When We Get Together, We Write, Raise $ and Make Crank Calls

This week, Angie and Nicky are in Texas writing the six episodes of season 2. The crazy thing about writing a mockumentary is that there really is no official script. "Then what the heck are you doing all week?" If you've ever seen one of the Christopher Guest mockumentaries like "A Mighty Wind," "This is Spinal Tap," "Best in Show," or "Waiting for Guffman," then you know the film has a framework, but the lines are really improvised. So what we are doing is developing the framework for each sketch -- you know, a storyline and whatnot. And by the way, if you haven't seen any of the Guest mockumentaries, you really need to.

Last week we closed our first round of fundraising: the online silent auction. Although we didn't meet our goal, we did create a nice funding base and people donated some really cool items! Thank you so much to everyone who donated, as well as bid!

Yesterday we kicked off our primary fundraiser, the Indiegogo campaign. Those of you who were with us last year may remember it was a success and we met our goal. We had a higher goal because our expenses were significantly more expensive. This year, we have fewer needs and less people involved. That means a lower budget. As we type this, we have already raised $200 of the $3,000 goal -- not bad for the first day! The campaign closes on Monday, May 13.

If you haven't watched our promo video, here it is. If you'd like to help us by making a donation in ANY amount, please click here. Seriously, friends ... any amount will help us reach the goal.

In case you're wondering what else we've been doing, here's a little taste of how we like to spend our time together. Please note, the call is FAKE -- it's Nicky's mom on the other line. Don't start calling us terrible names or thinking we're mean or anything. We just become 13-year-old boys when we're together.

So, please consider making a donation! Please! And if you are interested in sponsoring us, we'll be providing information about that later today!

Thank you! We love you!

Season #2: The Big Reveal!

Season #1 of 82 South St. was a smashing success and we are excited to begin planning season #2! The first season included six episodes of sketch comedy and each one was different (missed any of the episodes? Click here). There are some changes with the new season:

* Instead of creating six sketches with different storylines and styles, we're shooting one mockumentary that will be split into six episodes. What's a mockumentary, you ask? It's a parody of a documentary. It's filmed documentary-style and usually focuses on something completely ridiculous that's treated super-seriously. Great examples of mockumentaries are the hilariously genius Christopher Guest films like This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, and Best in Show. 

* Angie and Nicky each wrote three of last season's sketches and this season they are teaming up and writing the whole season together. They created a general outline and Angie will travel to Texas next month for a writing marathon.

* Unfortunately, Dan and Raphael will not join us for this season. Stay tuned for more info on the directorial / camera-operator / editorial piece of the picture.

* Next month we will begin fundraising. Based on your suggestions, we are doing this in two ways. We'll have an online silent auction with all kinds of cool and interesting items, including some intangibles that relate to involvement in the show. For those who prefer to simply donate money, we'll have an Indiegogo campaign again.

* We are looking for donations for the online silent auction. Please e-mail Nicky at 82southst@mail.com if you'd like to donate something -- it can be an item, a service, whatever!

* We'll shoot the mockumentary in Texas in late June.

* The talented Jason Ganser once again designed our graphics. He's a gem! Thanks, Jason!

Now on to the show! It will be called Fowl Play Chicken Daycare and will document two estranged sisters, coming together after their grandmother's death and being forced to run the chicken daycare she left for them in her will. Chicken daycare? Yes, that's right. The whole town of Fowler Texas is obsessed with their chickens and, like doting doggy parents, drop their chicken kids off at a daycare where their favorite fowl get to participate in all sorts of activities. During the day-to-day running of the daycare, you'll also get to see what happens to the sisters' relationship, the awkwardness of past boyfriends, lurking neighborhood thieves, helicopter chicken parents, strange human children, and a nail-biter of a situation at the daycare. You can't wait, right?

Now that you're in the know, we'll post updates so you can keep up with all things Fowl Play. We can hardly wait!

We're On Funny or Die!

Well, would you look at this? Two of our videos are on Funny or Die ... and were actually shown on the homepage as the top two trending ones last night! And now Black Scrapbook is featured! We're pleased as punch, just added Tampawn, and plan to add one video a day until all six are available on our F or D page.

Right now you're probably asking, how can I help? Thanks for asking! Right now you can watch these three videos and click on Funny -- that will help the video stay funny and not die. You don't want our video deaths on your conscience, now do you? Here are the two that are available now.

So go HERE and click on each video! Thank you!

Episode Six: Scrabble Bitches

Here we are -- the final episode in season one. If you've been with us for the whole ride, thanks for sticking with the crazy; if you're new to 82 South St., welcome and we hope you'll watch all six sketches.

