'Serial Scoop Now' on the 7th Annual ISAs Red Carpet, Part 3

The cast of hit indie drama EastSiders on the red carpet of the 7th Annual Indie Series Awards on April 6 at the El Portal Theatre.

Serial Scoop Now interviewed the stars in front of and behind the camera on the red carpet of the 7th Annual Indie Series Awards on April 6. In the third of our multi-part coverage, we chat with EastSiders' Kit Williamson, Stephen Guarino, Brianna Brown and John Halbach; Life's a Drag creator and star Ian Verdun; Nature Show's Andy Batson and Jarrod Lynch Moses Anderson; The Bay's Gregori J. Martin, Nicolas Coster, Terri Ivens, Lilly Melgar, Kristos Andrews, Karrueche Tran, Ronn Moss, Devin DeVasquez, Mary Beth Evans, Matthew Ashford, Taylor Stanley, Alicia Leigh Willis, Jared Safier and Brittany Underwood; The Under 5ers' Alexandra Nader and Matthew Ryan Wilson; and Hunting Season's Ben Baur, Jon Marcus, Marc Sinoway, Jake Manabat, Tyler French and David Garelik.

Watch below.

Indie Series Awards Spotlight: Best Ensemble — Drama

Anacostia, The Bay, Chancers, EastSiders, Teenagers and Winterthorne are nominated for ISAs in the Best Ensemble — Drama category.

The 7th Annual Indie Series Awards ceremony is only 29 days away. As the countdown to ISA7 continues, Serial Scoop is shining a spotlight on the nominees in each of this year's 30 categories. Today we are featuring Best Ensemble — Drama. Watch the six ensembles navigate their characters' complicated lives in the nominated performances below. You will see an unexpected and shocking shooting, a very complicated wedding, an encounter with a drug lord, a teen angst-filled birthday celebration, a shocking family revelation from a scumbag henchman, an enlightening trip to the STD clinic, and a whole lot more.

7th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominees Revealed

NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 7th ANNUAL INDIE SERIES AWARDS

30 Categories Honor Social Relevance, Artistic Merit, Excellence in Craft

NEW YORK, NY, February 3, 2016 – Nominees for the 7th Annual Indie Series Awards (ISA7) were announced this afternoon in a special episode of Serial Scoop Now. The ISAs celebrate the best in independently produced scripted entertainment created for the Web. Nominations were announced in 30 categories.

Winterthorne led all series with a record-tying 13 nominations, including for Best Web Series — Drama. Fellow Best Drama nominees The Bay and EastSiders followed with 11 and 10 nominations, respectively. Arthur, The Banks and BLACK rounded out the top drama category.

Hollywood Wasteland received 11 nominations, including Best Web Series — Comedy. It will compete for best comedy with Capitol Hill, F'd, Hunting Season, Keith Broke His Leg and These People.

In all, there are 56 Nominated Series from around the globe: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Norway and Singapore. Crystal trophies will be presented to the winners during a gala ceremony hosted by Eric Martsolf and Jen Lilley on April 6, 2016 from 8:00-11:00 p.m. (PST) at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. The two-day celebration includes a launch party, red carpet reception, press walk, presentation ceremony and official after party.

Since 2009, the Indie Series Award has honored the most creative and progressive talent in independent web series. 

The Annual Indie Series Awards is an initiative to elevate the entire indie series genre, organized by the nonprofit Indie Series Network. All proceeds from entry fees, ticket sales, program ads, etc. are reinvested in the production of the event. ISA7 is produced by New Comb Interactive (Crown Heights, Brooklyn) in cooperation with the Indie Series Network (IndieSeriesNetwork.org) and media partner Serial Scoop. 

The nominees are:

Best Web Series — Drama

Arthur

The Banks

The Bay

BLACK

EastSiders

Winterthorne

Best Directing — Drama
Nick Rusconi, Arthur
Adam Kosh, The Banks
Gregori J. Martin, The Bay
Frank T. Ziede, BLACK
Jack Jewers, Night School
Sonia Blangiardo, Winterthorne

Best Writing — Drama
Chloe de Souza & Nick Rusconi, Arthur
Adam Kosh & Ariane Bessette, The Banks
Adam Henry Garcia, Conversations From the Afterlife
Kit Williamson, EastSiders
CJ Daugherty, Night School
Michael Caruso, Winterthorne

Best Lead Actor — Drama
Kristos Andrews, The Southside
Adam Henry Garcia, Conversations From the Afterlife
Van Hansis, EastSiders
Xavier Huard, The Banks
Ettore Nicoletti, Arthur
Kit Williamson, EastSiders

Best Lead Actress — Drama
Brianna Brown, EastSiders
Tamieka Chavis, Anacostia
Kate Conway, Out With Dad
Martha Madison, Winterthorne
Lilly Melgar, The Bay
Chloe Rose, Teenagers

Best Supporting Actor — Drama
Raymond Ablack, Teenagers
Johnny Alonso, Milgram and the Fastwalkers
Stephen Guarino, EastSiders
Aden Hakimi, Conversations From the Afterlife
Tristan Rogers, The Bay
Gordon Thomson, Winterthorne

Best Supporting Actress — Drama
Tia Dae, Anacostia
Victoria Guthrie, Milgram and the Fastwalkers
Jodie Hirst, Night School
Allyson Pratt, Teenagers
Miriam Pultro, Conversations From the Afterlife
Karrueche Tran, The Bay

Best Guest Actor — Drama
Willam Belli, EastSiders
Richard Beaumont, Shades of Bad
Jean-Jacques Javier, Wasted
John-Paul Lavoisier, Winterthorne
Eric Martsolf, The Bay
Kevin Spirtas, Winterthorne

Best Guest Actress — Drama
Kathleen Gati, Winterthorne
Linda Gray, Winterthorne
Elizabeth Hubbard, Anacostia
Patsy Pease, The Bay
Kym Whitley, The Bay
Constance Wu, EastSiders

Best Ensemble — Drama
Anacostia
The Bay
Chancers
EastSiders
Teenagers
Winterthorne

Best Web Series — Comedy
Capitol Hill
F'd
Hollywood Wasteland
Hunting Season
Keith Broke His Leg
These People

Best Directing — Comedy
Behn Fannin, F'd
Matt Newcomb & Caley Bisson, Hollywood Wasteland
Keith Powell, Keith Broke His Leg
Julian Stamboulieh, LARPs
Sebastian La Cause, Life's a Drag
Aleksander L. Nordaas, Made in Mosjøen

Best Writing — Comedy
Ryan Gowland, F'd
Erika Robel, Fully Engaged
Jon Marcus, Hunting Season
Keith Powell, Keith Broke His Leg
Mai Spurlock & Kim Spurlock, Livin' The Dream
Zac Hug & Jim Rash, These People

Best Lead Actor — Comedy
Ben Baur, Hunting Season
Willie Garson, Whole Day Down
Jeremy Glazer, These People
Ron Hanks, Golden California
Keith Powell, Keith Broke His Leg
Ian Verdun, Life's a Drag

Best Lead Actress — Comedy
Melissa Archer, Viral
Laura Campbell, Livin' The Dream
Claire Downs, These People
Crista Flanagan, Club 5150
Jill Knox, Keith Broke His Leg
Amber Nash, Hart of America

Best Supporting Actor — Comedy
Barry Brisco, Viral
Christopher Chwee, Rare Birds of Fashion
James "Prince" Coley, The Beat & Path: Walk of Shame
John Cramer, He's With Me
Brennan Murray, The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy
David Starzyk, Cam Girls

Best Supporting Actress — Comedy
Stephanie Ray Glass, The Beat & Path: Walk of Shame
Carolyn Hennesy, These People
Ginifer King, Life's a Drag
Kathleen Littlefield, Redheads Anonymous
Paula Rhodes, Hollywood Wasteland
Darcie Siciliano, He's With Me

