. Thank you!

yor welcome herpes

Does Gucci Mane ever say "Yeaaaaahhhhhhhh" or "Burr!" in everyday coversation, or are those just ad libs?

yes a few times a day.

What is the point you are getting across in this film? What will society gain from this?

yes it will thrive because of this

Why did you choose Skrillex for the soundtrack?

because his music is pure energy. i wanted the film to be sensory and full attack with images and sounds coming from all directions. a pop poem

What was the most insane thing Gucci said to you while on set?

my wrists sparkle like lemmmons

[deleted]

i think disney moms will love it.

Is Harmony short for Harmonica?

yo mommaica

Um...Harmony, you're giving barely any answers...I mean...

its hard to type to be honest. im slow typer.

was Spring Breakers at all influenced by Tree of Life?

miami vice

How did Sleep end up being on the soundtrack for Gummo? Also, you're friggin amazing. Thanks for doing this.

best hesher band ever.

I read somewhere that "The Basketball Diaries" author Jim Carroll was present at your birth and cut your umbilical cord. Any truth to this?

yes this is true. he cut my cord. he was a great friend. i miss him dearly.

What has changed about the film/cinema industry since you got started?

Do you think America even has an audience for cinema anymore?

Do you know that your name is really fun to say?

cinema has changed. cinema is now a 30 second youtube clip. clear your mind. think of different now. make it bend to you. never use a walking stick, it looks doper to limp. catch my drift?

Do you recommend I see this movie?

yes i hope you will love

Dearest Harmony, I have a picture you drew (Heaven Cries for Us All) that I got from your Grandma's old neighbor, a picture of you as a child wearing a shirt with a bird on it standing on a woman's lap was inside the frame. The end.

yes that is valuble.

Hey Harmony was there any reluctance from Selena Vanessa and Ashley when making Spring Breakers because it could potentially alienate some fans or were they down for anything?

its all good. life is perfect.

Tell us the funniest and craziest situation on the set.

i found a gay dude smoking menthols hidden in the floor boards of a motel

What movies does your daughter like? Have you introduced her to Herzog and Fassbinder yet?

shes only 4. shes feeding her baby a strwberry now

Did you have to talk Rachel into getting naked or was she happy to do it?

she was fine with it. its all about the film. not sure what people are still so hung up on when it comes to nudity.

was there any reason for having such a strong emphasis placed on the social media campaigning for spring breakers?

it all becomes a sub narrative thread now. everything has been exploded. the film has tenticles everywhere. the movie exists in threads and shards

Did you address Gucci Mane as "Gucci" or "Guwop" while filming?

scoochi two times

Whats your favorite ATL Twins story?

the time they double penetraded their gym coach

Hi Harmony. Is your movie "Twinkle, Twinkle" with Marlon Wayans still in the works?

i would really like to make that film sometime. its potentially full on comedy about guy who dresses up like human dollar bill to drum up biz for a mexican check cashing place

Just wanted to say I love all of your films, and most of your shorts. I was wondering if there is any chance we will ever see the footage of the film where you were fighting people on the street?

hell yes.

The crisp images in the trailer look pretty different than Trash Humpers and Gummo, and I understand at least Humpers was shot on VHS tape... did you shoot Spring Breakers digitally, or are you sticking to film?

film is good but i like all things. there is beauty in all shit.

How did you get your screenplay for "Kids" to Larry Clark? Any advice to other young screenplay writers to get there screenplays out there?

P.S. I own all your movies, you are one of my favorite directors.

try a life of crime. write about it.

Harmony, How did you get Herzog to be bff's with you. I would like to go bowling with you two.

he called me up after gummo and said 'you are the last foot soldier in the army' and then i jumped on a plane to sf and met him in the street. hes one of the greatest

Your last few projects have been shot in Anamorphic...Do you prefer Anamorphic lenses or is it just the DP's that you select?

yes i do

Any favorite Youtube videos?

ceddy bu the rap sumo is the best. i vist him in baton rouge all the time. lives near a cemtary.

You should get on Twitter. Also is @rachelkorine44 legit?

i will. eli roth is on twitter i heard his is crazy

you've used many different cinematographers over the years, is there a reason why you haven't maintained a long standing relationship with one?

i wanna work with so many people. i usually have my strongest relationships with dp's. benoit is a master.

