Booking Without the Drama
Crispin Porter Bogusky came to Paul seeking the comedic sensibility and committed ‘dramatic’ performances needed for this parody. Paul had recently directed a movie trailer parody of Joker (instead centering on Oscar the Grouch) for SNL, and the brief for this Hotels.com was tonally similar, with sincere performances and dramatic beats that required a close eye on movie-accurate production design, sweeping shots, and familiar-sounding dialogue.
Paul, an expert on genre cinema and the stylistic flourishes it involves, worked with the production team to recreate the stereotypical elements of a climactic break-up scene, as well as captured memorable comedic performances from his talent. The casting choice of Chad Michael Murray was inspired by his past roles in romcoms.
