#Anna Stromberg

[moviesandmania]

The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan - USA, 2018 - preview

The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan – USA, 2018 – preview

‘Some cases should stay cold’

The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan is a 2019 American found-footage about the contents of an unedited memory card. The subject is Leah’s school project about the infamous Mulcahy Massacre.

Directed by Burt Grinstead from a screenplay co-written by Anna Stromberg (they both also star), based on a story by Grinstead and Rob Runyeon, the Blanket Fort Entertainment…

[theatredirectors]

Anna Stromberg

Hometown?

I was born in Washington, D.C., but I grew up in Wilmington, NC.

Where are you now?

I’ve been living in Los Angeles for a few years now. Before that I was in NYC for ten years living and working as an actor.

What's your current project?

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is running for two weeks at the SoHo Playhouse as part of the Fringe Encore Series. We just have a few more performances left. Dec. 12th-15th. We did our initial run in Hollywood, and were then picked up for a run in North Carolina before making the trek to NYC for this final leg of our tour. I have some film and TV work coming up. I’m set to direct a web-series in the new year, and potentially a feature film noir in the spring.

Why and how did you get into theatre?

I have been doing theatre since I was a child. I can’t talk about theatre without sounding cheesy, so apologies in advance, but the theatre was the only place I felt truly at home. I was an actor for most of my life, but in the past few years I’ve broadened my ideas of what my career really can be. I’ve started directing, producing, editing, and working in all different mediums as well.

What is your directing dream project?

My dream project is to work with talented people with whom I share a mutual respect. I love working with people who are excited about the process, and exploring along with me. A great technical team is imperative, and of course great actors. As far as content goes, I enjoy directing naturalistic tragedies, and I get a kick out of directing larger than life farces. I’m up for anything really!

What kind of theatre excites you?

The first thing that excites me about watching theatre is the acting. I love actors, I love watching them do their thing. It’s the first thing that will draw me in, and the first thing that will pull me out. I’m really turned on by theatre that is funny and smart. Even if you’re working on a tragedy, I think it’s vital to find the humor. If I had to choose a production, Jerusalem is the first one that comes to mind. I was blown away by Mark Rylance, and the whole production.

What do you want to change about theatre today?

I think theatre today needs a publicity make-over. We need to make theatre the next hot date spot for young people. The cool place to bring the person you’re trying to impress. Nowadays, I think theaters that are doing anything original are mainly attended by friends of the performers. It’s a real shame. I think theatre can be the most exciting, funny and seductive experience you’ll ever have. Unfortunately people just don’t have that in mind when they think of theatre, but it can be damn sexy. That’s what needs to change- the perception. We need to bring back the sex appeal of theatre.

What is your opinion on getting a directing MFA?

I don’t hold one. I’m sure there are probably benefits to getting one, and benefits to not getting one. It’s different for everyone. I received so much advice growing up that I am not a huge fan of dishing it out, but I can say that no matter what you choose to do, it’s important to do it. You have to just dive in there and get your hands dirty, because the thing I learned the most from, was just doing it.

Who are your theatrical heroes?

Daniel Aukin. He is a dream. I had the pleasure of working with him, and he is the most inspiring director. I’ve learned so much from his style and his manner. Thanks Daniel!

Any advice for directors just starting out?

Trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to fail. Come in with all of your brilliant ideas and homework, but try not to be too set on anything until you need to be. Be kind and forgiving. Becoming a director has made my life so much richer. It has taught me so much about my patterns, and my fears. Trust yourself, and try not to take yourself too seriously. Oh, and bring doughnuts to tech! Always.

For more info about Anna visit https://www.BlanketFortEntertainment.com

[emblemstuff]

so I guess they’re back again...........

buy tickets to see the live here: https://talkshop.live/streaming-content/2349

© cruielsummer

[dolly-lampad]

Mirrors and temptation among the creatures of the night.