Can you tell us anything about your next project/any future plans?

i want it to be full on

who is your best friend

i dont know i dont have one i guess

How much has Riff Raff harassed you and/or James Franco for using his image and not giving any credit?

riff is great

Hey Harmony, huge fan of your movies here and I cannot wait to experience Spring Breakers!! A lot of my friends are excited to see the movie but I feel they should see at least one of your films first. Which one of your films do you think would prepare them for this movie? Also you're one of my biggest inspirations in the film industry! Thanks for doing this AMA

thanks so much. that makes me happy. they should start at the beginning i guess. keep fighting the good fight.

Was Gucci Mane's sex scene unsimulated?

...and if so, why? (As a side note, I had a blast at the film.)

Edit: No. http://www.vulture.com/2013/03/gucci-mane-spring-breakers-interview.html

it was fun she was twirkin

Who was Gucci Mane's sex scene with?

it was a sex scene with gucci

Was the artist Paul McCarthy an influence when you made Trash Humpers or were the visual similarities unintentional?

paul is a good friend and one of the greatest

Who is a director whose films you enjoy?

leos carax

What is your favorite moment out of all your films? Mine is when Buckwheat is scrubbing the Pope in the bathtub in Mister Lonely.

thats a good moment. i have a lot of personal favorites. the brittny spears scene in the new film is one of my favorites,

whats up harmony I might be driving through Nashville on a road trip this summer, and wondering (a) if you like fried chicken (b) where the best place to find it is? Thanks.

princes chicken is the greatest hot chicken. extra hot. bring a diaper is what my friend eddie peel says.

Favorite film director?

buster keaton

I love the fact that you and Riff Raff are friends, he is fantastic. Also I can't wait to go see Spring Breakers, it looks like a cutting edge film. Props for getting Disney stars to step out from under the clean, sparkly spotlight that is kids television to do something that is the exact opposite of what their image was previously portrayed as.

riff invented a style that i like its called neon twist

I just wanted to say you are one of the most inspirational film makers I've ever seen. From your early work to Spring Breakers, you have this amazing way of creating these relatable atmospheres and vibes within a film that give this extremely real feeling that I found truly admirable. You've taught me a lot about being a filmmaker and I just wanted to say thanks.

yes the tone is key. i want you to feel the film in a way thats physical.

Whats good Harmony? Will there be anymore writing we can expect from you, like crack up? or just something totally different? Your work is killer!

thanks im gonna keep making movies. i wanna make some more good shit. i feel im just starting.

Do you ever feel you exploited the “actors” in Gummo?

I grew up not too far outside of Nashville and it felt very real to me. It is a small percentage of the population, but it certainly exists.

yes it is great

Is Selena Gomez as sexy in person as she is in pictures?

shes very beautiful girl

enjoy more.skrillex or sleep?

i like them both

In Gummo, when the kid is eating spaghetti in the bathtub, there is a piece of bacon taped to the wall. I remember, somewhere, I either read or heard you say that you added this to the scene because you used to do this as a child...why?

Also, I learned about Gummo through the movie Belly, which was produced just a year later...why do you think New York City gangster's were watching your film?

I would also like to know why you and Larry Clark had a falling out over Ken Park, if you care to tell.

Oh, and damn you for getting this song stuck in my head, for months on in, every time I watch or think about Gummo. Like now.

i ate bacon in the bath every day till i graduated jr high. it was a big part of my life.

hey dude as a 18 year old artist that has been called "crazy", "evil" and "psychopath" all his life -i'd like to thank you for being yourself and being honest about your visions and never compromising experimentation

i feel like spring breakers needs to just exist as a weird piece of art, you know? like the mona lisa or something we can sit there for hours trying to figure it out but we never will.. it's a "feeling" like you said...

i write and make short films just for myself and i'm happy that way because art is for yourself, and if people like it then cool but it should never be forced or as an accessory to your individuality and i feel like your a cool example of a natural

peace

thanks mane. nice to hear. keep making films. never give up.

where can we find the diary of anne frank pt. 2?

