Hi and welcome to Firedoglake Movie Night. Please refresh your browser every minute or so to see new comments and questions; and to reply to a specifi comment, hit the reply button and then type your response. And speaking of typing, I apologize in advance for mine!

As usual, please stay on topic, which tonight is the sweet and wonderful webseries, Anyone But Me, LGBTQ teens and the struggles they face, and teenagers in general. Please keep cross talk on topic too.

And I hate to have to remind people, but no ad hominen remarks, no rudeness to each other or our guests, and if you don’t care for the subject, kindly come back another night.

So much for being the schoolmarm! Welcome Susan and Tina and thank you for making Anyone But Me, which is the best teen drama of the season and the most realistic depiction of young gay teens I’ve seen in a long time!

Hello everyone! Great to be here.

Great to be part of this.

Susan and Tina, I love the way you shot ABM, it has it’s own look, much like the original Beverly Hill 90210 did. What did you shoot with? (And then we’ll get inot the story)

Welcome to Firedoglake!

Tina will answer all TECH questions!

We shoot on the HVX200A with a Brevis adapter that allows us to use real lenses. Which, to me, is half the battle when shooting digitally.

The look of the show is also the creative work of our director, Tina and her DP.

It looks gorgeous! and how hard was it to cast the kid? how long did that take?

We got kind of lucky early on really.

By the kid you must mean VIVIAN played by Rachael Hip-Flores. They’re all kids to me. It took some time, but when she came in we knew she had to be part of the show. We were really lucky (but determined) to cast the best possible people.

We found Rachael pretty quickly and also Nicole kind of around the same time.

Hi – this is Rochelle from B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye :)

First – congrats on the making of your second season!! We’re looking forward to it muchly!

I was wondering, what changed for you (if anything did) in your pre/post production process between the first season and the second?

You have to have the right balance and the right chemistry. The cast sells it. No question.

And let me verify, quickly to me is less than six months or so. :)

I meant kids plural–sorry, my typing is tragic!

The cast is awesome, they are so REAL

Hey Rochelle! Glad to hear from you. Wow. Well, our production staff changed a bit. And we have a kind of different routine with our scripts. We’re trying to shoot more episodes at once, so writing time is more intense, I think.

did you start out with a “bible” or is some of the story developing organically?

Hello Rochelle!!! I would say what changes for us in pre-pro from last season to this one is that we’ve gotten smarter. As I’m sure you know, when you shoot on such a limited budget you have to find a way to be able to get what you need in a short amount of time. And hopefully get what you want sometimes too. So preparation is obviously key there. This year we’ve figured out some things and I’m working with my lovely, talented DP Ava Berkofsky again. And we’re almost always on the same page.

Neither Tina nor I, even with my television writing experience, are very big on story arcs per se. Our first season is kind of our bible. And we sit at a table and figure out what we want to our characters to be up against, what we want to tackle.

I’m sure Susan is answering this as well, right now.

Do you feel any kind of pressure for the second season because the first was so well received?

And often than not we come up with a lot more than we can tackle in a season.

I can;t wait for season 2I sense some Archibald issues coming up, alomg with Sophie learning some things about herself

oh no. no pressure. no pressure at all. none. no no pressure. My nails are down to the quick, but all’s good.

Seriously, it’s more like we feel encouraged.

Hmmm. Well yeah. But I think the pressure is probably already built in for me. I always want to make it better.

What inspired you to do this particular type of story, to tackle teens?

And does Vivian’s dad know she’s gay? He seems like he does and is cool about it…

Yeah, I think it’s exciting for us to go deeper into the other characters now. Well all of them really. Now that they’re established there’s a lot more to play with. And Sophie and Archibald are big part of that.

We’re all still in high school, aren’t we? Some part of us. I just think that time of life is so ripe for drama. and I like very much depicting the beginnings.

LOL

Firstly, I think being able to develop a second season is a huge achievement in itself (in part because it means that you survived making the first!!)

I have found that, both from our show and other web series’ that I’ve watched, that the second season is where shows typically come into their own. They hit their proverbial stride, they’re a little more certain, so I’m very excited to see the second season of ABM because I thought your first season was already very well developed.