[maybeginny]

TeamStarKid Descriptions

TeamStarKid: a bunch of thirty-ish year olds acting like children by making fun of other franchises but they're on a stage and they’re hilarious

Members (not all, but a lot, of them):

Nico Ager, Julia Albain, Rachael D. Albert, Chris Allen, Nick Anderson, Joel Arnold, Julie Ballard, Clark Baxtresser, Jaime Lyn Beatty, Jeff Blim, Mary Clare Blake Booth, Michael Bou-Maroun, Pat Brady, Cory Braun, Adam Brunetti, Tyler Brunsman, Mike Burke, Jamie Burns, Richard Campbell, Joe Carroll, Phil Chester, Amalea Chininis, Kavin Chung, Britney Coleman, Mason Cormie, Brant Cox, Darren Criss, Sam Crittenden, Matt Dahan, Corey Davis, Drew DeFour, Kevin DeKimpe, Denise Donovan, Corey Dorris, Jess Dumbroff, Ilana Elroi, Jason Emmendorfer, Erdem Ertal, Max Evarard, Mariah Rose Faith, Elona Finlay, Justin Fischer, Josh Fleury, Andrew Fox, Scott Fussey, Paul Gabriel, Nick Gage, Matt Glenn, Arielle Goldman, Ali Gordon, Gordon Granger, Lisa Griebel, Hayley Hanway, Samara Harand, Michael Hart, Andrew Hill, Jeff Himes, Brian Holden, AJ Holmes, Justin Hong, Jade Ingardona, Sam Johnides, Marta Johnson, Nick Kabat, Eric Kahn Gale, Max Kaufman, Proma Kholsa, Jon Jackson, Bob Joles, Craig Kidwell, Bruce Kiesling, Angela F. Kiessel, Justin Kono, Mike LaFond, Justin LaForte, Scott Lamps, Jen Lang, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Mark LeGrand, Lauren Lopez, Chris Lorentz, Corey Lubowich, Evanna Lynch, Devin Lytle, Robert Manion, Jon Matteson, Lily Marks, Ryan McDiarmid, Lana McKinnon, Jama McMahon, Kaley McMahon, Curt Mega, Alle-Faye Monka, Joe Moses, Yonit Olshan, David Orlicz, Lauren Pais, Alex Paul, Devon Perry, Sarah Petty, Eric Pidluski, Tony Pisaneschi, Madeline Platt, Amy Plouff, Jim Povolo, Ryan Proch, Carolyn Reich, Corey Richardson, Joey Richter, Molly Rife, Claire Roche, Josh Romero, Brian Rosenthal, Cami Ross, June Saito, Jacob Saleh, Lena Sands, Dylan Saunders, Matt Script, Pierce Siebers, Christopher Smith, Teia Smith, Bonnie Socha (née Gruesen), Rachael Soglin, Miles Spagnola, Katie Spelman, Mike Sportiello, Meredith Stepien, Taylor Stanton, Jack Stratton, Nicholas Joseph Strauss-Matathia, Emily Stromberg, Ruby Summers, Jade Svenson, Mark Swiderski, Sango Tajima, Emily Thomas, James Tolbert, Anna Troiano, Ronnie Vail,  Carlos Valdes, Meryl Waldo, Joe Walker, Lauren Walker, Russ Walko, Andy Warren, Kim Whalen, Liam White, Tiffany Williams, Clara Wong, & Marguerite Woodward

*this list most likely does not include all of the StarKids

Productions:

Little White Lie: a YouTube show about bands but Duder's a spy

A Very Potter Musical: Harry Potter but Harry is an ass, Ron is a jerk in love, Hermione is bullied, and Voldemort is hot and in love in Quirrel

Me and My Dick: Joey Richter plays a sex-crazed version of himself but it's a musical with singing dicks and vaginas

A Very Potter Sequel: Harry Potter but they go back in time and the actor who played Voldemort in the first one plays a chubby little fuck but is still hot

Starship: the little mermaid but with bugs and in space

Holy Musical B@man!: Batman but Dylan Saunders' voice fucking slays and instead of the Joker they have Sweet Tooth who makes a lot of candy puns

A Very Potter Senior Year: Harry Potter but Harry is even more of an ass, Voldemort is even hotter, and you will cry

Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier: Wicked but for Ja'far and Aladdin is a dick

ANI: A Parody: Star Wars but the villains are the heroes, Darth Vador is not threatening, Tarkin is in love with a stormtrooper, Jar Jar is lovable, and they pod race again

The Trail to Oregon!: the game but the characters are named by the audience and they are all idiots

