We Can Have Nice Things
This past week I engaged in, for the fourth year in a row, the annual tradition of shooting an entire feature-length film instead of watching the Oscars. This insane (and insanely fun) ritual was started by friend and filmmaker Joel Haver in 2022, and since then, thousands of people around the world have participated in it, and over a thousand films have been made in this way.
The rules are: shoot an entire feature-length film (40 minutes or more, as per the Academy’s own definition of what constitutes ‘feature-length’) in the 3 1/2 hours or so that the Oscars air live on on TV, then edit and release that film in less than a week.
My film this year is kind of a film, but mostly just a television pilot (watch it and you’ll understand). In particular it is, to me, the kind of show that I wish were still on TV. 15 years ago, if I had made this pilot, I would get a television deal, no problem. But nowadays, all the networks are gutted, and even if it did get picked up by one of them, it’d just sit there on a streaming service, unpromoted and barely watched.
However, because of YouTube, a show like this can actually live, and have a life, and exist. I’ve long thought about what comes after ‘content’—I think it’s that people will make the kind of shows that would have been on Adult Swim or Comedy Central or even MTV back in the day, but they’ll do it on YouTube. There are a lot of shows on YouTube currently, but they emulate the worst of television, and are geared towards people who watch content all day. As such, it’s not TV in any real sense, it’s content wearing a TV skinsuit—and poorly, at that.
What I’ve made, The Stained Hanes Show, is of undeniable quality. I say this with no ego, no narcissism, no whatever—anyone can watch this and be like ‘yeah, more of this please’ or even if it’s not their cup of tea, be like ‘yes—this would have an audience, this should exist’. If you would like to help support the show and ensure that we can make many episodes of it, DM me on Twitter or Instagram and you can buy a copy of the pilot on DVD directly from me. The proceeds will help us afford to shoot an entire season, and you’ll get a collector’s item (the DVD of the pilot will not be sold anywher else) in return.
Anyway, without further ado, here’s The Stained Hanes Show: