Young Holler, what's going on? We're at Ready Player One. That's Ernie. Ernie is the writer of the novel, and that's how he rolls into his premieres. I've heard you say that you were actually dabbling in a little VR before you even started this film.

Yes. Yeah, that's true. I mean, I was completely obsessed with VR when I heard about this project. My best friend and I were trying to develop some VR content. So, you know, We did, actually. We we made some content. We showed it to him before. I auditioned for casting director. It went well. Steven saw it. He wanted me to come to L. A. I went to L. A. and met with a few boys as like a chemistry read thing. We did the same thing in New York, and then I got a call saying it's going really well. They want me to go and read the script, read the script. And then a few days later I got a call saying I was going to be um, in a Steven Spielberg movie.

That is so cool. You've been to South by Southwest before?

No, it was my first time. And what better way to come here than being in a Steven Spielberg movie? That's pretty phenomenal. It was awesome.

Okay. So tell me what it was like working with with Steven Spielberg in this film.

Well, he's a magician. A magician? He gets in your head before the scene, so you really get into character. Okay. Yeah. I think he does that better than any other director.

How was it like working with Steven Spielberg? Second guest: I was so fantastic, you know, like uh this is my first time in Hollywood movie. Okay. So, uh Steven was very kind, you know, like he is like my grandpa.

You wrote the script for the film. What was it like, did you have adapting the script? I mean the film, I mean the the the novel to the script. Was that difficult? Did you have somebody watching over you the whole time? Second guest: Um, yeah, this guy Steven Spielberg. Uh, you know, you work for the studio, but also when Steven signed on, it became much more of a collaboration um, between a lot of different people. You know, storyboard artists and the best people in every department, and we brought Ernie back into the process because, you know, it's his world. We're just playing in it.

Did you see that car at all on set? Second guest: No, I saw the um, the bare bones of a wooden motion capture version. Okay. Which is just wood.

Did you have to do a lot of VR or like any type of like virtual effect stuff on set? Second guest: Yeah. Half of it was motion capture. Half of it was um, real life um, action.

Do you like doing that? Second guest: It was great. It was the first time I I've done it. It was it was very different. You're kind of stripped of any um, tangible set or environment, so you have to kind of make your own make it up with your imagination.

you're from Texas. Second guest: Yes, sir.

What was it like growing up seeing South by Southwest or hearing about South by Southwest. Second guest: Yeah. Well, I think the first time I was here I was probably like 15 or 16 years old. So, this festival is uh, super super super important to me, and all my whole family is here tonight. I love Austin. The food is fantastic. Yeah. It's much better than Maryland food. I I'm sorry, but it's true.

Uh, Tex-Mex or barbecue? Second guest: Ooh, barbecue. I ate the barbecue here and it's just too good.

What do you think about like the storyline for this uh, you know, everybody being in this oasis world? Do you think that that's something that we're kind of going through today at all? Second guest: Absolutely. I mean, like there's social media. Everybody got a a a pretend person, you know, so it's about being yourself and like, you know, being who you really are rather than what you wanna.

I can't get off the gram. I'm on the gram all the time. I'm on the gram all the time. I was just on the gram. We've all got our our phones, and we're it's right there. I mean, there's no it is there's no real difference of it being here and then being right on our faces.

Have you held true to the novel? Is it 100% or is there a little things you guys go off? Second guest: I'd say it's about 2% the same. Uh, it's a it's a musical now, obviously, and it's on ice. And Ernie's not happy. No. Uh, you know, you always have to change a lot when you adapt. Uh, you know, I've worked on a lot of comic book movies. You've always got to make some choices.

I'm going to ask you some eighties lines. Okay. And let's see how well you know the movies. Okay. Here we go. If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles an hour, you're going to see some serious. Did you did you see the future? Did you see it there or you didn't?

No, I didn't see it. I looked at your phone, but I knew it.

Wax on, wax off.

Oh, um, uh, Karate Kid.

Perfect. I'll be back.

Oh, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Oh oh oh oh, Terminator.

Who would you live with in this oasis or hang out with in this oasis, dead or alive? Musician, actor, Second guest: Uh, I would like to hang out with Dōragon. It's a Japanese animation. Yeah yeah yeah. I love Dōragon. Dōragon. I wanna I wanna hang out with Dōragon.

Henry VIII, just because I was like obsessed with Henry VIII, just because I was obsessed with the Tudor period when I was a kid. You know, in the oasis you can do anything, so you could technically go to um, the the Tudor period and hang out in his kingdom. Sounds lame.

Who ends up winning who ends up winning this entire thing at the end? Have you read the book? I I haven't read the book, but I know I know. I like watching movies first though, but I will.

Thank you. Thank you.