Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: You know, of course you're going to have periods of your life where you're making money from your art, but there are going to be periods where you might not be, and that doesn't mean it's worthless. Like, I think that's an important thing for people to know. Kind of going into this industry is sometimes when you're not making money from it. And like, your friends who are in finance might not understand this or like, your parents might not get it, but you know, it. Like, there's still value in stuff even if you're not making money from it. You're gaining skills, you're gaining, you know, making community, meeting people, whatever. And I did get jobs from it, too, so it turned into money, you know.
[00:00:41] Speaker B: Welcome to the 5050 podcast, where we've made it our mission to nurture and empower the next generation of industry talent. Through this podcast, we expand the reach of the 5050 film festival by giving an exclusive peek behind the curtain into the creative and business sides of the entertainment industry. We sit down with folks from all corners of the biz, garnering educational insight into process, production and execution. This week, we talked with our friends and unstoppable animation duo Tori Strahl and Alaina Ridker. You can find their series Buzzards Bay On Adult Swim's YouTube channel as it launched last month to impressive success.
Enjoy the episode.
[00:01:27] Speaker C: That's what I was telling W about to bring it back to. What I was getting at, Hallelujah is, I'm not kidding, probably the best sketch that's ever been submitted to the festival. Not probably. It absolutely is. And maybe one of the best sketches I've ever seen. I'm not even kidding. And I'm not just saying that, like, it. It really is, like, so professional and so well done.
And yeah, I mean, bravo to you guys. And I'd love to kind of start on that and, like, I don't know, maybe hear about that project. Obviously, this was a little while ago, so I understand if it's not the most fresh. And then I promise we'll get into the animation stuff, which Wyatt knows a lot about from the business side. And I obviously am just a big animation fan.
[00:02:07] Speaker D: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Luke, for the kind words about that sketch. Yeah, I shout out to mine and Tori's friend Grace Leeson, who helped me a ton with that. She I was like, you know, I want to make this sketch. Had this very, very silly idea and a small budget of my own savings. And I was like, could you give.
[00:02:32] Speaker C: Us the pitch or the log line, I guess, for the audience, for the listeners.
[00:02:37] Speaker D: Yes, Hallelujah is a sketch. Basically, a woman is in labor at a hospital and she insists that a certain song from Shrek plays when her baby is born.
And that's all I will say because I don't want to spoil the joke or the, you know, the punchline.
But yeah, I had this idea and like, I, I don't know, I. I met Tori and this friend Grace on the same job in New York back in like 2019, I think.
[00:03:14] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:16] Speaker D: And. And you know, you just like, when you meet people at, on gigs that like, you work really hard on and you just like vibe on a gig and you're just like, I want to make something with these people. Like, you know, it's like you take that outside of work and like into your own creative life.
And so I always knew I wanted to work.
[00:03:35] Speaker A: Shout out to vibing on gigs.
[00:03:37] Speaker D: Shout out to vibing on gigs. Yeah.
And so, yeah, I like brought this idea to Grace and I was like, I really want to make this sketch.
I've written it, I've written like 20 drafts of it and I think I should act in it because I don't know, like, I was like, maybe I should put myself on camera and like challenge myself in that way.
[00:04:07] Speaker C: Was that the first time you acted or like being on camera on camera?
[00:04:11] Speaker D: Yes. I did like improv in college and I've always kind of been like, I don't know, I like to entertain. I mean, come on, you know, who doesn't?
But, but I was really self conscious about being on camera. So I was like, I know that if I want to work with the director, I want, I want to work with someone who's like a very close friend and will like, make me feel confident and good and who I can like collab with and like essentially go like co direct.
But. But I did give Grace, like, I really was like, do your thing. Let's just like be in conversation this whole time.
And then we had this awesome DP named Greg Howard, who I met on another job in New York.
And he was just like, he's like, you know, up and coming cinematographer. And like, I was just like, let's get good gear and like make this look elevated. Like, I, you know, like, I'm a huge like, sketch comedy like, fan and I, I think I just got to the point where I'm like, I'm sick of seeing sketches on social media that are like one iPhone, like being passed around a room. I don't know, like I was just like, there's an art to sketch comedy. And I wanted to, like, kind of celebrate that. So we, like, you know, brought on Greg and then he brought on some friends, some, like, grips and other cam ops. And. And then we had an awesome prop master, Rhys Munn, who's, like, so cool. And, yeah, it was just like a bringing together people I really liked working with in New York and then new people I had just met. So it was fun.
[00:05:47] Speaker C: Had you been making projects before that, or. That was, like, the first one. You did a few gigs and then that was.
That was, like, the one I've been working.
[00:05:56] Speaker D: I mean, Tori and I both have been, like, in the industry for quite some time, like, work, you know, just like, our careers.
And I knew that I wanted to make my own stuff eventually. It was sort of this, like, mountain, this, like, I needed to, like, get over, you know, it was like I was kind of working on other shows for years and never really got to scratch the itch of, like, making my own voice, like, and making my own visions come to life. It was always like, you know, working on legit productions, but other people's concepts.
[00:06:33] Speaker A: And.
[00:06:36] Speaker D: So eventually, like, I don't know, the strike happened and I didn't have a job. I, like, you know, was unemployed and was like, I need to do something with my life.
And it was sort of just this opportunity to get people together and shoot something. So it was. It's the second thing that I shot. I shot a sketch before Hallelujah that was, like, much more bare bones and really, really silly and, like, one, like, afternoon and got some comedy friends together. So that one was, like, my first one. And then kind of let me open the gates to make Hallelujah, I guess.
[00:07:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it's a very interesting lens to look through in terms of career trajectory, because a lot of people will graduate school and then start making their own stuff right away that's their own material, and then fall into the thing where you've done all this great stuff yourself, and then you start working on other people's ideas and getting staffed on shows or become story artists or whatever they are.
But what it sounds like from you is you started more so working on other people's ideas, and then you had gained experience and really learned the craft. And you had picked, as you mentioned, you had collected all these people and you had vibed on all these gigs with people. You had found that. So I think it's an interesting way to look at things in terms of feeling like you were ready to you know, make your own thing. Was there a specific moment when you were either staffed on a show or whatever? I mean, you mentioned the strike, right? Because obviously work completely stopped. Was that the moment or what. What. What was that moment like, emotionally for you to realize you wanted to make your own thing?
[00:08:23] Speaker D: For me, it was the pandemic.
I. Yeah, so, like, I graduated college in 2016 and started working. I had done internships and made some connections for myself through those, and I ended up working at Ken Burns production Company in New Hampshire for documentaries. And then that was an internship. And then from there, I went to Broad City in New York. So I worked on, like. I had the opportunity to work on, like, my favorite TV show ever when I was, like, 22. So I was really, like, you know, I got lucky. I also, like, worked really hard, and, you know, of course, the right things, I guess, to land there.
And I think it's like, you know, watching, like, a show like that get made and feeling so, like, attached to it and proud of it, but also knowing, like, oh, this isn't like my. You know, this is their thing. And.
But I really admire it, and I'm learning from it.
