Welcome to The Loser club!
The Loser is our heartfelt, laugh-out-loud comedy about a 30-year-old misfit determined to prove he isn’t a loser- even if it means losing the best part of himself. Think Napoleon Dynamite, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, and the weirdest family fun center you visited as a kid, all packed into one very odd little town called Yorkleigh.
We’re building the movie out in the open and bringing you along while we do it- from characters and locations to puppets, production decisions, and everything in between.
Happenings
Our Puppet Film Hit the Festival Circuit
Earlier this year, we decided to take on the 48 Hour Puppet Film Project, presented by Heather Henson’s (Jim Henson’s daughter!) Handmade Puppet Dreams. Since The Loser’s lead character, Daniel, is a lifelong crafter, it felt like the perfect excuse to get our hands dirty and make something.
Nathan, Robert, Gabe, and I spent one chaotic weekend building, writing, and shooting our puppet short, Down with Strings!, in just 48 hours…and this September, that weird little project was selected as the “Best of” at the Great Plains Puppet Train Film Festival!
Nathan’s Off to See the Wizard
This Autumn, Nathan traded Yorkleigh for Oz and stepped into the silver shoes of the Tin Man in Fall Into Oz! And if you’re local, you can still catch Nathan as the Tin Man through the end of October.
Losers at Universal
This month, we spent a day at Universal Studios with members of our Blackmagic filmmaking fellowship, getting a little behind-the-scenes look at the studio lot.
We grabbed lunch at Base Camp, where crews eat during production, then visited the costume and prop shop. It was a fun chance to step out of the usual emails, budgets, and planning mode and spend the day around other filmmakers and the physical pieces that actually bring movies to life.
Spot anything familiar? The middle photo was taken in front of Hill Valley’s City Hall from Back to the Future!
Yorkleigh Resident Spotlight: Frank Grizzle
Meet Frank Grizzle- one of Daniel’s oldest friends and a permanent fixture in the little world of Yorkleigh.
We thought it’d be fun to share a peek at one of Frank’s original character scrapbook pages, which helped us start thinking about the things he loves, the energy he brings, and the strange world he belongs to.
Up-Coming
Could Yorkleigh Be in West Virginia?
We’ve been exploring filming options beyond California, and one place that has really caught our attention is in West Virginia. Between its neighborhoods, downtown areas, and some delightfully quirky potential locations, we’ve started asking ourselves whether this could be the place that becomes Yorkleigh.
Nothing is locked in yet- this is exactly the kind of decision we want to bring you along for as we figure it out.
Help us Grow The Loser Club!
We’re building The Loser out in the open, and we’d love to have more people along for the ride. If someone in your life loves offbeat comedy, filmmaking, or rooting for the weird little project trying to make a difference in the world, send them our way.
There’s plenty of room in the club.