Ragged Isle

Mark Your Calendars!

2012-03-05T21:54:00.000-05:00

http://www.sfntv.com/3rd-annual-indie-soap-awards-broadcast/

Winners Circle

2012-02-23T20:00:00.004-05:00

It's midnight and I'm at New York City's Flaming Saddles, where well-muscled men strut along the bartop and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (I think) plays silently on giant screens behind the bar. I'm rocking a rented tuxedo and clutching a trophy and dancing with Pretty the Series' awesome, scene-stealing Dee Freeman, who knows all the words to "Don't Stop Believin'," and the whole bar is going apeshit, because even in a country-western gay bar in Hell's Kitchen, everyone goes apeshit when "Don't Stop Believin'" comes on. And I feel like a rock star because the trophy in my hand says that Ragged Isle has been named Best Web Series (Drama) at the Third Annual Indie Soap Awards, which I've just attended with a bunch of Ragged Isle pals, and where we (and by "we," I mean Barry Dodd) also won Best Director (Drama) and Best Cinematography. And everything and everyone is awesome, and the party is far, far from over.

Wait. Let me back up.

In January, we learned that Ragged Isle had been nominated for eight Indie Soap Awards, placing us in such prestigious company as Aidan 5, DeVanity, Out With Dad, Thurston, Anacostia, Sundays, California Heaven, and Pretty, to name but a few of the amazing series up for recognition.

Which is how Best Actor nominee Rick Dalton, Best Director (and Cinematography) nominee Barry Dodd, Best Series nominee Karen Dodd, and Best Writing nominee, um, me (along with everyone else in the car, as well as Jacob Lear) ended up piled into a car together to drive from Maine to New York City for the awards ceremony. On the way down, Barry and I somehow got it into our heads that it would be hilarious if we were to sing the old Gatorade jingle as an acceptance speech, which led to us to belting out in the car (many, many times) "Gatorade is thirst aid / For that deep down body thirst!", to the ongoing delight of our car-mates. Barry made me promise to sing it if we won for Best Writing, which we did not (probably fortunately, now that I think about it).

The venue for the Indie Soap Awards was snazzy and swank, complete with a genuine red carpet and paparazzi and microphones and questions from the entertainment press, including, predictably, "Who are you wearing?", to which I could only reply, "Strictly Formal, Auburn, Maine."

Mingling around the open bar were soap stars of TV and the web, including the aforementioned Dee Freeman, whom Barry very much wanted to tell that she was his favorite actor on the Internet, but shyness held him back until we pushed him into it -- and I'm glad we did, because she ended up presenting the award for Best Director to him, and partly because of their earlier interaction, he got to hold her in a long, long hug before delivering his acceptance speech.

But I'm getting ahead of myself again. The ceremony proper kicked off with a musical number performed by soap star Colleen Zenk, who flubbed a line a few seconds into the song and gutsily (and charmingly) insisted on starting over. After the ceremony, I got to tell her how brave I thought that was, and she couldn't have been more gracious and delightful.

The first three awards we were up for (Best Writing, Best Ensemble, Fans' Choice), we didn't win, and with each non-win, I could feel each of us, introverts all, relax a little bit -- especially Barry. But then Dee Freeman announced Barry for Best Director and it felt like my chest would explode with joy. That's when Barry got up and hugged Dee, and hugged her and hugged her and hugged her until her co-presenter pried them apart. A visibly moved Barry then delivered a charming and humble speech, thanking the people we had written down on a piece of cardboard moments before the ceremony. He then started to walk away from the podium, but quickly raced back when he realized he hadn't yet thanked his wife, Ragged Isle producer and assistant director Karen Dodd. It was quite cute and I can't wait to share the moment once the ceremony shows up on video.

When Barry won again for Best Cinematography, he got up there and said, "First of all, I'd like to thank my wife, Karen Dodd," which (deservedly) got a huge laugh.

Finally, it was down to the last award of the night, Best Web Series (Drama), presented by soap star Michael O'Leary (Dr. Rick Bauer on Guiding Light). And then he said, "Ragged Isle," and I thought to myself, "Did he just say 'Ragged Isle'?", but I was also screaming and jumping around, so part of me knew he had. As all of us raced down to the stage, Barry whispered to me that I would have to speak, because he was acceptance-speeched out. But when we got to the stage, I saw that my awesomely cool and talented friend Rick Dalton was already at the podium, thank God, because words were no longer forming in my head. The cast and crew in attendance milled behind Rick, grinning stupidly and exchanging hugs, as Rick said something that none of us (including him) can remember. But I'm sure it was awesome. And I'm also sure it was NOT, "Gatorade is thirst aid / For that deep down body thirst!"

After the awards, it was on to the after-party at Flaming Saddles, which went on and on and on and included much, much dancing and drinking and dancing and celebrating and dancing and singing ("Don't Stop Believin'") and dancing and hugging and hugging and hugging. All of the other web series makers in attendance were incredibly awesome and gracious and friendly and welcoming and smart and fun, and when the bar closed at 4 a.m., the "Ragged Isle" crew wasn't quite ready to call it a night, carrying the celebration over to an all-night diner.

At 4:30 a.m., it was finally time for me to head downtown to where I was staying (thanks, Kate!). When I lived in the city years ago, there were many late nights in which I would wait forever for a subway to arrive. But the moment I stepped onto the platform, the train was pulling into the station. I sauntered aboard, still decked out in my tux and still clutching the award.

"It's that kind of night," I thought to myself.

Everything changes Tuesday

2012-02-19T16:47:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow morning Greg and Rick will stop by our house and we will all drive together to NYC for The Indie Soap Awards for which we have received 8 nominations. Rick is going to present one of the awards!!! This is all so surreal and I'm going to try my best to not blink so I don't miss a moment. None of this would have been possible without the love and support from our fans. I am forever grateful for them all. Win or lose, this is the ultimate frosting on our season one cake. If I were any more proud of our cast and crew I'd explode.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T18:36:00.001-05:00

<a href="http://entertainmentexperiment.bandcamp.com/track/all-that-matters">All That Matters by April Joy Purinton and Rick Dalton</a>

Worthy of Comment

2012-01-28T21:08:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a recording session for the "Ragged Isle" episode one audio commentary, featuring Barry Dodd, Rick Dalton, Ian Carlsen, Michael Dix Thomas, April Joy Purinton, Meghan Benton, and myself. So cool. So fun.

Rick Dalton, champion of the universe, organized the event and handled recording duties, and I can't wait to see/hear how it comes out when put together with the episode.

We're planning on doing these for every episode of season one, which is relaunching on SFN TV next week. So if you watched "Ragged Isle" last year, this will be a chance to get something new out of the experience. And then, before you know it, season two will be launching.

Like I said, I can't wait.

Update 1/24/12

2012-01-24T16:50:00.000-05:00

Exciting times are coming up for all of us involved with and enjoying Ragged Isle. As you may know we've been nominated for 8 Indie Soap Awards from We Love Soaps.net. Many of us are going to make the trip down to NYC for the gala next month and it will be such a wonderful way to wrap up all our hard work on season one before we really dig in to season two. One of the awards we are up for is "Indie Soap of the Year." What makes this award so special is that the fans choose who wins. You are allowed to vote daily in order to really get the most bang for your vote. Share this link with your friends so they can help us too. If you'd like to see us come home with a win, it's up to all of you to make it happen.

Ian Carlsen and Rick Dalton were on Good Day Maine on FOX23 this morning getting the word out.

We've also got the re-launch of season one over at our new home The SFN. Stewart and Todd are doing a fantastic job sharing our show and cultivating more interest in our little Maine secret. Rick recently was interviewed on SFN's the update and claimed his title as an "SFNelebrity!"

CLICK HERE TO WATCH INTERVIEW

I've been cutting together season 2 as fast as I can. I think this season is going to really surprise people. Everything has been taken to the next level. The visuals, the acting, the story. Just wow. I can't wait to share this with you all. For now just know that I am very very happy with what I am seeing.

Last, and most importantly, I am getting closer and closer to getting the DVD's done for our donors. I'd say by the end of this week I'll be able to start putting together packages to send out to you wonderful and generous people. I wish we were a big business and could have tons of people making and shipping all these items but know that we have not forgotten you. We're putting this all together by hand and we apologize in advance for any cat hair getting on your items. The boys like to help out when they aren't napping.

Thanks for sticking with us!

Barry

Random image 1/19/12

2012-01-19T20:29:00.000-05:00

Random Image 1/13/12

2012-01-13T21:16:00.002-05:00

In the beginning, there was Criehaven

2012-01-10T22:19:00.000-05:00

Maine some noise Ragged Isle fans!

2012-01-05T21:26:00.001-05:00

It's never been easier to help us out. Just click the banner at the top of our website once a day and vote!

Want to know more about this whole Indie Soap thing and how we fit into the mix? Check out this great article in the Portland Press Herald and find out!

Season One Soundtrack Art and Track Listing

2012-01-04T23:18:00.001-05:00

Amidst all the work that goes into creating season two and the season one relaunch on The SFN, rest assured we're also hard at work putting together the Soundtracks and DVD's for our fantastic donors.

When the DVD's and Soundtracks have been sent we will be creating a store for people who didn't get to be a part of our production fund campaign but would still be interested in owning a little piece of the island. Here's a look at the cover and track listing for the season one soundtrack. Check out the amazing collection of Maine music!

Random Image 1/3/12

2012-01-03T13:59:00.000-05:00

Justin St. Louis joins the cast this year as character "Trevor Stebbins."

Random Image 12/27

2011-12-27T07:23:00.000-05:00

Ho Ho Ho from Ragged Isle!

2011-12-22T12:07:00.001-05:00

We Love Soaps

2011-12-20T22:12:00.004-05:00

We were so very excited to learn that Ragged Isle has been nominated for 7 We Love Soaps Indie Soap Awards. You can check out the full list here.

Okay. Maybe not everyone sees Ragged Isle as a soap and it is not in the traditional sense of the word but neither are a few of the other series nominated this year. Ragged Isle does, though, have a soapy element that goes back to its original birth as the SoapNet - Soap U contest project, Criehaven. Now, we have dialed back the overt soapiness in Ragged Isle but it is there and we embrace it. It's there is in the poetic opening monologues, the long held looks, and the drama of love and serialized mystery.

We have made no secret that Dark Shadows, a sixties Gothic Soap Opera has been our main source of inspiration. I have said this countless times - there would be no Ragged Isle without Dark Shadows. Every time Barry and I would watch an episode of Dark Shadows we would be inspired to start a project and Barry kept going back to Criehaven. After enough Dark Shadows episodes I began to believe that we should make this happen.

My point is this, Ragged Isle owes its very existence to soaps and we are so proud to be nominated for these Indie Soap Awards by the soap community, which has been very supportive and accepting of us. Thank you, We Love Soaps.

Wrapping Ragged Isle and Acting On Camera

2011-12-19T15:14:00.003-05:00

Wrapping shooting for good on Ragged Isle is a strange feeling. I'm cushioned from the finality of it by the anticipation of Barry's final finished product. Ragged Isle yet to come, like the Ghost of Christmas Future. I'll get to see the fruits of my fellow actors' performances forever, so in a way, I'll get to hang out with them forever. But there is of course a feeling of loss. The filming and acting of this story has completed, and I won't get to have fun any more with Deputy Dan, and Julie Kats-in-a-casket, and Rose, and Thorn, and Hoffman, and all my pals. That fun is over, but as the sorrow would set in, the anticipation of having it show up looking a zillion times better than I remember keeps the melancholy away. It's an amazing phenomena, I'm standing right there when it's being filmed, but when I see the final product on the screen, it's been somehow transformed into this infinitely bigger, epic, vibrant, compelling thing, nothing like I remember in the moment. Like it's been hit with a heavy dose of magic. With regard to the Ragged Isle story itself, which I can't hype up enough, as good as the acting, imagery, and sound is, it's just gravy on top of the perfect roast. It makes something that was already completely delectable even more rich.

The process of filming this project, from an actor's point of view, was a new thing for me. I've acted in plays, but before Ragged Isle the only time I had acted on camera was a few lines (about twenty five minutes work) in The Dodd's Criehaven, back in 2007. Time enough to get freaked out by a camera lens and learn how to screw up the simplest lines, but not enough time to get comfortable with acting on camera. I haven't exactly mastered anything since then, but I have had some time to work on the on-camera acting, and to observe the filming process.

I'm very emotionally attached to Ragged Isle. I've never been this into a project before without being at the helm. Before RI, I had never been asked to cowrite / co-create before. This was my first time working in a group. My second highest compliment to the Dodd's would be: You taught me how to work with other minds, the power of it, and you gave my director-type ego a lesson in when to sit, watch, and listen. My first compliment would be: Your show is awesome.

I have a fond on set memory of learning to read Barry's reaction to an idea that he hated. He would avoid at all costs making a person feel low for their idea, while perhaps calculating a way to cut it out later. I learned to read his expression and take the pressure off by quickly saying “you hate it”, to which he would confess “yeah”. When you gave him an idea he could use, there was no doubt: “I like it”. Incredibly gratifying. I learned from Barry that it's possible for the guy who ends up being right to not be me. I know how that sounds, but I'm special. I learned that there are two ways to do things on Ragged Isle shoots; Barry's way now, to the best of your ability, as close to how he's describing it as you can, or Barry's way later, after a period of trying to get him to do it a different way. Which is not to say he's not receptive to ideas. When you're right, you're right. No can one can possibly see the whole picture as clear as the director, so to try to predict or assess the tone or context in a shot yourself is wasting yours and the director's time. Many lessons learned, but the biggest Ragged Isle challenges for me boiled down to trying to tackle this character, between myself and Barry, and trying to learn to act on camera.

Film acting is very different than stage acting. Please don't imagine that I'm talking about a big stage for me, or a big play, I'm talking about three plays at a Grange Hall, but live theater nonetheless. I've decided that stage acting, though perhaps more courageous, is way easier. You have linear, forward moving flow, the audience and happenstance to push you on, and there's no stopping. A play moves along closer to real life, though exaggerated. Your character can build up to an emotional reaction in real time, and feed off the momentum and set up of your fellow actors. You can 'try something' with tonight's performance, different than last night, after thinking about it all day. Camera acting, on the other hand, is broken up into a thousand separate pieces, out of order, with a thousand stops and starts. You have to snap into an isolated moment's head space from a dead stop, launch completely into the proper emotional context, sometimes after a long wait, sometimes after fifteen or thirty takes in a row, and sometimes after a number of false starts. And there's so much to remember in that moment.

Here is a typical filming moment: Get ready, wait... (I'm taking a breath, leaning forward to take a step, remembering that this time it has to be more like pleading, not so resigned, like I'm being strong for uncle Ted, but not in complete acceptance of what uncle Ted did, and the whole thing needs to move faster) “Annnnd... Hold on, can you scrunch down a little, good-now you're out of her shadow and I can see your expression, boom up a little...more...good, Rose, sit up a little straighter, up on the cushion a little. Should I use this other pillow? No, it looks good. I'm almost out of battery and we need to get this shot. Barry, Barry Dodd? What babe? Do you think that door would be locked, because how could he get in? I mean, I'm just saying. Babe let me just get this. Can I just cheat you to your left a little, about half that, split the difference, does that look dark to you, what's changed with the light, can we fix this with a bounce? Greg, can you hold this right here, thanks man, a little higher, OK stand by, slate it, put it right in front of his face, more toward me, higher, ok, episode fifteen, scene four, shot three, take, ummm, three! Snap! Standby, quiet please! And....Action. “Dan, where are you going with that hatchel?”-Dammit! I'm sorry, I mean hatchet, there's no such thing as a hatchel. What's that? Greg says there actually is. Let's go again. It's OK, still rolling, take it from “Dan”, stand by....wait for that motorcycle.”

Often times this is what acting on camera is like, times however many takes and separate set ups, and while you're doing it you're either hungry, or thirsty, or have to pee, or you can't stop yawning, or burping, or passing gas, or whatever. There is an endless list of things that can make a take completely unusable too, with no choice but to do it again: screwing up your lines, lighting issue, trucks, dogs, traffic, helicopters, car doors, batteries, boom mic in the shot, actors talking off camera, focus, performance, objects being fumbled, dropped, or just falling over, or perhaps, despite the conditioning, an actor feels compelled to take a nice long look right into the lens during the take, and then has to confess it. Any one of those things renders the take unusable in the editing room, even if that one was the best performance of your life. You have to do it again, and while you try to quickly recapture the emotional place you got to with that last take, there are two people coming down the road with a dog. We're going to have to stop, say hello, explain ourselves, define what a web series is to them and their dog, and give them a business card in hopes they'll be interested enough to click on their first webisode.

For another matter, how and where you're physically positioned in a shot can be an issue. What's being captured looks great in the frame, but in reality, you're shoved hard into the corner, crouching a little, looking smug or whimsical, maybe roasting or freezing to death. You've been looking to your left for three hours, and your neck if stiffening. There is a nail sticking into your back. The nail is older than you are, and you're forty four. You pat down your forehead full of sweat, or perhaps fold your hands under your arms and shiver, between every take. I remember one time there was a shot where I needed to kneel down on one knee for an hour. I can't actually do that, but it's embarrassing to announce this information to the room, so I just did it. It's not the years honey, it's the milage. It took three days to walk right again, but as it is said, pain is temporary, film is forever.

At the end of it all, the two things that I remember kicking my ass more than anything with camera acting was hitting my mark (basically walk to this spot and stop, while talking, which is harder than it seems), and remembering to carry out the action or adjustment Barry just gave me, the one that I just understood and agreed to ten seconds ago. He explains it, it's clear, it's simple, I agree, he says action, and I forget to do it. If that makes no sense to you and you've never acted on camera, give it a try and it will.

Working with Barry and Karen, and Greg, and everyone was a blessing, a thrill, and an education. I felt sorry for the Dodd's at times. I saw the burden they were under, the anxiety, the pressure, the unforeseen sideswipes from left field, the total disruption of their lives and home, all for this independent web series. No big payoff, no big deals, no big funding, just creativity, faith, and hard work. Lots of hard work. They are a truly courageous pair. I also saw their love of the project, their passion, their pride in the team, and their satisfaction from the quality of what was being captured.

I must finish with my favorite Karen Dodd story. We were shooting on location, and had some time to kill between the shots we had finished and the arrival time of some extras. I noticed Karen had put down her clipboard, and had begun to pick up leaves, one at a time. Karen and I are very different people, and I imagine that we've found each other's actions confusing on occasion. I just assumed she was picking up the leaves because she just didn't like how they made the lawn look cluttered, some sort of obsessive compulsive eccentricity, and quickly dismissed the oddness of it. In actuality, she was preparing the outdoor shots coming up to look like Summer instead of Fall, preserving the script's continuity. In the absence of a rake, she was picking them up by hand, one by one. It was quite a sight to behold when she was finished, a whole lawn cleared by hand. I would have helped if I hadn't figured it was some kind of Zen thing, and if my Sheriff pants had allowed bending over.

Flashback Random Image of the Day

2011-12-17T21:27:00.000-05:00

As I perused our season one footage tonight looking for an image for our latest trading card, I happened upon this frame from the raw clips. I liked it so much I decided to share it. This is our good friend Dominic Lavoie playing the part of Mac in our pilot episode. I just love everything about this image. The look of excitement on his face as the boys motor towards the restricted zone, the great lens flare coming from the boat lamp, the composition of the shot... everything. Sometimes even though a frame really catches my imagination the clip it's from is ultimately unusable in the actual scene. I'll keep all the raw footage forever though because there's tons of neat stills like this one to be found and shared.

"Hey, did you ever hear the story about the couple that died in that fire?"

2011-12-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

2011-12-11T23:33:00.007-05:00

Click on the picture above to enjoy some snapshots from Ragged Isle's
wrap party. In celebration of wrapping principal photography on Seasons
2 and 3, the cast and crew turned out to sing some Karaoke with
"Kill The Karaoke"s live band, Trainwreck, at the Bayside Bowl on
Wednesday, December 7th. Fun and beverages were had by all. Photos
from Barry Dodd, Michael Batchelder, and more.

Acting!

2011-12-11T13:45:00.000-05:00

At the first official writers meeting for Ragged Isle, when Barry, Karen, Rick, Jake, and I started mapping out the story, we talked about introducing a character to the island who would be investigating the mysterious goings-on (the exact nature of which we hadn't yet determined).