I knew I wanted to write comedy eventually.
I didn't feel ready yet. And it's funny. Cause, like, you know, when I was in college, all of the informational calls I did with people in the industry, everybody was like, the number one piece of advice is, go make your own stuff.
Start doing it now. And I was like. I was like, how? I don't know. I don't, like. I was like, I want to do that. I don't really know how to do that yet.
I didn't go to film school.
You know, I didn't, like, have technical training, anything. So, yeah, for me, it was. I started by just working in the industry, and I, you know, had the, like, really good fortune of working on a show that, like, really inspired me.
And then I just knew I wanted to write. Four or five years go by the pandemic hits, or. Yeah, four years go by pandemic hits, and I'm like, okay, now's the time. Like, the world. The world's ending. I have no excuse. I need to start writing.
And I started writing with my brother, who's a novelist, and he, like, kind of helped me get over that mental hump of, like, you can do this.
And which is another piece of advice I have for anybody is like, collaborate with friends when you're starting out and. And throughout your life. But, like, there's so much pressure to do everything by yourself. But like really like the best ideas happen when multiple brains are. Are bouncing off of each other.
And so yeah, I started writing with my brother and we like had so much fun just belly laughing together writing a pilot. We got representation from that and then.
[00:11:09] Speaker C: Wow. From. From your first script?
[00:11:11] Speaker D: Yeah, it.
It's not as glamorous as it sounds because my manager is a friend from college. But I will say he's like an amazing manager. He works at a really cool boutique management and law company called Sinetic. They represent like incredible directors and filmmakers and writers.
And you. Yeah. He was like, this is. I love this script. I want to work with you professionally. And that was like this really beautiful moment of. Okay.
Yeah, make like friendships can also grow into professional relationships and be really fruitful. And he's awesome. He knows Tori well too. And.
Yeah, so I guess we started taking meetings from that, you know, a couple year, you know, pandemic goes by. It's like we so hard to get work during that time and finding gigs that were actually like, in person was hard. And eventually during that time, Tori and I and my brother Andrew, we all were like, let's make something together.
And that's when I really started working with Tori because we. I forget, Tori, you might have a better memory on this than I do, but my brother and I had a concept for an animation pilot and I was like, cool. I have a friend who's a dope animator and a really funny comedy writer. We should collaborate all together.
And that was a show called Senioritis about a retirement community in Florida where the premise is like a new girl girl. She's like 82, moves into New girl, moves into this new community in Florida and has to like navigate the social world there and make friends. The only person who wants to be her friend is Death, who's literally a. He's like this pansexual skeleton who just wants to party. Nobody wants to hang out with him because he's Death.
And so the two of them become this like odd couple friendship in this like crazy bonkers world of, you know, hyper horny and like drinking crazy retirement community in Florida.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: So we made this awesome.
[00:13:41] Speaker D: Yeah. And Tori did this like awesome art.
[00:13:46] Speaker C: When you heard that pitch, were you like, yeah, like, let's see.
[00:13:48] Speaker A: I'm like, that's a show obviously, like.
And there have been a couple movies with that exact premise. Like there was queen bees. Yeah. So like it's a concept that. And the Golden Bachelor eventually got made, you know. So yes, it was kind of like it's definitely, like.
[00:14:05] Speaker B: Right?
Yeah, Yeah. I think it's a great pitch because you weirdly. And it lends itself to animation, too, because you can kind of see it as Elena's pitching it, you know?
But I would love to, like, take a pause there and move to Tori now. And, yeah, I would love to hear about your sort of path to, you know, this. This cross section right here, specifically, if there was anything in Elena's story that you aligned with that you could kind of, you know, take us through your path up to that sort of cross section with Elena.
[00:14:41] Speaker A: Okay.
I am old, so it's slightly longer, but I will tldr it, which is. I came here in 20. I came to New York in 2010.
Goofily. I was an NBC page. That is a shout out. Shout out. Kenneth.
So did that for a year.
That was wild.
We'll talk about that in the long version. And then after that. So I did assignments. One of my assignments while I was there was at what was then Late night with Jimmy Fallon. It's now the Tonight Show. That's how long ago we're talking. And I met someone there who recommended me when there was a PA Gig open at the Colbertore. So then I became a PA over there. And that was everything Alina said about Broad City. I kind of.
That resonated with me as far as the rapport, because it was like a dream job immediately. Right. I would think I was 22, three. And similarly, just being around that energy, being around those minds, it was like, I'll never have another experience like that. It was just so. I learned too much. I learned so much. It was crazy.
And then after a year, I became.
I think my title was coordinator, footage coordinator, but it was. It was a producing job.
So watching the news all the time, calling for jokes and research purposes was half comedy and half news. Like, heart. Like, yeah.
Knowing what the politicians were actually saying. This is pre Trump, so it's a different era, but it was still, you know, my job was to watch Fox News. So it was. It was still wild.
And then that show ended.
And then I joined the Late show after that, and I was still in the footage department there.
And then had.
[00:16:39] Speaker B: So you followed Colbert, basically. Okay.
[00:16:42] Speaker A: Yep, yep. And again, similarly, it was. It was just so cool to be soaking in all of that knowledge from these heavyweights, you know, big, big writing team.
Lots of really nice, nice people there. Like, really good people there, which was just really cool to be around, you know, have a professional comedy experience where people are kind. That's not always the case. So that was really cool.
I'm still friends with a lot of them years later.
And yeah, then Honesty hour, I had a mental breakdown and I left New York for, I think a year.
And that's when I learned how to animate.
When I was. When I was cuckoo.
And it was. I sold a web series to Seriously tv, which is no longer.
No longer exists, but I sold a web series that I wrote and animated. And I didn't really know how to animate yet, but I thought I was friends with, or I am friends with this guy who's an absolute ace. So he kind of set me up software wise. And I just tried to figure it out on the go and please don't watch it. It's not great. But it kind of what Elena was talking about, about just kind of ripping that band aid off and getting going. That was my experience as far as that.
I was also making a web series at the time that people were like, really encouraging me about it. I was getting a ton of positive feedback.
So that helped too. It was. It was a news parody thing back when. Back when Instagram was like, it wasn't an algorithm yet. It was all sequential. Like when you. When you went on was when things were actually posted. So doing news parody at that moment in time was more fun. A, because it was pre Trump, and B, because like, Nancy Pelosi could be on MSNBC at 4 and I could have a video up at 4:45. So it was just fun.
Um, but similarly, like, that was the first project that was my own, that people were kind of, hey, keep, keep going.
[00:18:54] Speaker B: You know, And I'm sure you had gained all those skills from the Colbert Report, you know, like by watching the news, synthesizing it, creating jokes, all of that.
[00:19:02] Speaker A: Yeah, I knew how to do it at that point.
So that was really fun.
Even though my life was kind of in shambles at the time. Like, I had this creative project that was keeping me going, I think.
And then was that.
[00:19:15] Speaker C: Was that creative project, like, therapeutic or.
[00:19:18] Speaker A: Some sense of, like, okay, yes. And also I think because I had already had my mental breakdown, like, I actually literally didn't have anything to lose anymore because it had already been lost.
