Anna Kendrick: I was attached to the movie as an actor and producer for almost two years. It was just  one of those situations where-- Well, number one, I was weirdly obsessed with this script. Like, you know, if I'm working on something, I will give feedback. But I felt-- I could feel myself getting a little controlling. Even for me, which is saying something. 

[footsteps]

Anna Kendrick: [On Set] We save those for you guys, and then I'm gonna shout it out when it's time for the first AD's big cross. And we'll go from there. 

Anna Kendrick: There was just one of those situations where you wait for a movie to come together, and then it comes together, like, too quickly. We sort of found ourselves with a start date, but no director. I was so freaked out, and I was willing myself to stop thinking it. Because it was so daunting and--We were only looking at directors who had made a couple films before, so that we could go, "Yeah, you're gonna jump on a moving train, so can you pull this off?" And I was horrified that this thought would not go away. And I ended up pitching myself. And then suddenly, I was asking a bunch of people, including the two of you, to trust me.

Tony Hale: You're welcome.

[Kendrick laughs]

Daniel Zovatto: You were so prepared, and everything was, like, "We're gonna spend 35 minutes on this scene." "We're gonna spend an hour in this scene." 

Anna Kendrick: I had a very-- I was very lucky. I had an amazing crew.

Daniel Zovatto: You did, you did, but also, you're the captain of the ship. You know acting. You've been doing it more than you haven't been doing it. So, you understand the process of an actor. You encourage us to trust ourselves, our instincts. I was never scared to try something.

Anna Kendrick: Mm. 

Kathryn Gallagher: In the more intense scenes, just, like, leaning over and go out from behind the monitor, and you have a tear… [laughing] 

Anna Kendrick: Oh, I was crying. I did not make it through a week of filming without crying. Not once.

Kathryn Gallagher: And it just was so beautiful. 

Nicolette Robinson: That was a good boost, though. Whenever you were like, “Okay, Anna's over there crying. We're doing it." [laughing]

Autumn Best: "We did it. We did it." 

Kathryn Gallagher: You just really proved you can really effectively run a set with deep kindness and efficiency and humanity, while knowing what you want and communicating it, and being lovely and wonderful the whole time.

Anna Kendrick: I'm gonna cry. I'm weirdly obsessed. I should also be like-- I'm weirdly obsessed with the cast to the point that I'm like, "Just be cool, Anna. Just play it cool." "Don't be weird, um…" [chuckles awkwardly] 

Nicolette Robinson: No, that's very kind. Thank you. I mean, you have so much knowledge of film,  just film in general. I mean, we'll  be hanging out, and Anna will reference some random film and I feel so completely incompetent. [laughs] Just be like, "So that movie in-- from 19…"

[laughs]

Anna Kendrick: I do say it just like that.

Nicolette Robinson: Yeah.

Anna Kendrick: Oh my god, it's like looking in a mirror. 

Autumn Best: That's always what I tell people when they ask me. I'm always like, "Well, she's just so smart." She just knows so much about film.

Daniel Zovatto: You honestly…  it just felt like you've done this before. I wrote you a text message. "I think you should continue to do this. You're so good at it." And it just showed your passion and how much you care for this story. And it was just… Every day, it was a blast to be there.

[CLIP] Tony Hale (as Ed Burke): I just need you to laugh and smile just over and over. Can you do that for me?

Anna Kendrick (as Sheryl): Oh. Sure.

[CLIP] Tony Hale (as Ed Burke): I'd appreciate it.

Anna Kendrick (as Sheryl): Of course.