Thank you so much for watching and commenting on the 1st vlog darling. Very much enjoying our conversation. Thank you. And without any further ado lets bang on with the next one. Click here to watch video.
Tag: Mhairi Morrison
To Youtube or Not To Youtube, That Was The Question
So here we were, Mhairi & I, with 6 episodes and 2 teasers in the can and seemingly lots of options (since the Digital Revolution was now in full swing) but unsure which direction to go.
There had been some initial excitement, as several big name production companies had seen some of our material and were interested in working with us, but that excitement faded pretty quickly when we realized that they wanted to go in a different direction with the show than we had in mind.
Maybe it was due to Mhairi’s brilliantly dead pan delivery, but it seems many in the early stages saw Feathers and Toast as an actual cooking show, and wanted to steer it in that direction (in fact one even suggested cutting the Behind The Scenes part) but as tempting as it was to go where the money was, and shape our show into what was currently working on the digital platforms and MCN’s, Mhairi and I knew this was a full blown comedy destined for television and that even if it meant we were going to have to go it alone for awhile and forego any financial support (that we really could have used), that was just what we were going to have to do until we could effectively show them the trajectory we envisioned for ourselves and why it would work.
The decision was made to go ahead and put the episodes up on our own Youtube channel (more on how we prepped for that at a later time) and pretty quickly thereafter we learned what will become a series on insights I will share with you about Youtube, but the first is…
Industry Tip #3
Youtube is a powerful creative development tool if used effectively.
Almost immediately after we began releasing those early episodes of Feathers and Toast, we started getting invaluable feedback from the people, not industry people, but viewers, fans, the people we would be creating the show for in the first place, and one of the first bits of invaluable information we got is that they absolutely loved the back and forth between Diego and Tallulah.
This was music to our ears because the Behind The Scenes part was where we had chosen to hint at the fact that there was a larger story with Tallulah, and the fact that people were responding to it gave us encouragement to go even further with this aspect, in fact it altered our entire thinking as we headed into developing Season 2. (so thanks all you early supporters like Linda Eubanks, Bob Burns and Icerunner to name a few)
So I guess the answer to the ancient question “To Youtube or Not to Youtube” for us ended up being a resounding yes! To Youtube.
And now without further ado I will share with you the very first episode of Feathers and Toast to ever grace the web. (awww) As you watch it I’d love for you to appreciate as I do how serious Tallulah is about what she is up as I happen to know how not serious Mhairi herself was. (She may be straight faced for the camera – because she is truly a brilliant actress – but inside this was all hilarious to her as this is definitely her unique brand of humor)
And also I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge Diego for literally just being himself. Right before we had begun filming our Director, Barbara Stepansky, had suggested Tallulah have someone to talk to, like the camera man, so we had attempted to cast one of my Second City friends to play the camera man and that fell through, but then I had one of my crazy ideas.
I asked Mhairi what she thought of just letting Diego be the “camera man.” I knew, even though he wasn’t an actor that he would have no trouble getting into character because he literally was the camera man but I also knew how naturally funny he is and how incapable he is of being anything other than himself. To my surprise Mhairi embraced my crazy idea immediately (another reason I love her as my creative partner), and the rest, as they say is history. (And btw – we gave Diego literally no direction or explanation of what we were up to at all. We just told him to feel free to chat with her on that second part and just as I suspected, he gave us gold)
Enjoy!
How Three Weeks of Editing Changed Everything
I’ll never forget when Mhairi uttered the 5 words that would inevitably change my life “Will you be my editor?”
Up until then we had just been dear friends helping each other out. I had loved her idea for Tallulah and wanted to see her succeed so I shared a few resources (my notes, my kitchen, my husband) and the result was a Hard Drive full of precious footage just waiting to be edited by someone, but I never imagined that that someone was going to be me.
“Will you be my editor?” That question brought up all kinds of issues for me. Editing is a commitment, its time intensive, its mind consuming (particularly when your dealing with unscripted footage) and its personal (as you can get very attached to what you create) and I knew I needed to think long and hard before I made that kind of commitment to a project that I knew was so personal for her, essentially her creative baby.
