The Unfiltered Ramblings of a DVR Addict

This is going to be a long post today folks, but please take the time to read it, because I think this is pretty exciting.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the website CollegeHumor.  Despite being about 8 years removed from my college days, I still find myself on this site at least once a day, normally more.  In my opinion CollegeHumor consistently produces the highest quality original comedy material on the web.  Here are some links to some of my favorites:

Hardly Working: Girlfriend

Hardly Working: It’s Not Your Fault

Font Conference

Anything and Everything by Jake and Amir

Hardly Working: American Psychos

This is really just the tip of the ice burg.  There are hundreds of great original videos that the editorial staff of College Humor puts out every week.  There is even an MTV show coming on Feb. 6th.

Since I’m such a fan I follow the blogs of much of their editorial staff.  A few weeks ago I started noticing that many of them were positing a link to a new pilot that was floating around the internet.  Despite not having anything to directly do with CollegeHumor, those recommending it were friends with some of the creators and one of the pilots stars, Josh Ruben is responsible for a lot of that great content on CollegeHumor.

To make a long story short I took their recommendations and watched said pilot, Graduates and I thought it was great.  We need more TV like this out there.  I was amazed at the level of talent these guys were able to find.  The acting was all top notch, and the production value surpasses many of the prime time sitcoms out there.  I contacted one of the shows creators, Paul Gulyas and told him that I would like to put the show up on JoeOnTheTube.com and he was happy to let me do it.  I hope you will take a some time today and watch the pilot episode of Graduates.

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.2012786&w=425&h=350&fv=]

Paul also took some time and answered a few questions I had.

JoeOnTheTube: I know you have two partners, what is your in background in the industry, if any?

Paul Gulyas: Basically, my writing/producing partners, Jorge, Patrick, and I moved together from Connecticut to Los Angeles in the fall of 2006. We have been trying to break into the industry ever since. I found some success when I created the viral video “Seven Minute Sopranos“, which landed me a job at HBO, where I work now as a creative and a marketer for their new media initiative HBO Lab.

JoeOnTheTube: How long has this idea taken to come to fruition?

Paul: We first came up with the idea for “Graduates” in October of 2007. We wrote and wrote and wrote until we had a shooting script, got all set for production, cast out of New York, and shot this pilot in five days in August of 2008. The final cut was finished in December, and just a few weeks ago we released it to the world on the internet… So it’s been a very long process.

JoeOnTheTube: I first learned about the pilot through the blogs of a lot of people at CollegeHumor, other than Josh Ruben, do you have other ties to the whole CollegeHumor crew?

Paul: We mostly have ties to College Humor through our friends Matthew Pollock (producer/director/editor) and Bryan O’Connell (producer/co-director) who live in New York City and went to school with a ton of people from College Humor, and knew them from various other projects they’d seen/been part of. Right away, Matt knew he wanted Vinny Peone, who shoots basically all the stuff for College Humor, to come on as our DP. Matt also was really adamant about Josh Ruben, who we knew through Dutch West, being a part of it (he actually auditioned for all three principal roles). Josh actually was not working at College Humor at the time we shot “Graduates” but was brought on as a director soon after. Creighton DeSimone, our AC, has also been AC for College Humor for a while, and has directed some stuff like a “Jake & Amir”. Dave Futernick is a go-to actor at College Humor and has been for some time. So has Jo Armeniox. Matt Pollock is now working there as an editor, and has recently directed some stuff for them. Mitch Wissick, Steve LaChioma, and Stew Schneck have all subsequently popped up in CH stuff. Basically, “Graduates” and College Humor are bff’s.

JoeOnTheTube: Not a bad BFF to have.

Paul: Not at all.

JoeOnTheTube: Well you know I love the pilot, and I really hope a lot of my readers will take the time to watch it, because I know they will enjoy it also.  Assuming they do, what can they do to help get the word out about the show?

Paul: What your viewers/readers can do to help bring this to the attention of the right people is to help spread the word about Graduates. Tell friends about it and tell them to tell their friends. Post the link as your Facebook status and join our Facebook group (facebook.com/group.php?gid=21705274172). Digg us (http://digg.com/movies/Graduates_Pilot#). Send it out in one of those annoying e-mail chains that claim you will never find your true love if you send it to less than 16 people in 25 minutes. Bring it to the attention of your favorite blogs, sites, and newspapers! Play the drinking game we have on our website with friends! Write the web address on all your paper money! Buy us commercial time during the Super Bowl! Really, anything you can think of that helps spread the word about Graduates is a tremendous help to allowing us to get in touch with the right people who will allow us to make more of these for you.

JoeOnTheTube: Best of luck with the whole thing, and please keep us informed with what happens with Graduates.

Paul: Thanks again to you and all your readers.