I'm Alex Winter, the filmmaker behind DEEP WEB, DOWNLOADED and the upcoming FRANK ZAPPA documentary. You may also know me as Bill from the BILL AND TED movies. AMA.

Any plans on getting together with Keanu for another Bill and Ted?

Yep

Can Keanu get you a cameo appearance in John Wick 2 in the meantime?

I'm too much of a scrawny wuss to be in John Wick 2

What inspired you to make this documentary about Frank?

I love his music, i love his politics, I love his wit. And he's a singular American genius that's never had a proper movie made about his life. Way overdue!

Hey Alex, did you ever bang Missy...I mean Mom?
Be excellent dude! (Air Guitar)

Loved your interview on the Joe Rogan Podcast

I never did go full Oedipus.

Hey Alex. Two Questions for you!

1. Were there any difficulties you faced making the Zappa doc like music rights or anything like that?

2. You mentioned on your latest appearance on nerdist that you found while making Deep Web that kids of the current generation are taking their privacy back online and that it was the older generations that were overwhelmed with the novelty of social networking. I found this very interesting and was wondering if you could go more in depth with this topic and if you see this continuing to be a trend as more and more kids are making their way online?

Thanks!

1. I haven't started making the doc yet, we launched a Kickstarter today to save the vault so I can make the movie! [http://www.whoisfrankzappa.com]

2. Yes I think adults are more naive and cavalier about their privacy than kids. I gave a Ted Talk about this recently which goes into great detail: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luvthTjC0OI]

Hi Alex, as you know there is a Frank-Zappa-Strasse in Berlin. Are you aware of other places in the world paying tribute to him in such a way?

Baltimore, Lithuania (of all places), maybe some more, need to think on that :)

Baltimore

I was at Frank Zappa Day in Baltimore in 2010, where they unveiled a bust of Frank in front of the library. ZPZ also played.

I took some photos. I'm sure you have all you need, but if there are any that would be useful in the documentary, let me know.

These photos are great!!

Have you been able to reach Tipper Gore for the film?

Haven't reached out yet, too early. But fully intend to :)

hi Alex!! I'm a huge fan, what was your favorite movie to work on :)? #TeamMarco 😊

Lost Boys for sure. I was young and didn't have to do much but ride motorcycles and take care of my hideous hair extensions. Was a ton of fun!

Corey Feldman and Corey Haim were poster boys in the good and bad senses, did you have a front row to see the impact Hollywood success has on young people? How can it be avoided?

I did. That's a doc I hope to do at some point. Been working on it for years.

That seems risky considering the dark nature of that story. Finish the next Bill and Ted first.

Yeah no kidding!

Hi Alex, What aspect of Frank do you want to explore that others have not? While I love Frank's politics, humor, and personality, there aren't many texts that properly explain what he did musically (combine genres all while following Varese-esque experimentation + 12-tone compositional techniques).

That's the beauty of a doc, I can really dig into his genius as a composer and his influence. I am really looking forward to shedding light on that aspect!

Will this documentary be also crowdfunded? I'd be happy to contribute.

This documentary IS being crowdfunded. We launched today! [http://www.whoisfrankzappa.com]

just pledged with pleasure :)

Thank you!!

Hey Alex, I've always been a huge Bill and Ted fan. Bogus Journey has always been my favorite sequel because it seriously goes out there and is definitely not a retread of the first like so many sequels. I know you are working hard on the next Bill and Ted and I wouldn't want you to spoil too much about it as I hope it comes very soon but where do they go after the new movie? Is there a lifetime of stories, maybe videogame adaptions or something similar? A Bill and Ted game in the style of Sunset Overdrive would be incredible! Educational VR vids staring Bill and Ted going through history like that Simpsons episode where Lisa goes to Mongolia! Stuff like that?

Yes.

;)

Looking forward to the Zappa documentary... still procrastinating watching Deep Web :) What was one of your most memorable moments during the filming of both B&T movies?

B&T one, working with Carlin for the first time. B&T two, playing my grandmother!

Thanks for being in two of the best movies of all time. When is the next one coming out?

we have to shoot it first!

Obviously this is a movie about Frank, but how do you plan on involving the plethora of musicians that played for him? He discovered so much talent and those people were apart of the music just as much as Frank was.

I ask because there was well known animosity between certain members of the Zappa family and certain Zappa alumni. A film of this nature just wouldn't make sense without having some of these musicians apart of it.

I agree! I haven't encountered problems so far, in reaching out to all musicians and artists who worked with Frank. Maybe that's because this is project is a separate entity; it's being made by me, not by one camp or another within the Zappa fold. I'm Switzerland :)

Hi Alex, I'm a big fan of Freaked as well as Bill & Ted. Is there a third B&T film in the works and is Keanu on board?

There is indeed!!

Hi Alex, Clarke Kent from the daily planet. Are there any plans for William Sadler to return as Death?

ICNCND :)

Just throwing it out there, but Rufus should come back as a fat, bearded Jewish dude in B&T3, and I should play him. :D

noted.

:)

Hi Alex, how did you come up with the idea for the quantum chess skit? Paul Rudd was fantastic!

Haha thanks, it was super fun and Rudd, Hawking and Reeves killed it! I did not come up with the idea, the geniuses at Caltech did! [http://iqim.caltech.edu/]

It was hilarious! I can't believe you got Hawking to work on that. He has a great sense of humor. Also glad you were able to work with Keanu again. Nice little touch, saying that he doesn't age. You guys make a good team.

Thanks a lot. Glad you enjoyed it!

Btw, thanks for telling Zappa's story. He was magical. I'm glad that people will learn more about him. How did you get permission to access his personal vault?

I approached his wife Gail. And pitched a way in to the story. She liked it a lot and gave me her blessing, as did the rest of the family. It's an awesome family :)

You are going to do a great job with that story. I watched a piece on Alice Cooper just recently and it talked about how Alice staying in Zappa's basement when he first moved to LA. He recorded Alice Cooper's first album. Nice!

Yep Alice Cooper was on FZ's label!

Alex, what is your draw to making documentaries? What are some of the challenges of benefits to focus on documentary work?

PS, remember when I asked Missy to the prom?

I love the challenge of telling a story with real elements, as opposed to when I write non-fiction narrative. There are benefits unique to both, but a documentary allows for more nuance, more paradox and more shades of gray in character. Which is closer to the real human experience. Very satisfying to work with those aspects.

I heard your interview on Nerdist a bit ago and really enjoyed it.

Hardwick mentioned you having your cellphone camera covered. Do you really feel that people hacking your phone and activating your camera is really a big risk? Do you think it's a bigger risk for you given your celebrity?

Thanks

Thanks. Your phone is a mobile surveillance device. Whether that's for the tech companies who collect your data (illegally I might add) for their own metric purposes, or hackers. I don't risk any of that. Life's too short :)

How has the recent death of Gail Zappa impacted the development of this documentary? Do you have buy in from all the Zappa children? Is there 1 piece of Zappa content (music/film/whatever) you know doesn't exist that you wish did exist - a Holy Grail nugget as it were?

Gail was sick for a while so I was prepared for what was coming, as was she of course, so while tragically sad to lose her, I was able to discuss my plans with her in detail. And she gave me her blessing to go make my movie. And that's the thing, this is my movie, not a ZFT movie. So most important for me was to have their blessing (which I have from her and 'all the children', as you put it) and access to the vault (which I need).

To your second question, honestly I don't yet know what lies in store as we unleash the vault. So I'm really not sure what concretely doesn't exist. I'll be able to answer that in a year! :)

Alex! This is an awesome project to tackle, cant wait to donate and see the end result. Were you able to ever see Frank in concert? If so, where and what was it like for you?

Sadly I was not. Crushing but true.

Your performances and documentaries have been most triumphant. Thank you.

Dummy Question:
How can I be involved with the creation of Bill and Ted 3?

Real Question: If you could have a dinner party with 3 living and 3 dead guests(no short dead dudes), who would they be and what would you eat?

First question, maybe if we crowdfund it Second question: Dr. Hawking, Terry Gilliam, Dalai Lama, Charlie Chaplin, Shakespeare, Ghandi. Fondue.

Hi Alex! Did you get to meet the Sax Player from Lost Boys? And do YOU STILL BELIEEEEEEVE?!