Best Guest Actress — Comedy
Emma Caulfield, HOARS
Melissa Claire Egan, Misguided
Cady Huffman, He's With Me
Deidre Hall,.Club 5150
Alexandra Krosney, Keith Broke His Leg
Debra Jo Rupp, He's With Me

Best Guest Actor — Comedy
Jim Beaver, The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy
Craig Cackowski, F'd
Stephen Guarino, Life's a Drag
Hunter Parrish, Town Car Willie
Jim Rash, These People
Fred Willard, Hart of America

Best Ensemble — Comedy
Club 5150
CO-OPeration
He's With Me
Hunting Season
Single and Dating in Vancouver
These People

Best Original Song
"Hold On To Your Heart," Hart of America (by Kevin Gillese, Chris Rittelmeyer & Benjamin Scott Holst)
"Sooner or Later," Life of Matt (by Tim Bader)
"All Alone, Brutus and Caesar," New Mayor of New York (by Ethan Slater & Isaac Jay)

"Happily Ever After," Or So the Story Goes (by Judith Avers)
"Redheads Unite!" Redheads Anonymous (by Sam Carner & Derek Gregor)
"Sexy, Suave, and Single," The Under 5ers (by Sami Horneff)

Best Soundtrack

Brandon Russell & DJ Amen Ra, The Beat & Path: Walk of Shame
Adam Henry Garcia, Conversations From the Afterlife
Grant Pavolka, Hunting Season
Frank Leone, In Retrospect
Julian Stamboulieh, LARPs
Judith Avers, Or So the Story Goes

Best Original Score
Jason Chan, Bang Bang Club
Luke Wieting, BLACK
Amritha Vaz, Cam Girls
Robb Padgett, Hollywood Wasteland
Michael Shlafman, LARPs
Connie Kaldor & Paul Campagne, Nikola Tesla and the End of the World

Best Sound Design
Richard Hamilton, Conversations From the Afterlife
Dan Arthurs, Devolve
Robb Padgett, Hollywood Wasteland
Roman Chimienti & Jay Pellizzi, Hunting Season
Richard Sheehan, Keith Broke His Leg

Matt R. Sherman, LARPs

Best Special/Visual Effects
Andrew Lucas, BLACK
Adam Henry Garcia, Conversations From the Afterlife
Lumen Actus and 6360 Productions, Hollywood Wasteland
Andy Batson, Nature Show
Jake Jarvi & Ryan Wolff, The Platoon of Power Squadron
Lyle Carroll, VTV

Best Cinematography
Arnaud Dumas, The Banks
Matthias Schubert, The Bay
Vincent Pierce, Capitol Hill
Matt Newcomb, Hollywood Wasteland
Tom Blount & John Collins, Night School
Rodolphe Portier, Winterthorne

Best Editing

Jason Chan & Christian Lee, Bang Bang Club
Larissa Brantner James & Kris Fitzgerald, EastSiders
Behn Fannin, F'd
Ryan Robert Daggitt, Hollywood Wasteland
Julian Stamboulieh, LARPs
Jack Jewers & Tom Blount, Night School

Best Makeup
Ren Bray, The Bay
Erik Warren, Bek Harvey & Pakio Galore, Capitol Hill
Tori McKelvey, Drty Diana
Sandra Solanchick, Hollywood Wasteland
Cathy Vincelli, LARPs
Jen Fregozo & James Freitas, Winterthorne

Best Production Design

Christopher Balder, Capitol Hill
Xin Wang, Ex-Model
Caley Bisson, Hollywood Wasteland
Christina Vincelli, LARPs
Katie Moest, The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy
Michael Caruso & Barbara Caruso, Winterthorne

Best Costume Design
Harmony Arnold & Pete Rush, Capitol Hill
Beth Newcomb & Linka Hovasapian, Hollywood Wasteland
Zak Thriepland, LARPs
Derya Derman, The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy
Lisette Areizaga, The Southside
Nir Shelter & Tai Scrivener, VTV

