NOTE: A version of this article was previously posted here on the author’s Medium blog.
While actor Susane Lee has appeared in memorable roles on series like Gilmore Girls, Snowfall, Rizzoli and Isles and Grey’s Anatomy, her new comedy susaneLand is her initial turn in the field of web series production. In the vein of classic “observational comedies” like Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Atlanta, the first season of susaneLand (premiering Wednesday at susaneland.com) puts Lee at the center of everyday moments that go from average to absurd in slightly over five minutes. Five episodes were produced for season 1 of the series.
Written and co-produced by Lee and longtime collaborator Andrew Olsen (who also wrote the show’s theme song), susaneLand achieved a remarkable feat for an independently produced episodic series when it premiered alongside 17 other streaming shows during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival’s first Indie Episodic Program.
An immediate favorite among audiences and critics after its Sundance debut, susaneLand continued on the festival circuit with appearances at the Bentonville (Arkansas) Film Festival’s Episodic Competition, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, the prestigious New York Television Festival (where it won the event’s Best Short Form Comedy Project award), and the recent ITV Fest in Vermont (where susaneLand won Best Short Comedy).
That success has given Lee and Olsen immeasurable confidence in the viability of susaneLand, and their plans to grow the series into a complete half-hour sitcom for TV are proof of that confidence. Although susaneLand’s “slice-of-life” storytelling format has been popularized by shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld and Atlanta, susaneLand modifies that style through colorful cinematography and comedic subtlety – but with occasionally bizarre twists.
Susane Lee stars in a memorable series of out-of-the-ordinary occurrences in her new comedy series, susaneLand, premiering on October 24th.
What also gives susaneLand relatability is that it’s not about the endless problems actors face in between auditions, or about trying to work in an occupation that’s seen minorities frequently typecast in demeaning roles.
Though each scenario Lee witnesses in susaneLand is wildly over-the-top, chances are good that you’ve experienced similar weird happenings in your own daily routine. Thus, chances are excellent you’ll get a laugh out of susaneLand.
susaneLand is Lee and Olsen’s first web series project together, but they’re far from beginners in the filmmaking world. As a creative duo, Lee and Olsen have produced a multitude of humorous video skits. Yet, as Lee and Olsen detail here, susaneLand displays the simultaneous evolution of their comedic perspectives and cinematic aspirations. In addition to recalling their Sundance memories, Lee and Olsen also explain how susaneLand encourages diversity in its casting and behind-the-scenes hiring.
What (and/or who) inspired you to create susaneLand?
Susane Lee (actor/writer/co-producer, susaneLand): Well, Andrew and I have been collaborating on projects before this. We created short videos together. We also had a long running improv show that we hosted weekly for about three and a half years, so we kind of also developed our sense of humor that way. (After making those videos, we asked): why not try our hand at something a little bit more episodic and a little bit more ambitious? This was our first foray into trying episodic content.
I think we were pitching around a lot of ideas. All of the episodes are all loosely based on things that have happened to me. So we took these little situations, and that was basically our jumping off point. We had several (ideas) and then we paired down which ones we felt were the strongest and what we could potentially pull off in terms of shooting in such a tight window. We wrote and rewrote (the episodes), and then we finally got into a good place where we felt like we can now start production.
Talk about how you worked together to construct the ideas for each episode.
Andrew Olsen (writer/director/editor/composer, susaneLand): We try to just leave it to her experiences. What we did was take them and then just go, “how can you tweak this bizarre situation to make it coincide with our brand of humor?” I think this goes with what Susane was saying. We wanted to do something that was kind of based on her. So instead of trying to completely invent something, why not just keep it as simple as possible? Here’s this thing that happened. How do we sort of expound on that and make it interesting and funny? The goals (of producing susaneLand) were to make it interesting and (to) keep it simple.
Scene from susaneLand’s first episode, “Elevator”. L-R: Actors Mimi Cozzens and Susane Lee.
In what ways have your personal and career experiences influenced and inspired the comedic situations that are depicted in every episode?
Susane: All of the episodes (are) pretty much day-to-day experiences that are personal, but I would definitely say they have nothing to do with my career as an actor.
I think a lot of people think, “oh, is this about you being an Asian-American actor in Hollywood?” We steer clear from that storyline. We really wanted to keep it more universal in terms of day-to-day situations (that) everyone and anyone can probably really relate to.
Could you describe how those particular experiences were exaggerated for comedic effect across every episode?
Andrew: I think part of it is what you start with, right? We tried to take situations that were already a little like life, (which) as you know, can be silly or ridiculous. So we tried to start with things that seemed a little bit off and with people that seemed a little bit off. It was really just taking Susane’s reactions to these things and probably having her do things in susaneLand that she wouldn’t do in real life.
Basically, it’s ultimately about picking the right situations. A lot of weird things have happened to Susane. We were going to shoot six episodes, but just for time constraints and money and all that other stuff, we got it down to five – even when we were talking about potentially doing a season two of susaneLand, which I don’t know if we’ll actually end up doing.
We had other episodes and we had a bunch of ideas. What we tried to do was (to) take all of our ideas, pick out the best ones, write them and then rewrite them and hone them down to put in what actually needed to be there. Each episode is between two and five minutes long, and so we wanted people to be engaged the whole time when (they’re) watching it. The pacing was an important thing for me.
Susane: I think that’s where Andrew’s strength lies, too. He’s really great at editing. It (also) helped that Andrew’s background is music. In terms of finding that rhythm, that definitely helped in the editing room when we were learning to edit this ourselves. I think that was pretty crucial that he had a background in that. So it’s all timing.
From susaneLand’s first episode, “Elevator”: co-star Malachi Crawford.
What was the casting process like for each episode?
Susane: Casting was very fun for me, being on the other side. We brought on a casting director named Jami Rudofski, who gave me my first theatrical role out here in L.A. on Gilmore Girls. I reached out to her. She read the scripts, she loved them, (and) she was on board. It was really great because we were able to have access to talent that loves Jami, and was willing to come in and to read for us.
There were a few actors that we just love and know through the improv world. We just knew Ric Rosario was one of them. This guy is hilarious, (as is) Travis Coles. We were like, “we want them to be involved.” So it was fun because it was using our brains, (and Jami’s) brain, and we had a great pool to choose from. One of our most challenging roles to cast was (of) a Russian violin teacher. Jami highly recommended Robert David Hall, who is on CSI. He is a veteran actor, and it was just unbelievable to have him come on board.
Talk about the production process for susaneLand.
Susane: I feel like everything just pretty much fell into place, and it was pretty amazing. It was definitely a learning curve, too. I mean, producing a little short video for one-offs (is) totally different. When you have five, or at that point six (episodes), you’re going in and (saying) we have to knock this all out in four days. So, it was intense, but it was a testament to the people that we brought on board.
Our DP (director of photography) Alex Gaynor, was probably the first person we did have on board. He is unbelievable as a cinematographer, and he’s a good friend of mine. I collaborated with him before on a short film years ago and was thrilled to have him come on board and he brought on his people.
(It’s) invaluable to have people who are professionals and really fantastic at what they do. We’ve got a really strong cast and crew. I think it helped in terms of (how) we had to move fast. I’ve been on sets where set ups take a while, but we didn’t have that luxury. Time was money, and we had to move fast. Alex and his crew were just fantastic. That’s an understatement.
I think the more you do, the more you feel like you understand the process. I feel like each project has its own challenges. Before, with these short videos, Andrew and I were pretty much like a one-man band. We were running sound, (with Andrew) running camera. We’re fixing the lights. It was all too much. So with susaneLand, bringing on professional cast and crew was great. We don’t have to spread ourselves too thin.
Scene from susaneLand’s third episode, “Mr. Tulchinsky”, here co-starring Caitlin Kim.
It is a collaborative process, which is why I love it so much. The bigger the production, the bigger the obstacles and challenges that come its way, like getting insurance and whatnot. Those are new things to me. I think as an actor, I definitely have a lot more appreciation for all the aspects of filmmaking. Normally when you go on set, it’s mind-blowing to me now.
It’s like so many things had to come into play for this day to even exist, you know what I mean? Coming down to like, “catering is at what time?” Then, this had to happen and it’s really remarkable. That’s why I feel like it is a little mini-miracle when you actually create something (and) finish something. It’s such an accomplishment. I think that’s the wonder of filmmaking. It’s really mind-blowing.
Andrew: Luckily, we had good people. Ash Burritt was a producer on this, and she was great (in) keeping the whole thing together while I was directing and Susane was doing what she was doing. James Sheldon was our production coordinator. He was, again, part of holding all the other parts together so we could get this done.
To be honest, for me, it was the biggest thing I had directed. It’s a weird thing when you start doing something new like that, because you have to try (to) do your best job, but you’re also learning at the exact same moment. I think a big factor was just being able to say I’ve never done this before, (while) just taking advice when people were offering it and being open to it.
Talk about how you are providing actors and filmmakers from diverse backgrounds the chance to succeed in their careers through susaneLand, plus how your experiences in the industry motivated you to create those opportunities for them and for yourselves.
Susane: I feel like we did set out with a mission to create a very diverse show, (both) in front and behind the camera. It was very important to us, and we even mentioned this right out of the gate with Jami, that we wanted a very diverse cast. We held on to that. We’re very happy to say that all of the roles went to women and people of color. I think it’s just important to show that I don’t think it stands out. I think when you watch this, it just looks real to me. I live in Los Angeles. (In) the people and faces I see, we are a very diverse community, so why not see that on screen?
Susane, how did your experiences in the industry – including with the continued problem of its inequality – motivate you to create opportunities for the actors, the filmmakers and for yourself through susaneLand?
Susane: I just feel driven for myself, particularly as an Asian-American actor as you can tell now. (Roles) are not pouring in for me, you know what I mean? As a creative person, to satisfy this desire for myself to create and constantly create, I’m not going to wait. I can’t wait for things just to fall nicely into my lap. I think it would be great if I had scripts thrown at me, but I would say yes, it’s probably more challenging. (It’s) also more rewarding. I get to play these roles that I would love to play.
My biggest advice to other actors is to not wait for roles, (and to) not wait for the perfect role to just come along, or to wait for your agent, or wait for the perfect manager. There is no reason why you cannot do what you want to do right now. There’s people creating movies on iPhones. If you are a creative person, you have to create, I mean, why stop yourself? I just feel compelled. So, one way or the other, I’m going to keep doing it.
What advice and suggestions do you have for filmmakers, including web series creators, to want to achieve diversity on their projects?
Susane: I would encourage them to be authentic to (their) story base and to share (their voices). This world is diverse, so why not share these stories or give voice to people who haven’t been speaking for quite some time?
Andrew: I think another way to do it is instead of just running (to) the person closest to you to do a job, take an extra day or whatever (and) see who’s available out there. Try (to) put people in positions that they’re not usually put in. Especially in the camera department, there’s not always a lot of women. So you can find women or people of color. When you’re casting, open it up.
When we wrote it, we didn’t write things specifically in terms of people’s race. So we just had any ethnicity come in and audition for these roles. I think what happens too often is that they go, “okay, we’re going to cast this,” (and) the default is always white. So what if the default wasn’t white? Then see what you can do. We had a lot of talented people out there. Actor-wise and crew-wise, you just have to take a little bit extra time (to) find them (and) hire them. It’s not really that hard to do.
susaneLand was part of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival’s inaugural Original Series Program. How and when did you reach out to them, and what was it like when you found out that they would screen the first three episodes of susaneLand at the festival?
Susane: We submitted late (in September 2017). At that point, like most major festivals, they let you submit your latest (rough) drafts. If it is incomplete, you’re just supposed to put in what’s missing. We were picture locked at that point, but we didn’t have the final sound mix or color grading. Then, we submitted and (we) didn’t really think about it. It was the only festival we submitted to. When we got that email (telling us that our show got in), it was shocking.
I think we both were stunned and so emotionally overwhelmed, because no one at that point had really seen it – aside from Alex, who was giving us notes on our edits. We kept it very in-house. I think we were also scared about what we did create, and (about) how people would respond to it. So to have Sundance come back and say, “we officially invite you to screen the first three episodes,” it was almost, what is the word? I can’t even think of the word.
Andrew: We were just very grateful. We were shocked and surprised. Once you get into Sundance, they were like, “congratulations, here is all this stuff that you need.” A lot of the stuff (was stuff) we didn’t have, and they needed it pretty quickly. So we (needed) to (have) a trailer, and there was this whole other process. At the time, when Sundance had told us that we were in, we weren’t even done with it. We were still finishing it, and we were constantly working on different outcomes and (on) what they needed in finishing the project.
The response to susaneLand at Sundance was incredibly positive.
Andrew: Yeah, that’s right. Like you mentioned, those were two great things that came out of Sundance. (Another) thing was, obviously, getting to see some great films. I think outside of getting to show your work at Sundance, one of the best things that happened (there) is you get to meet people that you’d probably never meet otherwise. They’re willing to talk to you in a way that they may not otherwise. So, it’s this weird thing that happens in that town where everyone is very open.
