Dates Like This
PP: What first attracted you to the idea of creating a web series?
HV: We wanted to create work for ourselves and we both had stuff we had started to write and just started talking about an easy way to make the work happen and the idea of making a web series seemed like a good way to go. It’s still a young medium so for me – it felt like there was space for us to learn as we went.
LP: I love theater. But in the last few years I started to realize that it’s the entertainment industry equivalent of the guy who is great to date but you know will never propose to you. I knew I wanted to start transitioning into TV, and I knew that being non-union and not signed with representation the most accessible and effective route to doing that would be creating my own work. And like Hannah said, jumping on the web series bandwagon seemed like the best choice. A series connects to viewers differently than a short film does, or even a feature. And we were both drawn to that.
PP: The first season of Dates Like This was pretty self contained, in that it revolved around Meg’s challenge of 30 dates in 30 days, so did you always plan on having a second season?
LP: Not at all. In fact, after season one was released I was kicking myself a little bit that we hadn’t called it a “mini-series” instead. I vaguely remember addressing the issue in one of our first brain storming sessions and basically saying “well, if we want to do another season we’ll figure it out later.” Which we have, thank goodness. And it’s been fun to see where season two has gone, because NONE of it was on our radar at all during the making of season one.
HV: When we first worked on Season 1, it always was very self contained and the story with that particular structure definitely could only last for that season. So we shied away from a second season for a while because we didn’t really have an idea of where to go from there.
PP: Are you anything like the characters you portray?
HV: Unfortunately being in the throes of my mid-twenties, yes – I feel like there are some similarities to Meg – just around the feelings of big changes and feeling like I should be more of an adult and have my life together a bit more. I hope I’m less neurotic than poor Meg. I feel more decisive than she is.
LP: You always have to find parts of you that are like your character, and tap into that. It’s funny playing a character you wrote for yourself, though. During the writing of season two it really started to dawn on me that Meg is sort of a combination of my defense mechanisms and my self-sabotaging and Alicia is my vulnerable side that always kind of feels like a nerd. She’s a puppy, really. Which is an element of who I am, but I’m not so much of an open wound as she is. I am a much more guarded person. But there are also things I admire about her that I hope are qualities I have. She sticks up for herself when she really needs to (usually) and she’s very genuine. No façade, no pretense. That’s what makes her endearing–and also a little bit of a basket case/an easy target.
PP: What is your best and worst memory of making season one?
HV: Best memory – probably the first day of filming. Mostly because I couldn’t quite believe that it was actually going to happen. This thing that we thought up and wrote, all the sudden we were there and filming it. And we had a lot of people on set that day and it was just a really exciting feeling the whole day. The worst – we were using this great cafe in Astoria to film some scenes and we had to film after they closed and the second night we were there we got there a few minutes before they closed and this couple had JUST sat down to have dinner and they were clearly on a first date and they took FOREVER so we had a late night that night.
LP: I completely forgot about those people who took forever to finish! That was the worst! That and the enormous stress of thinking we wouldn’t be able to make it because we wouldn’t be able to find a crew. Best memory? Probably watching all of the raw footage together for the first time. Getting to see it all come to fruition and look like something people might actually enjoy watching.
PP: First seasons are often something of a learning experience. Did you learn anything in particular during the making of season one that you’ve incorporated into the forthcoming second season?
HV: I’m not quite sure where to begin. We definitely learned that we needed more people – more hands involved. I’m glad that I had the experience of being so hands on in Season 1 – because I think I need to learn things the hard way (sometimes). But when it came to deciding to make a second season, we knew that we needed more people – we could not make season 2 the same way. And now, feeling that difference of having more people on set, more people who know what they’re doing – it’s about learning to trust their experience and stepping back to let everyone do what we hired them to do.
LP: Yeah, I second that. Basically, everything. We had no idea what we were doing when we made season one. It’s okay to admit that now, right? And besides all of the obvious stuff, we learned who we are as a series. There’s nothing like seeing your show and seeing who’s watching and how people are responding to it to make you realize what you are really bringing to the table. So going into season two we were able to approach every step of the process with a sharper focus, and make much more conscious choices that reinforced our identity as a show.
PP: This time around, Dates Like This will feature on ZiZ Comedy Network, how did that come about?
HV: Marc Cuevas called us up and said – I’m working with this network now and we’re looking for programming and I thought of you guys and so how do you feel about making a second season? We had met him when he interviewed us for New Media Weekly last year after Season 1 launched and we got along really well and he’s been really enthusiastic. And he also said we’d get to work with Michael Nixon as our producer – which has been a huge help.
LP: Yeah, I was having a very stressful week and was waiting for my train to go into work when Hannah called me to tell me she talked to Marc and ask me if I was interested. It redeemed that week. It feels great to have a team this time around, and a home.
PP: Crowdfunding is rapidly becoming a major source of finance for independent projects. What prompted you to go down the crowdfunding route and choose IndieGoGo?