And that was really like freeing and liberating in a way. And I'm not saying that I want to go back to that era, because I don't, but it was just. Just learning experience wise and kind of contrast and perspective wise.
[00:19:43] Speaker D: I.
[00:19:46] Speaker A: Not that I'm grateful for it, but I guess I'm grateful for it, you know, in the sense of like, oh, I've seen the dark side now and whatever.
You can cut all this part out, by the way.
[00:19:58] Speaker B: No, it's. It's very helpful. I think there's a lot of people who go through similar things, you know, So I think it's helpful to find the ways that we cope and what you're able to do even within a tough time like that.
[00:20:10] Speaker D: Yeah, I was gonna say, I mean, like, missing from my story was also all of the mental breakdowns. So I like, totally, like, ditto to this experience to just like, yeah, I had an all is lost moment as well when I lost my job during the pandemic and was like, I have nothing to lose right now, so I should start trying to be creative. And that was really hard. Um, but it, you know, it was like, I love doing this, so I have to do it.
[00:20:42] Speaker A: You know, I think just jumping off of that too. I think the project that kind of gave me my.
Gave me, I don't know, some peace in a dark time or whatever. Like, it wasn't tied to money either. Like, I wasn't.
Wasn't getting paid for it. And I do think that's helpful as, like, professional creatives. Like, yeah, of course we want to make money from the stuff we make, but that's not always realistic. Like, in the moment, you know, of course you're going to have periods of your life where you're making money from your art, but there are going to be periods where you might not be, and that doesn't mean it's worthless. Like, I think that's an important thing for people to know. Kind of going into this industry is sometimes when you're not making money from it. And like, your friends who are in finance might not understand this or like, your parents might not get it, but, you know, it's like, there's still value in stuff even if you're not making money from it. You're gaining skills, you're gaining, you know, making community meeting people, whatever. And I did get jobs from it too. So it event. It turned into money.
[00:21:43] Speaker B: Of course. Yeah, it just doesn't. It's not a momentary sort of like, here we are, here's. Here's money for what you've made in the moment, you know, But.
[00:21:52] Speaker A: But that. That web series I mentioned, like, I got that from the Instagram stuff. So right then, my buddy, who another one of my Colbert buddies, and I got an opportunity to write for tbs, and then that's how Alina and I eventually met was On a show that was originally for TBS that got bumped to True tv.
But yeah, met a bunch of cool people on that show as well.
And.
[00:22:22] Speaker B: And they brought in what were.
[00:22:24] Speaker C: I would say, Lena. What. What were. What was your role on that? Because I just want to. I want to get into like, what drew you two together because obviously you meet a lot of people on set and it's easy to be like, oh, you also like movies. Cool.
Like, we should do something that never happens.
[00:22:38] Speaker D: Like, I was an associate producer and I was supposed to be like in the field.
So this was an unscripted show starring Amy Hoggart, who's an amazing comedian. She's British. You might know her from Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.
She's a good friend of Tori's. And Tori worked on. Yeah, Tori, like wrote and like really was super involved creatively on that pilot. And I got brought onto that job when they were staffing for the season.
I forget. Oh, I think I.
It was in the Jax media universe and I had been working on a lot of different Jacks media shows at the time and pilots and such and went to la, opened their office, came back to New York. Like, so I think that's how I landed there. And it was, it was like an unscripted show kind of in like a Nathan Fielder esque, like, way where it was like Amy was going out and meeting, working with real people on like their life problems.
And so I ended up being. I came on as an associate producer kind of thinking I'd be doing a little bit of everything and ended up being essentially like an assistant casting director.
Just like by nature of where the needs. The needs were.
But yeah, I mean, I was. We met. So I met so many. Some of my best friends from the industry are like, from that show and mentors too.
And yeah, I think like Tori was just like on the second floor. I was on like the first floor of that, like production office. And I was just like, he seems really cool and really funny. And she's also from Massachusetts and plays basketball. So I eventually was like, I was like, we need to like, chat.
[00:24:33] Speaker A: Yeah, there was this weird kismet thing. It's like, oh, we're both point guards.
Cool.
We could talk about the NBA together.
[00:24:44] Speaker D: Both Celtics fans. Yeah, like, and I was like, I was like junior, you know, Like, Tori was more senior than me. So, like, I was obviously intimidated by Tori.
[00:24:55] Speaker A: So, you know, I don't think anyone's.
[00:24:57] Speaker D: Ever said that I had to play it cool.
[00:24:58] Speaker A: No one has ever said that before.
[00:24:59] Speaker D: It's Ever said that?
[00:25:01] Speaker A: No.
No.
[00:25:02] Speaker B: So how did that. How did that show end up going? I mean, what was it like? Kind of.
Yeah. Growing your relationship while also growing the show and everything.
[00:25:11] Speaker A: I don't think that Elena and I really.
It was. It was a really difficult production for the people who are out in the field. Like the super tight.
[00:25:20] Speaker B: It seems like it's. It's a tough thing to run.
[00:25:23] Speaker A: Totally. I got. I was pretty lucky in that specific regard because I was in post, so I was.
I was story editing, which was me. I loved it. I was sitting with the editors, kind of sifting through footage.
[00:25:35] Speaker B: You're in the office.
[00:25:36] Speaker A: Yeah, I was playing Tetris with.
With the cuts, getting ready for the eps who were out shooting. So it was tricky. We were working on eight episodes at once at one point. So I don't think there was really time for Elena and me to become homies on that job. I think it was more.
We kind of had this group of friends from that show and we started doing trivia night and everything. And I think it was kind of through that that we became close and through the project with her brother Andrew, because we've been working together now on our own stuff since 2021.
You know, since Senioritis and the Adult Swim show. Like. Well, we started senioritis in 2021. I think so.
[00:26:20] Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah. Shout out to the Closers, our trivia. Our trivia team.
[00:26:24] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:26:24] Speaker D: Just had to.
[00:26:26] Speaker C: How many people on the trivia team? What was the.
The Closers, you said.
[00:26:30] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, the Closers.
[00:26:33] Speaker B: And you're. And you're both point guards, you said.
[00:26:36] Speaker A: Yeah, okay.
I'm a pass first point guard, definitely.
[00:26:40] Speaker B: Okay, me too.
[00:26:42] Speaker D: Me too. Me too. Yeah, that's why I'm like a mid. I love a good mid range. Mid range jump shot. Three point jump. Yeah, dude.
[00:26:49] Speaker A: Steve Nash. That's who I model my game after.
[00:26:52] Speaker B: And is it. Is it hard being a Celtics fan in New York City?
[00:26:56] Speaker A: Absolutely. You know, especially. I mean, it's a little easier right now. You know, it would have been harder if things had gone a different way.
[00:27:03] Speaker B: Yeah. I don't know if it's ever easy.
[00:27:06] Speaker A: Easy. It's definitely no. I stay inside mostly on game nights.
[00:27:08] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:11] Speaker C: Do you guys still play?
[00:27:12] Speaker D: Tori does.
We used to shoot around a bit.
