The Making of Six Pack, a web series
This past year has been a whirlwind of writing, learning, and a little production called Six Pack.
It started with a conversation over a four hour car trip - what characters from How I Met Your Mother would our friends be? In five short minutes, my husband and I realized that we couldn't compare; we were at a different stage of our lives.
While Ted was dating all the women in New York and Barney was dropping money on expensive suits, we had been catapulted into the working world with a diploma and thousands of different ways our lives could lead. We couldn't be defined by our careers because they had barely started. We were in the midst of constant change, obstacles, and independence that encompassed a 20-something's experience. It was frightening, vulnerable, and in many ways, hilarious. We invented characters, a six pack if you will, that could venture through this quarter-life crisis with humor and heart.
Development started in June 2017 and as June 2018 approaches, I am reminded of the late night Skype meetings, our video casting session, location scouting, and the weeks of pre-work that led to our October and November shoot. Our last shoot date was rescheduled for a warm April night due to the winter bomb cyclone. We lit a log aflame, filmed for a while, and in an instant, production was over. With the last bits of this post-production process coming together, the whole year seems like a dream.
Our low budget allowed me to wear many hats: writer, producer, casting director, assistant to the director, props and scenic designer, actor, craft services, and marketing. When people watch the New Years Eve episode, they will remember the interaction of the six pack, who reminisce about their crazy year. I will remember my mother-in-law's bourbon chili recipe, which we doubled to feed over twenty cast and crew members from the bowls in our apartment.
My work is embedded in this process, and in many ways, this is frightening, and yet, as the June premiere approaches, I am bursting at the seams with excitement. Soon our friends, our families, and audiences will see the world that we've been developing for a year, and I hope they will see themselves in these lovable characters as we have: in Fitz's spontaneity, Katie's encouragement, Hannah's ambition, Emmie's optimism, Cory's endurance, and Joey's heart.
Six Pack will be available online in June 2018. For behind-the-scenes pictures, video, and interviews, follow us on Facebook (Six Pack Web Series), Instagram (@sixpackwebseries), and Twitter (@6PackWebSeries).