'Like Crazy': Filmmaker Drake Doremus casts his leads [video]

Felicity Jones went to unusual lengths to audition for writer-director Drake Doremus' "Like Crazy," including videotaping herself in the shower for the film's concluding scene. Jones also help cast the actors who played her parents in the film. "It was important that her parents seemed like they could be her friends," she said. In this excerpt from The Envelope Screening Series, Jones, costar Anton Yelchin and Doremus discuss how they came to make the movie together.

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Photo: Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin in "Like Crazy." Credit: Fred Hayes

'Like Crazy' director Drake Doremus on his improvised approach

With compelling performances by Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin as two young people madly in love but struggling to maintain a long-distance relationship, the low-budget love story "Like Crazy" has earned praise from critics and won the top prize at Sundance. Writer-director Drake Doremus and his stars recently visited the Envelope Screening Series and explained how their unconventional, largely improvised approach helped shape "Like Crazy" into a tender, believable romance.

"We start with the idea of a story first, and then we spend a lot of time structuring that story and getting the story right through the outlining process," Doremus said. He added, "Through the course of rehearsal, the dialogue sort of came. But the dialogue is sort of a function of understanding the story and the characters, so the dialogue always comes last."

"The idea is that there are certain points that we would have to hit," Jones said. "There were certain things we have to say to further the plot. But it's about how to get there in the most naturalistic way possible."

See more of what Doremus, Jones and Yelchin had to say in the video below.

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Photo: Drake Doremus (standing) directs Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones in "Like Crazy." Credit: Fred Hayes / Paramount Pictures

'Like Crazy': Betsy Sharkey's film pick of the week [video]

“Like Crazy” is such a refreshing cut at young love that it’s hard not to go crazy for it.

The tiny indie stars a group of new-generation actors, led by Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin. They beautifully pierce the heart as Anna and Jacob, a couple who connect in college and try to keep their transatlantic relationship alive as her visa expires and she returns home to London and he sets down roots in California.

What makes this love story so charming is the way it marries the new-age and old-fashioned romance. Director Drake Doremus is shaping up to be something of a relationship specialist. “Like Crazy” is the sixth Doremus project on the subject and is a more serious, and sentimental, look than the director has taken before.

Though it’s interesting to see him tackling his favorite themes in more grown-up ways, mostly it’s great watching all the ups and downs that real relationships go through and remembering when falling in love was so easy to do.

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Word of Mouth: Paramount makes 'Crazy' bet [video]

Chat transcript with 'Like Crazy' filmmaker Drake Doremus

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Word of Mouth: Paramount makes 'Crazy' bet [video]

Drake Doremus' low-budget, largely improvised, semi-autobiographical love story "Like Crazy" sparked an intense bidding war at this year's Sundance Film Festival. But the winning bidder was not a specialized film company that typically ends up handling such art-house fare. Rather, Paramount Pictures--the distributor of the "Transformers" and "Iron Man" movies--beat out Fox Searchlight, Focus Features and the Weinstein Co. for "Like Crazy's" worldwide rights.

Having paid (it split the deal with independent producer Indian Paintbrush) some $4 million to acquire "LIke Crazy," Paramount now has to sell the movie to two different audiences. Young moviegoers should relate to the  long-distance love affair between a Los Angeles furniture designer (Anton Yelchin) and London-based journalist (Felicity Jones), while older patrons could be motivated by the film's glowing reviews and film festival credentials.

Times film reporter John Horn, who wrote about Paramount's marketing challenges in this week's Word of Mouth column, talks about the film in this video:

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Photo: Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones in "Like Crazy." Credit: Fred Hayes

Live chat with 'Like Crazy' filmmaker Drake Doremus on Nov. 2

Writer-director Drake Doremus, whose own long-distance relationship was the inspiration for the new feature "Like Crazy," will be joining us for a live online chat at noon on Nov. 2.

After its premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, the drama about the sometimes troubled love affair between a Los Angeles furniture designer ("Star Trek's" Anton Yelchin) and a London journalist ("The Tempest's" Felicity Jones) sparked a spirited bidding war, with Paramount Pictures and independent producer Indian Paintbrush grabbing the film for some $4 million. The largely improvised film, whose cast includes future "Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence, opens this weekend in Los Angeles and New York to strong  reviews.

The 28-year-old Doremus, whose last feature was the 2010 Sundance selection "Douchebag," recently completed principal photography on his next feature, which also stars Jones. The as-yet untitled movie also stars Guy Pearce, Amy Ryan and Kyle MacLachlan.

To register for the live chat and schedule a reminder, please fill out the form below. And be sure to join us next Wednesday.

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Photo: Drake Doremus, center, directs Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones on the set of "Like Crazy." Credit: Fred Hayes