The Making of Gigi - Part 2

Since the bathtub we shot the original Gigi sketch in was no longer available, we had to find another one equally dilapidated. We found our friend Rosa's bathtub was perfect, not to say that her bathroom is shabby (our amazing art dept took care of that) but it had the type of layout we needed - open bathtub with a window for Gigi to crawl out of.

In the original sketch, Gigi finished "speak learning english" and danced his way out of the room. For the remake we wanted to add a level of escape for Gigi. Begging the question, who's bathroom is he in? And why did he think it was a good place for an English lesson? That sense of confusion would become a staple of who Gigi was for us and how he would interact with the world around him - misinterpreting his way across this great nation of ours.

And in my own little film school dreamy design I saw the action of him crawling out of the window as representing the birth of Gigi onto our lands. From whence the bathroom egg emerges an innocent babe upon our urban shoreline!!!!

The shoot was fairly painless since we were emulating the original. By now Dan Tischler had joined us alongside Ian at BBC Worldwide. They proved to be excellent partners on the day. Tyler Moore brought the golden voiced Hank "the Rock" Goldberg back to life. We tried some new things out but found we didn't want to shake the tree. Don't fix what ain't broke.

But getting Gigi from the bathtub to the window, now there was some new territory for us to tread. He can't just get up and walk to the window. No, we needed to scare his ass out that window.

The original sketch had an anonymous voice outside the door chime in at one point, so we expanded that to an anonymous couple banging on the door from the outside, wondering aloud to each other who the hell is in their bathroom. This gave us the opportunity for Gigi to make a break for it, frantically tearing the bathroom apart as he made his way to the window. Josh, ever the dedicated thespian, threw himself all over Rosa's poor bathroom. I wanted to give him a helmet or something for god sakes. We had ice packs at the ready in between takes for his knees, elbows, head, you name it he had a bruise on it by the end of the day.

In the final cut we couldn't use most of it since we had to get Gigi out of the bathroom quickly, but kudos to you Josh for sacrificing the body for the sport. And it wouldn't be the last time we'd need ice packs at the ready. And a special thank you to Rosa Graziano for supplying the location!! Rosa and her new Italian Deli on wheels Rosa's Bella Cucina would go on to cater our series shoot. Check em out - https://twitter.com/#!/rosabellacucina

The Making of Gigi - Part 1

by Ty Clancey

The Lost Nomads' new digital series Gigi: Almost American, about a lovable foreigner trying to make it in America, stars Josh Gad and premieres this Wednesday, March 23rd on MyDamn Channel.com. Part of an amazing collaboration between the Nomads, BBC Worldwide and MyDamnChannel.com, Gigi has been quite a journey from an early sketch of ours, shot in a bathtub, to the 10-episode series that is about to be unleashed on the public at large. This six-part blog series is dedicated to that journey.

Before we rolled a single frame of footage on any Nomads sketch, I shot an audition tape of Josh Gad performing different characters he had dreamt up on a stage in Theater Row in Hollywood. Halfway through the performance Josh took on a hunched, eager posture, raised a tape recorder up to his ear and suddenly a booming voice materialized in the front row of the theater. It was Tyler Moore, voicing a radio DJ named Hank "the Rock" Goldberg. Josh had by now fully morphed into Gigi, a guileless foreigner yearning to learn the English language from this pompous shock jock. I watched in awe as Josh and Tyler played this linguistic fun-house mirror game - Hank repeating crass morning DJ lines over and over as Gigi summarily butchered them. I was mesmerized.

When Josh, Tyler, Ida and Kevin, who at that time in 2005 were operating as a stage troupe named Option C, approached me to shoot some of their sketches I was elated to see that Gigi would be among the characters we'd be re-imagining for the screen. So we stuffed Josh into a bathtub over at our friend Michael Sontag's house and rolled on what would become one of our most popular sketches.

Cut to a few years later the Nomads were introduced to Ian Moffitt at BBC Worldwide. We hit it off instantly. Our initial meeting, scheduled for about an hour meet and greet, turned into a multi-hour love-fest. And over the next few years we continued to exchange ideas, mostly over some pints at his birthday every year. In 2009 we began pitching BBC Worldwide concepts for digital series, but the one idea they kept coming back to was Gigi. The sketch practically sold itself.

In late spring 2010 we reached a deal with BBC Worldwide to write and shoot a pilot for Gigi. At this time in our Nomadic journey we had recently finished shooting two webseries pilots with another studio and found that the conventional wisdom of shooting "trailer pilots," meaning shoot more of a 2-3 minute movie preview then a typical episode, wouldn't work in the case of Gigi. This character couldn't really be summed up in a flashy music video type edit. You needed to see this character breathe and unfold before your eyes as the wonderful naive stranger in a strange land that he is.

So we took the budget we were allotted and decided to shoot two full episodes - we'd reshoot the bathtub scene and write a new scene that would require a simple location and revolve around a central area of action so as not to add too many shots on the day. What if Gigi was pulled into an underground poker game? we asked ourselves. Simple enough - interpersonal communication fraught with plenty of pitfalls for Gigi to encounter. We'd find that neither would be as simple as we'd hoped...

