We Need Girlfriends: An Interview With Steven Tsapelas

Ragtag Productions' much acclaimed web series We Need Girlfriends, a story about three single guys recovering from their simultaneous break-ups and moving forward into the chaotic dating scene of New York City, just wrapped up its hysterical first season mid-September. If you haven't had a chance to check it out for yourself yet, crawl out of the cave you've been living in and look it up on YouTube - because it's a funny one. The series stands apart from its competition with fun stories, clever writing, and great characters with an accompanying talented cast. Watching the series you can't help but feel that burning connection with these guys... because, really, how many of you haven't used MySpace to check up on your ex-girlfriends/boyfriends?

JXM had a quick chat with the very funny writer and creator of We Need Girlfriends, Steven Tsapelas. He sheds some light on the conception and process of the show, as well as other interesting bits of inside dirt.

JXM: WNG is a startlingly accurate view of the male perspective of relationships (... or lack there of). What was the inspiration to create the series?

Steven: Shortly after college ended, my co-producers Brian, Angel and myself found ourselves in a similar situation to Tom, Henry and Rod. We were all dumped by our long-term girlfriends and simultaneously single for the first time in years. Around this time Brian and Angel made me watch Entourage. While I thought the show was funny, I felt the characters were almost the antithesis of us. While they easily picked up women, we struggled to even ask a girl out on a date.

JXM: Were any personal tales of woe involved in kick-starting the creative process?

Steven: Pretty much every episode has some truth to it. Even the ones that are a little far out there like "The Morning After" or "Future Henry" are based on things that happened to us.

JXM: Could you let us in on what it takes to make an episode? From coming up with an idea for a story, to uploading it onto the web?

Steven: Making each episode is a process. First off, Brian, Angel and I all currently have full time jobs, so this show is produced completely in our spare time. I'll give you a shortened version. Usually, I'll write a script and pass it off to Brian and Angel. We'll have a meeting where they'll give me notes and then I'll rewrite. In the meantime, Brian is securing locations and actors while Angel is securing the crew. We shoot typically a day an episode, then we begin the editing process. Usually someone takes the lead editor position on an episode, and then the other two come in with notes on the cut. Sometimes we'll have to reshoot some shots or re-record some dialogue. The final day or two before an episode premieres, we all lock ourselves in our office (Angel's bedroom) and go over each episode with a fine tooth and comb. We discuss every single scene, shot, line of dialogue, etc. Finally, we put it online.

JXM: How much does it usually cost to produce an episode?

Steven: Production cost is low. The equipment is borrowed, the cast and crew are free, and so are the locations.

JXM: There was a killer delay in getting the season finale online. Care to shed some light on what happened?

Steven: We were all just horrifically drunk during the month of August. Just piss drunk. Some time around August 15th, Brian (hungover) said, "Shit, we haven't shot an episode yet." We quickly pulled the cast together and crapped something out.

Just kidding. Basically, from May through August we were kind of back and forth between New York and Los Angeles because of some "interest" in us. We spent a great deal of time putting together pitches and scripts, and focused all of our energy (and free time) on that. We had scheduled a few shooting dates for the last episode, but kept having to push them due to these LA commitments. By the time we got to shooting it, we would have had only two weeks to edit before our prescheduled September 1st release date. That didn't seem like enough time for us to fine tune it and make it just right, so we made the difficult decision to postpone the release date. We were all incredibly sorry (like Henry) that this happened, but we saw no other way to make it up to our standards.

JXM: The cast, particularly the three main characters, is pitch-perfect. How did you find these guys?

Steven: Through a variety of different methods. Patrick Cohen had sent us his headshot about a year before we started WNG for some short films we'd been making. I had seen Seth Kirschner at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and thought he was hilarious. He reminded me of a young Martin Short, and I found out after casting him that he and I both share this mutual love for the work of Martin Short. Rod ended up being the most difficult part to cast. We read, I think, every single human being ever for the role but couldn't find the right guy. Finally, Patrick suggested Evan Bass, an actor he'd worked with before, and he just got it right away. Actually, half the cast right now is people that Patrick has suggested. Summer (Jenny), Johanna (Lauren), Amy (Henry's ex Carol), Leigh (Hot Cousin) were all Patrick's suggestions. He knows a lot of girls, I guess.

JXM: Working on the show probably brings you a lot of ups and downs. What would you say is the hardest part?

Steven: Without a doubt the hardest part is not being able to spend all of our time on WNG. If only we were independently wealthy.

JXM: And the most rewarding?

Steven: The most rewarding is the response we've gotten from fans. It's amazing how many people support us and the work that we do. And then they take the time to comment and send us e-mails. It really is great. It's also put us in touch with so many great people. I mean, a couple of months back we were on the set of The Office, which is currently our favourite TV show, and something we've tried to emulate in We Need Girlfriends. When we started it, I never imagined it would get us this far.

JXM: What episode would you say you're most proud of, and why?

Steven: For me it comes down to two episodes. First is "MySpace". It was the first episode where I felt like we were starting to understand how to do the show. We were making something unique and we were striking a real nerve with people in our age group. Second, I really dig "Future Rod". Everyone was firing on all cylinders for that episode. Brian directed the hell out of it. Angel shot it so simply and beautifully. And the actors nailed it. I could kiss Patrick's face in that last shot, he's so great. I won't. Ever. But I could.

JXM: Alright, Tom, Henry, or Rod - If you could hang out with one of them for a day, who would it be, and why?

Steven: Well, here's the thing. The characters are based on Brian, Angel and myself and I spent more time with Brian and Angel than anyone. If I'm not hanging out with them, I'm hanging out with Patrick, Seth or Evan, who are also a lot like their characters. So, I've kind of got my fill of Toms, Henrys and Rods. I'd like to hang out with someone like Dennis.

JXM: The show has managed to gather quite a bit of positive attention. Have other opportunities arisen for anyone involved?

Steven: They sure have. We now have an agent (we're at UTA), a manager (the wonderful Barry Blumberg) and we've met producers we've always dreamed of meeting. It's been a great ride.

JXM: We know you're already selling t-shirts, but is any other merchandise in the works for the future? A DVD perhaps?

Steven: There might be a DVD in the future! Mostly because we'd love to record audio commentary tracks.

JXM: Any hints you could give us on what we can expect for Season Two?

Steven: WNG has a future. But I'm not sure if it's Season 2 yet... I can't say anymore.

JXM: Any advice you could give to others out there trying to get their own series started? Any pit-falls you've run into that others should try to avoid or be prepared for?

Steven: You can never be too prepared. By the time we shot the 3rd episode of WNG, I had the entire 11 episode arc planned out. Along the way, things changed, but I knew how something that I planted in Episode 1 (Rod calling squirrel) would pay off in Episode 5 (Rod remembers that he called squirrel).

Also, try to do something in your own voice. On paper the premise of "three guys try to find girlfriends" isn't really that interesting. But on paper most of the best TV show ideas are very simple. It's all about what you, as a person or as a group of people, bring to the show.

And surround yourself with good people! There’s no way Brian, Angel or I could have made this show without each other (or Patrick, Seth and Evan). We all bring our own talents to the project and when we put them together it just kind of works.