What were some of the obstacles you had in filming? I recall you did a gun and run guerilla shoot in Battery Park for the opening scene…

Viv’s Dad does know. But apparently not everyone is clear on that. They soon will be.

We love you, too. I mean that. EVERYONE, watch BJ FLETCHER!

Well, one of our characters was a first responder in 9/11. He might weigh in on this later in the season of Anyone But Me. Watch and let me know.

I hope that’s true. I always think of the sophomore slump. I know some of my favorite shows didn’t do so hot going into the second season. Which makes me determined to not let that happen here. :)

okay the health care bill comment seems to have stopped us cold.

beverly hills 90201 really took off in the second season…

Hi Susan and Tina! Always been curious about this- what year is Anyone But Me set in? I know it’s after 9/11 but when exactly? Or has it been mentioned and I’ve just missed it?

Love the show! Am totally hooked and can’t wait for the new season!

Cheers for your support! And now back to your show… :)

I think shooting in Battery Park was the most difficult. But luckily it really turned out for us. Shooting exteriors is always a challenge. In episode 2 we were on 125th street and it was really ridiculous. Susan and I always joke about, well it could be worse we could be at 125th Street. So exteriors, always challenging. As the cast will tell you because they’re always freezing.

We just have to do our work and try not to read reviews and bully the actors into not reading reviews. Hah! Like that’ll happen.

Ignore the health care remark, which is off topic..Tarheely, there’s lots of other places for you to post about that. thanks

The show is always in the present. Well, in the present of the storyline.

YOu are the internet’s hit series! Very watchable. I so appreciate that it’s not an issue of the week experience, but rather unfolds naturally. It’s very real…

so the wardrobe…shopped for or actors’ own? Combo?

And the locations?

And what advice would you give to people who want to create and produce web series?

The show takes place in current times. Well really this season is a continuation of last season. But it’s not right after 9/11. The characters were all in their adolescents when 9/11 happened. It was only recently that Viv’s Dad’s health begin to go do hill. Like many first responders who are, years later, developing symptoms.

Last year we rifled through every piece of the actors’ clothes. They would come over with armfuls of stuff.
THis season, at least for a few episodes, we have great companies loaning us wardrobe items.

Locations — my apartment is like a Hollywood sound stage, for one. But, all over the city. High schools we manage to shoot in and keep intact.

Let me just say I know every piece of clothing that Rachael Hip-Flores owns. :)

Okay PLEASE no off topic posts. There are lots of health care posts available for you to use as discussion forums. Kindly respect the filmmakers. Thanks!

Asking folks to stay on topic out of respect for our guest – thanks. Plenty of other places to talk about health care.

I think in terms of advice, I would say you should make series with a specific target audience in mind. There’s just so much out there right now. So I don’t know if it’s the “be original” idea more than know who you’re telling your stories too. And you are not only a web series producer but you have to learn marketing as well. You wear many hats in this field.

Everything TINA said and think very hard if you have the financial resources to shoot something that is more than a video diary format. Or how you will raise the money if you don’t have it. You have to build momentum and that takes doing things you never even knew how to do.

Is there a chance that you would charge in the future to watch?
Think Venice..

I went ot an all girl school, so I saw many crushes and young love, and it hasnt changed…the excitement of falling in love, the pain of spearation, but 30+ yrs has made some in roads in acceptance…

We certainly are taking that into consideration. We need revenue. And I don’t think our fans would mind being charged something like 10-12 dollars for a whole season. But we really have to look at all the angles. What do you think?

Thanks for answering! I have another question- recently I was browsing flight entertainment on V Australia’s website and was pleasantly surprised to find ABM in their TV guide. Might be a silly question but do they have to pay some sort of licensing fee to you to be able to show it?

And living in LA, while I enjoyed L Word, it wa sa little more fantasy lifestyle than reality–though some of the stoyr was a roman (film?) a clef…ABM seems so much realer

Hi Tina and Susan! I just want to say I’m a huge fan of the show! It’s so real and the characters seem so true to life – how much does the show reflect your own teen experiences?

Im all for it assuming the quality and depth of the series continues..and, also, an announcemnt beforehand,instead of surprising everyone.
You have a great series!!

Well this is tough question. And it’s one that has crossed our mind.

