A word with: Seth MacFarlane

When Seth MacFarlane calls to talk about his directorial debut,Ted,hes multitasking,of course.

When Seth MacFarlane calls to talk about his directorial debut,Ted,hes multitasking,of course. Hes just finished another day of work overseeing the three Fox animated comedies he producesFamily Guy,The Cleveland Show and American Dadand is preparing to attend a benefit. Its a little crazy, MacFarlane said.

Ted,stars Mark Wahlberg as a man still living with the toy bear he wished to life when he was a boy. MacFarlane,38,not only directed the movie and wrote the screenplay,but he also plays the title character: a living,talking,cursing,pot-smoking teddy bear that he portrayed using motion-capture technology.

In these excerpts from that interview with Dave Itzkoff,MacFarlane talks about the making of Ted and the many responsibilities he juggles as a television producer and first-time filmmaker.

With some of the things youve done on Family Guy,the story of an obscene talking teddy bear could seem almost conventional. Where did the idea for Ted come from?

It was an idea that I had for an animated series. And when I decided its time for me to make a movie,that seemed like a cool idea. The Avatar-slash-Lord of the Rings technology had reached a point where you could create a fictional-looking character that was completely real in movement. Its been in adventure films,in fantasy films. Where more than a comedy do you need subtle

character actors?

In prime-time network television,you have many restrictions. How do you decide for yourself,in an R-rated movie,when a joke has gone too far?

If nobodys laughing,you know that you went too far. Oftentimes youll hear an audible groan from an audience. Unless you think its the greatest joke in the world and youll just absolutely kill yourself if its not in the movieif that joke just dies at seven or eight screenings,then it just doesnt work. You have to trust the audience,because thats who youre making the movie for.

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Do you feel the stakes are particularly high because this is your directorial debut?

There is a lot of that. Theres two ways to look at it. One,its my first movie,so theres going to be a lot of eyes on it. Two,if it doesnt do well,its just my first movie,Ill get better. For me,its got to be received well enough that it doesnt seem insane to make another one.