Exclusive Interview: 'We Need Girlfriends' Creators

Quite possibly the best thing to happen to the internet, RagTag Films, has offered your humble blogger an interview (via internet [because they live in NY, and I in CO]) regarding the best damn TV show not on TV, We Need Girlfriends (see the bottom of this blog for videos) We Need Girlfriends follows three best friends, fresh from college, entering into a whole new learning environment: dating in the city, after college, in the YouTube/Myspace era. Sound familiar? It ought to. It's pretty much the most relevant comedy today. They're 8 episodes in, with a few holiday specials, and going strong. I had a few concerns and questions, so I figured I'd just ask :). These guys were super awesome to offer the interview in the first place, and they got back to me really quick, so, without further ado, here it is:

LUKE HUNTER: Steven, Brian, and Angel, how are you prepared to respond to the possible drop in viewers after an excessive period of seeing the characters go through multiple attempts at courting and dating which ends in failure? It's just my assumption that this is where the show is going, but I may be entirely wrong. If that isn't the plan, are you clever folks willing to divulge any information on the fates of the poor boys? Will they ever find "the one?" :)

STEVEN TSAPELAS: Geez, do you know something we don't? I'm honestly not anticipating a drop in viewers. And actually with each subsequent episode, the hits on our website get larger and larger, so I hope that trend continues. I think the audience genuinely likes the characters and that they are willing to stick with them through their trials and tribulations because A) they're funny guys and B) we're rooting for them. Through the course of the series, there will be ups and downs, the characters will fail and occasionally succeed. However, they can't have too much success because then the show wouldn't be "We Need Girlfriends" it would be "We Have Girlfriends," and where's the fun in that?

BRIAN AMYOT: I agree with Steven, I don’t anticipate a drop in viewers for very similar reasons. I think people have become invested in these characters and they want to watch them, whether they succeed or fail, or both. I also find much of the failure very funny, and I hope the audience does. I tune into “The Office” every week knowing that Michael Scott will do something stupid, I’m not expecting him to get any smarter. Also, I think people will enjoy the way the series progresses, we have a lot more in store for these characters and its going to be exciting to see where life leads them.

ANGEL ACEVEDO: I agree with Brian who agrees with Steven. Obviously the show is about guys looking for new girlfriends, that's the drive of the show, that's their goal. And if they reach their goal there wouldn't be a show. So we have to cleverly write stories that see the characters closely reaching their goal of finding new girlfriends. But to keep the excitement and fun of the show, we can't make it too easy for them. It would be like if in LOST they got off the island the first season.

S: In the way of spoilers, I will say this: In Episode 9, someone will finally have sex. I'm not saying who.

LH: Steven, as the writer, I'm curious about how much of this show is based on real-life events and people. How much of this show comes from personal experience, and how much is pure fiction?

S: The three characters are based on us and our personality traits. Some of the the things they do are from our lives. For instance, we spend a lot of time on MySpace, we play psych out rules during game night, and we've been using the term "squirrel" and "scamming on squirrel" for years. Obviously, things are mashed together and dramatized, but I think the real core of the show is things we find funny about each other. The point is to make each other laugh while being honest about ourselves and our lives.

LH: Brian and Angel, what equipment and programs you guys use to shoot and edit? Who mixes the music, and, for that matter, who is in charge of tracking down the tunes you guys use?

B: We shoot on MiniDV on the Panasonic DVX100A. We edit on a PC using Avid Xpress Pro. I typically have edited the sound/music for every episode, I do the mix on Avid. All three of us have tracked down the music. MySpace has been instrumental (no pun intended) in finding music. We posted a bulletin on MySpace as well as other sites for people to submit music. We received many submissions, and as the show got viewed more, more people submitted because they want their music featured. It has been beneficial for both sides because we get great music in our show, and the musicians get more exposure. Steve, Angel, and I will sort through our submissions and search for new artists to find what will work best for the show.

LH: Steven, Brian, and Angel, I'm sure that what everyone really, truly wants to know ... is whose team are you on?

S: Team Ragtag!

B: TEAM WNG!

A: Team Rod!

Thanks guy, you rock :).

Episode 9 is out on July 1st. Personally, I couldn't be more excited. If you're interested in watching this show, head on over to their website, their myspace, or their YouTube account. To save a little time, here are trailers for the first and second half of their ... "season" I suppose:

Trailer for Episodes 2-6:


Trailer for Episodes 7-10: