Tom Melia interview
Fail, created and written by Tom Melia, started life as an award-winning web series on YouTube. It's now become the latest in an ever increasing number of online projects to make the transition from YouTube to broadcast platforms like iPlayer.
Below, Tom outlines his experience of working all out at weekends and pulling in favours to craft his online episodes, and then what it was like to team up with The Comedy Unit and the BBC to shape that web series in to the Comedy Feeds pilot that is online now.
When did the 'Fail' journey start for you?
Back in 2012, I started to make a web series called The Art of Awkward Conversation. I wanted to do something creative in my spare time, but mostly it was an excuse to surround myself with funny people.
The idea for the series was that each episode would be a standalone sketch featuring new characters, but after filming the first one I became attached to the bickering couple having dinner. So, with the help of my friend Duncan Stingemore (an amazing Director Of Photography), I pulled together a crew, 'borrowed' equipment from various places and shot eight more episodes starring the characters Paul and Claire.
Despite having no marketing or budget to speak of (I stretched to pizza for the crew), the videos notched up 85,000 views on YouTube. By the time we had finished the last one, I had managed to wangle myself an agent and he introduced me to The Comedy Unit.
Were you worried about handing over your baby to a production company?
I had already realised that the web series might have run its course; personally I could have made them forever, but I was asking a lot of talented and busy people to give up their precious weekends. So, I was just happy it would be amalgamating into something else.
It was important to me that Paul and Claire were already a functioning couple and thankfully The Comedy Unit agreed - we all felt like we'd already seen shows about people falling in love. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy, but I'm much more interested in what happens next. How do you maintain a relationship?
The Prime Minister just got caught kissing his housekeeper at a nativity play? Wow, that's awkward. So is he going to move her into No 10? What will that first night be like? Is she allowed to invite her book group over? Will she find him dancing to Van Halen covers annoying or charming? And why am I obsessed with Love Actually?
How did 'Fail' evolve, as you developed it for the BBC?
The biggest difference is probably the age of the characters. In the web series they were in their early 30s, now it's early 20s, which has opened us up story-wise...
I've always been fascinated with the period of your life after you finish University (for those who choose to go). For three years you've had your independence, been treated like an adult and had everything catered to you - student housing, student nights, student discounts. You are the centre of your own little universe. But then you come back home and suddenly nobody gives a shit. You have to move back in with your parents and do rubbish jobs to earn some money, but all that self-entitlement is still there, bubbling under the surface.
I hated being a teenager so much that I put a lot of pressure on my twenties being magnificent. I assumed everyone would start taking me very seriously and doors to an exciting, yet important, career would simply be flung open. But the reality couldn't have been more different. And that's where we find Paul - struggling to make a dent in the big bad world.
How was it casting young Paul and Claire?
I think I'm in the minority here, but I love the casting process. Although I didn't particularly enjoy hearing my words repeated back to me over and over, the rest of it was a joy -- you get to meet some unbelievable actors and it's like your own ever-revolving mini theatre.
But I do think you can pretty much tell whether someone is right for the part the moment they start talking and, after quite a long search, we still hadn't found our Paul and Claire. Then Will Merrick walked in and he just was the character (not in real life - Will's cooler) and added a layer of vulnerability where there could have just been snark.
We wanted to keep Will in the room as long as possible, so we asked the actress who was waiting to come in next to pop in and read with him, and that was Ruby Thomas. They had an instant, palpable chemistry, and I realised I was sat there watching them beaming like an utter fool. For me, there wasn't a plan b if they had said no.
You were used to directing the online series so how did the relationship with Elliot Hegarty work?
There was never even a brief moment where I thought I'd be directing the pilot, so there was no disappointment whatsoever. Turning up on set for the first day of filming, I remember feeling a huge sense of relief that I wasn't in charge. Plus, I only pretend to be cool and calm when I direct, but Elliot really is super chilled, which is obviously very useful when you're up against it like we were.
Plus, I'm a comedy nerd, so the fact that he has directed some huge American TV comedies blew my mind. I had to pace myself when it came to how much I could pester him for gossip (he has an AMAZING David Schwimmer anecdote).
How important then is collaboration in comedy?
It's massively important. Writing is a very lonely job and I'm constantly jealous of writing partnerships being able to bounce ideas off each other. So although redrafting isn't always barrels of fun, I loved working with The Comedy Unit and BBC Three to get the script ready.
But the best part of the process is when you've got the cast and crew together and everyone's throwing around ideas. I'm not precious when it comes to jokes - if someone has a funnier line, that's the one that should make it into the show. Of course it helps when you have an innately funny cast (I still can't believe Marsha from Spaced is in my silly show).
'Fail' is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now. Watch