HAPPY HOLIDAYS from Cougar's Marque Entertainment!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Cast of THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ABIGAIL WALLER!
Ladies and gentlemen, Cougar's Marque Entertainment, LLC is proud to announce the first three members of the cast of its first-ever foray into scripted web series - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ABIGAIL WALLER!
Congratulations to our cast, and a HUGE thanks to every actor who came out to audition for the show. Now it’s on to the next step. We hope you’re ready. We know we are!
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| ANTHONY AUGUST as Darren Brown |
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| MONIKA STEWART as Tracy Johns |
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| and LEE WADDELL as Abigail Waller |
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Casting Call - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ABIGAIL WALLER
Cougar's Marque Entertainment is pleased to announce casting for its comedic web series THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ABIGAIL WALLER.
Auditions will be held Saturday, December 3 from 10 AM–5 PM at a location to be determined, with shooting to commence mid-late January (on the weekends). Roles are unpaid, but cast members will receive footage for their reels, as well as credit on IMDb. And of course we'll feed and hydrate you. ;)
Character descriptions and submission instructions are below:
ABIGAIL WALLER (late 20s/early 30s; African American) – Our heroine. Calm, articulate, optimistic (sometimes to the point of naivete) – the quietly sarcastic straight woman against the craziness that surrounds her. A lover, not a fighter...
TRACY JOHNS (female; late 20s/early 30s; African American) – The fighter. And Abby's best friend. Able to schmooze high-powered CEOs one second and cut down trifling lowlifes the next, she's equal parts professional and around the way girl, able to switch at a moment's notice.
DARREN BROWN (late 20s/early 30s; African American) – Strong, good-looking, impeccible taste in fashion. And a liar and cheater. His betrayal of Abby is the catalyst for Season One.
EXTRAS: All races, shapes and ages – no auditions necessary; submit headshots and resumes for consideration. We'll contact you when we have an episode where we can use you.
There will be future auditions for additional characters as they make their debuts in the series.
Please submit resumes and headshots to casting@abigailwallerseries.com (ladies, indicate which character you're interested in). As we receive submissions, we'll be in contact to schedule audition times. No monologues are required; readings will be cold. Additional questions can be sent to info@abigailwallerseries.com.
Thanks! We look forward to working with you!
Kevin Sorrell
Creator/Executive Producer
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ABIGAIL WALLER
Follow our progress!
www.abigailwallerseries.com
Twitter: @abigailwaller
YouTube: /abigailwallerseries
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Life-and-Times-of-Abigail-Waller/151118294913597
Auditions will be held Saturday, December 3 from 10 AM–5 PM at a location to be determined, with shooting to commence mid-late January (on the weekends). Roles are unpaid, but cast members will receive footage for their reels, as well as credit on IMDb. And of course we'll feed and hydrate you. ;)
Character descriptions and submission instructions are below:
ABIGAIL WALLER (late 20s/early 30s; African American) – Our heroine. Calm, articulate, optimistic (sometimes to the point of naivete) – the quietly sarcastic straight woman against the craziness that surrounds her. A lover, not a fighter...
TRACY JOHNS (female; late 20s/early 30s; African American) – The fighter. And Abby's best friend. Able to schmooze high-powered CEOs one second and cut down trifling lowlifes the next, she's equal parts professional and around the way girl, able to switch at a moment's notice.
DARREN BROWN (late 20s/early 30s; African American) – Strong, good-looking, impeccible taste in fashion. And a liar and cheater. His betrayal of Abby is the catalyst for Season One.
EXTRAS: All races, shapes and ages – no auditions necessary; submit headshots and resumes for consideration. We'll contact you when we have an episode where we can use you.
There will be future auditions for additional characters as they make their debuts in the series.
Please submit resumes and headshots to casting@abigailwallerseries.com (ladies, indicate which character you're interested in). As we receive submissions, we'll be in contact to schedule audition times. No monologues are required; readings will be cold. Additional questions can be sent to info@abigailwallerseries.com.
