I Am Katie Aselton, director/star of Black Rock. AMA!

What was it like kissing Shiva?

she was very tender.

guys, i'm done! thank you so much for the scintillating conversation! Go see BLACK ROCK in select theaters and on VOD starting TOMORROW 5/17 and keep watching THE LEAGUE now on FXX, with season 5 starting THIS FALL! love yous-

Is Jon Lajoie like taco in real life or is he different off camera?

no, he is very smart and very sweet and incredibly mild-mannered.

I guess you live in my neighborhood, as you were behind me in line at the albertsons on hillhurst. Just wanted to say you guys are about the most adorable family i've ever seen.

that's very sweet. and mildy creepy. mostly sweet. thank you.

Which one of your League co-stars is the funniest in real life? Also thank you (and Mark) for The Puffy Chair.

they are all funny in their own ways... nick is pretty fucking hilarious, tho.

Katie, I just want you to know if I were to create the perfect wife from scratch, it would be Jenny to a tee.

:)

Do you think this year will be a kicker year? Really pulling for Taco to win!

he'll pull it out one of these years...

I love The League, and think all of you do a great job. Do you play fantasy football in real life, and if so, are you as skilled as Jenny is?

Also, is there any chance that you'll end up on Kroll Show?

Thanks for doing this!

we do... and i'm not quite as skilled as jenny, but i can certainly hold my own. i would love to do the kroll show! nick's one of the most talented guys i've ever met!

Huge fan of the league, what is your favorite episode?

i loved the christmas episode when Kevin loses and destroys the nativity scene!

Very excited about Black Rock, can't wait for it to release here in Austin... but, off topic...

Where and how did you meet the Duplass Brothers?

Thanks!

i met Mark on new year's eve 2001... and I kissed him. and now we're married and make movies and babies and t.v. shows together.

That's awesome! I met him at SXSW a few years back, tremendous dude! Thanks and best of luck with Black Rock... looks great!

thank you! hope you dig the movie!

and fyi, it's a day-in-date release, so it'll be available on VOD on the 17th!

Huge fan of you and The League. Are you and Lake Bell very close off screen? You guys seem to enjoy working together. You're awesome. Shivakamini Somakandarkram!

she is, hands down, one of my favorite people on the planet.

Holy. Shit. I didn't expect a reply. You are awesome and Mark's a lucky man. @duplaselton for president.

:)

I'm seeing Steve Rannazzisi perform stand up tomorrow. What can I say to mess with him completely.. also what does his coiffed hair feel like?

don't mess with him! i'll kick your ass.

I wouldn't dare heckle/mess with anyone publicly, but fair enough! More importantly: the hair?

his hair, with proper product, is soft as satin

Is it weird having romantic scenes in The League with Stephen Rannazzisi on set with Mark and vice versa?

we're pretty used to it

Love you in the The League. You have some comedic genius.

What's the most "this is crazy" moment of filming Black Rock?

i nearly killed Lake Bell by making her swim in the Atlantic Ocean at night. the water temp was 43 degrees. she went into a 24 hour asthma attack induced by panic.

Are you a fan of Jon Lajoie's videos?

yes.

I loved you in the Blood Drive episode of The Office! Was there ever any discussion about you returning to the show? Obviously, it's too late now.

i think there was a very long discussion, but it was in my head... :)

Other than Black Rock, what are you more excited to see: Arrested Development Season 4 or Great Gatsby?

truthfully? gatsby.

COME ON

i know. i'm not proud of that.

Wait so black rock isn't an african-american porno? I'm out.

that's the best you've got? come on...

Can you talk about the way you think about camera placement, shot selection, and editing when you're on set? For scenes that you're performing in vs scenes in which you're not, if that changes anything?

a lot of prep goes into the shoot before we ever step on set, so that when we do, i can easily slip into actor mode. but there are weeks of conversation with my d.p. leading up to the shoot.

Hi Kate! Any chance you and Mark might ever tour with the rest of the gang from the League to do a live show? Can't wait for Black Rock!

we do some of them... but the guys are stand ups and really have their shit down.

Cool. If you and/or Mark ever get out to Northern Indiana, look up AC at 107.3 WRSW. My wife and I will take you out to dinner. Thanks for taking the time to do this! You Rock!

that's very sweet. thank you!

You and your husband were there right at the beginning of the DIY filmmaking surge that's come up over the past few years. Who are some of your other favorite filmmakers and films that were part of that movement other than yourself and your husband?

lynn shelton makes great movies with a lot of heart... i love ty west's take on independent horror movies... amy seimetz is fabulous... and i love what brit marling is doing with zal batmanglij!

is the cast of the league in a real life fantasy football league?

we are! (i won our first season)

The Freebie is so good. I admit though, based on the poster image and title, I thought it was going to be waaay different. Glad I finally watched it. Anyway, good luck with Black Rock. SHIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVAAAAAA!

thank you!

It says on your Wikipedia that you participated in pageants as a teenager.

What was it like?

it IS true... i did one, well one that led to another one, so two total... and the state one was whatever, but the national pageant was strikingly similar to MISS CONGENIALITY... it was crazy! it was a whole sub-culture i never knew existed...