[00:27:17] Speaker C: Tori, you definitely go to the park late nights by yourself with your ball.
[00:27:21] Speaker B: Yeah. Just you two.
[00:27:23] Speaker A: This is a true story. I was shooting before we started recording today. I was like, I gotta get my nervous energy out.
[00:27:28] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, of course. Well, that's what an honor that you were nervous for this.
Then you sat down and you saw us and you were like, oh, this is. This is nothing.
[00:27:37] Speaker A: No, I'm more nervous now.
[00:27:38] Speaker C: You know?
[00:27:39] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:27:39] Speaker C: So senioritis. And then. And then going forward here.
[00:27:43] Speaker A: I'm so sorry to interrupt. I'm so sorry to interrupt. Elena pitched my Doris Burke impression, and I did.
[00:27:50] Speaker D: I did.
[00:27:50] Speaker A: I do feel the need to give it to you now.
[00:27:52] Speaker B: Yeah, let's hear it.
[00:27:54] Speaker A: Well, guys, we're here on the podcast. We're having a great time.
All I have to say is I'm happy to be here, and I'm even happier to still be here. There you go, Doris. Out. I don't know. I didn't write it.
[00:28:05] Speaker B: Did you ever get to whip that out at Colbert or anything? I mean.
[00:28:08] Speaker A: No.
[00:28:09] Speaker D: Come on.
[00:28:09] Speaker A: I did Hillary once, but it didn't air, and I did.
[00:28:12] Speaker C: Let's hear that. Let's hear the Hillary one.
[00:28:14] Speaker A: Oh, it's not as good.
[00:28:15] Speaker B: Come on.
[00:28:15] Speaker A: That's not as good. Let me do Elizabeth Warren.
[00:28:18] Speaker D: Elizabeth Warren's good.
[00:28:20] Speaker A: Okay.
Elizabeth Warren is.
Everybody was there. It's kind of like Doris. Libertarians, vegetarians, everybody.
I'm so high on peyote right now.
[00:28:33] Speaker D: Oh, God.
[00:28:34] Speaker A: It is like if it was a conversation between Doris and Elizabeth, you wouldn't really know who's talking.
Oh, Jesus.
I'm covered in Charles Barkley sweat. I'm not sure where I can find a towel. I've never seen anything more disappointing than Jason Tatum's lineup.
Something like that. And then.
[00:28:55] Speaker C: That's so good.
[00:28:56] Speaker B: That is so good.
[00:28:58] Speaker A: Oh, my God. That's why I got this microphone. Let's be honest. Yeah.
[00:29:01] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:29:01] Speaker C: You should. You might have to do that the entire. You gotta answer all the questions with that.
[00:29:06] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:29:07] Speaker B: Yeah. We're. Have Doris Burke announce the next 5050 festival or something.
[00:29:11] Speaker D: I'm in.
[00:29:12] Speaker A: I'm in.
[00:29:13] Speaker B: There's definitely room for collaboration there.
[00:29:15] Speaker A: Thank you so much.
[00:29:16] Speaker D: Look out, Kyle Mooney.
[00:29:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:20] Speaker A: For the. It's for the five people who know Doris. Who Doris Burke is.
[00:29:24] Speaker C: I think. I think more than five people know who Doris Burke is.
[00:29:27] Speaker A: Appreciate that.
[00:29:29] Speaker C: Okay. Senioritis 2021. First of all, actually, before we even do that, Tori, how does one just start animating? Because animating is not just something you can just like. Oh, yeah.
You know, like, were you drawing always? Was this, like, something you thought about, you know, with. Elena was like, writing comedy, and, like, finally she did it. Like, were you always thinking about your own animation stuff?
[00:29:53] Speaker A: I wanted to write and voice cartoons. That was sort of my Like, I did a. I did a presentation in 11th grade, 10th grade, trig class, like, what I wanted to do, and voice acting, was it.
So math class.
[00:30:11] Speaker C: You said trig.
[00:30:12] Speaker A: Yeah, we. I don't know why we had career day in trig, but we did.
Um.
And, yeah, I guess all of that is to say that it goes back for me, but I never thought I would be the one actually animating that. Shout out to the time we live in. And a lot of free information on the Internet about how to learn how to do things that you might want to do. Also for me, like, my writing wasn't really getting picked up. I submitted a million packets over the years and just came in second a lot, which is nice in a way, because you're getting that encouragement to keep going, but tricky because you're not getting the job, you know?
And my buddy. My buddy from Colbert, I mentioned him, his name's Tim. He's a fabulous animator. And I kind of learned the value of if you can present a visual with your pitch, there's higher likelihood it'll get picked up because it's already real.
There's already something there to sell the idea.
And so I was able to finally get my writing out by also drawing, I guess.
And like I said, the first one I did isn't good, but it exists.
[00:31:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:31:30] Speaker A: Like, more than a lot of my other projects. So I think. Yeah, I just. I just turned it on 100%. 100%. 110%, actually.
Just really, like, leaned in. I mean, it. It's so true that kind of. This is such a trite, you know, aphorism or whatever, but, like, momentum is kind of real.
And I just didn't stop drawing for, like, a while, especially with Senioritis. Like, we were just iterating so much and we were writing and rewriting and rewriting our pitch, and we were doing our pitch a ton, I don't think we mentioned, but Elena has a colleague, Ryan Cunningham, who's unbelievable. She's a genius. She's so amazing. And she shepherded our project because she really loved Elena and her brother's pilot.
And then because of that, she got behind us on Senioritis and opened all these doors for us that we never would have seen without her. And.
But due to that, I was iterating for, like a year and a half on that project, just drawing constantly. And I think I really leveled up through that experience.
Doing it on a deadline, bringing to life other people's ideas, you know, because it's not just for me. It's for.
We had a team at that point, so the. The team's got to be behind all the visuals, which is super helpful.
Yeah. Like, kind of what you said before, like, collaborating is so important because you're playing other people's tastes, and then you. And then you're.
[00:33:03] Speaker B: You're bouncing stuff off of each other.
[00:33:05] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And if you're making something palatable for a whole team of people, then that's. It's already got more.
[00:33:11] Speaker B: It's a test audience, you know, it's like.
[00:33:13] Speaker A: Totally. Yeah, totally.
Yeah. It has, like, inherently more appeal than if you're just doing it for yourself, you know?
Anyway, I think that's. That's the end of my thought.
[00:33:26] Speaker C: How. How did Adult Swim come into the picture?
[00:33:31] Speaker D: Yeah, so.
So with Senioritis, we.
I kind of have to start there because that's sort of what led us into it.
We pitched around.
Yeah, we worked on that for, like, two years. I want to say we. Maybe more. I don't even know. We pitched it around.
[00:33:50] Speaker A: We.
[00:33:51] Speaker D: With the help of Alec, my manager, and Ryan Cunningham, and we ended up partnering with Party Over Here, which is, like, the Lonely Islands production company. We had this awesome exec there at Bri, and she helped us develop the pitch more. And then we pitched to, like, kind of everywhere, I guess.