Thanks! We look forward to working with you!
Kevin Sorrell
Creator/Executive Producer
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ABIGAIL WALLER
Follow our progress!
www.abigailwallerseries.com
Twitter: @abigailwaller
YouTube: /abigailwallerseries
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Life-and-Times-of-Abigail-Waller/151118294913597
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Shakin' Off the Dust - The Cougar's Marque Rises...
The last time we posted regarding a project, it was March 25, 2011, with the announcement of the short films Revelation and Nisa's Solo. Obviously, those never happened.
There was a lot of mental flip-flopping regarding what the next project(s) should be, but the one thing that remained constant was that we were in no shape to produce anything. But recently a couple of really big things have gone our way, which have once again opened the doors for project talk. And what will that project be?
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller.
It's something we've been looking forward to for a while, and a project we think will serve as a perfect reintroduction of Cougar's Marque Entertainment to those familiar with us - and a firm handshake with those experiencing our work for the first time. Development is in the earliest stages (though the scripts for season one - nine episodes - have been written), so no word yet on when the series will begin shooting, but we're excited about this series and what we have planned for it.We definitely have our work cut out for us, but we're going to enjoy every waking moment of it.
Going forward, you can find the updates for the show on its official site, as well as on Facebook. Things will be posted here as well from time to time, but those two outlets (and, eventually, the show's YouTube Channel) will be your most up-to-date distribution points for all things Abigail.
We look forward to the road ahead, and hope you'll join us for the journey.
-KS
There was a lot of mental flip-flopping regarding what the next project(s) should be, but the one thing that remained constant was that we were in no shape to produce anything. But recently a couple of really big things have gone our way, which have once again opened the doors for project talk. And what will that project be?
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller.
It's something we've been looking forward to for a while, and a project we think will serve as a perfect reintroduction of Cougar's Marque Entertainment to those familiar with us - and a firm handshake with those experiencing our work for the first time. Development is in the earliest stages (though the scripts for season one - nine episodes - have been written), so no word yet on when the series will begin shooting, but we're excited about this series and what we have planned for it.We definitely have our work cut out for us, but we're going to enjoy every waking moment of it.
Going forward, you can find the updates for the show on its official site, as well as on Facebook. Things will be posted here as well from time to time, but those two outlets (and, eventually, the show's YouTube Channel) will be your most up-to-date distribution points for all things Abigail.
We look forward to the road ahead, and hope you'll join us for the journey.
-KS
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Seven Years In
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Cougar's Marque Entertainment! Seven years old! How will we celebrate?
Stay tuned...
Stay tuned...
Friday, March 25, 2011
New Projects: Nisa's Solo and Revelation
We're proud to formally announce the next two projects from Cougar's Marque Entertainment - the short dramas Nisa's Solo and Revelation.
Nisa's Solo, originally conceived in April 2002, first drafted in April 2004 and now being rewritten, tells the story of Nisa, a young girl who lives with her aunt after her parents' violent divorce. When her estranged, abusive, recovering-alcoholic mother drops out of the blue with news of the passing of her maternal grandmother, whom Nisa hasn't seen in years, Nisa is not only confronted with the loss, but with the deceased's final wish: to sing at her funeral - something Nisa once cherished, but abandoned due to her mother's incessant discouragement and verbal abuse. Battling emotions ranging from rage to spite to sorrow to lapsing self-confidence, Nisa has a choice: maintain her justified anger (and deny her grandmother) or make the effort to rekindle a passion long snuffed out, giving the deceased (and thereby mother) exactly what she wants?
Revelation was originally created in January 2004 as an entry into the BET Rap-It-Up/Black AIDS Short Subject Film Competition. Though the script didn't advance in the contest, the story of a school teacher who returns to her family home on her birthday to deliver some devastating news resonated, leading to the decision to self-produce the short. That plan never came to fruition and in 2008 the piece was rewritten with a totally different story, though sticking to the same theme of AIDS in the Black community. Planned as a companion short to the then in-development feature film A Mile In My Shoes, things were again put on hold when that project failed to move forward. Since then, it was decided to take the story back to its roots, and the original storyline is now being re-installed and improved. Current plans for the "second" story include it being joined by two other "companion shorts" if/when A Mile In My Shoes goes back into production.