Funnily enough I saw him play with his first band at CBGB's several years before I turned up on the boardwalk to shoot and found him all oiled up with barely any clothes on, wailing away on that sax. True story. I was... shocked...

Hi Alex! I'm a huge fan! I'm also VERY excited for the Frank Zappa film! I was just wondering, do you need any artists or illustrators to help work on the film? I'm cartoonist/illustrator and I'd love to take part. What's the best way to contact you/the crew to get involved?

Thanks for your interest! We aren't starting the movie for a while so not dealing with that kind of thing just yet. First order of business is saving this vault!

Marco from The Lost boys, or Bill From Bill and Ted.... Who would win in an epic battle against each other? Fangs vs. Time Machine. Why?

Bill would kick Marco's ass. Actually he would just grab him by his hair extensions and... game over.

What do you think would be the biggest difference/challenge in making Bill and Ted now vs. in the 80s? And would you and Keanu ever be open to singing for real in the third movie? (Cuz I'd love to hear Wyld Stallyns' real voices)

The best thing for the movie-going public, is that neither Keanu nor myself provide actual musical or vocal services in said future productions. I am willing to sign this and have it notarized.

Will the world premierie of this documentary feature a complimentary pancake breakfast?

haha. It better!

Hi Alex. Can you tell us how you plan on tackling screening and listening to materials in the Vault? How important is the Vaultmeister, Joe Travers to your workflow? And do you need any help from a lifelong fan and editor (shameless self-for motion)?

Joe is our right arm! He is all important :)

What is your system for logging and recalling the stuff you are seeing? There is so much isn't it all too much to remember? And Joe is a marvel! Thanks for doing the doc!

Not about recall, as much as about preserving, archiving, logging, viewing. Yes, it's mammoth!

What's your favorite Zappa album and why?

Man that is tough. Hot Rats, if I had an absolute gun to my head. Yellow Shark tho.... ahhh so hard!!!

What's your favorite interview with Zappa?

There are so many that I love. Especially the super early ones with the Mothers. But the vault contains many that have yet be seen or heard and that's what I'm looking forward to digging into!

Hi Alex, looking forward to the Zappa documentary.

I always wondered if you and Keanu stayed in touch and if there is any likelihood of you working together on a new project, maybe with you directing him?

I work with Reeves all the time. He narrated my last doc Deep Web [http://www.deepwebthemovie.com] and we'll be working together again soon in front of the camera...

Hi Mr. Winter, do you have any directorial advice?

I'm going to answer all three of your questions here:

Directing & Screenwriting advice is the same. Work hard as hell, study everything, never ever give up. That works. Promise.

Set control really seems to be about being willing and confident enough to delegate. A lot of directing is middle management. Doesn't sound very sexy but it's true :)

What song would you have had Bill & Ted play at the end of Bogus Journey instead of that Kiss song?

Well we didn't play the Kiss song, Kiss played the Kiss song for the end titles. We played our own song, well technically Steve Vai played it :)

What is your favorite cheese ?

Manchego

If you had a real time traveling phone booth, where would you want to go and why?

Back in time to every time someone asked me this question so I could give them a pudding cup.

Okay. What do you think about new type of supercomputers, which are completely different from silicon, quantum, nano, and biochem in the principle of the construction of?

There are huge advancements in computing at the moment. And quantum computing is on the cusp of becoming a reality. And that will be a game changer.

Your documentaries raised awareness about this advancement. Was it due because you loved computers as a technological phenomenon or you just decided to tell something trending?

Thanks! I've been heavily involved in emerging technologies and Internet communities since the 80's. So it's a very personal passion and interest of mine.

Laura Poitras while making her documentary experienced immense difficulties with her privacy. How about you?

I am not under the kind of scrutiny that Poitras is, but I take extreme precautions to avoid being surveilled.

Hi Alex! I'm a big fan and aspiring writer, and you inspired me with your writing and directing (like with Freaked) so I was wondering, what do you do to combat writers block and stay focused?

I set a timer. Really! And just write through the desire to do absolutely anything else during that block of time. Works!

That's a really good idea! Thanks so much dude!! Speaking of Freaked, how difficult was it to create and put on the costumes and makeup?

unbelievably hard and time consuming! The genius Bill Corso did my Freaked makeup and applied it everyday. Was a job to do while young :)

Hi Mr. Winter, every year I love going to the Bill and Ted show at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal. Have you ever had a chance to see any of the shows?

I have not. Heard good things tho.

What games would you play against Death to ensure you would win?

Death sucks at games. Poor death.

Hi, Alex! I'm such a huge fan, and I'm delighted you are so nice to your fans! My friend and I have a couple questions we've been meaning to ask you.

1.) What has been your favorite experience in directing, so far? I admire your ability to write and direct. Your movies are truly some of my favorites. Freaked was awesome, and I will watch Downloaded shortly.

2.) Is it tiring to be remembered as Bill? He seems to be one of your most popular and remembered characters, seemingly everyone's favorite. (Also, I have a complete cosplay for him, and my friend is Bill.)

3.) Do you think you'll play in many move TV shows/ movies? Grand Piano was badass and you did excellent in Bones as well. You are quite an interesting individual and I look forward to seeing you act. That is, if you truly enjoy acting. Thank you~

Thanks! Answers: 1. I really love directing so hard to pick a favorite. Maybe Fever, the small thriller I made in the late 90's. It was particularly fun and challenging to make. With a lot of in camera effects and moving sets, etc. Hard but fun. 2. Not at all. He was super great to play and I have huge fondness for and great memories of those flicks. 3. I love to act, always have. But prefer to write and direct and thankfully that's kept me really busy. We'll see what happens timewise after we make Bill & Ted 3.

Looking back in your past and now, has anything changed in your life? It's alright if you don't want to answer.

Everything changes, all the time, thank goodness :)

If the house does sell, where are all the physical contents going to go? The vault, the studio equipment, et cetera.

Preserving the vault contents and archiving it will take the better part of a year, so that will hopefully get started asap! Where the rest of the contents go is up to the family and not my jurisdiction :)

I loved Downloaded and Deep Web! Gave them both 10s on IMDB and highly recommend them. I believe government mandated monoplies for "intellectual property" are wrong. what are your thoughts on the future of open source and things like Open Bazaar?

Thanks much! Open Source continues to be our path into the future. For so many things that are good for the average citizen.

I remember hearing legends of the Zappa vault, years ago. There were rumors that it contained stems and samples that could be used to make a hundred more albums. Do you believe there's any truth to those legends?

(And if that material does exist, is it only on Synclavier disks, and is there still a functioning synth that can read them???)

That is an excellent question! The answer is yes, and yes this rumor is mostly about Synclavier tracks and patches. And we are all over this, but it's a huge undertaking :)

Hi Alex! Loved you in Lost Boys. Nice to see you're creating these films.

What Zappa songs/albums would you recommend for those who are new to Zappa? And what Zappa songs/albums would you recommend to those who are familiar with Zappa, but may be hidden treasures?

Thanks again!

Thanks! Ooh that's a tough one as you're talking about someone who is incredibly varied and prolific. Start with Apostrophe. A brilliant and accessible album. Then you can branch out from there.

Hi, Alex! I hope you have had a most excellent day! First off, would you mind telling me a widely unknown fact about Frank Zappa? He was a pretty interesting dude, and It's great to have a guy like you to make a movie about him.

Secondly, do you ever get nervous being in front of others? I personally get very embarrassed and have trouble talking to large crowds. And I loved your interview on Adult Swim. That was hilarious and I'm sorry you had to go through that.

Thirdly, what was the weirdest question you have been asked,? ( if there are any)

I am saving those gems for the movie! Agree FZ was super unique and interesting! Regarding your second question I started acting on stage when I was seven so I grew up in public in a way. You learn to get more comfortable with habit. And I couldn't tell you the weirdest question, but it probably had something to do with Freaked :)

What was the craziest, most insane fan encounter you'd ever had? Also, thank you for taking time to answer my questions. You seem like a very genuine, fun, creative dude. Big hugs! <3

I have had many. One guy did an air guitar in a fancy restaurant, sliding across the entire floor of the restaurant and landing at my feet. That was special.

Are you gonna shoot the Zappa doc in digital or on actual film stock (photochemical film)?