Two questions: 1. Have you guys started filming the new season of The League yet, and 2. How do you decide/go about getting the stars of the NFL involved in the show (loved that you opened at Cowboys camp last year)!. Thanks, and congrats on the new film!

no, we start shooting in july... and the creators of the show, Jackie and Jeff Schaffer are incredibly active getting the NFL players involved.

When it comes to doing movies versus doing The League, what do you enjoy more? They seem like incredibly different experiences.

they're sooo different, but i love them both. it's like asking me to pick my favorite child... i couldn't.

I was watching the puffy chair with my gf the other day and holy crap I couldn't believe it came out in 2005. We seriously thought you looked like a teenager.

We love everything you and Mark are in, keep up the good work!

What is it like working on set with a significant other? Any fist fights?

Thanks, can't wait to see the movie.

i practically was a teenager! i look back at that and mark and i seem like just babies... it's like a time capsule! and no, no physical fist fights... plenty of emotional ones, tho.

How much did you know about football and fantasy football before doing The League?

not a ton...

You've also had the chance to meet a bunch of NFL stars on set, who would you say the coolest or funniest player would be? (Please say Terrell Suggs...)

suggs it is!

Loved you in Our Idiot Brother and can't wait for Black Rock! Is there any chance you'd be interested in coming on my podcast and Talking about Black Rock?

sure

Was Ken Marino arrested for punching Nick Kroll on the set?

do you think he was arrested?

you said they were being bitches. I personally think there should be more Vatos Locos. Tug cracked me up!

I LOVED TUG!!!

i wanted Jenny and Kevin to adopt Tug. He would have been better than Kale, the dog.

How does it differ from just acting to acting and directing? Is it something you wish to carry on for many projects in the future?

it's very different... directing is more of a collaborative experience.

Any good shenanigan stories from the set of The League?

always good shenanigan stories from the set... they are 5 of the funniest guys i know!

How is it to transfer from a comedy to a thriller setting? Which one do you prefer more?

it's a real release... it felt so good! but it also felt great to get back to comedy after we wrapped!

Who has been your favorite guest star to work with on the show?

we've had some greats... and some of the best i haven't even gotten scenes with! i love me some leslie bibb, tho!

How hilarious is Jason Mantzoukas off screen?

on a scale of 1 to 10, a 9.

When I finish school I was thinking of maybe getting into the film business. Where do I start?

i would get a job on the set of a film... it's a great opportunity to see how the machine works from the inside!

Hey Katie, thanks so much for doing this AmA! Huge fan of your work on The League, and looking forward to Black Rock as well. In honor of The Office finale tonight, figure'd I'd ask you:

Even though it was a small part, how was it working on that set/sharing a scene with Steve Carell? Best of luck to you!

it was incredible! all i was thinking the whole time was, "wouldn't it be so great if Michael Scott fell in love with the glove girl...?!"

Do you want to go steady with me?

not really. no offense.

What inspired you to make a thriller?

i had only done comedy and really emotional dramas up to this point... i wanted to do something different!

have you done any actual shoots for The League in Chicago? In real life that bar is a massive douchebag bar.

no, we did a live show at the house of blues there, but have never shot for the actual show... we did go to gibson's tho... they serve real big cake with steak knives...?

What films would you list as some of your directing influences?

deliverance was a direct influence for BLACK ROCK... as was cape fear, river wild, thelma and louise... General influences, tho? Cassevetes, Linklater, Duplass Bros...

Just wanted to say The League is absolutely hilarious, and looks as though you guys enjoy each being around each other. Do you guys have as much fun off screen as you do on screen? I think the cast is a perfect mix.

we do! it's an incredibly great group and we do thoroughly enjoy spending time together... thank god... cuz this show is sticking around!

Point Break? If you're next film does not include Gary Busey I am going to be extremely disappointed.

me too.

in your opinion, who is worthy of the first pick of a fantasy football draft?

it's too early for me to make a call...

What movie could you/ do you watch over and over without getting bored?

TOOTSIE, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, POINT BREAK, DIE HARD, THELMA AND LOUISE...

Is this your directorial debut? if so, congrats!

this is my second feature... my first was THE FREEBIE and it is very different... it's a very quiet, intimate look at a marriage going thru the 7-year itch. i love it.

What is one movie I probably haven't heard of that I must see this second? Feel free to name more than one, I will allow it.

SOUND OF MY VOICE, PRINCE OF BROADWAY, MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY, LEAVE ME LIKE YOU FOUND ME

How would I go about getting an interview with you on my radio show?

contact brigade marketing

I LOVE The Freebie it's one of those movies I can watch over and over again. So first off thank you for that! Also what was your inspirtation for it? and how was working with Dax? STOKED TO SEE BLACK ROCK!

thanks so much... dax was a dream to work with, he brought so much to the table, creatively, he was amazing. the idea came from a (very innocent) conversation i was having with a friend and a lightbulb went off for me. it seemed like an interesting concept to explore in a film.

Please god don't let this turn into another RAMPART.

i don't know what that means, but okay... i won't.

Woody Harrelson did an AMA for his movie RAMPART a year or so ago. He refused to answer any questions about anything that did NOT deal with RAMPART... in turn, Reddit turned on him and blasted him for doing a terrible AMA. I'm pretty sure he had to actually give a public apology for the incident... he underestimated the power of Reddit, I guess.

gotchya. i will try not to be so douchey.

Who are you?

i told you who i am at the top of the page. who are you?