Firebringer: cave people but with revolutions, love, and fucking awesome choreography

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals: a musical about a guy who doesn't like musicals but a meteor crashes in his town that turns everything into a musical

Black Friday: a horror comedy commentary about capitalism and corruption but Dylan Saunders is BACK and fucking bops (i will add everyone who worked on this incredible musical to the list of StarKids as soon as i have time, sorry)

*this list does not include tours, concerts, reunions, The Harder They Fall, Hobbit, Hobbit 2, Yes, I am Afraid of the Dark!, 1 Night 2 Last 3 Ever, Airport for Birds, Movies, Musicals, & Me or their YouTube Short Comedy Sketches for the sake of simplicity

Tin Can Bros: a separate but similar theater company created by a few StarKids but they are still StarKids

Members:

Corey Lubowich, Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal

Productions:

Spies are Forever: a musical about spies but they say the word spies way too many times and the plot twist will smack you and call you a bitch

The Solve It Squad Returns: Scooby Doo but they avoid copy-right infringement by changing all of the names and they are aged-up and depressed

*this list does not include Alive! On Stage!, Seriously Not a Joke, We Didn’t Plan to Kill Our Guest, Idle Worship, Flop Stoppers, Wayward Guide, Choose Our Destiny, or their YouTube Short Comedy Sketches for the sake of simplicity

If I forgot or am wrong about something, please let me know so I can fix it

[johnboymoulton]

Microsoft — Quantum Computing from Dress Code on Vimeo.

Client: Microsoft Brand Strategist: TJ Evans Design Director: Adam Krett

Agency: G&R Live Vice Presidents: Marc Miller, Martin Domingo VP/Creative: Michael Dalton Creatives: Craig Parker, David Jolosky Producer: Lindsay Fa

Produced by: Dress Code
(dresscodeny.com) Executive Creative Director: Andre Andreev
 Executive Producer: Brad Edelstein 
Head of Production: Tara Rose Stromberg
 Producers: Anna Butler, Anthony Ramirez Art Director: Wes Ebelhar 
Design: Elena Chudoba, Maddie Edgar, Stephen Kelleher 
Lead Animator: Wes Ebelhar
 Additional Animation: Caresse Haaser, Vincenzo Lodigiani


Music & Sound: YouTooCanWoo
 VO: Ian Lowe

[facualva]

The Lonely Goalkeeper from Dress Code on Vimeo.

Legendary Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson reflects on a grueling and often surreal life between the goalposts.

Directed by: Dress Code (dresscodeny.com) Created by: Andre Andreev Executive Producers: Brad Edelstein & Dan Covert Head of Post Production & Operations: Tara Rose Stromberg Producers: Anna Butler, Tara Rose Stromberg Assistant Producer: Mayele Yebo Production Coordinator: Jonathan Dontchev Art Director: Wes Ebelhar Design: Elena Chudoba, Maddie Edgar, Sonya Han, Yuval Haker, Simone Noronha, Rasmus Löwenbrååt Lead Animator: Vincenzo Lodigiani Animation: Yuval Haker, Sonya Han, Taik Lee, Hao Li, Rasmus Löwenbrååt, Zach Scholl, Sunny Yazdani Research: Richard Kroll

Music & Sound: YouTooCanWoo Voiceover: Robert "Bob" Primrose Wilson

[digitalwitchproject]

Project Pitch

As part of our process, we used Amanda Phillips’s graduate-level digital humanities seminar at Georgetown University as a sounding board for our project. Our basic pitch is to use the digital tools SameDiff and ImagePlot to look at the language and imagery of Witch Films in the United States. 

One question posed by our peers was about our definition of “Witch Film.” If genre is how an audience defines it (or, in the words of Andrew Tudor, genre is “what we collectively believe it to be”) then we can rely on fan-produced lists to do this definitional work. We used Google, Vulture, and IMDB to build our initial corpus of films, adding additional titles as we come across them in our research. 

Of course, this is really reliant on our usage of the internet, where we decide to click and the search terms we decide to use. And, this leaves out some stellar films, including independent and foreign ones. But our project is looking at the ways genre films co-opt the image of the witch—an image important to people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, Wicca, and practitioners of witchcraft. We’re choosing to look primarily at popular cinema (again, those films that appear readily in internet searches), which we hope will provide evidence for capitalism’s (ab)use of these marginalized groups.