Just like in official settings, you can go to this event and people will talk to you there, too. They have this great little shuttle bus system when Sundance is going on. You meet people on the bus. It’s really open, it’s just a great place to meet people and God knows where those relationships potentially take you later.
Susane: Yeah. It was such an inspiring place. It felt like Disneyland for filmmakers. You’re meeting other creatives, everyone’s in this place together and we’re all very grateful to be there. We’re sharing work that we’ve worked on so long and hard. It was unbelievable and it just keeps making you want to go back again. It was quite an experience, and it all started because we had this little idea and we followed through. I think that’s a testament to other people who are thinking about creating their own work. You can do it. If you don’t know, you’ll find people who do know and who can help you.
Andrew: All we did was submit it. We didn’t know anyone at Sundance. We didn’t meet anyone at Sundance until after they accepted us. You just never know, so (go) make something. Just submit it, or do whatever you’re going to do with it.
L-R: susaneLand co-creators Susane Lee (also the series’ star) and Andrew Olsen at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
susaneLand is a slice of life comedy, like Curb Your Enthusiasm, or Louis, or Atlanta. What sets it apart from those comedies and how is it similar to those shows?
Andrew: It depends on what season of Curb Your Enthusiasm you’re talking (about). It sort of progresses the way it looks. I think Atlanta is a great show and Louis (is) too. I think what we were trying to do is deliberately try (to) make these things as beautiful or whatever, especially with certain episodes as we could to sort of contrast the humor in it.
What happens with comedies, and this goes back for decades, (is that) if you’re talking about an old Mel Brooks film or Who’s the Boss? or some multi-cam television show, they’re all brightly lit and they have a look to them.
We wanted to do something other than that not just to be different, because (while) we love comedy, we also like movies and that kind of look. So, what would it be like if we melded the two together in terms of (the) comedic tone with the show? I think there are similarities to those shows and ours.
Outside of obviously Susane being an Asian-American woman at the helm of it, I think how susaneLand is different is (that) it’s probably a little bit more surreal on certain episodes. So when you’re watching these episodes, the comedy can be very understated. Then, at some point in the episode, (the comedy) can not (become) overstated but can become a bit more extreme. I think that’s how it’s sort of different (from Curb, Louis, Atlanta, etc.) but all of those shows are ones that we look up to.
(Another show we look up to), and I’m only saying this because I’ve been watching it more lately, (is) The Larry Sanders Show. There’s something about subtle comedy that you don’t really see a ton of anymore. Comedy has become, and maybe it’s always been like that, a lot of over-the-top stuff. So we like subtle looks and gestures and stuff like that. That’s why those shows are kind of in line with what we were doing.
I think what Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who’s the writer and creator and star of Fleabag is doing with comedy is (something that) not a lot of people are doing (with) comedy. I definitely think why I like Fleabag (is that) it’s probably a bit different from susaneLand. She talks to the camera. There’s a dramatic element to it, and that’s pretty much all I’ll say about it. Ultimately, this is someone who is trying to do something different with it (comedy) and is also saying that comedies don’t always have to be funny.
Who do you think would like to watch susaneLand? Besides the other shows we’ve talked about, are there any other series movies, TV or web series that you would compare it to?
Andrew: I think it’s (for) people of all ages and different types, but there’s a little bit more (of)
an artiness to it. When you’re looking at it, some of it can look like an art film, or something like that. So I think if people are used to watching network comedy, I think that it could appeal to them. I think it will also appeal a bit more to people who are into a little bit dark (stuff). susaneLand ultimately is a dark comedic web series. So I think people who are finding the humor in the darker things of life (are) going to like it.
Susane: I feel like it can relate to every person and we do cover a lot. I just feel like it’s relatable. I feel it would speak to many people.
What are your main hopes for the success of the show – both artistically and financially?
Andrew: Artistically, we just hope (that) it resonates and connects with people. I mean, we’d like to turn it into (a) half hour to be able to expound upon these ideas that we had, and not turn it into something else that you’ve already seen before. (We want to) try to surprise people – and even ourselves. I think that’s artistically where we’d like to head with it, and (to) keep it interesting and exciting.
Susane: (We want to) still maintain our artistic vision for it, (and to) not lose the things that we or already have. I know (with) developing susaneLand into a half hour, there’s a lot more things that have to go into it. For me, I really just want to hold on to the integrity of the show and (to)
hopefully continue to do what we set out to do – especially in terms of continuing with the diversity in front of, as well as behind, the camera.
ON THE WEB: http://www.susaneland.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/susaneLandseries/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/susaneland_
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/susaneland_