Rick, who we knew for sure would be playing Sheriff Rick Dalton, began questioning what kind of authority this new character would have over this tight-knit island community. I immediately responded with a rundown of the official backup the character would have at his disposal. Rick had more objections, and I kept arguing right back. Our voices may have gotten a bit loud.

Barry, watching us both with amusement, suddenly turned to me and said, "You've got to play this part."

I rejected the idea immediately. I'm no actor, and the little acting I did in college was... unpleasant. But Barry kept bringing it up, and I finally relented.

You can decide for yourself whether or not that was a good idea when season two debuts in May, but I did have fun. Mostly.

There were some days when I would come home with a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had perpetuated some pretty dreadful acting onto the rest of the world. But Barry has asked me to trust him, promising me that I will not look like a fool.

So, I'm trusting him. For now.

But it's a long wait until May.

Random Ragged 12/4/11

2011-12-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Greg Tulonen (Brian Hoffman) and Rick Dalton (Sheriff Rick Dalton)

Random Ragged 12/3/11

2011-12-03T17:15:00.001-05:00

Denis Fontaine (Vance Trundle) and Beth Ann Saufler (Rose Fuller)

Mixed Emotions

2011-11-28T09:00:00.028-05:00

On December 30, 2009, my friend and colleague Barry Dodd came into my office and asked me: "What are some strange things that can happen on an island?"

That question began a project that has consumed most of my creative energy for the past two years. Last night, we finished principal photography on seasons two and three of "Ragged Isle," which will complete the series, and the story we set out to tell.

I have mixed emotions.

First of all, I'm thrilled that we finished what we started. That never would have happened without the dynamic duo of Barry and Karen Dodd, who have kept the project afloat when folks of lesser mettle would have abandoned ship long ago. I am grateful to them for asking me to take part in "Ragged Isle," and for trusting me with so much of the writing. (Barry now has the enviable or unenviable -- depending on how you look at it -- task of sifting through all the footage we shot this year and crafting 12 episodes out of them.)

I'm also so grateful to the actors, all of whom brought their A game to the project. I'll share one story about one particular actor, though there are just as many equally powerful stories that could be told about any of our actors.

Last year, we asked Suzanne Rankin to accept a part on "Ragged Isle." For Season One, we needed her for two scenes, both in the background, and neither with any lines. We asked her to trust that we had something special in mind for her next year, and she did. She made the trek from her home on Matinicus all the way to Gorham to stand in the woods with four other actors, and then, later that same day, sit in a town meeting hall in Bath. She did both with charm and grace and told us she'd see us next summer.

Well, shooting actually lingered on past the summer this year, but yesterday, we shot Suzanne's Season Two/Three scenes, and she was wonderful. She completely nailed it, and I think they will be some of the most powerful scenes of the series. I'm so glad she gave us such faith.

(Again, all of our actors gave us enormous faith, and I'm grateful to and amazed by them all. Suzanne's story is just one of dozens I could share.)

I made great friendships on the sets of "Ragged Isle," and strengthened the friendships I had already. I feel blessed to be a part of such a creative and talented community of artists.

(okay, here comes the "but"; the title of this post is "Mixed Emotions," after all)

BUT:

I feel deeply sorry that I no longer have a reason to see all these wonderful people on a regular basis. I will miss them all.

Still, the best is yet to come. We still have two seasons of story to tell, and I can't wait to share it with all of you.

One

2011-11-25T18:28:00.000-05:00

Sunday will be the last official shoot for Ragged Isle and it is weird. Just weird. I am ready for this part to be done in a way but then in another I am very sad. It has been such a wonderful experience to be on set with all of you. I have such pride for all that we accomplished these past two years. It has been such a roller coaster of stress, joy, anger, fear, and bliss. I could not have asked for a better ride. Sunday will be wonderful and upsetting. I look forward to it.

I am not sure what exactly lies ahead for Barry and I, well, except for at least another year of Ragged Isle. It's strange really. Throughout this I have said that this will be my only project and that I will be done after this. Now, as the end of shooting draws near, I have started to change my mind. Barry has some great ideas and I think maybe we should keep going and do more projects. Nothing will be to the scope and scale of Ragged Isle but why stop when there are so many stories to be told.

2011-11-23T21:06:00.000-05:00