I think the development of charging fans to watch a season is one that a lot of producers are watching at the moment.

there’s product placement….but that can be weird. I would pay to watch it..has there been interest in to expanding ot a “real series” And would that change to vibe, the way you write and structure it?

Complicated re licensing. Depends who is streaming it. I We have different agreements with each of them, but I can tell you it is a very very small amount, if and when we see it at all. We SHOULD, but so far have not.

I hope so. :) I believe it’s distribution that we have with them through blip.tv

Thanks for your loyalty. And of course if we did decide to go the subscription route, we would announce it first.
Glad you like the show!

Hello back at you! So happy to know you are a fan of the show. The thing I most identify with is just the
awkward, tentative situation of wanting to belong, but also coming into your own.

That’s true about the L Word. But that was the world they wanted to talk about, which obviously worked for them. And I think trying to give ABM a more reality base is something we consciously wanted to do, and it appears to be working for us.

Absolutely. We’re all watching Venice to see what happens.

Is there any specific time tomorrow that the series will air?

We should go live tonight at 1 AM — well I guess that’s Tuesday at 1 AM.

Any chance that you can let us in on a sneak preview for season 2 please :)

Im a huge fan and can’t wait.

Do you mean expand to Reality Series?

Do you know how many other people would kill us if we gave you a sneak?

i think Lisa meant expand to a regular half hour drama series, right?

Just the first episode of the season or all of it? I am on tenterhooks waiting to see what will happen!

LOL it was worth a shot…

How much of your writing process is based on personal experiences of your guys?

I’m assuming that is Eastern time…hmmm…that’s 10pm Pacific..(:)

I’ll just have to wake up early to watch that – the time difference here is a killer!

Basically Susan and I would kill each other for spilling. :) But we think we’re telling some stories that the fans will be excited about. We set a good stage last season to expand

Yes, Eastern Time. You dont have long to wait in the West.

okay, you lost me.

Yes. Eastern Time.

Of course, there is 9/11 background, but other than that, are you consciously aware – aesthetically or otherwise – of ABM as a show very much set in New York? Or consciously ensuring that there is that New York vibe there?

Well that aren’t moments that are taken directly from our lives. Well I guess I should speak for myself. But I certainly am very familiar with the emotions. I’ve never really been good at taking things from my real life and incorporating them into stories. I guess I don’t think my life is that interesting. But more so I loving making up stuff.

The show is not in any way autobiographical. But we identify. It doesnt matter what age you are or if you had the same experiences as the characters, you still experience the EMOTIONAL ups and downs of the characters. We all do. Hopefully what is personal is how we infuse the stories with honesty.

Greattt answer Susan…especially about the age..

Yeah, New York I think is part of the character of the show — or IS a character in the show. But not to the exclusion of people who don’t live here. New York is just so rich and complex and difficult and magical, that it gives our show something unique, even as background.

I think the thing about being a New Yorker and working in New York is maybe you’re lucky to have that vibe in your work whether you’re trying for it or not. We obviously know we’re in New York and want very much to show that. Show the great things about the city. And maybe because we love the city it comes through.

Yes, that was why the quotation marks aroudn “real” There is a sense to some in the netowrks that only “real” shows are on TV and they are at leats 30 mins.

I love webseries–tasty bites of depth!

I like that tasty bites…can I steal it?

And thank you re the dialogue i the show, there is no of the arch teen cuteness seen in some teen shows, these kids talk like real kids not like what hipster adults think kids talk like…

LOL

with pleasure, take the tasty bites!

We try to stay consistent with each character. They aren’t generic, so we work hard to give them a language that reflects who they are.

You have both worked on some really good projects, what if anything is different or awesome with the web series? Do you feel like you have more freedom to express your ideas?

And not like hipster adults. :)

What is awesome is everything about it. We’re all immersed in it. It rises or falls with us. The juicy part is that we do have the freedom to shape it to our vision. And to make mistakes without fear of being taken off the air. We get to grow, change, experiement. For me, the closest thing to the show is my one woman play, My Left Breast, which I wrote and performed. Anyone But Me is an act of love and passion. And it’s a joy.

What is awesome is everything about it. We’re all immersed in it. It rises or falls with us. The juicy part is that we do have the freedom to shape it to our vision. And to make mistakes without fear of being taken off the air. We get to grow, change, experiement. For me, the closest thing to the show is my one woman play, My Left Breast, which I wrote and performed. Anyone But Me is an act of love and passion. And it’s a joy.

I don’t think we would ever turn down being on TV. Who would really. But I do fear the show would have to change a bit. Plus, I’ve always said I love the web. And as long as we can continue (and I mean have the funding) I have no problems being on the web. It’s very exciting being a part of something that’s in its infancy but has a big future ahead.

I love Elizabeth too, she is so intense and sweet, I look forward to seeing more of her…and the principal is kinda creepy and evil… this is a realy fun show!

Is there a difference writing short episodes, or do you have a longer view and break it up inot 8 mns segment?

We try!

We really do write each episode individually, but we have a plan in mind for the direction of the season. It’s an interesting challenge to create a fully realized episode in such a short time. But we’re getting the hang of it.
And it forces you to be economical, but at the same time know when to release the language and the characters so they can go deeper.

I agree with Susan. As she said “What is awesome is everything about it. We’re all immersed in it. It rises or falls with us. The juicy part is that we do have the freedom to shape it to our vision. And to make mistakes without fear of being taken off the air. We get to grow, change, experiment.”

One thing I would add is as a director, the web series has been a different animal that I’ve had to adapt to. Obviously it’s new so there isn’t a set way to direct it. There are similarities to TV, but you can also be a little more cinematic than TV. The challenge is always the time you have to shoot. But we have an amazing crew and a cast that shows up always prepared and ready to work.

How long does an episode take to shoot?

Some love to Elisabeth. I like it. You’ll be learning a little more about Elisabeth this year. And also Principal Dennis.

For Tina, the scope of the work on our show is enormous. She has to be able to visualize and at the same time economize. She edits, she shoots, she writes, she rides a bike. She’s an amazing person.

And love to my bike. Alright!

Do the school where you’re shooting know the subject matter? Are they opne to it? and have any LGBT youth groups approached you about doing screenings/discussions?

We don’t normally shoot one episode at a time. Last year we shot 2 at a time. This year we’re working on shooting three at a time, which is taking about 4 days. We have to move at the speed of light sometimes. We work really, really hard those days.

WE always are forthright about our project to school locations. We would love to get LGBT youth groups involved. So far, if you can believe this, none of the organizations I have reached out to, have reached back.

A little love out to LOFT in White Plains, NY. They’re a LGBT organization who’s space we’ve used this year to shoot in. Great people over there.

Yes. Loft was great.

Awesome! I hope this show goes super wide for you and for all the teens–gay straight and bi-who will see themselves in it.

So will season 2 also have ten episodes?

That would be a very good thing.

Will each new episode be airing every Tuesday?

We’ll have TEN episodes plus some shorter videos.

Before this evening is concluded I would like to thank all of our incredible fans. It’s not always easy to do what we do, but you’re love for ABM always gives us that extra push we need when we need it. And all of you that have given your free time to help promote us and get people to watch. We love you guys.

We will for the most part release our episodes twice a month. Right, Tina?

LGBT teens face hard issues…and your loveing and sweet handling of the subject is so wonderful, you take us INSIDE and that’s important.

Every other Tuesday is ABM night, yes. But you’ll have to bear with us during some of the down time between episodes. We do our best to get them out to you as soon as possible.

On the eve of our Second Season Premiere, I just have to say we could not do this without all of you, who follow us and write to us and spread the word. It’s really phenomenal and keeps us going. You’re in our hearts!

I want ot thank you both for making ABM and also your fans for visitng wiht you and us tonight! This has been awesome!

You both have been great..seems as if ABM has gotten a lot of publicity and kudos..so thanks for a great job, and totally looking forward to 10pm
Pacific time!!

Goodnight all!
xxo Susan

Thank you. That’s incredibly cool to hear.

Thank you so much.

Anyone But Me debuts the second season tonight at 10pm west coast

Great discussion – thank you all so much!

That’s 10pm tonight

My favourite movie about my type of school was “If”. Somewhat accurate, a bit over the top though.