Break a Leg

Good news! I can write again. I think. I wrote ten pages today and ten last night, and am generally happy with what's coming out. That said, I also edited Vlad's Halloween minisode a bit, which I feel especially good about and even have enough creative power left to write a blog telling you all of this.

So, it's been a good writing day. Maybe the blog triggered some sort of creative muscle. Or maybe the gnomes came in the night and wrote it for me -- either way, I'll take it.

Oh, by the way, guys, I've been thinking about updating this blog a bit more regularly -- I'll do it when I can (or get other people to do it) because one thing we pride ourselves on is interacting with you guys personally, as our fans. I know a good many of you by name and have spoken to at least 20 of you in passing over email or instant messenger.

That said, I'm going to try and keep you updated on how everything is going. How shooting is going, how writing is going, how editing is going, how failing miserably is going, et cetera.

So. Now I'm off to play hockey with Vlad (oh, yes, we play hockey in a league -- isn't that just not writer-like at all?) -- wish us luck.

And don't forget to subscribe to the blog for future updates!

-Yuri

As I (I, being Yuri) sit here in my bedroom after successfully defeating two mosquitos in deadly, blood-sucking tendril-to-vacuum battle, I wonder why I'm having trouble writing.

I'll be honest and say that Episode 4 should've been done two weeks ago. I'll be even more honest and say that it's not done yet. It's okay, since we can't shoot at our alloted location for another couple of weeks, but boy-oh-boy, is it frustrating. 

See, Episode 4 is my episode. Vlad and I wrote Episode 1, I wrote Episode 2 and he wrote Episode 3. So now, it's my turn, and I have suddenly discovered I'm not funny. All of a sudden, witty retorts are neither witty nor retorts but just normal, reactionary life-like lines.

In other words, I'm officially boring. And the ladies love it.

I've considered doing several things.

-I've considered doing a Charlie Kaufman and writing myself and my writer's block into the script. Except I'm not Charlie Kaufman and I'm practically already in the script.

-I've considered giving the episode to Vlad who is, at least, as far as I know, at full funny gear. But I'm too stubborn.

-I've also considered just getting famous now and having Hollywood writing gnomes finish it. But I'm not famous. And I can't afford gnomes yet.

By the way, when you get famous, you get Hollywood writing gnomes.

Why can I write creatively in a blog but not in a script, you ask? I have no idea, I answer.

So, I sit here, re-reading what I wrote tonight and, okay, admittedly, I had an okay day today, writing-wise. There was some witty. Someone calls Chase a bear -- that's always good for a laugh. But, when I'm really flowing, when it's really going, I can finish a script in a day.

It's been much longer than a day, though. Maybe I should just kill all the characters and become a welder. Wouldn't that be something? Wouldn't it be a great thing to tell people at parties? "What do you do?" "I'm studying law. You?" "I'm a welder." "What do you weld?" "Other welders." Wouldn't it be even more interesting if you welded other welders together from pieces of metal?

Okay. It's getting to that point where you jokingly say to your friends, "It's getting late, or should I say -- early?! Ha!" Then you laugh like that, "Ha!" And everyone laughs with you but, how many people have made that joke? Come on.

So, I should retire. Maybe, just maybe, tommorrow is the day I finish up the rough draft of the script. Either that, or I weld myself a boat and sail to Mexico.

Either way, wish me luck.

-Yuri

P.S. Thank you and hello to all the new blog subscribers. We made a crazy jump from 80 to 210 in a week, and it's nice to know we have people reading what we write at 4:19 in the morning. The rest of you who haven't yet -- go on and subscribe, myself and other cast members will try to update and write in here regularly.

Okay. Seriously.

Bed.

Good morning.

Hey, guys.

So, TV Guide is holding nominations for their TV Guide Online Video Awards. We're thinking it'd be huge if Break a Leg won something -- anything, really -- Best Web Series would be nice, but if one of us won an actor or actress award, that would be similarly amazing.

I'm not sure if it matters how many people nominate (I have no clue how nominations work), or if everyone nominated will be up to allow users to vote, but I figured the more nominations the better, so..

Here's the link to the nomination site: http://www.tvguide.com/special/onlinevideoawards

You can nominate us for any or all of the following:

Original Web Comedy Series (You can probably link to the Pilot: http://www.breakaleg.tv/video/2007/7/25/the-pilot-part-1.html)
Web Actor (whoever you think deserves it)
Web Actress (Francesca and Amber would love you all)
Celebrity Web Video (Patrice Oneal does Gary Coleman?)

And.. any other ones you think are suitable.

Here's some info to make the whole nomination process faster:

Credits:

 Creators: Vlad and Yuri Baranovsky
 Directors: Yuri Baranovsky [Episode 1, Episode 2]and Justin Morrison [Episode 3]
 DP: Justin Morrison
 Editor: Dashiell Reinhardt
 Sound: Dustin Toshiyuki & Ben Wallen
 Production Coordinator: Hillary Bergman
 
 CAST
 David Penn.... Yuri Baranovsky
 Sebastian Windlethorpe... Skip Emmerson
 Jennifer John Bradley... Chad Yarish
 Chase Cougar... Justin Morrison
 Francesca Scala... Daniela DiIorio
 Amber Turnipseed... Alexis Boozer
 Claudio & Humphrey... Daniel George
 Mint... Dustin Toshiyuki
 Larry... Flynn Kelleher
 Jimmy Scotch...  Drew Lanning
 Stan Marley... Claudio Brescia

And here's a quick synopsis:

Break a Leg follows David Penn, a writer who just landed his first sitcom deal due to the untimely death of the writer/creator of the previous hit. In the pilot, viewers are introduced to David, who is about to meet the same fate as his predecessor. Guided by David's narration, viewers are taken back in time to explore the bizarre circumstances leading up to his murder.

Thanks, guys! Let's get us an Emmy and then all of you can come be extras when we're shooting for HBO.

Deal? Deal.

Thanks!

-Yuri

Hey, Swamblers.

High Treason, Act II is up and ready for your viewing.

Undoubtedly, this part is very, very odd. It'll make sense in the grand scheme of things -- and everything will, of course, come together.

I also suggest viewing this one (and this first one) a few times. There's a lot of information stuffed into both parts.

Anyway, hope you like it! As per usual, we'd love for you to both tell us what you think here and, if you can, on YouTube.

You can see on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lwqPiz0dRo

Thanks, guys! Hope you like it.

Hey, guys.

So, we're all sitting here. On a bed. Together. I'm throwing a tennis ball up and down. Justin is playing on the Internets while Dashiell is playing on his DS. We're waiting for several sound clips to be sent to us that we can put in to Part 2 and export it. So. We're waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

And we thought, why don't we post the Break a Leg AIM name and say to you, our fans, msg us and say hi! We talk to a few of you and we love to chat. It would mean me putting the tennis ball down but, hey, I can do that for a few minutes.

Anyway, you can message us RIGHT NOW at BREAKALEGSITCOM on AIM.

Talk to you soon.
-Yuri