Another question arose about culling this list. For example, someone pointed out that both Sleeping Beauty (Clyde Geronimi, 1959) and Maleficent (Robert Stromberg, 2014) technically features a fairy, not a witch. Again, we’re letting audience define what is or is not a Witch FIlm. Because popular culture defines these two movies as Witch Films, we’ve included both of these films in our corpus. In short: We aren’t doing much culling, except for removing films that appeared in searches but were not released in English.

Or project is to compare the similarity of dialogue (via fan transcripts) and images (via film stills and theatrical posters). So far, we’ve generated an inclusive list of films that we’re working with, along with metadata that includes the year, studio, director, writer, gross receipts, and gross receipts calculated for inflation. We’ve also done a lot by way of gathering images, and are hoping to experiment with ImagePlot over the next week. 

The next step is to continue to gather transcripts of the films. Because The Witches of Eastwick (George Miller, 1987) appears to be a watershed moment for Witch Film production, we’re starting there and working our way up to the present. Amanda Anna Klein makes a convincing case that genre film cycles happen in 5–10 year periods. So, once we get transcripts gathered through 1997, we’ll start running scripts up against The Witches of Eastwick in SameDiff.

Photo credit: Warner Brothers/Photofest

The Witches of Eastwick

[aronsonfilm]

The Lonely Goalkeeper from Dress Code on Vimeo.

Legendary Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson reflects on a grueling and often surreal life between the goalposts.

Directed by: Dress Code (dresscodeny.com) Created by: Andre Andreev Executive Producers: Brad Edelstein & Dan Covert Head of Post Production & Operations: Tara Rose Stromberg Producers: Anna Butler, Tara Rose Stromberg Assistant Producer: Mayele Yebo Production Coordinator: Jonathan Dontchev Art Director: Wes Ebelhar Design: Elena Chudoba, Maddie Edgar, Sonya Han, Yuval Haker, Simone Noronha, Rasmus Löwenbrååt Lead Animator: Vincenzo Lodigiani Animation: Yuval Haker, Sonya Han, Taik Lee, Hao Li, Rasmus Löwenbrååt, Zach Scholl, Sunny Yazdani Research: Richard Kroll

Music & Sound: YouTooCanWoo Voiceover: Robert "Bob" Primrose Wilson

[moviesandmania]

The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan - USA, 2018 - Now with several reviews

‘Some cases should stay cold’

The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan is a 2019 American found-footage about the contents of an unedited memory card. The subject is Leah’s school project about the infamous Mulcahy Massacre.

Directed by Burt Grinstead from a screenplay co-written by Anna Stromberg (they both also star), based on a story by Grinstead and Rob Runyeon, the Blanket Fort Entertainment…

[theatredirectors]

268 Directors and the end of the blog

This post marks the end of the Ask a Director experiment. I’m so grateful to all who have contributed, supported and engaged with it over the past six and a half years. 

This blog was started at a time when I felt incredibly alone in the directing field. I had always been taught that a director operates solo, that it was a lonely career and above all, it was based on scarcity. This was a style of working and living that didn't fit for me. I wanted to talk to other directors about their practice and thoughts about the field, both national and international. This blog was started as a way to connect, to uplift other directors and to create a conversation about the changing field and practices. 

It's surpassed all of these goals and brought me more joy than I can name. 

I'm now at a moment where my practice and advocacy are taking different and exciting paths and it's time for me to put this site to bed. I remain committed to uplifting other directors, to talking about the practice, to flattening hierarchies, to opening doors for new ways of working, and leading rehearsal rooms, companies, and classrooms away from silos and vacuums. Featuring these 268 different directors was just the beginning. 

I encourage you all to hire them (and others), advocate for them (and others) and choose to work in a system that values connection and generosity. 