The Confused Writer

By Kevin Larsen

Early one October morning Jack awoke to the sound of church bells. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched with a yawn; I’m pretty sure the young boy exclaimed, “Wow, what a beautiful day.” The leaves were falling and I think the sky was grey. His mother cried to him,” Jack, it’s time for breakfast!” She had prepared something for him, I just can’t remember exactly what it was. Without hesitation Jack ran down stairs… no wait, I forgot, he did hesitate a little because he was still tired. And I think he might have changed his clothes first. Anyways, Jack went down the stairs to eat his breakfast… or was it lunch? No, it was morning time, so it had to be breakfast. Jack inhaled his food. He was eating so quickly that his mom stopped him and said, “Jack slow down!” So the boy began to pace himself. No wait… I’m sorry. She said, “Jack chew your food. You are going to choke.” not,” Jack slow down.” … or was it, “Jack, where are your manners?” It’s so hard for me to remember all the details. Let’s see… what happened next? Oh yeah! No wait, that’s not it. Man I feel stupid……………………………………Hey!!! Have you guys heard that new song by SPOON? They just did it on Saturday Night Live. Those guys have been around for a long time. I’ve never really listened to them, but that new song is awesome. I wish I could remember what it’s called. I know you guys know it. I think its crazy that a group can be around for like ten years and have nothing but an underground following, then out of nowhere release a hit song that everyone loves. AFI did that too. It must be frustrating for the loyal fans though, you know the ones who have supported them from the beginning. Because now when they go to the concerts there are all these other people there. I just think it would kind of kill the atmosphere… let’s see, what were we talking about before? I swear it’s on the tip of my tongue. I remember something about stairs… OH YEAH! Did I tell you guys about Jack coming down the stairs yet? Okay. So he did that, then he….. I just had a brain fart, you guys ever had a brain fart? I cannot remember what happens next. I’m really sorry, this is so embarrassing. I do know that Jack favorite color is blue though, if that helps. Um, so, I guess that’s the end of the story. I tell you what, give me a minute to try and remember and I’ll get back to you.

The Astronaut Farmer

By Tyler Moore

Once upon a time in a quiet little town there lived a rather curious old farmer. He was so curious in fact that every night after eating dinner and doing his chores he would sit out on his porch with his trusty dog Blue and stare inquisitively up into the night sky. One night after a particularly large supper of turkey dumplings, mash potatoes and double helpings of apple pie, he looked up at the moon and wondered. He wondered what life was really like on the moon. What kind of people lived there, what they looked like, and what crops they grew. He even wondered if they liked chocolate ice cream and butterscotch candies as much as he did.
“I know what I’ll do.” The farmer exclaimed to his four legged companion. “I’ll build us a rocketship so we can fly to the moon and see for ourselves.” Blue licked the farmer and wagged his tail excitedly.
Early the next day, before the rooster even began to crow, the farmer set out to build a rocketship that would take them both to the moon.
“We’re gonna need some money, Blue ole boy. Getting to the moon isn’t going to be cheap.” So the farmer and his pooch jumped into the back of their pick up and headed to the bank.
“I’d like to take out all of my money, Mr. Chambers.” The farmer said to the bank manager.
“Sure. But what are you going to do with your life savings, might I ask?”
“Blue and I are going to build a rocketship and fly ourselves to the moon.”
“It’ll never work,” the bank manager said, “you’re nothing but a dreamer. You should save some money just in case it doesn’t work out”
But the farmer didn’t listen and went on his way.
Next they went to the hardware store where he bought a hammer, some nails and as much wood as he could fit in the back of his pick-up truck.
“Whatcha planning on building with all that wood?” The hardware clerk said.
“Blue and I are going to build a rocketship and fly ourselves to the moon.”
“It’ll never work,” the clerk said, “Wood is flammable you are going to need to use metal if you want to do that.”
But the farmer didn’t listen and went on his way.
Back at home the farmer got to work. He worked tirelessly all day long. Hammering BANG BANG BANG, sawing RIRAH RIRAH RIRAH and painting SPLOOSHA SPLOOSHA SPLASHA. Stopping only, of course, to eat some honey soaked peanut butter sandwiches and feed Blue some kibble. After hours and hours of hard work it was finally finished. The farmer sat back and admired his work. It was truly a site to behold.
“Now to make our space suits.” The farmer said as he went about wrapping blue and himself in what seemed like miles of tinfoil. “There. That ought to do it.”
Just then the farmer’s neighbor, an astrophysicist from MIT and his live-in same sex partner, an aeronautical engineer from Cal Tech showed up.
“What’s with the Tinfoil, farmer?” They asked holding back their laughter.
“Blue and I built a rocketship to go to the moon and these are our space suits.”
“It’ll never work.” The two men said as they gently massaged each others upper thighs. “Even if you do get out of the Earth’s atmosphere you need a space suit designed by NASA, not tinfoil. You will surely die.”
But the farmer didn’t listen and went on his way.
The farmer and Blue entered the space ship, made sure they had packed a lunch of rye bread and sweet cream, fired the rocket boosters and away they went.
Up…up…up they went. Faster and faster they flew. They passed the tree tops. They passed the old church steeple on Cragbury Hill. They passed the clouds and the news channel helicopters. And then do you know what happened?