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller is still a go, though obviously it has been pushed back until later this year. We think this works because since we've been out of the loop production-wise for so long, the shorts will help us get back in "production shape" before tacking what will be, essentially, several short films. As of this time, there are no dates set for either of these projects - but we'd love to get going sometime this summer. Both Nisa's Solo and Revelation are in rewrites, and several hardware upgrades need to be made to modernize our workflow. We've got big plans for this year and going forward. Updates will be posted as these projects move through the pipeline.
Stay tuned...
Nisa's Solo, originally conceived in April 2002, first drafted in April 2004 and now being rewritten, tells the story of Nisa, a young girl who lives with her aunt after her parents' violent divorce. When her estranged, abusive, recovering-alcoholic mother drops out of the blue with news of the passing of her maternal grandmother, whom Nisa hasn't seen in years, Nisa is not only confronted with the loss, but with the deceased's final wish: to sing at her funeral - something Nisa once cherished, but abandoned due to her mother's incessant discouragement and verbal abuse. Battling emotions ranging from rage to spite to sorrow to lapsing self-confidence, Nisa has a choice: maintain her justified anger (and deny her grandmother) or make the effort to rekindle a passion long snuffed out, giving the deceased (and thereby mother) exactly what she wants?
Revelation was originally created in January 2004 as an entry into the BET Rap-It-Up/Black AIDS Short Subject Film Competition. Though the script didn't advance in the contest, the story of a school teacher who returns to her family home on her birthday to deliver some devastating news resonated, leading to the decision to self-produce the short. That plan never came to fruition and in 2008 the piece was rewritten with a totally different story, though sticking to the same theme of AIDS in the Black community. Planned as a companion short to the then in-development feature film A Mile In My Shoes, things were again put on hold when that project failed to move forward. Since then, it was decided to take the story back to its roots, and the original storyline is now being re-installed and improved. Current plans for the "second" story include it being joined by two other "companion shorts" if/when A Mile In My Shoes goes back into production.
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller is still a go, though obviously it has been pushed back until later this year. We think this works because since we've been out of the loop production-wise for so long, the shorts will help us get back in "production shape" before tacking what will be, essentially, several short films. As of this time, there are no dates set for either of these projects - but we'd love to get going sometime this summer. Both Nisa's Solo and Revelation are in rewrites, and several hardware upgrades need to be made to modernize our workflow. We've got big plans for this year and going forward. Updates will be posted as these projects move through the pipeline.
Stay tuned...
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Waiting in the Wings...
It's been a long time since we've had an update - six months to be exact. Though things have been quiet, I don't expect them to be for long. We've got plans for 2011, and soon we'll be in a position to get back in the game.
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller is still very much a part of those plans, but so are two dramatic short films, both of which may go into production before the web series. The scripts for those shorts need to be rewritten, so we'll have a better idea of where we're going once they're done. In the meantime, we'll just bide our time... and wait...
But it's coming. Marque our words...
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller is still very much a part of those plans, but so are two dramatic short films, both of which may go into production before the web series. The scripts for those shorts need to be rewritten, so we'll have a better idea of where we're going once they're done. In the meantime, we'll just bide our time... and wait...
But it's coming. Marque our words...
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller Update #2
The first-draft scripts for Season One are complete.
As of now, it looks like the running time for the entire season is 42 minutes. Of course, it can expand or subtract due to rewrites and editing, but I'm satisfied with that length. Shaundra and another friend will be reading what I have this weekend and contributing their thoughts before I start rewrites on Monday. From there, I plan to bring together several actors and have a read-through of the season, to hear the words being spoken and make further adjustments. Then it's on to official casting and the all-important fundraising.
