Getting Fired in Hollywood Still Hurts - A Reflection on Frank Darabont

I was reminded the other day that none of us is immune from the pain of creative conflicts and no matter how successful or talented we are, there are those times when something you are doing, even loving, can backfire on us and leave us devastated.

I have had a few moments in my career when I brought incredible love and passion to a project only to have friction occur within our team, resulting in a complete breakdown of the team and project. I look back on those occurrences with great sorrow as I know everyone involved was a good person with good intentions.

In the heat of the friction, everyone is doing damage control, projects are faltering, tempers are flaring, feelings are being hurt, and friendships are crumbling. It absolutely sucks. And I'm pretty sure we have all experienced it. If you haven't, you're lucky.

I was reminded of these moments the other day when I was reading about uber-talented writer/director Frank Darabont being fired from the incredibly successful show he created, The Walking Dead. According to the article Darabont was upset over budget cuts to the critically acclaimed series and the network wasn't willing to bend. Eventually the network felt the need to fire Darabont rather than come to a compromise.

Now, I'm sure both sides felt they were in the right. Darabont wanted to protect the series and the cast and crew and the network wanted to protect the bottom-line.  However, no matter who was right or wrong the end result it still the same: someone was fired from a project that meant the world to him. That hurts.

What happened to Darabont is a reminder that we're all human and susceptible to being hurt, no matter how successful we are. In the article, Darabont was asked whether or not he watches The Walking Dead after he was fired from the show. His response: “Oh god no, why would I,” he says. “If the woman you loved with all your heart left you for the Pilates instructor and just sent you an invitation to the wedding, would you go?” He continued, “There’s a deep commitment and emotional investment that happens when you create something that is very near and dear to you, and when that is torn asunder by sociopaths who don’t give a shit about your feelings or the feelings of your cast and crew because they have their own reasons to screw everybody, that doesn’t feel good.”

No, it doesn't feel good. And I'm sorry it happened because Darabont has brought us all such great entertainment - The Shawshank Redemption is still one of my favorite films of all time. I'd rather believe that he's basking in the glory of all of his achievements and having a rocking good time at this point in his career. I know he has a new show on the horizon called Mob City and I can't wait to see it:



He deserves to be happy. We all do.

It's Friday! Why Not Make It an Overly Attached Andy Day?

Andy

Taryn

We are six episodes into our launch of our new Web series Overly Attached Andy. It's been going really well. We've received some great press, including some really good reviews. 

The number of views is strong for a new series. And we are growing our subscribers on our YouTube Channel So Natural TV, which we're super excited about.  

Here's what Michael Record of Comedy TV Is Dead lauded about the show in his review:

I left each episode wanting more; a complaint that is probably the best complaint a web series can hope for... 

Overly Attached Andy is a credit to all concerned, as it is a professional and yet warm show that I enjoyed watching. Just give me an extra minute per episode to throw in some character detail and I’d be a happy reviewer. As it is, I will be keeping a close eye on all concerned with the show, because I have no doubt that an absolute corker will result from their talents later down the line.

Chris Hadley of Snobby Robot  praised the show in his review here. He said: 

Filled with current, relatable characters and situations that will instantly resonate with audiences, OVERLY ATTACHED ANDY is a romantic comedy unlike any other; one that  shows viewers just what it means to be a guy in love, and just how awkward and humorous the pursuit of romance can be.

If you haven't had time to check out the series yet, here is the Playlist for all six episodes. They're short episodes so it will only take about 15 minutes to catch up! Happy watching! 

And please let me know what you think. I'm just starting out in the Webisphere and Leena and I want to keep making great entertainment. 



 

I Love My Annoying Spouse: I'm a Good Listener

Susan thinks she's a good listener...

It's Web Series Time! Overly Attached Andy and I Love My Annoying Spouse

We are about half way through our release of our new Web series Overly Attached Andy. I hope you have been checking it out. You can watch the series on our So Natural TV YouTube Channel here. I would love to know what you think.

It's been a lot of fun getting responses from the audience and building out Andy's world on our Tumblr blog: overlyattachedandy.tumblr.com. Creating stories is what we live to do so we're the happiest when we are able to release a new project out into the world. Please join our journey!

Here's our newest episode to give you a taste:


After we wrapped filming Overly Attached Andy, I thought it would be fun to create another series so I could experiment with directing. I specifically made it super simple. And it's been really fun to create! It's titled I Love My Annoying Spouse and it stars Ann Tierney Kelly and Jonny Loquasto. My husband shot it (he's a photographer) and Annie Bydlon helped out on the shoots and with editing.

Here's a fun video of the lovingly annoying couple and how they met: