EXCLUSIVE: Interview with the producers of ‘This One Time’

So, this one time this guy and girl got together after working on a production in Toronto.  They met, got together, then they went over a friend’s house and built a sock sculpture that they SWEAR were clean (though they did not specify whether they had been worn).  Since then, they have put together a studio called ‘Beans and Bueller’ out of Montreal, Canada. And now these creators bring to you a new series for FKR.tv, a Syd Butler and David Cross collaboration, called This One Time. Check out first look pics after the jump and get to know this adorable couple that look to haunt your dreams forever.

 

 There’s not much to do in Montreal, Canada nowadays post the Senators’ first round knockout of the Canadiens in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs (don’t worry guys, looks like the Bruins are gonna win it all anyway) so its a good thing Sabina and Ryan have each other and a studio called Beans and Bueller. Whilst there, the husband and wife team are working together on some of the day’s biggest chores while producing their new show This One Time set to air on the David Cross/Syd Butler produced Youtube network FKR.tv sometime in July. Some of these chores might seem outrageous to some but to Sabina and Ryan its just another day at the office. Like trying to figure out how to make a puppet snort cocaine: “, It’s not as hard as you think.  It’s all about planning, right?” Says Ryan with an almost matter-of-factly tone ” Like if you want to get the puppets to do a rail of coke you would get a blow tube going into his nostril so coming up the end or whatever.  And then just suck it in through the hose that’s coming out the nose.  So those things can be done.”

Yep, as you can tell this isn’t The Muppets as a matter of fact Ryan and Sabina really want no part of being compared to the famed Jim Henson franchise,  “We’re trying to distance ourselves from the sort of typical Henson kind of puppet that you see so often.  When you think puppets that’s I think what more people go to.” says co-producer Sabina. This One Time is a new series where musicians and comedians tell embarrassing stories and these stories are then told in effigy through furry puppets. Think like UK’s The Mongrels meets Really Freakin’ Embarrassing and you get a general sense of the show. That said, these guys aren’t just putting out a show, rather they are looking to push the boundaries of what you can put on Youtube which ,evidently, is just fine with FKR. TV, but that doesn’t mean they want to gross you out says Ryan:  “Here’s the thing. Part of it is we want that connection to the artist. We don’t necessarily need a million vomiting on the stage –one, two, three great. But we wanted like a very personal story from the artist so everything – we have everything from a close relationship with an older actor to a crazy party involving sex, orgies and, you know, nipple rings. All sorts of fun stuff is going on there. Burning down a city. So part of it, yeah, like it’s all a delightful situation where we can – where it’s given – where the story’s given to us. It’s like the gears start turning as that story’s coming out.”

 The series is coming with some pretty bad ass names that will be a part of the story-telling like David Cross, Fred Armisen, and quite a few others so the writing virtually takes care of itself, but the two aren’t content with just doing the stories of funny people.  According to Sabina,  ‘the talent definitely adds to the appeal and it’s a treat to work with, you know, an actor[s] who’s really talented. ‘  Sabina further notes that the show will not only feature actors, but musicians, and even chefs. Hell some of these people coming in to do the show are bringing their kids which brings a sort of a family-friendly vibe to the shorts that should certainly bring in mass appeal and variety for a show that is looking to produce 10 episodes.

 In any case, the mounting pressure doesn’t seem to affect Ryan and Sabina’s at home relationship and even admit that while at first the couple may have butted artistic heads, they have grown to figure out how to make it work…their secret??  ‘ I would say the work challenge is trying to draw the line where, you know, when does work end because, you know, we work – we love working.” Says Sabina “I mean, we love what we do so much that it’s all like kind of what we want to do. Sometimes you need to kind of step away and forget about work for a minute. And that’s hard to do I’d say.”  Ryan concurs and even elaborates “We’re really a team. Like we have our, you know, different specialties I would say but it’s really a sharing process. One picks up where the other one where it is needed so we kind of just complete tasks as they’re needed. Today we’re doing a puppet head but I’m gonna do, you know, I’ve got a meeting with a producer or something. Sabina will just sew on that. So we kind of have this like – we meet at the beginning and we say what are we doing, let’s go. And from that point we just sort of choose what we want to do.”

And how did they meet?? Well their first collaboration is probably the best place to start:  in film. Says Ryan, “So Sabina was working in set and prop and I was working in post production. So we do have a history working in film and from there we both sort of went into our artistic pursuit, ended up together and actually made a sculpture together out of my friend’s old socks. So, they were clean but that was really the first. The first point where I looked at her and I said, “You are the other half of my brain. Thank God there is another half.”

This One Time….God got it right.

Check out FKR.tv as This One Time is set to premier this Summer! Follow the show on Twitter!!

Interviewer: Achilles

Article written: John Blabber