Running With Violet
| Running With Violet | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dramedy |
| Created by |
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| Written by |
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| Directed by | Lindsay Mackay |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Editor(s) |
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| Running time | 5-15 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | YouTube |
| Picture format | 1080p |
| Original release | February 13 – February 27, 2017 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Running With Violet is a Canadian comedy-drama web series created by and starring Rebecca Davey and Marie-Claire Marcotte. The series premiered on a dedicated YouTube channel on February 13, 2017. As of February 2018, Running With Violet had generated over one million views on YouTube.[1]
Plot
In fictional smalltown Pictonville, Ontario, housewife Miranda and single mother Jolene attempt a weekend holiday with Jolene's daughter, toddler Violet, in tow. After a series of unfortunate events, they find themselves on the run from a small-town meth gang and the law, and must navigate a web of dangerous crime to survive.
Cast and characters
Main characters
- Jolene (played by Rebecca Davey) is fourth generation Pictonville resident. A closeted lesbian, she was born in the small town and can’t imagine any different. She started cutting hair right out of high school at her mother’s salon. When her mother died she took over the salon and moved her and her daughter to the family farm to take care of her ailing father. Jolene is a single mother to her energetic toddler Violet and has to work like a dog to make ends meet.
- Miranda (played by Marie-Claire Marcotte) is a meek housewife trapped in an abusive marriage to Blair. She married Blair when she was nineteen to getaway from her controlling religious family, only to find herself shackled to a man even more domineering. Blair’s manipulation has undermined her courage.Miranda is uptight about her appearance, having convinced herself that her value lies in her good looks. Her only ‘friend’ in town is Jolene and Miranda’s weekly hair salon visits are the highlight of her week.
- Violet (played by Violet Alfred) is a charming three-year-old. Her and her mom, Jolene, are inseparable and custody weekends with dad Nick are hard on them both. Jolene desperately wants a different life for her daughter where she will not be bound by the limits of a narrow town.
- Frankie (played by Jessii Vee) is a local teenager who babysits for Jolene. She’s super attached to Violet, having been her baby-sitter since day one. Her relationship with her mom is currently fraught not because of the decision she made to put down the family cat (who was also her best friend) without telling her.
Supporting characters
- Blair (played by Jamie Spilchuk) is the town good boy and businessman who has a dark side that not even his wife Miranda sees. He is deeply involved Pictonville’s meth ring, hiding meth in his basement and car.
- Stella (played by Claire Armstrong) owns a diner just outside of town. She likes the constant flow of customers and regularly takes in stragglers passing through town. She was born into the meth ring and, being the daughter of its kingpin Daddy, remains stuck in it. She’s still reeling from her twelve year old son’s disappearance, holding out hope that he’s still alive.
- Gary (played by John Boylan) is Jolene’s emotionally needy father. He’s not that sick, but regularly pretends to have new ailment. He has become romantically involved with Daddy, though he remains completely unaware of her involvement in the town meth ring.
- Daddy (played by Maria Vacratsis) is Stella’s mother and ever since anyone can remember, has always gone by the name of Daddy. Daddy is ruthless and emotionally stunted. She wanted her grandson to participate in the meth ring, seeing great leadership potential in him. She tries to keep her grandson’s tragic ending a secret from Stella.
- Nick (played by John Cleland) is Jolene's ex and the police officer in town. He’s on a mission to bring down the town meth ring. He loves his daughter, though has not fought Jolene on getting full custody, hoping that his congeniality might make Jolene relent and come back to him. While waiting for Jolene to ‘come around’, he’s gotten romantically involved with Frankie’s mom.
- Stewart (played by Shannon Kook) is an undercover cop. He works partnered with Rosa, and is the lazy one of the two. Preferring to eat donuts, he tends to sit back and only get his butt moving if it’s a direct order.
- Rosa (played by Debora Demestre) is a hardworking undercover cop. She’s attracted to Miranda and though her job always comes first, Miranda tests her ability to flirt and work at the same time.
- Astrid (played by Katherine Gauthier) and Grete (played by Jonelle Gunderson) are two peppy Norwegians charged with investigating and reporting back on Pictonville’s Green Soil Project. Astrid has a PhD in biochemistry and Greta is her graduate student. They are the ying to each other’s yang having spent so many hours in the lab together.
- Ranger (played by Peyson Rock) and Deedee (played by Sabryn Rock) are a pair of twin drug dealers who buy meth from Daddy. They are careful to make sure Daddy is kept happy at all times.
- Teddy (played by Kevan Kase) is a member of another gang in Pictonville which ‘owns’ the highway. They’re not as big as Daddy’s gang but desperately try to be.
- Sue-Anne (played by Rachelle Casseus)
- Sister Diane (played by Djennie Laguerre)
- Wanda (played by Diana Durango)
Episodes
Season 1 (2017)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Hit" | February 13, 2017 | 8:41 |
| Struggling hairdresser and single mother Jolene tries to convince lonely housewife Miranda to go with her on a girls weekend… with diapers. When Miranda finds herself in a violent confrontation with her slimy husband Blair, the girls weekend and possibility of escape suddenly seems like the very best plan. | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "You Told Me to Do It" | February 13, 2017 | 9:08 |
| The weekend goes quickly awry when Miranda confesses about what’s in the trunk of the car. The women stop at a roadside diner to regroup where they meet the mysterious waitress Stella. She seems to be expecting them and passes them an address to a motel. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Candy Powder" | February 13, 2017 | 7:17 |
| Back in the car Jolene angrily drives them down a wrong short cut. Checking in with Violet she notices some dangerous looking packages on the floor of Miranda’s car. A curious pair of Norwegians who claim to be doing soil testing in Pictonville pass by just at that moment. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Always Ask to See a Badge" | February 13, 2017 | 6:36 |
| After another pee break for toddler Violet, the women get back on the road, this time with teenager Frankie along for the ride. When a shady cop pulls them over, things take a very dark turn changing the course of the girls weekend once again. | ||||
| 5 | 5 | "Stella's Order" | February 20, 2017 | 7:43 |
| Jolene and Miranda set to work digging a hole for the dead "cop." Frankie suddenly makes the link that Stella thinks they're drug dealers. Stella shows up and orders them to the drug drop off spot. | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Ivy Motel" | February 20, 2017 | 7:45 |
| The women arrive at the drug drop off spot where they intend to do the ‘deal’ and make some mad cash, all while keeping Violet safe. Unbeknownst to them there are cops surveying the room and tracking their every move. | ||||
| 7 | 7 | "The Potato is Fried" | February 20, 2017 | 6:51 |
| Miranda's husband Blair suddenly reappears, forcing another violent confrontation. Quirky cop Stewart pushes Jolene and Frankie aside as he searches their motel room for drugs. | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "The Sting" | February 27, 2017 | 9:47 |
| Now wearing the cop wires, Jolene, Miranda and Frankie wait anxiously for the drug dealers to show up. | ||||
| 9 | 9 | "Pleasure Doing Business with You" | February 27, 2017 | 7:12 |
| Having dealt with a mess of her own, Stella shows up at the motel in a disturbed state, surprising the women and drug dealers Deedee and Ranger. | ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Kiss and Ride" | February 27, 2017 | 8:41 |
| A showdown between all parties leads to a casualty and the end of the sting operation. Miranda and Jolene decide to embark on a real girls weekend in Florida. | ||||
Production
The series was funded through the Independent Production Fund, the Ontario Media Development Corporation Interactive Digital Media Fund, and the St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Commission.[2] After initial production, the series received additional funding through a 2016 Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that raised over $12,600 CAD.[3][4]
Running With Violet has been screened at Sunscreen Film Festival, Sunscreen Film Festival West, Austin Web Fest, Toronto Web Fest, Wendie Webfest Hamburg, Melbourne WebFest, SeriesFest, Newark International Film Festival, Lift-Off Global Network (Los Angeles, Paris, Vancouver, and Sydney), Web Series Festival Global, Webfest Berlin, UK Web Fest, Rio WebFest, Open World Toronto Film Festival, Blackbird Film Festival, Marseille Web Fest, and Canada Independent Film Festival.[5]
A second season is currently in development.[6]
Reception
Katheryn Trammell of Starry Constellation Magazine described Running With Violet as "one of a few new shows that represent the future of web series production... to put it more simply this web series looks, acts and feels like a movie, but it does so organically," while also praising its writing for "a tone of comedy I haven’t seen this well-executed since the last time I watched Fargo."[7] Matt Fagerholm of rogerebert.com called the show "highly enjoyable," while Joël Bassaget of Web Series Mag wrote "[i]t's a really entertaining show with a perfect rhythm, a clever script and very good acting."[8][9]
In 2017, the series received three nominations at the IAWTV Awards, including Best Drama Series.[10]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Festival | Award Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Sunscreen Film Festival[11] | Best Web Series | Won |
| International Academy of Web Television[12] | Best Drama Series | Nominated | |
| Best Writing (Drama) | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| Web Series International Trophy[13] | Best Drama | Won | |
| Best Production | Won | ||
| Best Director | Won | ||
| Best Cinematography | Won | ||
| Wendie Webfest Hamburg[14] | Best Cliffhanger | Won | |
| Melbourne WebFest[15] | Best International Drama | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Webfest Berlin[16] | Special Mention | Won | |
| Rio WebFest[17] | Best Ensemble Cast (Action) | Nominated | |
| Open World Toronto Film Festival[18] | Best Web Series | Nominated | |
| Canada Independent Film Festival[19] | Best Canadian TV & Web Series | Won | |
| Indie Series Awards[20] | Best Writing (Drama) | Nominated |
References
- ↑ "Running With Violet". YouTube. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
- ↑ Reid, Regan (February 27, 2017). "How a YouTuber gave Running With Violet a head start". Playback. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ↑ "Running With Violet - A Digital Series". Indiegogo. November 5, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ↑ "Running With Violet – Trailer". One More Lesbian. OML Media Corporation. October 20, 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ↑ "Press". Running With Violet. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "Running With Violet on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
- ↑ Katheryn Trammell (February 15, 2017). "Web Series Wednesday – Running With Violet". Starry Constellation Magazine. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ↑ Matt Fagerholm (April 12, 2017). "Thumbnails 4/12/17". rogerebert.com. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ↑ Joël Bassaget (February 24, 2017). "Running With Violet: on the road to troubles". Web Series Mag. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ↑ "Home". International Academy of Web Television. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
- ↑ Desk, Movies News. "12th Annual Sunscreen Film Festival Celebrates Festival Award Winners". Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "Home". International Academy of Web Television. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "Press". Running With Violet. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "AWARDS 2017". Wendie Webfest Hamburg (in German). Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "Running With Violet (CAN) - Melbourne WebFest". Melbourne WebFest. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "2017 Award Winners". WEBFEST BERLIN. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "RioWF17 Official Program – Rio WebFest". www.riowebfest.net. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "Running With Violet - Open World Toronto Film Festival". Open World Toronto Film Festival. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "CANADA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL". CANADA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ↑ "9th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominations". www.indieseriesawards.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
External links
- Running With Violet official site
- Running With Violet's channel on YouTube
- Running With Violet on IMDb
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