Total Nominations By Series
13 Winterthorne
11 The Bay
11 Hollywood Wasteland
10 EastSiders
8 LARPs 
7 Conversations From the Afterlife

7 Keith Broke His Leg

7 These People
6 Hunting Season
5 The Banks
5 Capitol Hill
5 F'd
5 He's With Me
5 Night School
4 Anacostia
4 Arthur
4 BLACK
4 Life's a Drag
4 The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy
4 Teenagers
3 The Beat & Path: Walk of Shame
3 Club 5150
3 Hart of America
2 Bang Bang Club
2 Cam Girls
2 Livin' The Dream
2 Milgram and the Fastwalkers

2 Or So the Story Goes
2 Redheads Anonymous
2 The Southside
2 Viral
2 VTV
1 Chancers
1 CO-OPeration
1 Devolve
1 Drty Diana
1 Ex-Model
1 Fully Engaged
1 Golden California
1 HOARS
1 In Retrospect
1 Life of Matt
1 Misguided
1 Made in Mosjøen
1 Nature Show
1 New Mayor of New York
1 Nikola Tesla and the End of the World

1 Out With Dad

1 The Platoon of Power Squadron

1 Rare Birds of Fashion

1 Shades of Bad

1 Single & Dating in Vancouver

1 Town Car Willie

1 The Under 5ers

1 Wasted

1 Whole Day Down

'EastSiders' Season 2 Trailer Released

Vam Hansis and Kit Williamson

The wait is almost over! The magnificent EastSiders has released a trailer for the show's upcoming second season. EastSiders focuses on the tumultuous relationship of Cal (Kit Williamson) and Thom ( Van Hansis), and it doesn't seem as if life will be any easier for the twosome this season.

Based on the new trailer, Cal and Thom are going to open up their relationship. How is this going to impact their already rocky relationship? I can't wait to find out!

EastSiders also stars Constance Wu, Matthew McKelligon, John Halbach and features guest turns from Sean Maher, Stephen Guarino, Brea Grant and Traci Lords. Brianna Brown (Devious Maids, General Hospital) joins the cast this season as Cal’s sister, Hillary, along with new additions Satya Bhabha, Adam Bucci, Vera Miao, and Willam Belli.

Season 2 is being released through Wolfe Video and Vimeo on September 15. You can pre-order the entire second season here.

Watch the trailer below:

6th Annual Indie Series Awards Red Carpet Show - Part 7

Serial Scoop Now was on the red carpet for the 6th Annual Indie Series Awards on Wednesday, April 1, at the historic El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles. Host Michael Taylor Gray interviewed the stars of the web series world on the red carpet. Part 7 of our coverage includes Capitol Hill's Wes Hurley, Christopher Balder, Harmony Arnold, Annette Toutonghi, Guinevere Turner, Daryle Conners and Bek Harvey; Wallflowers' Kieran Turner, Susan Louise O'Connor, John Halbach, and Michael Turner; EastSiders' Kit Williamson, joined by Girl Like Magic's Julia Eringer; The Bay's Lilly Melgar and Ren Bray; Dating Pains' Megan Duffy, Marc Cartwright, Darielle Deigan and Baker Chase; and Hustling's Sebastian La Cause, Andrew Glaszek, Marc Sinoway and Jessica Press.

Watch "6th Annual Indie Series Awards Red Carpet Show - Part 7" below:

'Kiss Me, Kill Me' Launches Kickstarter Campaign, Film Stars Gale Harold and Van Hansis

Kiss Me, Kill Me is a contemporary Alfred Hitchcock/Agatha Christie-style whodunit with the mystery centered on Dusty who confronts his unfaithful boyfriend and blacks-out, only to wake up to find the boyfriend murdered and he’s the prime suspect. The film, due out next year, stars Van Hansis (As the World Turns, Eastsiders) and Gale Harold, who is playing a gay character for the first time since his legendary role as Brian Kinney on Showtime's ground-breaking Queer as Folk.

