On Thursday, July 8 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Jason Leaver will debut new web series "Out With Dad" -- a show that tackles both parenting and sexuality in a smart (and often funny) way.
The series focuses on Rose (Kate Conway), a shy 15-year old who is struggling to understand her sexuality -- and its potential impact on those around her. She is especially afraid of revealing it her dad Nathan (Will Conlon), which is especially tough on him considering their honest relationship.
Through new episodes that will appear every other Thursday on the show's Youtube channel, we will have the opportunity to see more of this clever show.
Check out the trailer for "Out With Dad" below, and then read on for my exclusive chat with Leaver about his web show (which he wrote, created, directed, and even edited).
Matt: First of all, tell us a little bit about your inspiration behind the project, and how you put the idea into motion.
Jason: Actually, the inspiration for this project comes from a glum place. In April of last year I had a nightmare in which my wife died giving birth to our first child. It was a vivid dream, it felt so real. Also real to me was the fact that I was suddenly a single dad to a baby girl, named Rose.
The next day I was thinking about Rose as I was sitting on the subway and imagining her growing up. I’m not sure if it was one of those terrific teen sexuality posters put out by Ontario Health [Jason is a native of Toronto] or my obsession with watching 'Skins' series three (or both!) the question popped into my mind, 'What if she came out to me?' Well, naturally I’d be very supportive. I started to imagine scenarios of life with an out daughter. I laughed, because I realize I’d be annoyingly supportive. Then, like a bolt of lightning I thought: “hey – that’d make a great premise for a web series”.
After that it was a matter of researching, writing and pulling together the right people. A year later and we’re less than a week away from the first episode debuting.
There are so many mediums out there you could have used for this show -- why did a web series stand out?
It was the very first medium came to mind. I was inspired by Felicia Day and her web series, 'The Guild'. I don’t think I ever seriously considered any other medium. The more I researched web series the more it made sense to me. Everything I read proved to me I was going in the right direction. If I did this as a TV show, it would mean knocking on doors trying to sell this to the networks, and I’m not a salesperson. A movie isn’t really an option because this felt serial. Plus, a web series is something I could afford to do on my own. Nobody telling me the way a series is “supposed” to be made. This could be my show, my way. If I’m lucky, like Felicia Day, enough people will like it and somehow we’ll afford to make more.
Why was this story specifically so important to tell?
Within hours of this idea coming to me I did some quick web searches to see what resources are out there. I put myself in the shoes of a dad who suspects his daughter might be gay. I [did] Google searches like 'gay teens' or 'parenting gay teenagers'. Basic stuff. I was disillusioned by the results I was getting. 80-90% of the results were, 'how to cure homosexuality' or 'how to prevent your child from being gay'. I got really pissed off with these results. This is the kind of info out there for parents? It sort of cemented the deal for me: this story has to be told. I wanted to show the world an example of positive parenting. It sort of felt like a mission had presented itself to me.
How much will the show focus on Rose working up the courage to talk with Nathan about her sexuality?
The show is called 'Out With Dad' because it’s about a girl out with her dad, they’re a team. However, the story begins before she’s out. She’s not even out to herself yet. So the first episodes focus heavily on her figuring herself out. It also deals with Nathan being painfully aware something is bothering her. Like so many confused teens, she feels she’s has to figure this one out on her own. It’s very isolating. This is an unusual dynamic for Rose and Nathan. It’s killing him to see her keeping something bottled up.
When I began writing I figured it would be 50% Rose’s story and 50% Nathan’s story. It’s probably more like 60/40 now. Rose is so much fun to write. I can’t wait to get to the stuff I’ve written after she’s out, it’s so much fun.
What are you hoping viewers will take away from 'Out With Dad'?
One of the things I discovered when researching is that LGBT characters are vastly underrepresented in entertainment. So I hope I’m filling a need. I am creating characters we don’t get to see enough. There are plenty of stories for straight white men in their thirties. I never realized just how lucky I am until this began.
That said, when writing and filming 'Out With Dad', my goal wasn’t to make something specifically for the lesbian community. This is for anybody who’s ever had to grow up. I’m gratified (and relieved) that 'Out With Dad' it being embraced already by the online lesbian community. My hope is that we get just as many parents watching too. That may be another thing viewers will take away: something for teens and parents to connect over, to talk about together. I would be so happy if that turns out to be true.
How many episodes are you planning on making, and do you see yourself going back and shooting more in the future?
Shooting more? Please! I’d love to. We’ve shot eight episodes so far, and will very likely shoot a ninth to squeeze in soon. I’ve written dozens and dozens of episodes, and I’ve sketched out dozens more. I don’t have an ending in sight.
The only thing holds us back from making more is money. Everyone involved volunteered their time. All the locations we filmed in donated their space – and even popcorn in the case of Encore Cinemas! I already own most of the film equipment because of my video production company. So we were able to do it fairly cheaply. Well, cheap in comparison to what it should have cost if we were paying people what they deserve. Our team is eager to make more, but there are still expenses. I’m always reluctant to ask people to take time out of their lives to help out, regardless of how much enthusiasm I know they have, and how much fun it is. I don’t want to take advantage of their kindness.
I’m drawing inspiration from Felicia Day and her web series, 'The Guild'. We’ll have a donation page on the website as soon as the first episode appears. Basically we’ll be asking people if you like what you’re seeing – please help us so we can give you more!
Tell us a little about the relationship between Rose and two of her friends, Kenny and Vanessa.
Kenny is a funny character. He’s based on a lot of friends I had growing up. The back story of how they met is cute. He was attempting to do some skateboard trick on the first day of high school, he failed miserably and everyone watching laughed. When he got up he laughed right along with them and even bowed. He let it roll right off his shoulder. Rose identified a strength in him that she feels she doesn’t possess. She admires him in that way. They’re kind of an unlikely pair, really. He’s a skater who doesn’t take school seriously, she’s quiet and very studious. But they get on really well. So well that most friends and classmates mistake them for being a couple. A sore point for both of them!
Rose and Vanessa have been best friends for as long as they both can remember. They’ve always the played together, been in the same class, studied together - they’re inseparable. They appear obsessed with each other. That’s not uncommon for girls. But also not unheard of is for some girls to realize their obsession with one another may mean more. This is where our story begins. I’d rather not give anything else away.
What has been the most fulfilling part of this experience for you?
Two things really: the writing and the directing.
First, I’ve always been convinced I couldn’t write. Or at least, not very well. I got over this while writing 'Out With Dad'. Along the way I discovered two rules you often hear about writing are not true for me:
1) Write what you know.
2) Plot out your story beforehand.
Well, I’m not a single dad, nor am I a teenage lesbian! So I’m not writing about what I know – which I found quite liberating. For once I wasn’t writing some half-ass sci fi/action movie. No big explosions in this one. I also didn’t have a storyline in mind. I didn’t have the all-important “beginning-middle-end” structure sorted out yet. I just wrote fragments of a story. I would jot down a scene I thought would be cool, then another and then another. I didn’t care about order – which I found quite liberating. After I had a bunch written I sorted the scenes, wrote and re-wrote new ones connecting them. A story arch emerged, which inspired more new scenes. I can say I’ve never been so proud of my own writing. It’s given me an amazing new confidence. I hope people like it!
Secondly, it was great to be directing. In the past few years I’ve only directed corporate videos and several 24 or 48 hour film challenges. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing those. Funny thing is, corporate videos and film challenges have something in common: there’s no time for planning. With the film challenges you only get 24 or 48 hours to write, shoot and edit a film. Corporate videos aren’t all that different, because most of the time my clients don’t know they need a video until days or weeks before they need to use it. And on the occasions they do know ahead of time, they don’t know what they want until days or weeks before the deadline. So we’re in the same boat. Out With Dad was entirely different. I had a script. I had time to prepare. It felt like I was directing for the first time since film school. With nearly a year of writing, casting, storyboarding, shot listing, location scouting, rehearsals (rehearsals! I’d never done that before!) I was able to walk on set, get behind the camera and everyone knew what we were doing – including me. Everything went smoothly. For the first time I felt like the end result was everything I wanted it to be.
Is there anything else you want people to know about the project?
I’m very excited for this Thursday night at eight, when we launch the first episode online. I’m equally nervous. This project is something I’ve been working on for over a year, and now I’m about to share it with the rest of the world. Will they like it? Will the lesbian audience accept it? Did I do a good enough job researching and writing? There’s some solace in the fact that I’m not alone with these feelings; just the other day, Kate Conway (who plays Rose) told me that she hasn’t been sleeping well because of the anticipation too!
I also have to say that I’m still overwhelmed by the support people and businesses have offered: the writer’s group that was my first test audience who gave valuable critical feedback; the friends that lent me their homes to film in; businesses like Encore Cinemas, Karma Kafe, and Unspace Interactive who donated time and space to us; the cast and crew who committed their time and energy into production; the bands who have given me their music; the composer and the musicians who performed the score. It’s remarkable. I don’t think they can possibly know how much I appreciate them making my dream come true. Thank you!
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For more information on "Out With Dad", head on over to the show's official site.
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