by Marc Hustvedt on November 4th, 2009
We often lament about how web series rarely master the art of building buzz before its launch. Maybe it’s because web series marketing is sadly an afterthought on many of the lower budget projects. Some series are masters of the black art of buzz building—like say, The Guild and their 4 surprises at Comic-Con.
So when the PR folks behind MWG Entertainment’s Camera Obscura started their buzz campaign for the upcoming horror series, we took notice and went along for the ride. And we weren’t the only ones, major horror blogs DreadCentral, Fangoria, Monstorous and FEARnet all played along too, posting clips and exclusive photos in what appeared to be one of the freakiest looking online series to date.
The reported October 12th launch date turned into “late October” and then nothing. The show’s web site now lists a “coming fall 2009″ slug below the trailer.
While MWG, the same web studio behind My Two Fans and Road to the Altar, refused to comment on this specifically, we are told that they are “working towards a distribution deal” for the series.
by Marc Hustvedt on October 5th, 2009
The October countdown is on for MWG’s supernatural thriller web series, Camera Obscura which is now just a week away. The new exclusive preview content out today includes the first continuous clip from the series, a minute’s worth of an episode, which gives another brief tease into this dark chiller from director Drew Daywalt.
Reagan Dale Neis stars as Clara who gets left an old book from her grandfather (Jack Klugman) that turns out to be filled with some nasty creatures from a parallel dimension. Opening the book lets them loose and that means Clara must take grandpa’s old camera with the help of an LA police detective (Donnie Jeffcoat) and recapture those bad boys, Ghostbusters style.
Also out is a short behind-the-scenes look at how the heck they pulled off those special makeup and creature effects. The show’s special effects EPK (below) is worth a look if that’s your thing and you want to try to reverse engineer that Splinter fellow (pictured right). Creature effects artist Jeffrey S. Farley of Obscure Artifacts handles the effects and Dirk Von Besser and Mikal Sky crafting the makeup and sculpting.
by Marc Hustvedt on September 21st, 2009
Scary month (October) is almost here and ramp up for Camera Obscura is in full swing. Today we received some exclusive photos from the set along with the teaser trailer of MWG’s first delve into horror.
We recently caught up with director Drew Daywalt last month to fill us in on what his paranormal thriller is all about. For more on this one, be sure to read our overview:
The series follows Clara, an orphan brought up by her alcoholic, absent grandfather. After he dies, she finds a camera that belonged to him, and discovers that it can capture demons. She also discovers that her grandfather’s work was not done, and it falls on her shoulders to complete his task. It’s a nice little family story with a whole lotta’ scary going on.
The cast features familiar faces such as Reagan Dale Neis (Malcolm in the Middle) as “Clara,” Timm Sharp (Til Death), and three-time Emmy winner and Golden Globe winner Jack Klugman as “Grandpa Sam.” Daywalt had previously worked with Neis and Sharp on his feature debut, Stark Raving Mad, and he wrote the parts in Camera Obscura with them in mind. He was thrilled when Klugman agreed to do the series, excited by the sense of weight and history the performer would bring to the role.
by Tamara Krinsky on August 19th, 2009
To create the entertainment of the future, writer-director Drew Daywalt reaches back into the past to fuel his imagination. The creator of Camera Obscura, the upcoming supernatural thriller web series from MWG Entertainment, draws much of his inspiration from the short form storytelling of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the horror of anticipation. Camera Obscura shares the sense of dread prevalent in such literary classics as Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” and the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
The series follows Clara, an orphan brought up by her alcoholic, absent grandfather. After he dies, she finds a camera that belonged to him, and discovers that it can capture demons. She also discovers that her grandfather’s work was not done, and it falls on her shoulders to complete his task. It’s a nice little family story with a whole lotta’ scary going on.
The cast features familiar faces such as Reagan Dale Neis (Malcolm in the Middle) as “Clara,” Timm Sharp (Till Death), and three-time Emmy winner and Golden Globe winner Jack Klugman as “Grandpa Sam.” Daywalt had previously worked with Neis and Sharp on his feature debut, Stark Raving Mad, and he wrote the parts in Camera Obscura with them in mind. He was thrilled when Klugman agreed to do the series, excited by the sense of weight and history the performer would bring to the role.
In 2007, with the writers strike looming, Daywalt, writer-director David Schneider, former Newmarket exec John Crye, and actors Paul Hungerford and Kirk B.R. Woller decided to join forces. Says Daywalt, “We were all looking at six months of being completely unemployed. We knew the strike was going to last, and we needed to do something. We also wanted to reinvent ourselves. All five of us are big fans of genre.”
by Marc Hustvedt on June 16th, 2009
When you’ve got it flaunt it, right? MWG Entertainment the multi-platform digital studio behind web series My Two Fans and now wedding comedy Road to the Altar, has done an impressive job lining up some household-name sponsors for its projects. Altar is boasting wedding-friendly consumer brands Pier 1, iRobot, Panda Express and Blackberry signed on for the series.
The 10-episode series, directed and co-written by Annie Lukowski, stars Jaleel White (Urkel on Family Matters) and Leyna Weber (who also co-wrote) from As the World Turns as a young couple, Simon and Rochelle, pulling together their wedding with a faux-reality TV crew in tow. The couple makes all the expected stops around town to find the perfect vendors for the wedding – florists, valets, wedding dresses, etc. And that’s where the veteran TV guest stars come in to shine—Kym Whitley (The Parkers), Rodney Perry (Who’s Got Jokes?), Susan Floyd (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Jim Hanks (Dexter), Robert Romanus (Fame) and Earl Billings (What’s Happening!)
by Marc Hustvedt on June 15th, 2009
Global web video site Joost announced last week that it was adding 12 new content partners to its roster, stepping up its offering of original web series content. While a number of the new additions are traditional TV series, a new handful of primarily web series makers are on the list.
The curated site favors a global audience, and all but a few of the new partners (RDF, Marvel, ReelzChannel, TOEI) are opening up their content globally without geo-blocking.
New web series content partners:
* MWG Entertainment (My Two Fans, Road to the Altar)
* Marvel Entertainment (Marvel Super Heroes: What The –?!)
* RDF Digital USA (RDF USA’s digital arm which has web series in the works)
* Vogue.TV (Model.Live, Trend Watch)
by Pat Miller on April 24th, 2009
If there is one thing that the American public can take away from the political events of the last six months, it is the understanding that people place incredible significance on the ritual of marriage.
And as MWG Entertainment’s latest show Road to the Altar demonstrates, that’s precisely why it can be so darn hilarious.
Road to the Altar is a matrimony mockumentary starring Jaleel White (better known as Steve Urkel from Family Matters, though I’m sure he hates me for saying that) and Leyna Weber (don’t pretend you don’t remember her from As The World Turns) as the husband and wife-to-be. So far, there’s only a teaser that’s been trickling through the Internet, but when the show premieres on June 15th you can expect plenty of gags about floral arrangements and family compatibility, disbursed in ten 4-minute episodes. Personally, I’m just excited to see Jaleel White again.
by Marc Hustvedt on March 8th, 2009
My Two Fans premieres today after whetting appetites with its juicy trailer (above), marking former Quarterlife bombshell Barret Swatek’s return to web screens. Swatek stars as 20-something Kate Maxwell who attempts to rebound from a recent breakup aided by two helplessly devoted fans. The comedy web series is the first project out of MWG Entertainment, which is headed up by veteran television and new media executive Max Goldenson (daughter of ABC Network founder Leonard Goldenson).
The series is created and directed by Lauren Iungerich, who had previously directed Swatek in the Funny Or Die web series Dating for Dumbasses. Todd Felix and Bill Escudier star as Kate’s two “fans,” Franklin and Teddy, devotedly picking up after her dating mishaps and other twists of life.
