Review Fix chats with filmmaker Casey Gates, who discusses her new YouTube series “Judy The Clown.” Breaking down the inspiration for the series and her goals moving forward, Gates lets us know why this project is a special one for her.
Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this series?
Casey Gates: The story stems from both my experience working in the social media-culture, as well as my time studying at The Clown School in Los Angeles. A clown is meant to celebrate their mistakes in public, which is basically the opposite of how most of us use social media. So by creating Judy– a clown documenting her life through social media– I could hold up a mirror to our culture’s obsession with “sharing†ourselves with the world. It was also an eminently make-able project that enabled me to express my own voice and aesthetic, without having to wait around or ask for permission.
Review Fix: What was behind the decision to shoot this on an iPhone6?
Gates: The decision to shoot on an iPhone was a direct reflection of the social-media-saturated world the project portrays. The storytelling style of the series is based on the “vlog†culture of YouTube, so shooting on an iPhone was the most authentic way to capture the tone and aesthetic of that world.
In the first incarnation of the project, I actually played Judy myself, with the help of a selfie-stick and a vlogging mic. As the idea evolved, I felt more drawn to (mostly) being a behind-the-camera creator and casting another actor to play Judy. And I couldn’t be happier with the work Connor Kelly-Eiding (Judy) is bringing to this project. She has elevated it in a way I truly could not have done on my own.
Review Fix: How do you want this series to affect people?
Gates: Judy goes on quite a journey through the series’ six episodes. I won’t give away the end, but what I’d love is for our audience to both be entertained by Judy, as well as see their society, and eventually themselves, reflected in her. Are we all just a bunch of clowns going to the extreme to find approval? What does it mean to share an authentic version of ourselves online? Can a digital community really provide a sense of connection?
Review Fix: How do you think your work at HBO has made you better at what you do?
Gates: I served as Social Media Producer for HBO’s Project Greenlight in 2015. It was a valuable experience to see what goes on behind the scenes of a docu-series about filmmaking, and to be exposed to so many up-and-coming filmmakers in the process. Basically, it made me want to do it, and I couldn’t stop stewing in ideas about what kinds of stories I wanted to tell.
Review Fix: Bottom Line, why should someone play this?
Gates: Come for a laugh, stay for a story. There are times when this series operates like sketch comedy, but I wanted to go further than that. In addition to making people laugh, or sometimes cringe, our character grows and has something to learn. Yes, she’s a clown. But in the art of clowning there are lessons about acknowledging and integrating our imperfections that Judy has yet to embrace.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Gates: I have a digital idea board that I’m often adding to and thinking about. But one project I’m especially passionate about is a narrative series titled “Blissed Outâ€, which is an indie dramedy depicting the world of LA yoga. I’ve written the first few episodes and shot a proof of concept, but am waiting to hear about a couple of development opportunities before moving forward.
And as always, I’m trying to stay up to date on the Lady Brain series: bit.ly/ladybrainchannel
Episodes will air every Tuesday on the Lady Brain YouTube channel : bit.ly/ladybrainchannel
Judy The Clown on Instagram : Instagram.com/judytheclown
Casey Gates on Facebook : facebook.com/caseygatesfilm
Casey Gates on Twitter : twitter.com/caseygates
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