With over a million views on YouTube, Grey is one rising filmmaker that you need to keep an eye on. (Photo courtesy of Grey)
By: Jacob Elyachar
One of the hottest rising filmmakers that is gaining lots of attention is Grey.
The creator of hit webseries: How Far We’ll Go and the Lady of Pink has amassed 1,640,231 views (and growing) on YouTube and was awarded the 2012 Best Drama Webseries Award from VidCon for his work with How Far We’ll Go.
Grey sat down with an exclusive interview to discuss how he got interested in the entertainment industry, the upcoming sophomore season of How Far We’ll Go and how social media has helped his career.
Jacob Elyachar: How did you get interested in the entertainment industry?
Grey: When I was eight-years-old, I was interested in acting or storylines, but I really took it seriously when I was 13-years-old after I saw X-Men: The Last Stand. Even though it was not a good film, I liked how the film was structured and I was a fan of the series.
I started writing when I was 14-years-old and I registered with the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) when I was 16-years-old. It was groundbreaking because a minor cannot really be signed to the WGA but they let it happen. However, when I was 17-years-old, I took a break from writing but I returned to it when I was 18-years-old.
JE: Who are your major influences?
G: Both Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are my two major acting influences. My major directing influence is Tim Burton. He creates something out of raw material that continues to make people guessing and as an entertainer; you want to keep surprising your audience. Finally, my major musical influence is Canadian folk singer Feist.
JE: When did you decide that you wanted to form your own production company?
G: I decided that I wanted to create my own production company when I was 18-years-old. I wanted to not just direct and write, but I always wanted to work with people and the only affective way to do that was form my own company: Gray Sky Productions. My company can help clients film and finance their projects and it would be amazing to collaborate with amazing people.
JE: One of the first web series that put you on the map was “How Far We’ll Go.” How did you come up with the concept?
G: (Laughs) The idea for How Far We’ll Go started when my friend and I were joking about a strip club. (JE: A Strip Club?) She stated: “I don’t know if the strippers will allow you to film them.” I told her: “I did not wanted to film them, I wanted to get into their lives.” I want to film stuff that people do not normally film. Everyone films actors and musicians and I wanted to do something different. I could not come up with the title at all and while we were on the road, she suggested that I should name it: How Far We’ll Go.
The goal was to meet with six artists, models and photographers and do something that is provocative and showcase different styles. When we first released it, I thought it was not going anywhere. Then, “Boom!” out of nowhere, people stated that they loved it and wanted more episodes.
Expect lots of drama during the sophomore season of “How Far We’ll Go.” (Photo courtesy of Grey)
JE: How did you choose your subjects that are featured on “How Far We’ll Go?”
G: Honestly, I was going to give it up after the first season until I showed it to Viacom. They stated, “They could not take the series because the black and white documentary style was very boring” and also added that I needed to do something different, something people have not seen.
Nobody has ever seen a group of five to six artists shoved into an apartment and trying to collaborate with each other. They all have different backgrounds, different flaws and crazy things about themselves. I thought about my cast of characters: I wanted a slut, a nice goody two-shoe musician, a fashion model that cuts themselves, a gay guy and an aggressive jock who is an actor. These personalities will clash and viewers will see what happens.
JE: What makes “How Far We’ll Go” stands out against other web series?
G: What makes this series stand out is the diversity of all of the characters that are featured in it. The show’s based in L.A., it is realistic and we do film in Hollywood. It involves every big guild (Writer’s Guild, Screen Actor’s Guild, Director’s Guild, etc.) in the entertainment business, which is something nobody has ever done. This is something fans want to see because people like the fame and want to be famous, How Far We’ll Go will show you what famous life is like and the viewers can use their imagination to play along with it.
JE: What can fans expect from the second season of “How Far We’ll Go?”
G: A lot of sex. (Laughs) There will be some drugs and alcohol involved. We will see a lot of Hollywood during the season and hear a lot of original music. The viewers will hear some covers once in a while but this show features a lot of original material. The season will be divided into 15 episodes and it is just complete chaos.
Fans can expect excitement galore and to get a feel of what it is like to be famous plus see the breakdown people have while they are struggling to stay alive in their respective industries.
JE: What are some of the challenges that you face when you are filming a series called “How Far We’ll Go?” The rewards?
G: (Sighs) The challenges that I faced while filming this series included getting the cast and crew together at the same time on the same day. Another problem I faced included casting. Some of the actors who had plans to commit to this project but bowed out at the last-minute and I had to scramble to find another one. I also had to make sure that the actors could deliver the lines and make sure that the audience can feel what they are saying and connect with them.
The rewards are pleasing the fans. They have been waiting four or five months for new material. Plus, another reward for me is probably getting the attention of MTV, one of the networks that I have been after for a while. I value their critiques and advice and I want to deliver a product that is worthy of being aired on the network.
“The Lady in Pink” has her hands full this season as she must deal with two foreign exchange students. (Photo courtesy of Grey)
JE: Another series that you gained a lot of attention was “The Lady in Pink.” What are the factors that make “Lady in Pink,” a fan-favorite webseries?
G: I think that there are four key things that make this show a success. First off, she is a senior lady and everyone loves her. Second, The Lady in Pink acts like a grandma plus she is so crude, which is not the way a normal grandmother would behave. Finally, she tells it like it is. She is the YouTube version of Betty White.
JE: What are some of the most memorable moments from this series?
G: Probably, the most memorable moment from the series happened at the beginning. We did not know what we were doing and how it was going to play out. But, somehow and someway, we made every episode work. The best episode that I liked filming was our second episode. While it was the most popular episode, I was hung over and she was sick when we were filming. We were not even in it at all, but somehow, we made something glorious. (Laughs) Another big episode for us when we had “Nicki Minaj” (Jazzlyn Love) visit us and that was just amazing.
JE: How has social media helped you in your career so far?
G: Social media has helped me in so many ways. A lot of people think that the only way you can get big on the Internet is making a product and just put it out there. One strategy that made me succeed and get the word out about my shows are just talking to people, subscribing to their stuff and talking to them. By doing that, you will build friendships and they will start to follow you.
I think people limit themselves just to YouTube, which they should not because there are more websites that you can go to. MySpace is the perfect place for musicians and artists but people do not use the site, because they do not know how to use it. MySpace is easy to use, so just learn it! Learning is the best thing you can do for yourself.
JE: What are your goals for this year?
G: One of my goals of 2013 is to win Sundance. There is a movie that I have been working on for a long time and it has made it to the Film Festival, so I want to win very badly. I also want to branch out the company; I want my company to be as big as it can be. Another goal of mine is to be a television producer and finally leave YouTube. I also want to branch out into the film industry a lot more and eventually, win an Oscar.
To see some of Andrew’s work, visit his YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/GraySkyProductions1
