This week I talked to talented writer/ director Shilpi Roy about her episodic comedy web series Hipsterhood, which follows two hipsters’ mishaps and misconnections throughout Silverlake. Hipsterhood expertly utilizes a storytelling device you would never see on TV: The dialog in each episode is 99% in the two main characters’ heads. I think this show is a real gem of storytelling on the web because each episode has its own short adventure but leaves you craving the next installment.  I talked to Shilpi about writing, shooting and promoting the series.

How you came up with the idea for Hipsterhood?

When I moved to Silverlake, I was definitely not a hipster.  One of things that struck me was the way people dressed totally differently in that specific neighborhood. And I couldn’t understand how could spend all their time at a coffee shop. Then a couple years ago, I found myself buying… skinny jeans.  And I was so against them before, but then I tried them on and realized, ‘oh these kind of make me look good’.  Then I found myself thinking, ‘does that make me a hipster?’  And that brought on an identity crisis.  So I started paying attention to what the hipsters around me were wearing and doing and asking myself if I had become one of them.   That’s where all that inner dialog in the show came from.

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Eric Loya & Travis Richey – Photo by Catherine Farmer Loya

LA actor Travis Richey was lucky enough to be cast as Inspector Spacetime, the main character of a Dr. Who parody on the TV show Community. His part lasted for all of ten seconds, but was such a huge hit with fans that he was brought back for several additional episodes. A successful YouTube vet, Richey tried to pitch a web series concept to NBC based on the character, but heard nothing back. So he and his writing partner Eric Loya launched a successful Kickstarter campaign instead and made the show themselves. (Changing the name after NBC insisted.) They now have hundreds of thousands of views and are selling out panels at Comic Con. Their story is a great example of how true luck is when opportunity meets preparation and how indie creators are far ahead of the networks with regards to capitalizing on viewers across platforms. Here’s how they did it.

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Russell Gregory, Ben Sinclair, & Katja Blichfeld, creators of High Maintenance

High Maintenance follows the adventures of a weed delivery man in Manhattan. Each episode is a short vignette centered around a person or group of people in NYC who call upon our friend’s services for their own specific reason.  I sat down to watch one episode, which was recommended by a friend and I ended up watching them all. Then I watched them again the next day with one friend and again the next day with another.

Not only is High Maintenance captivating because of it’s hilarious writing, great production value, veracious actors, and engaging scenarios, but because the creators had the courage to do away with intro episodes, exposition and excessive back story. They went straight for the meat.  Writer or not, stoner or not, treat yourself to the trip of this show at www.HelpingYouMaintain.com.  And if you are a writer, I highly recommend the advice of the creators below.

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