also anyone who uses black metal as soundtrack in his movies is a god, thank you for doing this!

its an art film i made a while back. i have the only copies. theres a scene where a guy finds a dead puppy in a hammock and then gives it a proper buriel while his mother reads a passage of tom clancy novel

Hey harmony big fan , you actually know and have collab with my uncle bill Saylor! Ho bags is so rad we actually have the first copy.. Any other art projects or collabs coming soon or anything. Ps you and bill should get ho bags out in color!

bill saylor is great painter

Hey Mr. Korine, thanks for doing this AMA. My question is how did you work your way into the industry? And could you explain the casting of Spring Breakers.

i am away from the industry. i keep my distance. i do my own thing. i try to make it up as i go.

Harmony, you're a mad man and I fucking love you. Was your (brief) cameo in Gus Van Sant's Last Days requested by you or was it Gus's idea?

i put white out on my eye brows for that scene

Hey Harmony. Met you a long time ago in Telluride with Werner Herzog. Had a great time. Been following your career ever since.

What is your favourite Herzog film?

even dwarves started small and strozek

will your films ever feature Asian people? or do they bother you?

yeah id like to do an asian movie.

Hey Harmony, I saw the film last night and I wanted to ask what was your biggest influence going into Spring Breakers?

money sex drugs and the mystic mix....cosmic gangsta shit....florida trap world....inventing all in a swirl of color and logic....magic

have you ever edited your Wikipedia page? lol..

how do you do that?

can you elaborate on your ideas around 'the poetry of surfaces'

its about the candy. the way things look. the way things look makes me feel. the pathology from the characters is the residue of the surface. films need to be different, inexplicable and magic. voodoo and shit.

Hey Harmony,

I was wondering if you could talk about the sound design of Spring Breakers. It was such an important part of the film's world. What were some of the thoughts going into it, and what was that process/collaboration like for you?

I love that one of your movies is going to play in shopping malls across America. You're bringing people together.

Thanks!

thank you. i hope the shopping malls unite. i

Hey Harmony, do you ever see yourself ever directing a blockbuster of some kind, bringing in your style with a known property (book, comic book, TV show)?

im open to anything actually.

I'm going to the show tonight, anything I'm going to expect from the beautiful women of the movie?

expect greatness

Are you currently letting Gucci Mane or that moron Selena Gomez type out your responses?

its actually the atl twins

What similarities did you find between Spring Breakers and KIDS both while you were filming and post production?

i directed this one.

Did you meet your wife EIGHT or TEN years ago? =P

it was great.

Yo Harmony. Thanks for doing this ish, but let's get to the real question? How much pooty tang do the Atlanta Twins pull throughout the shooting of the film and what were they like to work with?

all day all night. hos and more hos. they dont drink water.

Hey Harmony thanks for doing this,

To be honest I hated Spring Breakers. It's a smart film but it is also just an excuse to have tits and ass flopping around everywhere, along with being exploitative of not only the women in the film but also of today's youth culture. I have trouble with the fact that i dont think most audiences will understand that this movie is a dark and ironic commentary on youth culture of today - - kind of like a huge middle finger to it. The problem lies in the fact that this movie, on the surface (and to most of the audience) glorifies all of these acts and shows next to no consequences.

As an artist it's not your job to censor yourself for the sake of others, but as a human being you should be aware of the kind of message you're putting out there - - particularly considering how much gun violence is being perpetrated by kids unto other innocent kids these days.

To be fair though, it definitely got a reaction out of me and i obviously have opinions about it. Especially the scenes with the Britney songs (Hit Me Baby one More Time mimics the fantasy ahead of britneys career and the fantasy ahead of the girls in the movie. While the song Everytime is a mirror of Britneys downward spiral in the public eye and the point where she publicly started losing her sanity... This is parallel to the girls downward spiral) made it crystal clear why you chose to cast girls with some of the most "innocent" public images.

Oh and i have to say, the cinematography and art direction was pretty much breath taking even if it was "art for art's sake" at times. All in all, it's a smart film that doesn't have that great of an execution, it's really self indulgent and can often times come across as your dirty-old-man project.

make a movie yourself. watch it on a loop. enjoy life.