To be honest, I was still reeling from a creative collaboration that had gone way south, with people who didn’t seem to value me or my ideas at all, and so the idea of working with her in this capacity scared the bejeesus out of me. Friendship has always been more important to me than business and the older and wiser me was very worried about letting the two mix. Plus there was this extra little fear lurking inside me, “what if I’m not a good enough editor?” Gasp. 🙂
It turns out that all my fears were unfounded. From the moment I said yes, Mhairi couldn’t have been more grateful, wonderful and collaborative. She sat right next to me every step of the way, making sure I had an endless supply of healthy snacks, water and laughter. She had insights, I had insights and all were applauded. Inside of this nurturing environment I discovered yet again (as I had with my writing partner John Connon) the joy of true creative collaboration and I also discovered that I did indeed have a gift for editing. (A fact that Mhairi generously and repeatedly pointed out)
Over the course of those several weeks, not only did we mold that footage into 6 episodes and 2 teasers, we created what would become the signature Feathers and Toast style with the old timey music, the title cards and the structure of an opening, a recipe and a glimpse into Behind the Scenes (something we had no idea we were going to do before we started editing). In fact, over the next couple weeks I will be sharing each of those early episodes with you again and show you how our now structured show was formed after the fact from the clay of Mhairi’s brilliant unscripted Improv. We still find it quite amazing.
All was not easy cheesy peesy however, which leads me to my second industry insider tip…
Industry Tip # 2
Don’t try to edit the trailer/teaser for your show before you have edited the show itself. Trailers/Teasers are hard, there is just no way around this. When making a trailer you are tasked with not only telling your story in the most concise way as possible, but you also have to reach into the minds of your potential fans and guess which few quick seconds of your show will catch their eye and make them curious and/or excited enough to want to take the time to watch it. Essentially you need to be a mind reader on mass scale.
So with all that said, it is hard enough to create a trailer in the best of circumstances, when you know your footage and your story well, but to try to create it while you are still getting to know your footage and still forming your style is darn near impossible. We know because that is precisely what we did the first time around, but never again.
Based on this, maybe you can help us answer a question we have always wanted to know. We ended up creating 2 teasers for Season One, the first one we did on our own based on our guess of what people needed to know, and the second one was based on notes (from mostly the men in our life) who suggested that the teaser needed be less wordy and more visual. I will put them both below and am curious, which one would be most likely to peak your interest and why? Do we need both? Are women more drawn to the verbal and men to the visual? These are things we would love to find out. (There is no wrong answer as we love them both)
Teaser #1
Teaser # 2
It Starts With a Solid Idea and a Great Team
In the early days Mhairi and I were just two friends with similar dreams who met at a Women In Film breakfast and started a goal group for two. We would get together every Monday evening, discuss what we learned from the previous week, share our goals for the next and then wax philosophic about things like the importance of a performer not waiting around for someone else to give them that career-changing role and what success really means.
Both of us had had “success” in the past, with some impressive credits to prove it, but had not necessarily been happy in the process. Upon further exploration we realized that for us, the entire reason we were drawn to this business in the first place was because each of us had had moments in our past where we got the chance to feel what its like to be a part of an amazing creative community, to feel the incredible warmth, passion and intimacy that comes when you are working with a community of great artists who know how to put their egos aside and work together to create something better than they could have created on their own. We craved that feeling, so much so that we realized having it was our definition of success and we committed to each other that night that one way or another we were going to create it.
At the same time we were having these discussions, Mhairi met a man who would become our Feathers and Toast guardian angel, Gideon of Paramount. (haha – I couldn’t resist Gideon, just love the way that sounds) Anyway Gideon had come to see Mhairi’s stand up and afterwards suggested that maybe she choose one of her characters and build a show around it (as so many comedians have done before – Seinfeld, Ray Romano etc). Well this just sent Mhairi’s imagination a flying and later she shared with me an idea for a character she had percolating called Tallulah Grace.
Tallulah fancied herself the savior of the lonely cook, encouraging single women to dress up and play in the kitchen even if they were just cooking for themselves, especially if they were cooking for themselves, but what Tallulah would never want to admit to anyone was that she was that lonely cook.
I fell in love with Tallulah immediately and, me being me, suggested that Mhairi not just put together a pitch but rather that she go ahead and shoot something so that the powers that be could see her as that character.
We talked at length about what she could shoot that would show off the potential arc of this character but would still be cost effective and high quality and, as has been the case since the beginning of this project, help started jumping on board.
Before we knew it we had a Director (Mhairi’s very talented friend Barbara Stepansky), a Make up artist (Lygia Orta), a kitchen (mine) and a Cinematographer (my lovely husband Diego Torroija – who would inadvertently become “the Diego” even though he is truly a camera guy and not an actor) and the next thing you know the plan was put in place for what eventually would become the first season of the web series Feathers and Toast (although we did not know that at the time.)
Industry Tip #1
Do not wait for someone to come along and create the perfect opportunity for you to show your unique brand of talent or you may die waiting. If you have a story inside you that you are inspired to tell or a character you were born to play, then do what you have to do to make it a reality based on whatever resources you have at your disposal. If you don’t have much then keep your idea small for now, or shoot the piece of the idea you can afford and still do well. Enroll your friends, borrow equipment, make it happen. In this business if you want people to believe in your story or see you as a certain type of character you are going to have to show them, especially if its unique and original as those are ultimately the most memorable but initially the most difficult to sell.
Next post will talk about the importance of loving your editor, but in the meantime here’s a memory of the humble beginnings of Tallulah Grace.
The First Vlog darling
Dear mid weekers,
This is it!
Enjoy darling.
Click link here
Looking forward to our conversation,
Love Mhairi AKA Tallulah
How We Went From Youtube to a Television Deal
So a funny thing happened on the way to starting this blog…
In the vein of true Olympic Athlete style thinking, of visualizing the intended outcome and then going after it, the plan was that I would begin sharing Mhairi and I’s story in blog form (how Feathers and Toast was formed and all the steps we’ve taken along the way to go from youtube to television) and that by the end of the telling of this story our readers would have experienced the answer to that question “How We Went From Youtube to a Television Deal” because we would have caused it to happen in real time. (A risk for sure, but this business is nothing if its not risky, and one thing Mhairi and I both wholeheartedly agree on is that one has to be clear, bold and brave when going after one’s dreams.)
So off we went with this goal. We planned our strategy and then, in an effort to promote our new direction, made an announcement to all of you. We shared with everybody about how we are expanding to TV, how we’ve written a pilot script and are working with an attorney, how we’re shopping for the perfect production company, and that we would be starting this blog and a vlog to keep you in the know and the feedback to this was amazing, heart warming, so heart warming in fact, that as time went past and the congratulations started to rack up we began to wonder, first silently and then out loud, “does everyone think we already have a television deal?”
Well the idea of this just made Mhairi’s “feet start sweating”, in fact she said it left her feeling “a bit queasy darling.” Our intention was to be bold for sure, but never to deceive people, and for a second I’ll admit I got a bit worried too. Had I worded things in such a way as could be misleading? Is this my fault?
I wrestled with this for a while wondering if I needed to make a point to clarify that there is no deal written in stone yet and that we don’t know with any certainty when we are going to be on television, but if I’m honest I found myself really not wanting to. In fact, I found myself loving that you believe, fueled by it even, and not because I find any enjoyment in tricking people, but because I really believe it too and its been so nice to have some company.
The thing is Mhairi and I’s creative partnership has been the single most successful creative partnership I have had. Thus far every goal we have made has been achieved and I have no reason to believe that that won’t continue. The secret to our success has not been about the results, its been about the process. We work well together, we respect each other, our strengths cover each other’s weaknesses and there hasn’t been a single challenge we haven’t been able to laugh our way through. For all these reasons its been easy to achieve another well known secret to success: Never Giving Up. We won’t give up. Why would we? We’re having too much fun.
So we’re going to call this little misunderstanding a happy accident and ask you to stick with us in the believing that we do have a deal, its just not quite officially here yet. I will continue to share my posts and starting tomorrow Mhairi will begin sharing her Vlog and together hopefully we will make history by making a dream come true in real time through this blog.
***In the future I will end each post with an industry tip based on things we learned throughout production and a video example but for today it felt apropos to leave you with a little Behind The Scenes moment from Mhairi & I. Much love to you all – enjoy!
We are Expanding To Television!
