Director Kevin Tancharoen on the Perils of Fame ... and That Line About YouTube (It's Not in the Movie)

You mention Busby Berkeley -- are there fantasy sequences in the film?

There's no big fantasy elements. I just liked the way he elegantly shot them. It was just crafted so well. I hope one day I could do something as massive as a Busby Berkeley sequence. But I just liked his appreciation for the talent. He let them do his thing. That's something Stanley Donen did so well for Gene Kelly. Though Gene Kelly was the showman, Stanley Donen really was the technical guy who helped him execute it.

It seems as if it's being marketed, and the idea of it, comes as a one with all of these reality competition shows that are so popular now.

It's funny: In the trailers, they have that YouTube line. That's not in the movie. [Laughs.] And the reason why is that I always find it a little cheesy when you have to nod at the technology of the new era just to seem cool and updated, so I took it out.

But I know what you mean. I think we have to market to all the demographics, because this movie is played for every demographic. You have the nostalgic factor for people who loved the original film and television show, and then there's this whole new generation of kids who grew up loving High School Musical, and Step Up, Stomp the Yard and all that stuff, and the people who love dancing shows on TV. So it's not like when you have a superhero movie, when you know who you're marketing for.

As someone who's worked professionally in this world of performing arts, showbiz, do you feel that people are maybe encouraging kids to pursue those dreams a little too much?

I think there are both sides to that. I don't know why I watched it, but last night I landed on this TLC show called Toddlers and Tiaras. I wanted to vomit, but was glued to the television because of what these parents are doing.

A lot of people think, oh, that's an easy school because all you do is sing and dance. But that's not true at all, because of all the extra work you have to put into it. They actually amplify the academics because of that. It's a very difficult school, and these kids are put under a pressure cooker from society, who says you have to make money. In this industry, nobody respects what you do until you actually make it, which is really sad. And these kids have to deal with it every day. Their teachers are a prime example of the ones who don't make it, and they're in front of them every day. It's a very unique situation for a teenager to be in. ♦

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