ADULTish: A WEBSERIES THREE SEASONS IN THE MAKING
I moved to New York from Houston at age 19 to study and pursue a career musical theater (original, right?). Eight years later I was exhausted; I spent more of time trying to pay the bills than I could get away to audition. In my theater conservatory training there was no “How To Produce Your Own Art” class. They trained us to act, sing and dance, and then handed us our certificates and wished us luck. We were all going into this blind.
Most open calls I attended were a waste of time, most casting director and agent seminars I paid for were a waste of money, and I was growing increasingly annoyed with the Actors Access character breakdowns of women: Pretty. Girl-next-door. Petite. Vulnerable. Sexy. Fit. Super fit. Size 4 and under. No taller than 5’6’’. Bikini bod. Tough. Mysterious. Gorgeous.
It’s a wonder I didn’t down a daily bottle of wine just to tolerate the absurdity. Oh right… Lack of funding for anything other than covering those bills! I have been told I was too ugly to be a lead, but too pretty to be a sidekick. That I should eat one less croissant a day. That I wouldn’t be cast-able once I hit 30. That I should consider putting the fat from my thighs into my breasts so I would have an hourglass figure instead of my pear shape.
When I turned 28, I faced the hard truth: I could either continue down this path for another two years until I hit 30 and became even less cast-able in the eyes of the system, or I could start making my own art.
And so ADULTish was born.
HOW DOES ONE MAKE A SHOW?
The internet and YouTube paved the way for a new frontier of showcasing art. I wanted to create characters that represented my different insecurities and struggles in adulthood. I needed the help of a friend who was knowledgeable about filmmaking. Enter Justin Morck, who agreed to come on board with the understanding that, A) He could direct, and B) We make the show SAG since he could no longer work non-union. I considered SAG status to be an asset for the show. We had no budget, so dropping the golden SAG credit would entice both crew and actors to get involved if we couldn’t pay them right away.
We then got a camera guy with sound equipment, six actors hungry for that SAG credit, and a rough script outline of each episode. Camera rolling!
WHAT SEASON ONE TAUGHT ME
After years of disempowerment and trying to fit into somebody else’s ideas of cast-able, I fell in love with producing. Taking control felt great. ADULTish became this vessel for self-expression as an artist, and I hadn’t realized how much I needed that. Suddenly what I had to say mattered. I didn’t need others to validate my existence; I could do it myself. Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?
Clearly there had to be a Season 2 but not before addressing the rookie mistakes:
- There was no script. Editing was a drag due to acting inconsistencies in performance and dialog. While I love giving actors freedom to improvise in order to give authentic performances, it gave my editor nightmares. I learned to balance what had to be by the script, and what could be given creative license.
- There was no sound mixing. This one’s a biggie. Our ears are sensitive! We will forgive film, but apparently we won’t forgive sound. When viewing Season 1 on a projected screen, the uneven sound made you cringe and took you out of the reality you’ve presented the viewer.
- There was no budget. Money means an equipment upgrade, food, better locations, more time, better labor, and it makes your project a priority for all involved. It’s unfortunate that green can speak louder than passion, but it’s the reality we’ve created.
ADULTish GOT A SECOND SEASON
First I sat down to write a script with one of the co-actors, Brandon Scott Hughes. It had been the first time ever I had written a narrative; I had written lyrics for parody music before in school, but never had I attempted to write an actual screenplay.
Next I found a different camera guy, or as it’s properly called, a director of photography: Enter David Rey. He was well versed on how to create indie filmmaking because he had been doing it for years already.
Then came an assistant producer, Lauren Mack. Lauren was our first producer on set that would handle SAG paperwork (which is a serious pain in the a$$), help organize shoot dates and negotiate contracts for actors, crew and locations. Lauren also hooked us up with a sound person with body mics (or “lav mics” as they’re professionally called). We had them on days when we shot outside and man, they made all the difference in the world. With a script, sound, new DP, new producer and a new sense of hope we rolled the cameras on a second season of ADULTish.
Two months later we had fresh footage, David Rey as the editor, and a guy by the name of Ari Sadowitz scoring the second season. A comic book concept came up in post production with subtitles and transitions between scenes. Bloopers started appearing in credit scenes and “winks” to the camera were given in the season finale, hinting on a third.
We felt good about this one. We even threw a big premiere party celebrating each other’s accomplishments. But…
IT’S ONE THING TO MAKE A SHOW. IT’S ANOTHER TO GET IT SEEN.
I had little following on social media. I created Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts for the show. I even created a Tumblr and WordPress blog account for my character, Bevin. Was it updated consistently? No… Was there money set aside from the budget for marketing on these channels? No… Did I know of any web festivals that I should consider sending it to? No…
Well, sh*t!
Fortunately, finding a professional to teach you is a breeze. Deb Clem-Buckert of debcb.com agreed to coach me. Best lesson learned: Social media must be constant. Building a following from a few supportive friends and family members is difficult unless you’ve got an influencer (i.e. a social media star, or company with a large following) giving your product a shout out.
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM
By the time ADULTish Season 3 went into post production, a lot of things had changed.
- We hired a writer; Matthew McLachlan. I enjoyed co-writing the second season of ADULTish but I felt that the show’s structure would improve greatly by a pro.
- We doubled our crew. David Rey brought in a Gaffer/second unit Director of Photography, gave Ashley (our new producer) a Production Assistant, brought a sound girl for every day of shooting, brought in a makeup girl on set, brought in interns for larger cast/crew filming days AND had a behind-the-scenes camera for social media channels.
- We created over 6 new characters. The world of ADULTish had been contained to the three main leads, but adding a supporting cast grounded the show and gave it flavor.
- We upgraded our equipment. David went from shooting on a Canon to shooting on a Sony, which made the show look even sharper. Rented a ton of new lightening equipment to help the picture pop and had lav mics for every major player.
- We updated our social media pages everyday. With the help of our behind the scenes camera, we were able to post and engage with viewers who wished to inquire about the filming process for the webseries.
- We hired a sound engineer… Who happened to be a composer as well!
- We doubled our budget. This still wasn’t anything substantially large, but we went from having a few grand to five digit territory thanks to some kind samaritans I pestered to donate (the fact it’s also a tax write-off helps).
- We didn’t throw a huge party. Instead we opted to have a short preview at a bar that let us screen for free one evening. That budget we spent last year for our party now went toward festival submissions and boosting posts on social media.
ADULTish finally felt like a show; An imperfect show with room to grow, but it’s a show! Watching Season 3 gave me all the proud mama feels, as if I were seeing my child graduate from high school. They grow up so fast, don’t they?
SOON THE WEB FESTIVALS CAME KNOCKING
WEB FEST NEW YORK, LA WEBFEST, ASIA WEB AWARDS, STAREABLE SCREENING SERIES…and it’s still early for festival season.
LA WEBFEST is the oldest, largest and one of the hardest festivals to get into. I had tried before with Season 2 with no luck. The recent acceptance earned a full five minute happy dance from me. It’s a huge honor to get into that one.
ASIA WEB AWARDS is pretty cool as well. First international one for us! Its sister branch is KWEBFEST which is one of the top reviewed festivals in the world. Fingers crossed there!
What do the festivals accomplish? Well, they help the show’s PR, open networking opportunities for future productions, and give us a chance to pick up a sponsor or two. There’s finally a bright shining hope for our show, but…
THE ROAD GOES EVER ON AND ON
Who knows where ADULTish will take everyone involved? This project showed me another path to make art. ADULTish gave me purpose; she was the therapy I needed to climb out of my artistic rut (yes, she’s a she!). I share my story in hopes that if you’re struggling to make it by following the rules of today’s game, you’ll consider making your own instead. The obstacles of the past seasons of ADULTish(which people can still view today) serve as examples of the trials and errors we faced when creating her. Ironically I’ve become a bit more “adult” during this process. Best advice I can give you: If they won’t give you the job you want, go create it for yourself.
Victoria B.
adultish.tv
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
It’s inspirational to read a story like this.
I’m an actor living in New York City and even though I’m a guy, I can relate to the stories regarding casting calls. The multitude of actors looking to fill the tiny number of positions available, combined with arbitrary factors that cannot be planned for, can result in endless hours that lead to nothing.
Two years ago, I put together a short film, “The Lost Orange” and did this under the SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) New Media agreement. This allowed me to waiver a group of non-union actors who, in turn, I got to work for free. Producing my own short film proved to be an interesting and rewarding learning experience. So, much respect to this young lady and her cast and crew for putting together “Adultish”. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Kris,
This means the world to me that you took the time to leave a comment. Thank you so much for that. It’s refreshing to hear that you yourself took the intuitive to seize control of your own career and create art for yourself. If there’s a place to check out your short, I’d like to watch it.
Thank you for your kind words and I hope you continue to create sir : )