The Facebook page for the show will be activated soon (I created a promotional graphic last night in Photoshop that might get tweaked before adding it to the page. There's not a lot there, but I'm interested in getting it up to build buzz and allow fans to follow along as the show comes together - casting announcements, shooting dates, etc.), as well as Twitter and YouTube accounts. In the coming weeks, we'll also be rolling out the official web page for the show, with the idea of making it an interactive experience where fans can communicate with the show's creators as well as Abigail herself.
I'm enjoying the forward momentum, and I feel we have something here folks will like. There's several other things that need to fall into place first (equipment, crew, locations, etc.), but I'm very confident we'll pull them together and bring this project to fruition. I look forward to sharing new details as they arise.
STAY TUNED...
As of now, it looks like the running time for the entire season is 42 minutes. Of course, it can expand or subtract due to rewrites and editing, but I'm satisfied with that length. Shaundra and another friend will be reading what I have this weekend and contributing their thoughts before I start rewrites on Monday. From there, I plan to bring together several actors and have a read-through of the season, to hear the words being spoken and make further adjustments. Then it's on to official casting and the all-important fundraising.
The Facebook page for the show will be activated soon (I created a promotional graphic last night in Photoshop that might get tweaked before adding it to the page. There's not a lot there, but I'm interested in getting it up to build buzz and allow fans to follow along as the show comes together - casting announcements, shooting dates, etc.), as well as Twitter and YouTube accounts. In the coming weeks, we'll also be rolling out the official web page for the show, with the idea of making it an interactive experience where fans can communicate with the show's creators as well as Abigail herself.
I'm enjoying the forward momentum, and I feel we have something here folks will like. There's several other things that need to fall into place first (equipment, crew, locations, etc.), but I'm very confident we'll pull them together and bring this project to fruition. I look forward to sharing new details as they arise.
STAY TUNED...
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller Update #1
Things have been coming along well with the development of the show.
On the administrative side of things, a Facebook page has been established and will be activated in the coming weeks, with a Twitter account soon to follow. There's also been an addition to the creative team, with CME Business Manager Shaundra Ray officially coming on as Head of Sales and Marketing. I haven't gone out to anyone else yet for other key positions, but the addition of Shaundra is vital because she's done extensive research in marketing, both online and offline, as well as search engine optimization - creatively organizing websites to rank higher in search engines like Google and Yahoo. She's taken a look at the show's bible and some of the existing ideas for marketing and, combined with her expertise, will be taking the push to a whole other level, which I'm ecstatic about.
One the creative side, I knocked out the first the pilot episode, "Meet Abigail Waller" this morning, putting the finishing touches on the script as the sun was coming up. It's shorter than I would have liked - three pages - but it encompasses the goals of the first episode, which is to introduce us to Abby Waller and her less-than-tactful best friend, Tracy Johns, at their favorite hangout, as well as the major storyline of the first season - Abby's breakup with longtime boyfriend Darren (as I write this, I've had an idea for an additional joke). The script, of course, is a first draft; I'm thinking I'll go through and write the initial drafts of all the episodes first, then come back through for a rewrite - giving me a chance to get distance from the episodes and hit them with fresh objectivity. I'm planning on jumping into episode 1.2, "The Purge (Pt. 1)" later tonight (earlier if the Texans game isn't going well and I can't take it).
On a side note, Shaundra read the outlines for season one this morning and was very complimentary, going so far as to say that perhaps I should pitch more show ideas. It was a real bolster to my confidence, and something to think about. I definitely have more ideas, and I'm enjoying the freshness of this path.
It just plain feels good to have fun again.
STAY TUNED...
On the administrative side of things, a Facebook page has been established and will be activated in the coming weeks, with a Twitter account soon to follow. There's also been an addition to the creative team, with CME Business Manager Shaundra Ray officially coming on as Head of Sales and Marketing. I haven't gone out to anyone else yet for other key positions, but the addition of Shaundra is vital because she's done extensive research in marketing, both online and offline, as well as search engine optimization - creatively organizing websites to rank higher in search engines like Google and Yahoo. She's taken a look at the show's bible and some of the existing ideas for marketing and, combined with her expertise, will be taking the push to a whole other level, which I'm ecstatic about.