Abhishek Majumdar

Adam Fitzgerald

Alice Stanley

Aliza Shane

Amanda McRaven

Amy Corcoran

Amy Jephta

Anisa George

Ana Margineau

Andrew Scoville

Anna Stromberg

Anne Cecelia Haney

Ariel Francoeur

Arpita Mukherjee

Ashley Hollingshead

Ashley Marinaccio

Andrew Neisler

Beng Oh

Ben Randle

Ben Stockman

Benjamin Kamine

Beth Lopes

Bo Powell

Bogdan Georgescu

Bonnie Gabel

Brandon Ivie

Brandon Woolf

Brian Hashimoto

Cait Robinson

Caitlin Ryan O’Connell

Caitlin Sullivan

Catie Davis

Cara Phipps

Carol Ann Tan

Carsen Joenk

Chari Arespacochaga

Cheryl Faraone

Chloe Treat

Christin Eve Cato

Christine Zagrobelny

Christopher Diercksen

Colette Robert

Colleen Hughes

Cyndy Marion

Dado Gyure

Dan Rothenberg

Daniel Irizarry

Danielle Ozymandias

Danny Sharon

Dara Malina

David Charles

Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li

Derek Spencer 

Donald Brenner

Doug Oliphant

Eamon Boylan

Elena Araoz

Emily Lyons

Emma Miller

Eric Kildow

Eric Wallach

Eric Powell Holm

Estefania Fadul

Evelina Stampa

Evren Odcikin

Evi Stamatiou

Francesca Montanile Lyons

Gabriel Vega Weissman

Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte 

Graham Schmidt

Gregg Wiggans

Hannah Ryan

Hannah Wolf

Heather Bagnall

Horia Suru

Ilana Becker

Ilana Ransom Toeplitz

Illana Stein

Ioanna Katsarou

Ioli Andreadi

Irina Abraham Chigiryov

Iris Sowlat

Isaac Klein

J Paul Nicholas

Jack Tamburri

Jaclyn Biskup

Jacob Basri

Jake Beckhard

Jaki Bradley

Jamie Watkins

Javier Molina

Jay Stern

Jay Stull

Jenna Rossman

Jenna Worsham

Jennifer Chambers

Jenny Bennett

Jenny Reed

Jeremy Bloom

Jeremy Pickard

Jerrell Henderson

Jess Hutchinson

Jess Shoemaker

Jesse Jou

Jessi D Hill

Jessica Burr

Jessica Holt

Jillian Carucci

Joanne Zipay

Jo Cattell

John Michael Diresta

John Kurzynowski

Joe Hedel

Jonathan Munoz-Proulx

Jose Zayas

Josh Kelley

Josh Sobel

Joshua Kahan Brody

Joshua William Gelb

Julia Sears

Justin Schlabach

Kareem Fahmy

Karen Christina Jones

Kate Bergstrom

Kate Hopkins

Kate Jopson

Kate Moore Heaney

Katherine M. Carter

Katherine Wilkinson

Kathy Gail MacGowan

Katie Chidester

Kendall Cornell 

Kendra Augustin

Kholoud Sawaf

Kimberly Faith Hickmann

Kim Weild

KJ Sanchez

Knud Adams

Kristin Marting

Kristin McCarthy Parker

Kristin Skye Hoffman

Kristy Chambrelli

Kristy Dodson

KT Shorb

Kyle Metzger

Kylie M. Brown

Larissa Fasthorse

Larissa Lury

Laura Brandel

Laura Steinroeder

Lauren Hlubny

Lauren Keating

Lavina Jadhwani

Jenn Haltman

Leta Tremblay

Lila Rachel Becker

Lillian Meredith

Lily Riopelle

Lindsey Hope Pearlman

Lisa Rothe

Lisa Sanaye Dring

Liz Thaler

Lori Wolter Hudson

Lucie Tiberghien

Luke Comer

Luke Tudball

Lyndsay Burch

Lynn Lammers

Mallory Catlett

Manon Manavit

Margarett Perry

Maridee Slater

Marina Bergenstock

Marti Lyons

Martin Jago

Matt Cosper

Matt Ritchey

Max Hunter

Megan Sandberg-Zakian

Megan Weaver

Meghan Finn

Melissa Crespo

Melody Erfani

Michael Alvarez

Michael T. Williams

Michaela Escarcega

Michelle Tattenbaum

Mimi Barcomi

Miranda Haymon

Molly Beach Murphy

Molly Clifford

Molly Noble

Morgan Gould

Morgan Green