LP: Hannah? She’s the crowdfunidng pro here…back when I graduated college this wasn’t even really an option yet. I don’t know how we ever raised money. I mean, we didn’t really. It was awful.
HV: Well for something like this it seemed kind of like the natural route. We picked Indiegogo because of having the option to keep whatever we raise instead of risking not getting anything. This is fourth project this year that I’ve been involved with that has had an Indiegogo as the main source of fundraising so it’s become my norm.
PP: How have you been connecting with your audience during the campaign? And is there anything you’d like to say to them right here, right now?
HV: Well we’re certainly trying – it’s a bit hard when its all online and you post things – updates, videos, pictures – and you hope they get seen by the audience but you never really know if its getting to the right people at the right time. What I’d love to say is that I hope that our show has had some impact on your own experience – that’s it’s made you feel a little less alone – and I truly can’t wait to share Season 2 with you because its going to be fantastic.
LP: Yeah, social media galore, email blasts, video recaps after our days of shooting. We want people to know all about our process and feel like they are going on the journey with us. That sounds a little Oprah-esque, but I think that the more our viewers can feel like they know us and can reach out and touch us, so to speak, the more likely they’ll be to tune in to DLT instead of whatever they can watch on TV. Aside from “thanks for caring/watching” I’d like to say that we love your comments and feedback! In fact, some of the viewer comments from last season inspired the plot line of season two in a major way, so we hope you like what transpires because if you don‘t, it‘s your own fault!
PP: You mentioned international viewers in another interview. Have you tried to reach out to viewers outside the United States and, if so, how have you done that?
LP: Honestly, not really. We’d like to do more. That’s one of the most amazing parts about the web world, so I feel like we should take advantage of that. We’ve talked on multiple occasions about trying to get subtitles in a few languages, but it always slips to the end of the priorities list. It would be extremely great though. I’d like to know how we are getting the international viewers we do have so we can do more of that. So if anybody knows, fill us in! Seriously…
HV: We haven’t tried anything in particular to reach out to international audiences but they’ve found us somehow so that’s cool! I hope it keeps happening – that other international sites keep picking us up and spread the word.
PP: Who would be your dream guest star for your web series?
HV: Amy Poehler because she’s one of the greatest humans alive and that would literally be a dream come true. From the web series world, I would love to work with Elaine Carroll because she is one of the funniest women I’ve ever seen. Also Hannah Hart.
LP: Okay, so we find out this season (don’t worry, this is not a spoiler alert) that Alicia has a twin sister. And for season three, if I had the power to make people do my bidding, I would bring on Leighton Meester to play that role. And I would want her to go back to her natural blonde. And she would be a suburban princess. And it would be glorious. That girl has the art of playing someone you hate/love down to a science. And she’s a present, playful, giving scene partner. Long live Blair Waldorf! And from the web world…that Japanese cat who jumps into boxes.
PP: What can we expect from the second season of Dates Like This?
HV: Bigger and better things. We’ve definitely scaled it up this year in terms of bigger settings and larger scenes. The audience will see more of the new ensemble each week as opposed to having more of a revolving door of Meg’s dates – there’s more to get attached to this year. And keeping with the spirit of the show – its still about dating and relationships and trying to find your match so all of the agony and ecstasy of that experience will be in the show.
LP: Lovely production values!! Which we are so stoked about. Our crew is tops. A slew of new characters, played by incredibly talented, amazing people who are bringing such humanity to their roles that you will instantly fall in love with them. So expect to fall in love with at least one new person. You can also expect to see some familiar faces, including the return of one character which is super secret and we won’t tell you who it is even if you tortured us. What else? Humor, musings about life, a killer sound track, girls kissing, New Yorky things, and the film debut of my fish, Ziggy Stardust.
PP: Who, either in front or behind the camera, would you love to work with in the future?
LP: So many people. Wow. Okay, I guess if I could be in both a Woody Allen movie and a Wes Andersen movie I almost wouldn’t care what I did for the rest of my career. I’d also like to work with any or all of the muppets. I’m currently obsessing over Boardwalk Empire and would love to work with Jack Huston who is a better actor with half his face covered than most people with all of their face showing. And my girl crush: Marion Cotaillard. She’s incredible on so many levels.
HV: I’d love to work on an Aaron Sorkin project at some point. And acting wise, I’d love to work with Allison Janney, Chris Messina, and Michelle Williams.
PP: What’s next for you?
HV: After finishing this and launching the new season will just be diving back into the great unknown of auditioning. I do have a short film that’s kind of a coming of age suspense story that I would really like to make this year. There are still a lot of pieces to fall into place for that to happen.
LP: I have a few full length plays that I wrote last summer in California, and I’d love to get some momentum going with those. I’m currently working with some great folks on putting together a reading of one of them, Meateaters, which we’re planning on having ready to show a small group of producers and friends at the end of April. I also have plans in the works for a feature length improv-based ensemble comedy film, a la Christopher Guest, with a bunch of ridiculously talented comedians I met through my theater company, The Story Pirates. And I’d love to fit a nice summer play in there…if I can manage to get cast in one!