One the creative side, I knocked out the first the pilot episode, "Meet Abigail Waller" this morning, putting the finishing touches on the script as the sun was coming up. It's shorter than I would have liked - three pages - but it encompasses the goals of the first episode, which is to introduce us to Abby Waller and her less-than-tactful best friend, Tracy Johns, at their favorite hangout, as well as the major storyline of the first season - Abby's breakup with longtime boyfriend Darren (as I write this, I've had an idea for an additional joke). The script, of course, is a first draft; I'm thinking I'll go through and write the initial drafts of all the episodes first, then come back through for a rewrite - giving me a chance to get distance from the episodes and hit them with fresh objectivity. I'm planning on jumping into episode 1.2, "The Purge (Pt. 1)" later tonight (earlier if the Texans game isn't going well and I can't take it).
On a side note, Shaundra read the outlines for season one this morning and was very complimentary, going so far as to say that perhaps I should pitch more show ideas. It was a real bolster to my confidence, and something to think about. I definitely have more ideas, and I'm enjoying the freshness of this path.
It just plain feels good to have fun again.
STAY TUNED...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Introduction - The Life and Times of Abigail Waller
I mentioned this project in a previous post as one of the projects I'm currently developing, spurred on by the DOA performance of Lupus Moon and my mounting frustration with the spec route in general. I'm excited about what I have so far and the potential this project has.
Background on the Project
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller began as an idea for a TV show in August 2008. I've had a few TV concepts over the years, and like the rest, I'd jotted down the basic premise and shoved it in an overflowing zippered binder with countless other ideas and concepts. My first love being writing for movies, TV writing was something I never gave a lot of thought to - primarily because I didn't know much about it. Writing a movie is simple in theory: sit down, write a 95 to 120-page story, promote it, rinse and repeat. Episodic writing was a whole 'nother animal. I also knew the only way to succeed in it was to move to Hollywood, and I wasn't ready, wanting or planning to do so. But I had some ideas, so I stashed them. Who knows? Might come in handy some day. Never say never.
The idea to do "Abby" as a web series came earlier this year, after attending an industry event where the creators of the web series Pink were on hand to talk about their series. Even before this event, I'd heard about people going the route of producing their own shows, but it just didn't click with me. I was too busy working on one screenplay or another. But after listening to their story, I was intrigued by the possibilities, so much so that I started rummaging through my mental rolodex of ideas for something that could be turned into a series. "Abby" was one of the first concepts that came to mind.
I was hot on the concept for a while - even coming home and jotting down quick notes, episode and promotional ideas and filling out a character bio sheet on the protagonist. But then I got sucked back into whatever feature script I was working on at the time (probably Lupus Moon), and Abby languished on the coffee table in my office for months. But now, thanks to recent events, she's front and center.
So What's It About?
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller (or "Abby," for intents and purposes) follows the adventures of a 31-year-old professional Black woman as she juggles work, family and relationships. I'm pitching the concept to people as "A Black Ally McBeal," but I could use a number of shows to get the point across. Throughout the life of the show, there's several topics I'd like to address, including women choosing bad men for relationships, the debate over natural versus permed hair (Abby will be natural, BTW), being a Black female in White male corporate America, dealing with messy and jealous “friends,” interracial dating, and self-image (“Oh, big lips are sexy ‘cause a white girl like Angelina Jolie or Scarlett Johansson has them, but they weren’t when the sistas had them? Suddenly big butts are sexy because J. Lo and Kim Kardashian made them so? I guess the millions of sistas throughout history were invisible”).