Digital. Docs, or should I say my docs don't have the kind of money to shoot on film. With the amount of shooting we do, that would be astronomically expensive.

I thought so. Very true. We must have the same budget. :-) I'm thinking you should go 4K. Go big with this one.

Yes I'm shooting in max rez

I missed meeting Diane Keaton and buying a signed bottle of her wine for this. I hope you appreciate my priorities? :)

Always :)

Alex, do you know how to play Chess? Have you tried Quantum Chess yet? If so, do you win or lose more often? What is your favorite chess piece?

I suck at chess, but Reeves doesn't, he's really good actually.

Hey Alex,
Growing up in San Dimas as a little Jewish boy from Queens, I was always team Bill. Thanks for the awesome memories, and giving me an appreciation for my new home out west.
My question is:
Of all your works, what would you like to be remembered most for?
Thank you, and Party on Dude!

Thanks! I would have to say I love this quote of FZ's: It's not important to be remembered. Agree! It's important to live a good life and enjoy what you do :)

If there was a zombie apocalypse, which five celebrities (living or dead) would you want on your survival team? Big hugs to you!!

I wouldn't be on a survival team. I'd be quivering in a basement somewhere waiting to be offed.

How is the third Bill and Ted coming along?

Really well actually. Honestly.

Hi, Alex!

Thanks for doing this AMA and thanks for making a movie about Frank! I'll be contributing to the kickstarter today!

My question: How much time have you spent in the Zappa vault thus far, and what are some things that have struck you about what's down there, other than its sheer size?

Also, is there any inside info about Frank's personal life that you think will be newly uncovered in the making of this film? I guess I mean things about Frank that he probably never discussed publicly, so- things that won't be learned from interview footage. Are you planning on interviewing his kids and other people who knew him personally, as separate from the people he collaborated with musically? Info about Frank Zappa the musician is easier to come by than info about Frank Zappa the man.

Thanks! Question 1: I've been down there a lot. And what's struck me the most is the sheer size and variety to the contents. spools of 8mm movie film, shelves and shelves of reel-to-reel audio, video tapes, 35mm, art, drawings, etc etc etc. It's staggering in all honesty. Question 2: Yes I know that I am uncovering never before seen and heard information about FZ. Question 3: Yes I plan on interviewing everyone in the family and FZ's collaborator's.

Hi Alex. How's your day?

Killer, how's yours?

I'm doing fine. I'm just drawing while stuck in school. Thanks for asking.

Sound like my kid. I hear ya.

I heard the release date has been pushed back to 2018. What happened, Alex?

Hey Heather :) The date wasn't pushed back, as we haven't even started making the movie yet. The dates are all best guess estimates given wherever we are at the moment. The reason I changed the first date is because I was able to see the scope of the vault and knew it would be a year before I could even start the doc

I'm so happy & grateful all my cyber-friends maintain my cyber-anonymity. :D

So you don't want to post your GPS coordinates?

After the projected digitization of the Vault's contents, are you aware of any plans to officially release archival material, outside of the context of the documentary?

Yes the FZT has plans to do that with some of the contents. It's their thing not mine so as much as I know.

So, barring Democrats AND Republicans . . . who is your candidate for POTUS 2016?

Jill Stein baby!!

I'm really interested in the stories behind how certain FZ albums got mixed and how the sound of the mixes changed over the years (eg Chunga's Revenge apparently not mixed from masters because of contractual wranglings?). Do you think you'll touch on that stuff in the film?

For sure!!

What would Wyld Stallyns think of Zappa's music and vice versa?

They would love FZ, FZ would not love WS. Not enough compositional complexity :).

On a more serious note, was it difficult to convince the Zappa family to allow you to make this doc?

Party on!

EDIT: "Allow" might not be the best word. How about "support"?

It wasn't difficult. It was just a matter of having a way into the story that the family also agreed with.

[deleted]

Thanks! So many stories. Every moment on set was a story. All crazy, all the time!

How did you first get turned on to the music of FZ?

I was a kid. A friend's older brother turned me onto Hot Rats. Mind blown. Then I loved him on SNL and realized there was a lot more to FZ than music. And the music is plenty!