Directed by Casper Andreas (Going Down In LA-LA Land, The Big Gay Musical,), from a screenplay by David Michael Barrett (Such Good People, Bad Actress), picture boasts some powerhouse indie talent: Willam Belli (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Kit Williamson (Eastsiders, Mad Men), Independent Spirit nominee, Yolonda Ross (Treme), Tom Lenk (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Brianna Brown (Devious Maids), Jonathan Lisecki (Gayby), Michael Maize (True Blood), Craig Robert Young (NCIS: Los Angeles), Jackie Monahan (Foxy Merkins, Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same), as well as Matthew Ludwinski and Allison Lane (Going Down in LALA Land).

"I'm beyond thrilled about the fantastic cast we have assembled," says director Andreas. "That we managed to attach such great talent is a testament to David's sensational screenplay. I can’t wait to get started on the production and get to work with these wonderful actors, including my two Going Down in LA-LA Land stars, Matthew and Allison.'

Brianna Brown Joins 'EastSiders' Season 2

During her career, Brianna Brown has shown she can play good, bad and everywhere in between. She is
shooting her latest role, Hillary in EastSiders.

Actress Brianna Brown is joining the cast of the Indie Series Award-winning EastSiders as Cal's sister, Hillary.

EastSiders creator and star Kit Williamson teased the character in our recent interview.

"I won't say too much about except that she is Cal's sister and she sort of returns to her family after pretending to be away doing Teach for America for the last two years."

Brown is no stranger to serialized storytelling, having starred as Taylor Stappord in Lifetime's Devious Maids and the evil Dr. Lisa Niles in ABC's General Hospital. She has also appeared in True Blood, Revenge, Homeland, Private Practice, Smallville and Graceland.

She was nominated for an ISA in 2013 for her work as Kris in the comedy web series Adults Only.

RELATED:
* EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Kit Williamson and John Halbach Revisit 'EastSiders' Season One (Out on DVD!) and Preview What's Ahead

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Kit Williamson and John Halbach Revisit 'EastSiders' Season One (Out on DVD!) and Preview What's Ahead

Kit Williamson and John Halbach.

Season One of Indie Series Award-winning EastSiders was released this week on demand and DVD. EastSiders offers a peek into the life and friends of a gay couple in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. In the first season, Cal (Kit Williamson) finds out Thom (Van Hansis) has been cheating on him, and their relationship is turned upside down. Serial Scoop caught up with EastSiders creator and star Kit Williamson, along with executive producer and cast member John Halbach (who plays Ian), who revealed their favorite moments from Season One, and shared what's ahead in Season Two. Read our exclusive interview below:

SERIAL SCOOP: Are you going to to tell me what's happening in every episode in Season Two?
JOHN HALBACH: We are going to tell you everyone who has sex, everyone who dies.
KIT WILLIAMSON: A lot of people die.
JOHN HALBACH: Everyone has an evil twin.
KIT WILLIAMSON: A lot of evil twins killed. [Laughs]
SERIAL SCOOP: Yes! That's what I was hoping for. Sex! Murders! Plot Twists!
JOHN HALBACH: We're going Game of Thrones. No one is safe.

Nominees Revealed For 5th Annual Indie Series Awards

Nominees for the 5th Annual Indie Series Awards were revealed in a special episode of We Love Soaps TV earlier today. The ISAs celebrate the best in independently produced, scripted entertainment created for the Web.

Hustling led all web series with 9 nominations. Out With Dad was next among Dramas receiving 8 nominations, followed by DeVanity and Progress with 7, with EastSiders and Thurston earning 6.

Among Comedies, Wrecked led with 7 nominations, followed by Bloomers and Husbands with 6. Noirhouse and Professional Friend each received 5.

A record-breaking 56 web series received at least one nomination.

The 5th Annual ISAs will take place on April 2 at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, hosted by Carolyn Hennesy, who received a nomination in the "Best Guest Star - Comedy" category for her work on Single Siblings.

Check out the complete list of nominees below: