Crowdfunding: Best Served Cold Or Else
Moving Mind Studio
In today’s sharing economy (also most appropriately named the instaserfs economy by podcast brain of The Theory of Everything, Benjamin Walker, but I digress), it’s possible to find someone to drive you (Uber, Netlift), do errands (Ask for Task), and even breaking up (Sorry It’s Over) or just use the app for breaking up (Binder). I’m sure there’s a real person out there who will provide revenge for you, but in this case, Best Served Cold is a webseries about three people who will take vengeance for you for money made by Montreal’s Moving Mind Studio.
Moving Mind Studio is run by three dudes, Brandon Calder, Ryan George, and Samuel Brisson, who figured out that making funny videos is the path to fame, fortune, social commentary, and creative-self-expression. Their Youtube channel clocks in at over 8.5 million views and 26,000 subscribers. Their videos have been shown on crack sites like BuzzFeed, College Humour, and Funny or Die.
At the moment, the three have launched an indiegogo fundraising campaign to create the first season of Best Served Cold. Six videos, ten minutes each. Given their track record producing funny things, Best Served Cold is sure to be a winner. The campaign ends on July 22 and offers some reasonable perks like tickets to a comedy show, pins, copies of the script, downloads, walk-on appearances on the show, a character named after the donor, and producer credits.
I spoke to Ryan George about Moving Mind Studio as well as the upcoming series which is about to be shot no matter how the indiegogo campaign goes. The scripts are written.
Moving Mind studio’s team has a long history. George and Brisson are childhood friends and Calder joined the group in high school. Their first project together was a 24-hour film race, where a team of around eight people had 24 hours to come up with a script, shoot it, and deliver a film. When Brisson and George decided to start Moving Mind Studio, they asked Calder to join in. “We have a video where we go to his house and propose to him. He said ‘yes.'”
George says that revenge is a good theme to hang an entire series around. “There’s a lot of different things that come into play about revenge,” says George. “The morality of it, the right or wrong of it. The person hiring them might be a bad person. The extent to which they take revenge. There are endless possibilities for conflict. It opens a lot of doors.”
The show seems to rely on its characters too. “They have different reasons for getting revenge. One character is a vigilante who wants to serve up justice. Another really wants the money. The reasons they choose the jobs is very character-driven.”
George is playing one of the major characters in the show and the other two come from Montreal’s stand-up comedy scene. Chris Sandiford in particular will have a role on the show, while some other local comediennes are being approached for the female character. “There’s so much talent in comedic minded people in Montreal. It’s an opportunity for them to get on screen, which is what a lot of stand-up comics want to do,” says George.
Making films, even short ones, is a costly and time consuming business. George mentions that making a 180 second fake trailer for a gritty reboot of The Magic School Bus was paid for out of pocket, took over a year to shoot
Best Served Cold is the most ambitious project Moving Mind Studio has taken on. Raising money via indiegogo is the main concern at the moment and the three have been involved in creative fund raising. Wax a dude was one such fundraiser, where Brisson gave his leg hair for the cause.
“There’s a big comedy show,” says George. “If you take the $10 perk on indiegogo, you’re on the list. People can pay directly at the door too.” The three will be hosting and they’re mixing up sketches with stand-up comedy. Performers include Chris Sandiford, Jacob Greco, Daniel Carin, Habib Siam, and others. They’ll be selling goods at a “prank bar” where you can buy items to prank your friends, such as toothpaste with mustard in it and oreos filled with toothpaste.
Best Served Cold’s indiegogo campaign can be accessed HERE. It ends on July 21. The Comedy Night at Au P’tit BUck (2480 Jean Talon E) takes place July 16 at 8:30 p.m. $10