Nicky wrote Scrabble Bitches, a visit with two lovely redneck girls who have little knowledge of worldly things, but can play a mean game of Scrabble. This was shot in Nicky's Free Spirit camper on a blazing hot July day. Again, we couldn't run the air conditioning because it was too loud for the camera. You'll notice there's a lot of physical action in this one, which made the camper feel at least 20 degrees warmer than it actually was.

We also sustained injuries from shooting this one. Nicky fell out of the camper at least ten times and ended up covered in bruises and Angie's eye was nailed by a flying dictionary. If you watch closely, you'll see the eye injury was caught on tape. And Nicky stepped on Angie's toe with those sweet-lookin' shoes -- the toe is still a little bit numb.

You may be wondering what we were drinking in this sketch. It was sweet tea and we drank so much of it that, combined with the heat and physical injuries, we were completely spent, in bodily pain, and nauseated at the end of the day.

As far as editing and camera work goes, this one is one of our favorites -- the shots are great and Dan really captured the strange and beautiful weirdness of Audrey and Jolie. We actually really love these characters and will probably bring them back at some point.

Well, we hope you enjoy our season finale and thank you for your love, support, and laughs -- this has been our dream, but the experience wouldn't have been the same without all of you!

 

Episode Five: Helen in the Hood

Welcome to episode #5: Helen in the Hood! Angie wanted to write a little something potty-humorish so  she developed this commercial for a fake reality show about an old woman who pranks her neighbors, but the pranks are not really the normal sort of pranks. As usual, Nicky comes through with a totally outrageous character -- you'll totally love her. Totally.

We used Nicky's house, her parents' house and her neighbor Marlon's house in this one. It's the sketch that took us the least amount of time to shoot and it was also the last one we shot. Also please note Nicky did all her own stunts in this and it was HOT outside. Also please note that Angie would NOT have agreed to do the stunt in the last vignette. No way, no how.

Angie's brother-in-law Todd lent his great voice as the voice-over guy and Dan went over the top with the wacky editing. Oh, and Nicky's cat Hector even makes an appearance. This sketch is just, well, FUN!

So now please enjoy Helen in the Hood!!

Episode Four: Black Scrapbook

Welcome to episode #3: Black Scrapbook! Nicky wrote this one and it's wonderfully dark and weird. It was the first sketch we shot and it takes place in Nicky's mom's art studio. It was such a hot July day in Texas and we couldn't turn the air conditioner on while we shot so you can imagine how warm it got in that little studio. We were able to cool down between takes and drank lots of water. 

Nicky was an avid scrapbooker for a time and all the students' scrapbooks (except for the black scrapbook) belong to her. For a while, Nicky has loved the idea of creating a scrapbook that features all the unfortunate events of one's life and wondered what would happen if this sad scrapbook creator attended a class run by a typical upbeat crafty instructor. Angie's creative daughter Katie constructed the scrapbook you'll see in the sketch.

Lots of friends and family are in this sketch, including our lawyer, Nick. Nicky's mom (one of our sponsors and owner of Art by Marti) and friends Stephanie (another of our sponsors and creator on Garden District Bloody Marys), Cindy, and Nick's wife Melissa. Nicky's sons were excellent production assistants and we endlessly thank Dan and Raphael for their tireless work in getting these takes during the awful heat.

We hope you enjoy Black Scrapbook. 

To watch episodes 1-3, please visit the WATCH EPISODES tab. Due to the holiday week, we won't post an episode next week, but will return the following two weeks with the final sketches!

Episode Three: Testosterone

Well folks, here we are with the webisode #3, Testosterone! Angie wrote this one and it took the longest to shoot. In fact, we shot it over a two-day period, whereas the other sketches were shot in a matter of a few hours each. Leave it to Angie to create something complicated.

We women know the joy of hormones all too well. And once we reach a certain age, hormones get even more interesting. In Testosterone, we ask you to journey with us into the absurd. Please don't question anything about the accuracy of this one. We are not pharmacists, doctors, or midwives. We just like to take something normal and twist it til it it makes people just a little bit itchy, and perhaps in need of some medication.

We shot this one at both Nicky's and her parents' house. We also went on location a couple of times. Once again, Dan did a standout job getting us to stay on track and finding the perfect spot in the woods for one shot involving outdoor urination. Oh, and Dan plays Angie's husband in this one and Nicky's husband ... wait for it ... plays her husband in the sketch. Both her children, Duncan and Brody, are featured as well.

So what happens when a couple of girly girls OD on testosterone? Well, you'll just have to watch and find out.

Remember to come back next Monday at 2 p.m. EST/ 1 p.m. CST for a completely new and different 82 South St. sketch!