Hi! It’s been like 4 months! I’ll tell you what happened: I got overwhelmed with the idea of sending emails on Tuesdays so much that I allowed it to stop me from saying anything entirely. I’ll probably write a whole Pat Tuesday about it eventually—getting roadblocked by self-imposed barriers. So as a way to buck convention, I’m releasing myself of a Tuesday deadline because I wanted to talk to y’all this week. I’ve missed you so!

First off, one of my first personally-produced shows is coming next week and it’s super special to me—it’s called The Pat Pat Club, and it’s gonna be a combination jazz concert/improv show with some of my favorite comedians and some of the best musicians I know sharing the stage for one wild night. Co-hosted by dear friend, sax genius Patrick Sargent (and produced by lifelong buddy Dominique Banas), and featuring talent like Paul F. Tompkins, Angela Giarratana, Amanda Lehan-Canto, Kimia Behpoornia, Oscar Montoya, and more, it’s gonna be the most fun and most experimental comedy I’ve done in years. I dont think you can miss it actually. Buy tickets here, either for live or for livestream.

Secondly, it’s been a hot few months since an update/check-in from me, which I’m hoping to break with this email. I wanted to fill you in one of the coolest experiences of my life which happened last Sunday: writing all of the host bits for the 41st Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. I was lucky enough to be asked by one of my oldest friends, Ego Nwodim, to help her out (alongside genius Asha Ward) as she hosted this past Sunday.

As a kid, I was obsessed with award shows—so much so I almost ruined a family trip to Switzerland when I was 8 because I was freaking out about missing The Oscars on our flight home (I HAD TO SEE IF GLADIATOR WOULD WIN!). I idolized awards shows so much, and this was hands-down one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do—but it was a wild ride, and I thought I’d break down a couple of the things about the process that were interesting, surprising, exciting, or unexpected: 

1. Writing Beyond The Room - We were given a very specific task, which was to make jokes about the films nominated that night. However, some of them had very limited releases, if at all. Some were international films. Some were shorts and some were films submitted directly to Film Independent. Unlike other awards shows, how did we make sure we honored those that made incredible work while also making jokes universal enough that everyone in the room can relate to and enjoy them? The answer we came up with was two-fold: really build efficient, clean setups that would fill you in on anything you’d need to know, and also to write more to the universal experience of something as opposed to the specifics. That was the game plan.

2. Writing to Host Strengths - I’m lucky to have known Ego for over 12 years—we first met doing indie improv together, and I’ve written for her on many occasions. There’s a true joy in writing for someone you’ve know for over a decade—from little inside jokes we have to just being able to recall moments she’s made me laugh, it’s so much more fun to make stuff with people you love. Obviously that’s something I got to do with BIG BEAR—to be able to do this for a big time Hollywood awards show was just cake.

3. Writing Within The Production - this entire schedule was allotted for three weeks to write the entire thing. First, we submitted the segments. Then, the monologue. As the awards ramped up, so did the days, as we tweaked jokes and props and graphics, which, by the way, was on us—luckily my dear comedy friend Josh Fleury knew how to make YouTube thumbnails. But because of the limitations of a budget and a fast-moving schedule, we had to center our jokes not on props, or costumes, or anything outside of true, honest-to-goodness jokes. It straight-up had to be funny writing and funny situations, and not much else. That narrowed the scope in, to make sure we were writing precisely what we found the funniest. And as we continued, we honed and honed, from broader topics to “saying ‘that’ instead of ‘this’”. The closer we got, the more granular the notes became, because when all you have is your jokes, every single word matters.

4. Writing For The Room - After all that, and focusing on making what I imagined would be the funniest possible show, it was showtime. The lights went up and…well, they stayed up. And the people took their seats…and then walked around. And they looked Ego…then looked down at their food. Or turned the other way. Because their seats faced the other way. Because at the end of the day, every comedy bit that day was performed for a room full of people who have been to a million of these, sitting at round tables at 2pm on a Sunday, nervous out of their minds that they might win an award that validates their whole existence. And we’re hoping they laugh? It’s almost like a waiting room magazine at a doctor’s office thinking they’re the reason anyone is there. And I only realized that when it started, but it hit me like a ton of bricks: these people aren’t here for us. But we can give them a hell of a show. 

   

And we did! Ego knocked it out of the park, and to see bits I wrote enjoyed and interacted with by people like Kirsten Dunst, Kumail Nanjiani, and Dylan O’Brien—and I even got to share a really cool backstage moment with some former bosses. It was very cool and very Hollywood.

All that to say, I’m still reckoning with moments that I wish I worked harder on. These award shows are a real momentum-based dash to the finish line, and something like that is always going to leave something that I wish went another way—luckily though, that’s the nature of it. There’s always more shots, always more opportunities, and always more ways to succeed (or fail, but don’t worry about that). Overall, the whole thing was cool as hell. And I’m so excited to be back telling you all about it—there’s a lot more nonsense to discuss so I really appreciate you sticking around for this newsletter. 

PAT’S CORNER - things I’m up to!

The Pat Pat Club - It’s jazz and it’s improv put together, aka the best night out you’re ever gonna have, baby! This show is shaping up to be one of the most favorite’s I’ve ever done, so I hope you can make it out!

Havin’ A Day Is Back! - I’ve returned to my driving podcast, Havin’ A Day, and it’s been such a dream! This week, I had on Dominique Banas and Patrick Sargent, who I’m hosting The Pat Pat Club with—but other guests this season so far have bene Lauren Lopez and Joey Richter, and Miles Bonsignore! So many cool ones coming up, too—subsribe to me over on YouTube for more.

AOAOAOA Live! Livestream - The Artists on Artists live show was last Monday and it’s one of my all-time favorites. We made the audience do a 5-minute standing ovation like we were at Cannes and that’s the least crazy part. You have to go check it out if you haven’t yet.

PAT’S PICKS - something I loved that you should love too

LURKER - A winner of many Independent Spirit Awards including Best First Screenplay and Best First Feature, LURKER is an amazing movie about parasocial relationships and celebrity culture that I’ve only thought more about since I watched it. It’s just so slick and well-done, and gritty and weird—you just have to see it.

Love you guys! Happy to be back!
Patrick