Carvery is the Asset
August 11, 2013
Stills provided by Irradiated Panda Films
Stills provided by Irradiated Panda Films
The opening shot of the Asset trailer, a new spy-action web series, sees the creator Matthew Carvery running through a dimly lit parkade. Carvery’s character Eric Blair is running from Steve Kasan, who plays an unnamed henchman for Kazimir Lazerey, a Russian arms dealer. Kasan is the star and co-producer of the sci-fi web series Out Of Time. He also scouted the location. Eric has been ordered to take down Lazerey by the CIA. Kasan’s character eventually catches up with Eric, and the two have it out in the abandoned parkade. Eric Blair doesn’t stand up to this typical muscled bad guy, because he’s not actually a spy. The trailer itself features several key plot points, including a hilarious fight scene with Eric getting his ass kicked by Kasan.
This YouTube video is an Independent Production Fund (IPF) Concept Trailer created by Matthew Carvery. The trailer demonstrates what Asset would look like if his web series received funding. Asset isn’t just about ‘The Spy Who Bleeds,’ but it is also inspired by Carvery’s Russian, high school sweetheart Olga. Of course the CIA and the arms dealer husband storyline are complete fiction written by the Toronto-based actor.
Carvery is one of several web series creators who expended personal resources and called in favours to create a trailer with no guarantee of getting funding. This is Carvery’s first time applying and receiving funding from the Independent Production Fund (IPF). The series hasn’t been just made yet, but filming is scheduled to start in October.
This YouTube video is an Independent Production Fund (IPF) Concept Trailer created by Matthew Carvery. The trailer demonstrates what Asset would look like if his web series received funding. Asset isn’t just about ‘The Spy Who Bleeds,’ but it is also inspired by Carvery’s Russian, high school sweetheart Olga. Of course the CIA and the arms dealer husband storyline are complete fiction written by the Toronto-based actor.
Carvery is one of several web series creators who expended personal resources and called in favours to create a trailer with no guarantee of getting funding. This is Carvery’s first time applying and receiving funding from the Independent Production Fund (IPF). The series hasn’t been just made yet, but filming is scheduled to start in October.
Still of Matthew Carvery and Steve Kasan from the Asset trailer.
Carvery filmed Asset over the second weekend in February for the IPF submission deadline on March 1. The project sounds like something pulled together pretty quickly, but Asset has been in development since Carvery was in high school. In his last year in Victoria B.C. Carvery met a Russian exchange student named Olga. Carvery still carries around a picture of the two of them in his wallet. He has since deemed her as ‘the one that got away.’
“Do you say that because you asked her to marry you?” I asked him.
“No I say that because I asked her and she said yes.” Admits Carvery. Olga stayed in Canada for six months. “I was very much in love with her, so much so that before it was time for her to leave I pretty much proposed. It wasn’t all fancy. I wasn’t down on one knee, there was no ring, but we talked about getting married.” Tying the knot meant that Olga could stay in Canada if she returned from Russia. Unfortunately she never did.
“In a way, Asset is a little wish fulfillment for me,” says Carvery. “You know, ‘What if there was a chance of us getting back together – via the world of espionage?’ [Laughs.] In one way it’s just sort of, a bit of a love letter to her. To let her know the impact she had on my life. However many years it’s been since high school later.”
The two reconnected about two years ago over Facebook, and Olga even supports the project. After he told her about Asset Carvery started noticing views on YouTube from Russia.
“Do you say that because you asked her to marry you?” I asked him.
“No I say that because I asked her and she said yes.” Admits Carvery. Olga stayed in Canada for six months. “I was very much in love with her, so much so that before it was time for her to leave I pretty much proposed. It wasn’t all fancy. I wasn’t down on one knee, there was no ring, but we talked about getting married.” Tying the knot meant that Olga could stay in Canada if she returned from Russia. Unfortunately she never did.
“In a way, Asset is a little wish fulfillment for me,” says Carvery. “You know, ‘What if there was a chance of us getting back together – via the world of espionage?’ [Laughs.] In one way it’s just sort of, a bit of a love letter to her. To let her know the impact she had on my life. However many years it’s been since high school later.”
The two reconnected about two years ago over Facebook, and Olga even supports the project. After he told her about Asset Carvery started noticing views on YouTube from Russia.
Victoria Sullivan and Matthew Carvery in Asset
Although this is Carvery’s first hand at funding a web series he’s no stranger to the medium. After getting cast in Jonathan Robbins’ Clutch, Carvery took up the opportunity to write a few episodes. Since then he’s been granted a producer credit on the show, and also designed the Clutch website. When he’s not lending a hand on other Toronto web series or working on the latest Asset screenplay, Carvery works in IT at the Indigo home office in downtown Toronto to pay the bills.
When I asked him about the ‘what if?’ of quitting his day job Carvery hesitates. “My job’s been very good to me. They treat me well, they’ve been very flexible with the acting thing. But it’s not my first love.” Although the actor, now creator, has a diploma in computer programming, he did take theatre at University of Victoria. Carvery dropped out after a year and a half because he disliked UVic’s teaching technique, but his web series endeavors shows that he never completely gave up on that passion. “As a creative you’re told growing up while choosing this as a career to have something to fall back on. Everyone tells you that. It’s actually the worst advice you could give a creative person.” His logic is that a creative person can never reach their goals if there’s no fear of failure. If a creative doesn’t fear failure they won’t push themselves far enough to reach that goal. “You’ve gotta let yourself pass that point of no return,” says Carvery, “so at some point, when I’m less fearful, I might do that.” The trailer itself gives Carvery the joy of knowing what it would be like committing fully to starring, producing, and creating his own web series.
It is that opening shot of Eric running through the parking garage that Carvery recounts with the most pride. He explains that he got the shot without a dolly (the piece of filming equipment needed to make smooth camera movements). “Henry, our DP, hung out the window of a moving car with the camera and we got it in a surprisingly low number of takes,” says Carvery, “once we figured out the speed I think we got it in two [takes].” The trailer consisted of a skeleton crew of eight people, and filmed over one weekend in February. Carvery describes that weekend as hair-pulling with the Director of Photography (DP) secured just a week before and the director Mike Donis not 100% on his ability to commit. Donis had the premiere screening for his own web series, Pete Winning and the Pirates, just the night before. In the end it all worked out and, to Carvery’s surprise, proved as a successful submission.
When I asked him about the ‘what if?’ of quitting his day job Carvery hesitates. “My job’s been very good to me. They treat me well, they’ve been very flexible with the acting thing. But it’s not my first love.” Although the actor, now creator, has a diploma in computer programming, he did take theatre at University of Victoria. Carvery dropped out after a year and a half because he disliked UVic’s teaching technique, but his web series endeavors shows that he never completely gave up on that passion. “As a creative you’re told growing up while choosing this as a career to have something to fall back on. Everyone tells you that. It’s actually the worst advice you could give a creative person.” His logic is that a creative person can never reach their goals if there’s no fear of failure. If a creative doesn’t fear failure they won’t push themselves far enough to reach that goal. “You’ve gotta let yourself pass that point of no return,” says Carvery, “so at some point, when I’m less fearful, I might do that.” The trailer itself gives Carvery the joy of knowing what it would be like committing fully to starring, producing, and creating his own web series.
It is that opening shot of Eric running through the parking garage that Carvery recounts with the most pride. He explains that he got the shot without a dolly (the piece of filming equipment needed to make smooth camera movements). “Henry, our DP, hung out the window of a moving car with the camera and we got it in a surprisingly low number of takes,” says Carvery, “once we figured out the speed I think we got it in two [takes].” The trailer consisted of a skeleton crew of eight people, and filmed over one weekend in February. Carvery describes that weekend as hair-pulling with the Director of Photography (DP) secured just a week before and the director Mike Donis not 100% on his ability to commit. Donis had the premiere screening for his own web series, Pete Winning and the Pirates, just the night before. In the end it all worked out and, to Carvery’s surprise, proved as a successful submission.
Jeff Sinasac and Victoria Sullivan in Asset. Jeff Sinasac was also featured in Clutch.
On June 27, 2013 the Independent Production Fund (IPF) announced the final list of 14 web series to receive funding. Out of that 14, five were renewals of a series that previously received funding: Ruby Skye P.I., Bill and Sons Towing, La Brigaiere (French Canadian), Space Janitors, and Versus Valerie. The Independent Production Fund is a private, independent company that funds original Canadian drama series. It is the only fund that exists specifically for narrative web series. The IPF sees the funding it provides as ‘investments’ meaning that the company expects a return if the series makes a profit.
For the 2013 funding session the IPF conducted a two-round selection process. In the first round they received 157 applications, all of them requiring a concept trailer released onto YouTube for public view. From those applications, with almost 160 trailers to watch, the IPF released a shortlist of 35 web series. Asset was on that shortlist. Matthew Carvery was in Disneyland with his co-producer Jonathan Robbins, creator of Clutch, for HollyWeb and L.A. WebFest when he got the e-mail.
“Getting past the first round blew my mind,” says Carvery, “I expected to be told, ‘Neat idea. Come back when you have more experience.’” Robbins also submitted a concept trailer with Out With Dad creator Jason Leaver called Dance by Day. Surprisingly, Robbins and Leaver didn’t get the same e-mail as Carvery.
Carvery describes his experiences through the second round and meeting personally with the IPF as rather low key. On July 12, 2013 Carvery and his team met with the IPF in Toronto to discuss the project’s business plan. When I met with him the next day he admitted he couldn’t give me any details, only that it went much better than he anticipated. One of the top priorities of this initial meeting is to work out the kinks of the project’s budget. The fund even suggested to film a portion of Asset in Prague, which would add production value and make the project international.
For the 2013 funding session the IPF conducted a two-round selection process. In the first round they received 157 applications, all of them requiring a concept trailer released onto YouTube for public view. From those applications, with almost 160 trailers to watch, the IPF released a shortlist of 35 web series. Asset was on that shortlist. Matthew Carvery was in Disneyland with his co-producer Jonathan Robbins, creator of Clutch, for HollyWeb and L.A. WebFest when he got the e-mail.
“Getting past the first round blew my mind,” says Carvery, “I expected to be told, ‘Neat idea. Come back when you have more experience.’” Robbins also submitted a concept trailer with Out With Dad creator Jason Leaver called Dance by Day. Surprisingly, Robbins and Leaver didn’t get the same e-mail as Carvery.
Carvery describes his experiences through the second round and meeting personally with the IPF as rather low key. On July 12, 2013 Carvery and his team met with the IPF in Toronto to discuss the project’s business plan. When I met with him the next day he admitted he couldn’t give me any details, only that it went much better than he anticipated. One of the top priorities of this initial meeting is to work out the kinks of the project’s budget. The fund even suggested to film a portion of Asset in Prague, which would add production value and make the project international.
Still of Victoria Sullivan in Asset.
The IPF by all accounts wants to fund projects that will produce profit. Making profit with the web series medium is still a major challenge for most creators. Carvery, having a producer credit on Clutch, knows the profit obstacles ahead, but that’s not necessarily his mission objective.
“Me personally, I don’t care about making a huge profit,” says Carvery. “I want the profit to come in, because that proves this is a viable industry. But I don’t need that for myself. What are my goals? Obviously to create something that people like and will want to keep watching. To give these talented people I know a chance to get paid doing what they do best. People like Mike Donis, Jonathan Robbins, and my writing partner Charlie [Barangan]. These are all really talented people, and most of them have day jobs.”
“Me personally, I don’t care about making a huge profit,” says Carvery. “I want the profit to come in, because that proves this is a viable industry. But I don’t need that for myself. What are my goals? Obviously to create something that people like and will want to keep watching. To give these talented people I know a chance to get paid doing what they do best. People like Mike Donis, Jonathan Robbins, and my writing partner Charlie [Barangan]. These are all really talented people, and most of them have day jobs.”
Asset is produced by Matthew Carvery and Charlie Barangan through Irradiated Panda Films.
