Expat filmmaker starts new comedy webseries ‘At the Counter’
Ever wished that there had been a video camera in place to catch that comic moment in the pub?
“At the Counter” is a series of short comedy skits by Seoul-resident Aurelien Laine, each set in a bar.
It is the first part of a larger project, being the first series under Tightroping Elephants, which Laine aims to build into an online content network.
The sketches are shot from a fixed-angle behind the counter of a fictional bar, with two or three characters playing out the scene.
Christina Sewell and Aurelien Laine appear in an episode of “At the Counter.” (Tightroping Elephants)
Although he has held auditions and recruited some new actors, most of those in “At the Counter” are actors he knew from previous projects ― he produced a short film last year and has directed a zombie film which he is now editing.
Laine is still the main person working behind the camera.
“I have one director of photography I work quite closely with and I have started to speak to some people to do some marketing, but it’s still very much a one-man band,” he says.
Laine says he plans to bring a new episode out each week.
“At the moment there are 30 episodes but depending on how successful it gets, maybe we will just keep it going,” he says.
“The plan is really to use it as a vehicle to get everything started. This is something that is quick to put together, so I can have one each week regularly.”
Long term the plan is to grow the Tightroping Elephants stable, with larger projects being released alongside it, but less regularly.
Other material he plans to put out under the Tightroping Elephants label includes a science fiction webseries, a show made with a website that sells K-pop merchandise and a self-help series.
The network is part of a company he created in New Zealand, AJP, which he plans to establish in Korea by the end of the year.
“I’ve had the name for a while, but it’s becoming a network thing,” he explains.
“In the long term I’m planning to use that title for other people’s channels, that are willing to join the network.”
To see the “At the Counter” series and other videos by Laine visit tightropingelephants.com, Koreacute.fr or the TightropingElephants YouTube channel.
By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)