REVIEW: SOLID 8 – Starving Artist Hungry for Success Brings Truth to the Biz

Magan Carrigan as Nicki in SOLID 8.

A dream. Poor. Wine. Rent. Roommates. Big city. What does that sound like? It sounds like things common in people that are living by as little as possible to pursue their dreams. It also sounds like the truth when it comes to the typical starving artist in New York City. This starving artist is a quirky, hilarious young woman named Nicki.

SOLID 8 from Solid 8 Productions is a comedy written by Magan Carrigan and Taylor Williams and is directed by Danny Gorman. The series is in its first season with three episodes which can be viewed on their YouTube channel. You can also check out more about the series on their official website here.

SOLID 8 follows a young woman, Nicki (Magan Carrigan), as she strives for her dream to be a successful actress in both theatre and film in New York City. The series follows her personal and professional struggles throughout the episodes of the series.

Magan Carrigan as Nicki in SOLID 8.

First of all, I want to say how much I enjoyed watching the three episodes available on YouTube. A lot of artists will find it easy to relate to Nicki. She is a charming character with all of her quirks. She’s just who she is. No filter. She uses the Internet to find out how to be an actor. She drinks wine. She eats whatever she wants even if it’s out of a giant bowl on the stove that she’s supposed to share with her roommates. A bunch of actresses, probably even actors too, will think of her as their spirit animal.

Behind the scenes of SOLID 8.

Nicki is a fictional character that successfully brings to light what it’s like to be a performer struggling to be successful at something that they love doing. It’s funny, but it also feels real at times. The real parts hurt because it’s the truth. Right in the gut. Ouch. We see the superficial nature of the industry. The way people in power judge others and the way they talk to people beneath them.

We laugh at Nicki, but we also see Nicki deal with what it’s like to be a performer with a body type that’s not well accepted by the entertainment industry. She’s referred to as “muffin top” by a director (Brent Hampson) in a film she’s a featured background actor for in Episode 2: Background Pretty. This is definitely a sad truth, but it’s awesome that the series is bringing light to the issue. It’s done in a great way pairing a serious message with humor.

Nicki is a good example. The world kicks her down, but she finds a way to stand back up to move forward. She doesn’t give up. She’s got guts. She stays positive. She’s a character that lives in an awesome script. The writing is excellent.

Danny Gorman as Justin, Magan Carrigan as Nicki and Taylor Williams as Dylan in Solid 8.

There were two things that really stood out to me. Both things are in Episode 2: Background Pretty. The first thing is that Nicki falls down off-camera. When we finally see her, an older woman is standing above her. It seemed strange that she fell with nothing really to cause her to fall. Unless the woman happened to be pretty strong and pushed Nicki over. The other option would be that Nicki fell on her own. This seemed a bit odd to me.

The second thing would be the older woman’s lines on the sidewalk to Nicki. They felt awkward. It didn’t seem natural for the older actress when she was delivering them. I’m sure a woman would say something similar to that, but the whole exchange felt a little weird. It might have been the “little girl” part.

Almost the entire cast and crew of Solid 8.

We meet several interesting characters along the way. Nicki shares an apartment with two roommates named Justin (Danny Gorman) and Dylan (Taylor Williams). They appear to be actors too. We meet them in Episode 3: Meanwhile, At Home as they fight over a room situation. The performances in this series are very strong. The characters are realistic. I want Nicki, Justin and Dylan to be my roommates. You feel you can hang out with these guys. Viewers will most likely want the same thing.

SOLID 8 is a fun, brutally honest, yet realistic look into the struggles of a starving artist in search of success in doing what she loves most. Acting. Viewers will cheer Nicki on as she pursues her dreams. Nicki is a relatable character that will be loved by many, especially performers, as a way to laugh about the challenges of trying to make it in the entertainment industry.