The farmer and Blue died a horrible agonizing death. Upon reaching the Earth’s atmosphere they were burnt to a crisp only moments before suffocating to death. And do you know why?

Because the farmer never listened to people that knew what they were talking about.

THE END

Tommy the Cruise Ship Dancer

by Ty Clancey

Tommy was a cruise ship dancer. He taught cha-cha aboard the Mona Lisa- an ocean liner who ferried super-rich ex-pats between Hong Kong and Naples. And although every night scores of patrons followed Tommy back to his cabin for extracurricular mambo lessons, none of them could satisfy what he so longs for~

You see, Tommy was also a raging masochist.

But tonight is a lucky night for Tommy. The other guests aboard the ship might not count themselves so lucky, because Somali pirates had boarded the ship an hour earlier and taken control of the bridge.

Still, Tommy was in good hands as far as he was concerned. His cheeks bled sweetly between the vice-like claws of a female pirate, known as Lalun. Her dark braided locks flew wildly in the ocean breeze, lightly whipping Tommy's face and giving off a coconut scent. Her deep-set mocha eyes bore into Tommy's with a contempt so odious that Tommy knew she was capable of giving him serious damage. His heart skipped beats, his erection became more prominent. So prominent in fact, that it brushed against her leg, and she swiftly brought her knee up into his testicles. Tommy immediately started salivating.

A gamy pirate behind Lalun was cock-blocking Tommy, though. "Leave him, he is but an entertainer," he growled at Lalun, "he has nothing for us." Lalun considered this. She eyeballed Tommy's frilly, silky shirt, his shiny white tap shoes. She withdrew her grip and back-handed him across the face. Blood rushed quickly to Tommy's temple and escaped through the gash created by her massive ring. He fell to the deck.

"Wait!" Tommy called out. Lalun and the gamy pirate turned, half-way up the stairs. Tommy wiped the blood from his eyes, "I know where the richest man on the boat is staying..." Lalun and the gamy pirate considered this. She descended the stairs and strode up to Tommy kicking him in the side. "If this is not so," she asserted, "you will pay dearly." Tommy smiled as she huffed away.

Tommy led them to the forward upper deck where other pirates had begun ransacking rooms. Further through the labyrinth of luxury suites, they came to a door adorned with many gold-leaf anchors. "Here," Tommy motioned to the door, "you'll find a safe in here, filled with every jewel imaginable."

The gamy pirate kicked open the door. Lalun punched Tommy in the mouth and threw him through the doorway by his lapel. Inside, Sir Attenburough and his wife huddled in the corner. They looked wildly from the pirates to Tommy and back. "They would like the jewels Sir Attenborough," Tommy smiled through bleeding gums.

"But Tommy!" Sir Attenburough exclaimed, "I lost everything last night in the casino, you were with me! You told me to double-down!"

"Ah, yes," Tommy lied, "now I remember. That was...mighty foolish of me." Lalun marched over to Tommy, withdrew her machete and sliced off Tommy's ring finger at the second knuckle. Blood raged from the open wound.

The room lurched to the side, sending everyone against the port-side wall. Tommy scurried across the carpet, found his severed ring finger rolling toward the head and popped it in his mouth, savoring the sweet, silvery taste of his own meat and blood.

"What is going on?!" exclaimed the gamy pirate.

"Jalepo is in charge of manning the wheel tonight," Lalun explained, "he is blind as shit."

The boat lurched once more, sending the gamy pirate head-first into the wall. He regained himself, rubbing his head and steaming from his ears. He looked down and saw Tommy still savoring the last taste of his own finger and lunged with his machete. But suddenly the ship lurched again crashing against an immovable object, sending the gamy pirate into the forward wall, lampooning himself on his own machete.

The boat started sinking. Tommy grabbed Lalun and made way for the aft deck. On the way he snatched a raft from the pool and flung it overboard. Tommy whisked Lalun up into his arms, and just as he dropped her into the ocean below she slapped him viciously. Tommy leapt over the railing and fell into the dark sea just as the ship sunk beneath it.

That night, on the pool raft, Tommy and Lalun made sweet dangerous love beneath the moonlight. She stabbed him repeatedly in the shoulder with her machete, and severed three of his toes when he climaxed.

As the sun came up the next morning, a ragged dingy motored up to the raft. It was the getaway boat driver, and he motioned for Lalun to get into the boat. Tommy tried to follow, but she kicked him back onto the raft. The dingy sped away toward the horizon.

Tommy lay back and finally confronted a pain he found little pleasure in - the pain of a broken heart.

But he did have the pleasure of roasting away beneath the white hot ocean sun.