Bringing Back The Funk
I am currently working on three different webseries (two lead roles and a series regular role), the most recent of which is Shut Yo' Mouth, "a fistful of funktified, take no prisoners, 70s-style ass-kickin'. Comin' atchya." The idea was the brain child of my friend Andrew Parkhurst and I'm helping write and produce it with him and my roommate Will Wallace.
The main character in the series, Detective Dick Grizzle (played by yours truly), is a 70s-style cop fighting crime in a modern city. Clinging to the ethos of 1970s law enforcement, Grizzle is a man out of his time. He's 90% Dirty Harry, 10% Ron Burgundy. He tries to be an enforcer, but in the end bungles every case he's on.
The series will be shot 70s style, with lots of quick zooms, slow motion, hard stares, graininess, and color distortion. We started shooting content for the trailer this weekend and below is a quick teaser trailer that will give you some idea of what's coming. The full trailer will be finished in the next two weeks, and having seen a sampling of what's in it, I can say with confidence that it will be epic!
Stay tuned!
Shut Yo' Mouth - Mini Teaser from Andrew Parkhurst on Vimeo.
What are you working on? What has you excited?
(photos are screen shots from the trailer courtesy of Andrew Parkhurst)
-- Gabriel Voss
Love it! It's a white Shaft!
Posted by: Fred | July 19, 2012 at 03:42 AM
Hey, Gabriel--any advice on getting into web series?? I've submitted for some, through Actors Access, but so far no luck getting called in for them. Did you get yours through casting notices, or was a friend involved in doing their series and you got in with them? Interested to hear what worked for you--thanks very much.
Posted by: Justine | July 19, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Fred - Thanks for the love. He is very much like Shaft except that, as you'll see when the episodes come out, he bungles everything in the end.
Justine - Webseries have become so popular in recent years that the competition for roles in them is becoming as stiff as for any commercial or feature project, so don't get discouraged that you haven't landed one yet. I'm in 3 webseries currently, one of which I had a hand in creating (Shut Yo Mouth). My advice is to create your own webseries - either write it yourself or find someone who's a talented writer and create it together (what I did). Then cast it and shoot it. The experience will be incredible.
Posted by: Gabriel Voss | July 19, 2012 at 01:25 PM
Gabriel - thanks! I have been seriously thinking about doing some writing lately--although I had been thinking towards something for a screenplay or a play--can't seem to decide which way to go--but it does seem that writing/producing our own projects in general is often the way to go, gives us some control!! I need to try to do it.
Posted by: Justine | July 23, 2012 at 01:15 PM