I don't even remember. We did so many pitches and we got really awesome feedback, but nobody wanted to buy the show. And it was like, you know, I mean, I have a lot to say about this, but it's also. The market has been crazy hard, like, in the last couple years.
And we were pitching it, like, and then the strike happened. Like, we stopped pitching. And then, like, two months later, like, the strike start, and it was just like, okay, so even if we had sold it, like, maybe it would have gotten dropped. Like, there, there. You know, it was. The timing was bad. And I remember getting some advice from a colleague that, like, was just like, no project is ever really dead.
[00:35:01] Speaker B: Like, I was about to say that that's.
[00:35:03] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.
Like, it might just be on the shelf for, you know, however many years. And then when someone's like, what else do you have? Like, say, oh, well, there's this show that we really developed, and here's a sample animation clip that that Tory made. And, you know, so. But it was pretty devastating, to be honest. Like, not selling that show. And we all knew it was, like, such a small chance, like, selling a TV show in this market in this moment, like, so hard.
We were all green in comparison to, like, people out there. Making tv, like, you know, just in terms of like, you know, the. We just not, like, we don't have star power. Right. Like, we don't have. We're not a big name to sell something.
[00:35:46] Speaker B: So even with a production company attached to it.
[00:35:49] Speaker D: Exactly.
[00:35:51] Speaker B: It can be very hard unless you have like an A list person championing, you know.
[00:35:56] Speaker D: Totally. And it's all about timing and this and that. But we. That was like, honestly devastating. I like. But it was also this awesome learning experience and like, totally prepared, I feel like us for just making more stuff. And at that time, my brother was about to start working on his second novel.
He's an awesome writer. Shout out to Andrew. Andrew read his books. He's the best.
But he started working on a second novel and he was like, I need to take a break from like, comedy writing together. So.
And I said to him, I was like, well, you know, like, what if I want to make something with Tori? Or you pulled that. He was like, absolutely. Like, I just need to step away because I have this priority. And I was like, got it.
And Torey and I were just like, we really loved working on Senioritis. We should make something else. Like.
And we had this itch to make something that could actually. People could actually see. Because I think the tough thing about pitching a show is like, no one really gets to see it. Like, the, the. The execs that you pitch to get to hear about it and read about it or whatever. But, you know, I had friends. I had like a lot of friends. My life were really invested in Senioritis. They're like, when can we like, see it? And it's like, it's not. It's not. It's not a thing, you know, and we, we wanted to scratch the itch of making something tangible that we could actually put out into the world. And we, we started thinking about different concepts of short form, more shorter form stuff.
And then Alec rang. My manager was like, you know, Adult Swim has this great program for short form content and they have this awesome digital platform. Like, maybe you should pitch some of your ideas there.
And like, we both, you know, we're both like adult fans. And so we were like, yeah, that sounds sick. Let's do that.
And so we worked together.
It was like over a summer. We, like, just did a ton of brainstorming and like, just conceptualizing and character iterating. Like, we did all this work and we made a pitch for a series and then they, they dug it and they. So they ordered two episodes of it and that gave us like, you know, I think we would have made it regardless, but maybe it would have been really. It wouldn't have been eight minutes of animation, because to make eight minutes of animation took, like, Tori's entire life. I mean, like, Tori's a one. Like Tori is. I have to. I just, like, cannot say enough how grateful I am that she animated that by herself. Like, what?
But anyway, that's how Buzzards Bay came about. And I. I kind of. I'll let Tory talk about what it is, but, yeah, there's.
[00:38:47] Speaker B: There's so much to get into there. I feel like everything that I've wanted to say based on what you've said, you've just covered. So I. I don't know. It's. I mean, it's really. We could get into the pitching process and the value of. Even if you don't, you know, have an exec say yes to you, the value of being able to go and pitch it in front of those people. And yes, you're correct. A project is never dead.
A project is never dead. But unfortunately, the executive turnover rate is insane. So maybe next year there's a different executive there who loves your thing, you.
[00:39:20] Speaker A: Know, so it's so real.
[00:39:21] Speaker B: It's so real. And I. I, like, feel so bad to say that, but it. It's. It's a very real thing, you know, So I think it's. It's really important to not get discouraged if you are turned down by, you know, the. The town in a specific moment like it. It truly is just not the. The right time.
And I also. I think the Adult Swim Shorts program is awesome, especially because it's, in a way, like, just funding your proof of concept for what could be, you know, a show someday. And obviously, like, it's now an Adult Swim thing, so it's in that family. And I know there have been situations in which they've. Those shorts have gone on to become series and things like that. So, yeah, let's get into the sort of conception of that. Those animated shorts and what that project was like for you, Tori, especially getting into the animation process.
[00:40:15] Speaker A: So the original artwork we did for them was a little. It skewed a little young and a little cutesy.
Maybe the aesthetic wasn't right for them initially.
So it took us a couple times to land on the look.
The directive was, you know, it's. It's in the same.
Their company is in the same world as Cartoon Network, so they need their IP to look different from Cartoon Networks.
And I love circles. Like, my shapes are very Like, I love.
My favorites are hey Arnold, Fairly Oddparents, and the Simpsons. So I'm like, big into circles and big goofy eyes and stuff.
Uh, so that was. That was the first kind of hurdle to overcome was to land on a look that they were into.
Um, and we did eventually. So that was great. But that. That was a cool challenge, too. It kind of stepping outside of my maybe visual comfort zone and figuring out something that was going to work for everybody there.
[00:41:22] Speaker B: So their.
[00:41:23] Speaker A: Their.
[00:41:23] Speaker B: Their feedback on your art was to, like, make sharper edges on things. And, I mean, what was that? What was the visual feedback?
[00:41:31] Speaker A: It was to make circles. Make it. Make it uglier.
[00:41:34] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:41:36] Speaker A: Which is. Which is interesting, you know, because that's.
That's a tough directive to follow.
[00:41:43] Speaker B: That's not instinctual for you.
[00:41:45] Speaker A: Totally. Yeah.
Not that I make really pretty stuff, but it's.
Yeah. I don't usually go for ugly, you know, so that was just kind of like an intellectual challenge.
And. Yeah, so they. They actually. I think they originally said they liked our pitch, but they wanted to hear some other ones kind of just in case they liked something else better.
They didn't like anything else better.
So then we went with Buzzers Bay, and, man, I was so pumped.
So jazzed.
[00:42:18] Speaker D: Hell, yeah.
[00:42:19] Speaker A: To get.
To get two shorts, I think. I think it's two to four minutes.
And we.
We wanted to make something that felt more like a. So. So we're parodying that. That early 2000s, Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven, that kind of vibe where it's teenagers and it's so much melodrama over the most minute stuff and, like, these really dumb things take on such a. Such a emotional weight.
So, yeah, we were kind of. We wanted to write stuff that felt like that.
You know, sometimes those shorts are a little bit non sequitur or they're a little bit wackadoo in a good way. We wanted to do something that was a little bit more structured and a little bit narrative and dialogue driven, borrowing.
[00:43:21] Speaker B: That format from those shows you mentioned.
[00:43:23] Speaker A: Right. And including, like, cringy moments, including kind of like painful pauses.
Yeah. Kind of leaning into that form. But they. And we didn't want it to be just a parody.
We wanted it to also kind of have its own. Own feeling, its own tone, its own vibe. So hopefully it does.
Yeah. Elena, you want to add anything?
[00:43:48] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, I guess, like the log line for the show. It's like four horny teens and a talking seagull hanging out In Cape Cob, Massachusetts, in summer of 2003, they work at a pizza shop, they get into trouble and they are constantly getting overshadowed by the hot new girl who moved into town from Australia.
Yeah, so we, yeah, it was, it's, it's like really fun and just like light hearted. But you know, we, we wanted to make characters that like people could get attached to.
And yeah, it's hard. It's hard packing all that into eight minutes.
[00:44:33] Speaker B: Like, of course there's, you probably have to cut some things you, you loved at one point. I'm curious, Elena, how was it for you to see Tori's art for, you know, the things that you sort of crafted and your ideas so fun and.
[00:44:51] Speaker D: And like, you know, Torey's also a writer and. But like the way we structured our process was like we, we would come up with episode concepts together, sort of rough outline, and then I would be like, all right, I'm going to go take a pass at this. And then I would write a draft, send to Tori, get notes, then we'd talk about it and then I'd write another draft. And once it was at a place where it felt good to go, Torey would start doing animatic and sort of blocking it all out and you know, character poses and such.
And then we were sort of like always punching it up a little bit and Tori's throwing visual jokes in there and whenever possible.
But it was really fun because like, yeah, you just get to see it come to life.
And like I'm always like, okay, don't pitch anything that's too crazy.
Like, like I'm like, also it's like the challenge of writing within the confines of. Yeah, we're. Tori's a one woman animation team essentially. Like, we had help from her, her friend Doc, who does like really did like really beautiful backgrounds. But like you really animate like every frame.
[00:46:04] Speaker A: So.
[00:46:06] Speaker D: The confines of like, okay, we, you know, we're not going to make. I'm not going to write in like a crazy explosion and like, you know, anything like bonkers like that. But, but yeah, let's have this character juggle and do a split and the balls land on her head. That's. We can do that, right?
[00:46:22] Speaker B: It's doable. Yeah, for sure.
[00:46:24] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:46:24] Speaker A: That was fun to figure out. Like, I think so many of the specific animations in this I hadn't done before. Like there's a sword fight in episode two. I hadn't done that before. So just figuring that stuff out. I have a lot of.
I mean, they don't know they're My mentors, because it's the Internet, but I have a lot of cartoon mentors whose tutorials I, you know, study and who's I really like? Chris Pasek. And he, he designed the font that we use.
He has a ton of really great tutorials. So I just studied a lot to gear up for this and yeah, it was, it was really cool. Discover, like stretching and challenging and I probably did 30 things that I've never done before for this one project.
[00:47:11] Speaker B: Amazing.
[00:47:13] Speaker A: Yeah, it's.
It was, it was such a challenge. Honestly, like, it was because I have a full time job too. So it was, it was like, you know, doing the full time job and then doing this as a second full time job, basically.
[00:47:28] Speaker B: It's crazy. Yeah.
[00:47:30] Speaker A: So it's a labor of love for sure.
But yeah, it's so fun to, you know, like, it's so fun to bring them to life, you know, Is there.
[00:47:38] Speaker B: Anything, is there anything unexpectedly hard to animate that the layperson, like Luke or I would be like, oh, damn. Didn't know that was so tough.
[00:47:47] Speaker A: I guess like mouth shapes. Like mouth shapes for eight minutes. Like, that's a lot of mouth shapes, you know. That happens to be my favorite part.
It's just, I like it. I like tedious stuff.
You can kind of zen out on it.
[00:48:02] Speaker B: That's why you do what you do.
[00:48:03] Speaker A: You know what I mean? It's so much that, you know, there were a few times I called Elena crying. I'm like, this is too much. Like, I can't do it. And she's like, you can do it.
We have to.
[00:48:15] Speaker D: So, yeah, cut to me, like in my room just being like, oh, no, like, like, it's like, I feel so bad. I'm like, I can only do so much here.
[00:48:24] Speaker B: Like, yeah, I'm useless.
[00:48:26] Speaker A: No, it's. I think it's like, you know, the kids at CalArts, like, they know what they're getting. They. They know what they're doing. I, I came to this not from studying it in school. I came to this almost as my, like, second career.
So, yeah, I had, I have to put those hours in at some point and, you know, got done. I think deadlines are so amazing for.
[00:48:50] Speaker B: That reason because they're pretty powerful.
[00:48:52] Speaker A: Yeah, you move mountains. You didn't know you could move.
So that, that, that's the biggest takeaway for me just from a professional standpoint is, you know, you can do it.
[00:49:04] Speaker C: So do you guys story, like, like how much I want to like, dig into the process here just because obviously you're you're drawing like every single frame, which is so crazy to like, really think about. Even in like an eight minute episode, which sounds not that much. But then obviously, like, when you're drawing every single frame, that's a very different story, I guess, when it comes to writing. Like, are you thinking about, like, okay, let's try to keep this in the same location. Like, is it like.
I don't know, it's. I. I feel like we can talk about this for a while. But if like, visual style and like, thinking about certain shots and like, almost like lens choice of like, how we're going to actually photograph this person at what angles and like, what inserts to use and like, just having to be so intentional with the storytelling and also shot choice to enforce, inform the actual, like, storytelling, you know, and like, give the audience the needed visual exposition, you could say, to like, progress that story forward or to give them what they need to understand, like, what's going on. And like, I feel like in live action, you get away with a lot because of, like, you take a lot for granted. Exactly. Like this actor this. Or like the trees swaying in the background. We're not thinking about that. But like, later on that can mean something. Like, you literally have to control every single piece of that frame. Every little pixel, I guess, in that frame. Like, I don't even know where to what the question is there, aside from like, congratulations on, like, being able to do that successfully with this show.
[00:50:38] Speaker A: Thanks, man.
[00:50:38] Speaker C: You know, in a unique way, you.
[00:50:41] Speaker A: Know, I think you. You really hit the nail on the head because you just, you. You don't just have to be intentional about what you're doing. You have to be intentional about how you're doing it. And I think part of this project actually coming to life was like, me being really specific about how I used my time.
And we were definitely aware of that in the writing stage.
I'm like, oh, you know what?
They can't loop back around from the back of the Pizza Shack to the front of the Pizza Shack. Like, we're not gonna be able to do that.
[00:51:12] Speaker D: It was kind of a fun challenge, though, with writing that stuff, because I would pitch or like, we would talk about something. I'd be like, okay, you know, this little sword fight happening, like, should that be like, outside on. On Buzz's balcony? Or is that happening up in a tree? And it was just like, let's make it. Let's. We have to simplify it, you know, so that it can work and it's something achievable. Within, like, our deadline.
[00:51:36] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:51:37] Speaker D: Animation wise. And I don't know, I love working within confines because it, like, forces you to actually make decisions and it takes the pressure off of, like, the endless possibilities.
So it was kind of fun in that regard.
[00:51:52] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. The four minutes is a godsend, really, because the cap, I mean, because I don't think any longer would have really been possible, you know.
[00:52:04] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:52:04] Speaker A: And, Luke, when you were saying every frame is drawn just to get specific. Because I feel like this is the opportunity to get specific. Like, I'm rigging characters in After Effects, so I will.
First, I'll draw it in Photoshop usually, or I use Fresco on my iPad and then bring it into Illustrator and kind of build out the whole puppet in Illustrator. So that's having, like, each.
You know, like the. The background of the head is one layer, and then, like, the. The eyeball is another layer, and then each. Each eyeball is another layer, and then each pupil is another layer, and then each eyelid is another layer. And then you bring that rig into After Effects and you set it all up. So it's not exactly drawing every frame. Right. It's more like directing every frame, I guess you could say. You know, like, some of them are like, I'm key framing his arm from here to here.
So in those in betweens, I didn't exactly have to.
[00:53:03] Speaker C: I understand, I understand. I just. I guess I'm leaning more into the intention piece, you know, of like.
[00:53:08] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:53:09] Speaker C: And the difference of live action verse animation, you know.
[00:53:14] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:53:16] Speaker C: Because you're still having to keyframe that tree, you know.
[00:53:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:53:18] Speaker C: From here to here. Right. So it's like. It's still a choice.
[00:53:22] Speaker A: Most of our stuff is one character. You see the front of their face. And then I.
I have this.
There's this Brad Bird Simpson storyboard, like, PDF that is freely available, and it has. It's. Oh, it's storyboard the Simpsons Way. So they have, like, rules that you follow. Like, don't cut off anyone's head when you're having a conversation. Have, like, this person either 3/4 or Takam, and then have the 3/4, like, this person's side of their face, but don't cut off the top. You know, little rules like that. So I think that's something that we followed visually for conversation scenes and then other scenes. Yeah, we would kind of. Like, there was this one scene where Buzz and Uncle Dom, the seagull are kind of walking down the street, and Elena was like, you know, the beach is too close to their house. Like, There needs to be some move, some time in between, like where this happens and where this happens. Otherwise it doesn't really make sense.
And my first response is always, it's a cartoon. Like, it's different. Like there's not the same space and time rules. You know, it's not live action. We can, we can jump places on my arm, can move across the screen, you know, stuff like that. But then I'm like, oh, you're right. You're also right. So luckily Doc was on backgrounds and he's such an ace, so. So I kind of explained, explain to him like, okay, here's the intention here is to make it feel like it's taking longer to actually get there.
But then she still falls and the, the fall, the crash from the fall fills our screen and then we cut to the second place, you know, so stuff like that. So that I think that way, like, we're satisfying Elena's need for it to take a little bit longer, but then we're also satisfying my need that space and time aren't the same in the cartoon, you know, so kind of finding that collaborative middle ground.
[00:55:22] Speaker C: Lina, how animation or working within animation informed your live action stuff or even still thinking about live action projects?
[00:55:31] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, for sure.
Yeah. I'm like hoping to shoot a sketch this summer if I can get my shit together and writing some live action, like, pilot stuff on my own. But how is animation informed? I mean, I just like love the pacing of like adult animation comedy.
Like, I mean, like Tori, I grew up on the Simpsons. Like my brother and I watched it like every. It was like we watched every night, like religiously. And it just like the quickness of jokes and running gags and like, I don't know, I just feel like animation is adult animation can be like hard comedy without like the pressures of the. This kind of moment right now where a lot of live action content has to sort of be like genre bendy and. Or it just feels like it has to be more than just hard comedy. I don't know. Like, it, like, it seems like people, buyers and execs, like, want like, they want to see like character journeys and which, which is all great, but I. I don't know. Like, my. What I really love doing is like quick, fast paced, like joke dense stuff.
And I, and I totally think it's. I think we're kind of missing that in the live action space a little bit these days with like in tv.
So I guess my answer to that question is like, I think working in the animation medium as A writer is really fun and to scratch that itch of like, joke dense, fast paced comedy and I think, you know, helped me get better at writing that way.
Yeah.
[00:57:34] Speaker A: That'S a good question.
[00:57:35] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, that's, yeah, it's a good question. It's a good answer too, I'll say that. I mean, it's definitely, it's an interesting thing to think about because it's true.
I don't know if it's that audience or audiences have been trained to only like shows that have that sort of genre bendiness or it's the other way around that, I don't know, people are actually craving that sort of thing or life has gotten more complicated and not a lot of people are able to just see that. But then it's an escape. Like, it's, it's, it's confusing. Right? So I think, like, that completely makes sense. Are there, is there anything, I mean, what are you guys watching these days? What's inspiring you? What, what do you think is like, oh, I would love to be staffed on that show or work on that?
[00:58:25] Speaker D: Well, it's funny because, like, I'm re watching 30 Rock for like the hundredth time.
[00:58:31] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm always watching 30 Rock.
[00:58:34] Speaker D: And I'm. And I also am always re watching Veep.
[00:58:37] Speaker A: Yeah, I just rewatched Veep.
[00:58:39] Speaker D: Yeah, Like, I, like, I just like every year I'm like, all right, let's.
[00:58:43] Speaker A: Just make it 30 rock times.
[00:58:44] Speaker D: Veep Time. Yeah, it's, it's both of those shows. And like, and you know, I'll rewatch, like, Broad City a lot too. And I think what I love about the throws three shows is like, it's so consistent. The characters are who they are.
[00:58:58] Speaker A: Like, you know, like, they don't grow.
[00:59:02] Speaker D: They don't grow. They have arcs within episodes and sometimes there's multiple episode arcs.
[00:59:07] Speaker B: But like, they are, they're repeatable, they're engaging, they're that good of.
[00:59:11] Speaker D: You get. Yeah, it's like, it's like Seinfeld. It's like you get. The characters are going to be who they are and you're, you're coming back to watch every episode because you love them and what they're bringing, like, to the story. And it's like, yeah, no matter what, like, Jack Donaghy is going to be this like, capitalist pig who also happens to, like, be a good friend and like, look out for Liz. And it's like, he's not gonna grow and learn that, oh, maybe there's more to life than money. It's like, no, he's gonna be Jack Donaghy, and that's why we love him.
[00:59:42] Speaker B: Maybe at the end of the episode he'll realize that, but then he'll reset.
[00:59:47] Speaker D: In the next episode.
[00:59:48] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:59:49] Speaker D: And I think that almost is like. That is almost like more of the cartoon world logic of, like, shows sort of resetting nowadays.
[00:59:57] Speaker B: Definitely.
[00:59:58] Speaker D: Yeah. Like. Or even, like. I mean, like, back when, like, like with the Simpsons, it's like, yeah, Homer's always gonna be Homer. Like, and I think. I mean, I.
I thought Big Mouth was, like, totally magnificent and. And so good. I also, like, admittedly kind of dropped off after, like, maybe three seasons because I think I was like, I'm starting to see it change and grow. And I don't know, I guess I'm like, I need to.