The show will be classified as a dramedy, and it will be shot here in Houston. I'm aiming for 7 to 10-episode seasons, with five seasons planned, but I'd love to do more if I can keep the show fresh and entertaining. The first season's episodes are planned out, along with several episodes in the following seasons. My target demographic is the very underserved group of Black women, age 22-50, and the working distribution schedule is one episode every two weeks, with vlog and blog entries from "Abby" in between - effectively doubling the length of the season while keeping the viewer engaged. To my knowledge it's something that hasn't been done, but there's a ton of web series out there and many have GREAT ideas. I've also put together plans for promotion, funding and tie-in merchandise, so I'm looking to do big things with this series. It's all a crap shoot - but at least it's my crap shoot.
Last Looks
There's a lot that needs to be done to get this project off the ground, but I'm enjoying each step of the process. If things go well, there's another web series or two I'd like to launch. Who knows, maybe the episodic format I was leery of all along was the one I was supposed to follow - the one that finally winds up opening doors for me...
I guess we'll see.
STAY TUNED...
Background on the Project
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller began as an idea for a TV show in August 2008. I've had a few TV concepts over the years, and like the rest, I'd jotted down the basic premise and shoved it in an overflowing zippered binder with countless other ideas and concepts. My first love being writing for movies, TV writing was something I never gave a lot of thought to - primarily because I didn't know much about it. Writing a movie is simple in theory: sit down, write a 95 to 120-page story, promote it, rinse and repeat. Episodic writing was a whole 'nother animal. I also knew the only way to succeed in it was to move to Hollywood, and I wasn't ready, wanting or planning to do so. But I had some ideas, so I stashed them. Who knows? Might come in handy some day. Never say never.
The idea to do "Abby" as a web series came earlier this year, after attending an industry event where the creators of the web series Pink were on hand to talk about their series. Even before this event, I'd heard about people going the route of producing their own shows, but it just didn't click with me. I was too busy working on one screenplay or another. But after listening to their story, I was intrigued by the possibilities, so much so that I started rummaging through my mental rolodex of ideas for something that could be turned into a series. "Abby" was one of the first concepts that came to mind.
I was hot on the concept for a while - even coming home and jotting down quick notes, episode and promotional ideas and filling out a character bio sheet on the protagonist. But then I got sucked back into whatever feature script I was working on at the time (probably Lupus Moon), and Abby languished on the coffee table in my office for months. But now, thanks to recent events, she's front and center.
So What's It About?
The Life and Times of Abigail Waller (or "Abby," for intents and purposes) follows the adventures of a 31-year-old professional Black woman as she juggles work, family and relationships. I'm pitching the concept to people as "A Black Ally McBeal," but I could use a number of shows to get the point across. Throughout the life of the show, there's several topics I'd like to address, including women choosing bad men for relationships, the debate over natural versus permed hair (Abby will be natural, BTW), being a Black female in White male corporate America, dealing with messy and jealous “friends,” interracial dating, and self-image (“Oh, big lips are sexy ‘cause a white girl like Angelina Jolie or Scarlett Johansson has them, but they weren’t when the sistas had them? Suddenly big butts are sexy because J. Lo and Kim Kardashian made them so? I guess the millions of sistas throughout history were invisible”).
The show will be classified as a dramedy, and it will be shot here in Houston. I'm aiming for 7 to 10-episode seasons, with five seasons planned, but I'd love to do more if I can keep the show fresh and entertaining. The first season's episodes are planned out, along with several episodes in the following seasons. My target demographic is the very underserved group of Black women, age 22-50, and the working distribution schedule is one episode every two weeks, with vlog and blog entries from "Abby" in between - effectively doubling the length of the season while keeping the viewer engaged. To my knowledge it's something that hasn't been done, but there's a ton of web series out there and many have GREAT ideas. I've also put together plans for promotion, funding and tie-in merchandise, so I'm looking to do big things with this series. It's all a crap shoot - but at least it's my crap shoot.
Last Looks
There's a lot that needs to be done to get this project off the ground, but I'm enjoying each step of the process. If things go well, there's another web series or two I'd like to launch. Who knows, maybe the episodic format I was leery of all along was the one I was supposed to follow - the one that finally winds up opening doors for me...
I guess we'll see.
STAY TUNED...