2018 NYC Web Fest - Tracy Buckles
TRACY BUCKLES is a fantasy comedy series that follows the aspiring actress Tracy and her timid sidekick No One, who find themselves swept away by a never-ending string of magical misadventures.
Interview with writer/director/producer Robin Nystrom
Watch Tracy Buckles on its website
Congratulations! Why did you make your webserie
I was seven years old when I discovered a paperback copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring in my elementary school library. Ever since then, I have been a huge fan of the fantasy genre. So first of all, TRACY BUCKLES is a love letter to fantastical storytelling. Second, it was important for me to craft a female protagonist who was heroic and headstrong and impulsive and courageous – qualities that you find in Tracy and that I’ve often found in the women I look up to in my life.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this webseries?
We wanted to create an entertaining show that could appeal to a generation who grew up on Harry Potter while still incorporating some adult comedy elements. So if you’re into the idea of an R-rated magic-filled adventure comedy, you should totally check it out! Think of it as an edgy mash-up between Scott Pilgrim and Charmed.
How do personal and universal themes work in your webseries?
Beyond the magic and the absurdist comedy, we also wanted to ground the story with a theme. Our web series portrays a young woman by the name of Tracy who falls victim to a despicable curse that prevents other people from hearing her voice. In the second episode, she meets a nameless drifter called No One who is plagued by a curse of invisibility. Tracy and No One form an immediate friendship, because they both understand the pain of not being seen or heard. I think we’ve all felt that struggle in one way or another — the pain of not being listened to or of being misunderstood. It was a theme that I considered strong enough to carry a web series.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The project took shape over a couple of years. I wrote the first drafts of all 6 episodes in late 2016. Then we went into pre-production in early 2017, and we shot the web series over a few weekends in April-June 2017. Finally, we spent a year on post-production — editing, original score, sound mixing and color correction. TRACY BUCKLES was fully completed in June 2018. It was a big challenge to get it all done, because we were truly working on a shoestring budget.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve been screened at 10 film festivals, including LA Film Festival, ITVFest and NYC WebFest. Along the way, we’ve received some great feedback from audience members and fellow filmmakers. We even won an award for “Best Produced Series” at the Austin Revolution Film Festival. We’ve also been featured in the following articles: The Movie Isle, Film Threat, and Meaww.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
A project like this becomes so much more tangible and real when it starts to engage with an audience. We’ve received wonderful feedback from our film festival run that has allowed us to make changes in the final edit. We’ve also collected many great ideas about how to market the show to the public.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We would love for more people to be aware of the project. If anyone out there is interested to learn more about TRACY BUCKLES, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter on tracybuckles.com so you can stay up to date on our upcoming release.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this webseries’s message?
Of course we’re happy to talk to any journalists who are interested in the project. Right now, we’re also in talks with various distribution partners that might be able to help TRACY BUCKLES make her official debut online. Feel free to reach out via our website tracybuckles.com.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this webseries to have?
We want people to fall in love with our quirky characters and their heartfelt relationships. And more than anything else, we want you to be entertained when you watch TRACY BUCKLES.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this webseries?
What would you do if you were struck by a curse that prevented you from being seen or heard?
Would you like to add anything else?
Check out our trailer at tracybuckles.com and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or comments!
Would you like to add anything else?
I’m deeply grateful to the cast and crew of TRACY BUCKLES. We all had so much fun working together. That same team will hopefully band together again next year for a couple of short film projects.
Interview: October 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Tracy Buckles
TRACY BUCKLES is a fantasy comedy series that follows the aspiring actress Tracy and her timid sidekick No One, who find themselves swept away by a never-ending string of magical misadventures.
Length: 6 x 5-minute episodes
Director: Robin Nystrom
Producer: Robin Nystrom, Jennie Nystrom, Jason Kaiser, Hartley Comfort
Writer: Robin Nystrom
About the writer, director and producer:
ROBIN NYSTROM (writer/director/producer) is a Swedish-born writer and director, and graduated from the Stockholm Film School in 2009. He is the host of The Web Series Podcast that features interviews with the best web series filmmakers on the planet. He has produced two web series: Nicolife (available on YouTube) and Tracy Buckles (coming late 2018).
JENNIE NYSTROM (producer) is a graduate student of Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, and is an accomplished producer who enjoys collaborating with her husband on all aspects of film production. Her artistic capabilities are eclectic, and she has a deep passion for story supervision, set design, hair, make-up and costume.
JASON KAISER (producer/director of photography) got his start editing skateboard and music videos. His passion for filmmaking led him to be the Director of Photography for the web series Nicolife and Tracy Buckles. He is the producer and co-creator of The Web Series Podcast that features interviews with filmmakers from around the world.
HARTLEY COMFORT (producer/special effects supervisor) has dozens of years of experience with film and video. He is an inventor and an innovator, a true jack of all trades. His skills were put to good use in Tracy Buckles where he had to create many practical special effects, including a vibrating table, a rotating camera housing, a vomit projectile device and much more.
Key cast: Ana Lake, Sergio Gavidia, Macie Wilson, Gale McNeeley, Rosh Wright
Looking for: Journalists, distributors
Facebook: tracybuckleswebseries
Twitter: @tracy_buckles
Instagram: @tracybuckleswebseries
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Sign up for the newsletter on tracybuckles.com to hear more about our upcoming release.