Murielle Borst-Tarrant

Nana Dakin

Natalie Novacek

Neal Kowalsky

Nell Bang-Jensen

Nick Benacerraf

Noa Egozi

Norah Elges

Normandy Sherwood

Olivia Lilley

Orly Noa Rabinyan

Oscar Mendoza

Pablo Paz

Padraic Lillis 

Patrick Walsh

Pete Danelski

Pirronne Yousefzadeh

Portia Krieger

Rachel Karp

Rachel Wohlander

Randolph Curtis Rand

Raz Golden

Rebecca Cunningham

Rebecca Martinez

Rebecca Wear

Renee Phillippi

Renee Yeong

Rich Brown

Rick St. Peter

Robert Schneider

Ryan Anthony Nicotra

Sammi Cannold

Sammy Zeisel

Sanaz Ghajar

Sara Holdren

Sara Lyons

Sara Rademacher

Sarah Elizabeth Wansley

Sarah Hughes

Sarah M. Chichester

Sarah Rose Leonard

Sash Bischoff

Scarlett Kim

Seonjae Kim

Seth Pyatt

Sharifa Elkady

Shaun Patrick Tubbs

Sherri Eden Barber

Simon Hanukai

Sophia Watt

Suchan Vodoor

Stephen Cedars

Steven Kopp

Steven Wilson

Talya Klein

Tana Siros

Tara Ahmadinejad

Tara Cioletti

Tara Elliott

Tatiana Pandiani

Taylor Reynolds

TerryandtheCuz

Tommy Schoffler

Tracy Bersley

Trevor Biship

Tyler Mercer

Wednesday Sue Derrico

Will Dagger

Will Davis

Will Detlefsen

Will Steinberger

Yojiro Ichikawa

Yoni Oppenheim

Zi Alikhan

Zoya Kachardurian

[emblemstuff]

like if you save/use

[whileiamdying]

Legendary Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson reflects on a grueling and often surreal life between the goalposts. Directed by: Dress Code (dresscodeny.com) Created by: Andre Andreev Executive Producers: Brad Edelstein & Dan Covert Head of Post Production & Operations: Tara Rose Stromberg Producers: Anna Butler, Tara Rose Stromberg Assistant Producer: Mayele Yebo Production Coordinator: Jonathan Dontchev Art Director: Wes Ebelhar Design: Elena Chudoba, Maddie Edgar, Sonya Han, Yuval Haker, Simone Noronha, Rasmus Löwenbrååt Lead Animator: Vincenzo Lodigiani Animation: Yuval Haker, Sonya Han, Taik Lee, Hao Li, Rasmus Löwenbrååt, Zach Scholl, Sunny Yazdani Research: Richard Kroll Music & Sound: YouTooCanWoo Voiceover: Robert "Bob" Primrose Wilson

[artwalktv]

Legendary Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson reflects on a grueling and often surreal life between the goalposts. Directed by: Dress Code (dresscodeny.com) Created by: Andre Andreev Executive Producers: Brad Edelstein & Dan Covert Head of Post Production & Operations: Tara Rose Stromberg Producers: Anna Butler, Tara Rose Stromberg Assistant Producer: Mayele Yebo Production Coordinator: Jonathan Dontchev Art Director: Wes Ebelhar Design: Elena Chudoba, Maddie Edgar, Sonya Han, Yuval Haker, Simone Noronha, Rasmus Löwenbrååt Lead Animator: Vincenzo Lodigiani Animation: Yuval Haker, Sonya Han, Taik Lee, Hao Li, Rasmus Löwenbrååt, Zach Scholl, Sunny Yazdani Research: Richard Kroll Music & Sound: YouTooCanWoo Voiceover: Robert "Bob" Primrose Wilson

[tonin-terets]

Commercial Campaign Winner - The Life Artois - The Perfect Draft - Outside - Painting - Skier - Swimmer (Dress Code) from Motionographer on Vimeo.

The Life Artois campaign, directed by Vincenzo Lodigiani at Dress Code, is a global campaign. These charming vignettes are pulling you into a world and transition beautifully from one scene to another.

Production Company: Dress Code (dresscodeny.com) Agency: Mother London Client: Stella Artois Director: Vincenzo Lodigiani Executive Creative Director: Andre Andreev Executive Producer: Brad Edelstein 
Head of Post Production & Operations: Tara Rose Stromberg Producers: Anna Butler, Tara Rose Stromberg Production Coordinator: Rita Damiron Art Director: Elena Chudoba Design: Alex Mapar, Elena Chudoba, Emiliano Ponzi, David Pocull, Gautam Dutta, Greg Wilson, Irene Feleo, Jesse Harp, Marcin Zeglinski, Nivedita Sekar, Pete McDonald, Rasmus Löwenbrååt, SoHyun Park, Vincenzo Lodigiani Animation: David Pocull, Efrain Citron, Elaine Lee, Erika Bernetich, Hao Li, Hayato Yamane, Matt Choi, Pedro Piccinini, Peter Harp, Rasmus Löwenbrååt, Taik Lee, Tim Beckhardt, Tom CJ Brown, Vincenzo Lodigiani Conform: Nice Shoes

[aliasmary]

Day 10: Hauptteil - “How to sell drugs online (fast)” Review

Unbearbeitete Erstversion, ohne Teasertext und Einleitung.

Rezension Hauptteil

Wer sehnsüchtig auf „How to sell drugs online (fast)“ gewartet hat, oder zufällig auf der Suche nach was zugucken darauf gestoßen ist, erfreut sich so oder so an der Serie.

Der 17-jährige Moritz hat ein Problem: seine Freundin will eine „Pause“ und er hat das ganze Geld seines besten Freundes für Ecstasy verballert. Da fragt man sich was nun? Naja, Drogen online verkaufen natürlich! Nach einem Jahr in Amerika, kommt Moritz Langzeit-Freundin Lisa zurück nach Rinseln und merkt, dass die Kleinstadt nicht mehr ihren Erwartungen gerecht wird, sie braucht was Neues.  Und das gilt leider auch für Moritz, sie will sich finden und fordert deswegen eine Pause. Mit Hilfe ihres neuentdeckten Interesses für chemische Drogen, lernt sie den gutaussehenden Mister-Perfect, Schulticker Daniel, näher kennen. Moritz steht nun vor der Aufgabe Lisa zurück zu gewinnen. Sein Plan: alle Ecstasy Pillen von Rinselns Hauptdealer zu kaufen, damit er statt „Dan“ den Retter in der Not, auf Lisas Party, spielen kann. Trotz seines ‚idiotensicheren‘ Plans, scheitert Moritz mit seinem Versuch gewaltig. Er endet mit Schulden beim Dealer und seinem einzigen Freund Lenny, einem Vorrat Ecstasy, den er nicht plant selber aufzubrauchen, einem gebrochenen Herz und Nase; einer hoch sicheren Website, einer Notlage und einer Idee. Er wandelt gemeinsam mit Lenny, ihre Gaming Retailseite, in einen Drogen-Online-Shop um. Mit dieser simplen, jedoch genialen Idee beginnen die Schulnerds ihre Reise als geheime Drogenbaronen und stoßen dabei auf reichliche Komplikationen.

Die Cast der deutschen Netflix Produktion ist gut ausbalanciert. Für deutsche Zuschauer gibt es genug bekannte Gesichter, wie Anna Lena Klenke (Fuck ju Göhte), Bjarne Mädel (Tatortreiniger, Stromberg) und weitere. Der Hauptdarsteller Maximilian Mundt und u.a. Danilo Kamperidis, springen jedoch nicht als deutsche Schauspieler ins Auge. Vor allem fällt Moritz als sympathischer, scharfdenkender, wenn auch sozial-ängstlicher Mark Zuckerberg lookalike, auf. Durch sein außergewöhnliches Aussehen erschwert es seine Herkunft klar zu definieren, was wiederrum ermöglicht die Serie auch für internationale Zuschauer attraktiv zu machen. Sowohl als Max sind auch Danilo und Damian, sehr charmant in ihren Rollen. Lenny ist als todkranker Rollstuhlfahrer, eine interessante Abweichung von dem typischen Best-Friend-Tropes und zeigt mit seinen zynischen Kommentaren viel Charakter. Wirkt jedoch ab und zu flach und recht schwach für die schweren, angeschnittenen Themen, wie Vorbereitung auf den Tod, Krankheit im jungen Alter und Hoffnungslosigkeit. Daniel wird von Damian gut verkörpert, sein Charakter ist kein einfacher Bösewicht, sondern zeigt Hintergründe für sein Verhalten. Nichtsdestotrotz bildet sich seine Persönlichkeit aus Clichee erfüllten Stereotypen; reich und verletzt, Vater nimmt ihn nicht ernst, Mutter hat ein Alkoholproblem und deswegen verkauft er Drogen, eher schwache Leistung. Wer wiederrum negativ auffällt ist Anna Klenkes Charakter Lisa. Sie sollte als eine der tragenden Rollen zeigen, wie Jugendliche mit Persönlichkeitsentwicklung, Problemen in der Familie oder Neugierde nach neuen Erfahrungen umgehen. Ihre Entscheidungen in diesen schwierigen Situationen wirken nachvollziehbar, aber äußerst unsympathisch. Auch im Umgang mit ihren Klassenkammeraden scheint Lisa Empathie zu fehlen. Die einzigen Szenen in denen Lisa sich lebendig anfühlt, sind Szenen mit Dan, wobei die Chemie zwischen den beiden eher Damian zu verdanken ist.

Besonders bemerkenswert ist die Nutzung von Social Media, a la „American Vandal“, sowie die Pop-Culture Anspielungen in der Serie. Die sozialen Medien sind realistisch und glaubwürdig in den einzelnen Szenen verarbeitet, ihre Nutzung ist nicht nur als Gag oder als billiger Trick eingesetzt, um junge Zuschauer reinzuholen. Die Verwendung von ihr ist stilistisch als auch Story technisch sehr clever dargestellt. In Szenen, in denen ein Smartphone benutzt wird, wird dieses als ein Mittel für Erzählung benutzt. Außerdem charakterisiert es das Umfeld von Moritz und Co., genauso wie es das Umfeld des Publikums prägt. Das schafft ein Feld von Verständnis zwischen den Produzenten und den Zuschauern. Umso schöner sieht man es anhand der Pop-Culture Anspielungen, die meist auf den Nagel treffen und den Zuschauern zeigt, dass die Macher verstehen was aktuell für junge Menschen ist. Auch wenn es an manchen Stellen riskiert peinlich und unpassend zu sein. Dem sei trotzdem verziehen, solange es nur selten passiert. „How to sell drugs online (fast)” rechnet mit einer jungen Zielgruppe. Vor allem sollten Preteens, Jugendlichen, als auch junge Erwachsene, die am meisten schauenden Altersgruppen von Netflix, anziehen. Durch die Darstellung allein merkt man, dass es eine Serie für Teenager sein sollte. Dies wird fragwürdig, wenn man bedenkt wie leichtfertig der Umgang mit harten Drogen behandelt wird. Es ist fast einladend in den ersten paar Folgen, die schlimmste Konsequenz eines schlechten Trips: ein Krankenhausbesuch oder vielleicht ein bisschen Übelkeit. Es sollte viel mehr verdeutlicht werden was für traumatische Erfahrungen durch den Gebrauch von Ecstasy entstehen können, was auch nicht allzu unwahrscheinlich ist und öfter vorkommen kann als man denkt. Leider reichen halb ironische Aufforderungen auf den Verzicht, hier nicht aus, wenn Drogen eben ein großer Faktor in der Story sind. Wünschenswert wäre eine Folge, die authentisch und abschreckend die schlechte Wirkung von Ecstasy zeigt, nicht nur den Kater ähnlichen Tag danach.

Die Serie war definitiv ein großer Erfolg für die deutsche Fernsehproduktion und eine gute Entscheidung von Netflix dazu. „How to sell drugs online (fast)“ ist sehr unterhaltend, leicht für den Alltag, aber nicht stumpf und langweilig. Die Produktion und Verwirklichung ist durchaus gelungen und kann mit den anderen europäischen Hitserien wie „Haus des Geldes“ oder „The End oft he f***ing World“ mithalten. Es hat Potenzial auf internationaler Ebene Aufmerksamkeit zu gewinnen, was man der Serie auch wünschen kann. Mit viel Liebe zum Detail gemacht, auch wenn es von dem Geschichtsverlauf nicht vollkommen innovativ ist.