By: Kelsey Thompson
John Goodwin and Derek Brown are the producers for Duck TV’s comedy/reality show satire “Random Roommates”. The show, which involves four main characters—all from different backgrounds —is the brainchild of writer, Conor Armor.
John and Derek met up with Conor, exchanged ideas, and then decided “Random Roommates” would make for a great show.
“Conor basically gives us a script and Derek and I handle all the stylistic stuff,” John said. “In terms of style, we draw influences from shows like Workaholics and The Office.”
John and Derek both joined Duck TV this quarter. Their friends, who were producers last year, successfully encouraged them to join. Although they are both new to Duck TV, they each have a solid amount of experience in filming, directing, and producing.
“I’ll have to give most of the credit to Derek and Conor,” John said. “They’ve done most of the planning to make this show come to fruition.”
“Random Roommates” is a bit unique compared to other shows Duck TV has seen thus far. The producers are pushing some boundaries and have some pretty bold things planned for episodes this term. The show is very relatable to college students. It mixes in some real life predicaments of college students like freshman awkwardness and being rejected.
“Our actors are very quick on their feet and some of the stuff that comes out of their mouths is outrageous,” says Derek.
The producers both agree that being on set is never dull.
“Having the camera on our actors and letting them ad-lib has been fantastic,” John said. “These dudes are seriously funny. To be honest, it’s difficult to keep from laughing behind the camera when they’re rambling on and on about super random topics.”
For the most part the crew has had a blast working on the show, but there have been a couple speed bumps along the way.
“The hardest part has been deciding the style in which we want to shoot,” John said. “Because of the script and the talent of our actors, we have the ability to take the show in multiple directions. Deciding on just one has been difficult. I guess this is a good problem to have, it could be worse.”
Derek agrees. “Cinematography has been somewhat of a hurdle in terms of faking a reality TV show,” he explained. “We just have to kind of put aside all that we have learned about shooting something, which can be hard when you’re not extremely experienced.”
John and Derek are really looking forward to seeing their show unfold throughout the season.
“The way our characters are going to develop throughout this season is going to be hilarious,” John said. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Be sure to come to Duck TV’s screenings every Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Lawrence 177!