[01:00:27] Speaker B: Which is the kind of concept of the show. I will say it's like going through changes totally, 100%. But I get that. I totally get that of it kind of being a turn off when you're like, oh, like, now this character is different. And we're starting episodes as this character change. You know, it's. It's tough.
[01:00:46] Speaker D: Right, right, right. But I. But I. Yeah, I mean, I thought they did. That show was so well done. And, like, I. I guess my point here is, like, I'm not really surprised that I'm in this moment going back to old TV to find inspiration, but I also am, like, I just moved apartments and I've been, like, kind of like, I haven't watched new stuff in a minute, so.
[01:01:14] Speaker B: Well, I suspect you're not alone in that. And I also, you know, everything's cyclical. Right. So I expect that in the next few years, there is going to be that sort of craving for that Family Guy or whatever it is that just has these characters that we know and love and they can, like, die in an episode and then be back the next time, you know? Tori, what are you watching these days?
[01:01:36] Speaker A: The honest answer is Next Level Chef.
[01:01:41] Speaker B: Okay, perfect. I thought you were going to say YouTube, which is, you know.
[01:01:45] Speaker A: No, I'm watching a food competition show.
My girlfriend and I are completely obsessed. I'm like, DMing somebody who.
Yeah, yeah, it's.
[01:01:55] Speaker B: You're DMing the. The next Level Chefs.
[01:01:57] Speaker A: Yeah. Yep.
[01:01:58] Speaker B: Love that.
[01:01:58] Speaker A: Yeah, no, I'm, like, fully fangirling.
[01:02:02] Speaker D: Um, you.
[01:02:03] Speaker A: You gotta mix it up, you know, you gotta watch. We can't be comedy robots all the time. We gotta live.
[01:02:09] Speaker D: I'm watching Bake Off. I'm watching the latest season of Bake off right now. Like, yeah, you gotta, you gotta mix it up.
[01:02:15] Speaker B: That's like a therap. I mean, you're talking about Great British Bake Off, I assume, or.
[01:02:19] Speaker D: Yes.
[01:02:19] Speaker B: Okay.
[01:02:20] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[01:02:20] Speaker B: You're just shorting it.
[01:02:21] Speaker A: Just mediocre American Bake Off.
[01:02:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:02:24] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:02:24] Speaker C: What's, what's the dream? What's the big dream? Big for both of you guys.
[01:02:29] Speaker A: Dude, this Adult Swim thing was the dream. Like I always wanted to, I think my, my job that I just left Shout out.
They were like, what's your dream? I was like, I think I want to show, run an animated show. Like that's what I want to do. And then we kind of did that. You know, it's only two episodes, but.
[01:02:48] Speaker B: We learned more will come, you know.
[01:02:50] Speaker A: Even if it's not this one, something else will come. You know, I think that's what we learned through senioritis too, is like just, just make it and, and Sorry, back to that.
I, I, I wasn't really devastated from that experience. Like, I thought it was amazing that we got as far as we did. Like, yeah, I've never pitched to, I think we pitched to like Netflix and Amazon and hp. Like it was crazy. And that's all thanks to the people who were behind us.
But yeah, that was amazing. So, so living the dream. The dream looks way different in reality than in practice. Like, I have a different job. Like I have a day job. You know, I'm not, despite my amazing attire, I'm not well adorned, I'm not wealthy. But like, yeah, it, it, this was a totally a dreamy experience for sure.
[01:03:42] Speaker C: It's beautiful.
[01:03:43] Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah, I'm, I will second that point about like the dream looking kind of different and changing, especially as you get older. Like, I mean, for me, like, I, I'm still like, I have stars in my eyes and I'm like that I'm gonna be a showrunner of a live action, you know, show. But I also, I don't know, I think Tori made a point earlier about like the most rewarding experiences with making art.
[01:04:14] Speaker A: Art.
[01:04:14] Speaker D: Often when it's not when there's no money involved and, and it's just you doing what you love to do. And like, yeah, that was my experience. Making Hallelujah. Like, you know, it was like I just wanted everyone involved to have a good time and to feel like they were part of a fun project that like, came out, you know, well or came out good and like, was funny and that was really meaningful for me.
So, yeah, I still, you know, I'm still, still out here like trying to write some scripts and sell anything and I'm still trying to get staffed on, on, on projects and also just along the way, like trying to pick up work so I can like have a paycheck.
I just picked up like a gig for the summer that I'm. That should be pretty fun. Like a, you know, associate producing gig, which, taking a little bit of a step back title wise for me, but that's where we are right now.
And I'm just like grateful to have picked up a job, like a TV job. Like, you know, it's like you sort of have to just adapt with the times. And I was just unemployed for like six months. Like, like, it's not easy.
[01:05:36] Speaker A: No, it's bleak.
[01:05:38] Speaker D: It's really hard.
But I think if you love doing this and you know you want, this is what, like the kind of stuff you want to be involved in, like, you just stick with it.
I, My brother told me this once, you know, because he's a writer and had his own, his own ups and downs with being a novelist. And like, he was like, you're not gonna ever stop trying to like do comedy. He's like, because you have to do it. Like, he's like, you're not, you have to do it, otherwise you're not gonna be happy. Like.
And I, that like, really resonated. I was like, okay, that, that makes sense. Like, you know, it's.
There might be a point in my life where I need to like, totally take on a different career for financial reasons, but, like, I'm not gonna stop doing the things that I enjoy, which is like writing stupid jokes and making my friends laugh. So, like.
[01:06:33] Speaker B: Yeah, that's incredible. I feel like that's a great place to end this interview.
I feel like we covered so, so much whether it's collaboration, whether it's who you guys are inspired by, whether it's navigating the, you know, the manager, the pitching the everything, and the animation process and the writing process. So really thank you guys so much. I think our listeners are going to like fall in love with you guys because you guys are so just open and we really appreciate it.
[01:07:08] Speaker A: Your questions rocked, both of you.
[01:07:10] Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you guys so much. It's so fun talking to you.
[01:07:14] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. We're huge fans and we want, you know, whenever you guys.
Elena, I know you're in LA now, but Tori, whenever you're in la, let's see each other. If you can. If you can line it up with the 5050 festival, you're always welcome I'd.
[01:07:27] Speaker A: Love to come through the horror.
[01:07:28] Speaker D: The horror fest, Yes.
I was so bummed to miss. To miss this year's comedy. I was on a shoot and working all weekend.
[01:07:36] Speaker C: October or the May after that. Yeah, we'll be around.
[01:07:40] Speaker B: We're always around.
And if we could, could we get Doris Burke to sign us off? Potentially.
[01:07:46] Speaker A: Absolutely. All right, everyone, have a good day. It's raining cats and dogs here in Brooklyn. A cockweiler just fell on my head.
Have a good day.
[01:08:02] Speaker C: Did you learn something? I'm like your mom. Did you learn something in this episode? I hope so. Or not. That's okay. Thanks for hanging. Make sure you follow us at the 5050fest on Instagram. And I think we have a TikTok. I don't know. Go check it out. Okay, bye.