Dear Feathers and Toast fans,
Mhairi and Holly here, the producers of Feathers and Toast, and we just wanted to take the time to send out a deep and heartfelt thank you to all of you who have watched our show and played along with us for the past 2 years on social media. Your constant encouragement and hilarious banter with “Tallulah” has meant way more to us than you will ever know, you have literally become part of our story and we really feel that it is because of you that we have entered a new phase in our shows development, the expansion to television.
Yes, you have heard correctly. We are currently in the process of making the leap to television by expanding Feathers and Toast into a 1/2 hour comedy that centers around the one and only Tallulah Grace and her rag tag crew (Diego, Holster & Marge) as she attempts to become as important as she is sure she was always destined to be.
Tallulah’s cooking show, “Feathers and Toast,” will still live on the web (and yes there will be future seasons) but now through the television show you will also get to peek inside her world “behind the scenes”. We are calling this new show Tallulah, Darling.
We’ve just completed a pilot script and started working with a lawyer, so will be quite busy over the next couple months shopping for the right production company to collaborate with but we didn’t want to leave you hanging in the process so we have decided to bring you along for the journey.
Starting this week we will begin a weekly Blog and Vlog to keep you entertained and in the know. Every Wednesday you can expect a Vlog from Mhairi where she will be sharing with you her own special brand of tips for how to create a life you love (and yes, you can expect more than a fair share of Tallulah-isms to pop out) and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays you will get a Blog from Holly where she shares real Behind The Scenes stories from the last 2 years of creating Feathers and Toast, along with industry insider tips for those who might be looking to create their own shows.
For those of you that don’t want to miss a second of the fun its probably best to officially SUBSCRIBE (there is a form to the right of this page and also at the bottom of our home page depending on where you are reading this from) and then you will receive our Blogs and Vlogs right to your inbox. And for those of you that simply don’t enjoy getting frequent emails (we totally understand) its probably best to UNSUBSCRIBE now. You will still be able to see our posts on Facebook and Twitter and can check in here on our website for some binge reading and watching whenever you like.
Mhairi continues to perform as Tallulah with Cabaret Versatile, hosting, miming, singing in French and making a ham sandwich live on stage in their monthly residency at the Sofitel hotel, Beverly Hills. So if you find yourself in the area darling, please swing by to shake a cabaret tail feather and cocktail it up to the nines.
Again we just can’t thank you enough for being the amazing and supportive fans you have been and so look forward to sharing this next phase of the journey with you.
With love
Mhairi & Holly (aka Tallulah & Holster)
Grauman’s Chinese Theater
Dear Monday morning-ers,
Hope this finds you in the midst of all manner of springtime activities such as skipping and lamb spotting. If you are looking for a distraction from your seasonal shenanigans then look no further than the screening of Feathers and Toast at the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Thursday May 21st at 9.30pm. For tickets and further information please click here
Hope to see you there darling and in the meantime wishing you the freshest of Springtime Weeks.
Yours in Springtime feathers,
Tallulah
The Scottish Mime and The Cabaret
Dear Tuesday morning-ers,
Hope this finds you amongst daffodils and such with a Springtime Spring in your step. I wanted to take a moment to invite you to the cabaret darling which features the Scottish Singing Mime, a ham sandwich and a feathered dance or two. So if you find yourself in Los Angeles on April 9th, or would like to book your transport to ensure your presence, please make arrangements now and purchase your tickets here
Yours in runaway with the cabaret feathers,
Tallulah
A Feathered Invitation
Dear 2015 Spring time springers,
Hope this finds you well; full to the brim of 2015 vim and vigor. I wanted to invite you to watch Feathers and Toast on the big screen at a screening at Hollyweb Fest on Friday March 27th, if you fancy popcorn and feathers you can buy tickets here. We’ll also be at the ISA Awards on April 1st, where darling, I am nominated for an award and will also be presenting. There will be a whole shebang following the awards which you are invited to, would love to shake a feathered tail feather with you darling. If you’d like to come details are all here
In April I shall begin a monthly residency with the wonderful Cabaret Versatile, so if Edith Piaf and cancan dancing is up your street we open on April 9th at the Riviera31, Sofitel Beverly Hills.
In the meantime sending you a basketful of spring feathers and good wishes for 2015,
Tallulah
