What is Viral?
A shy and sheepish man is hired to run the Viral Reality department of an advertising firm out of the ground and into success or else. The fate of the internet lies in his hands. Can he go viral?
Viral tells the story about a modest and shy office drone by the name of Mitchell Terry he was relocated to the Viral Reality department and put in charge of a cast of interesting characters who cannot get anything done. Mitchell is given the task of rejuvinating the struggling department and making the next big viral video.
What We Need
Making an excellent film requires money and with your help we can make our final project a reality!
Who We Are
We are a team of 9 CSUN Television Production Students. We have had many classes together and worked on many projects all leading up to this. Here is our team of the finest Television Students:
- Ryan Thomas (Writer/Director) - I am the Writer and Director of "Viral". I like this project because I'm interested in digital media and I feel that this TV show offers a quirky spin on certain aspects of digital media that we love. I'm interested in entertainment in general but when specifically talking about TV, I love looking forward to new episodes of my favorite shows every week. I've come to love so many characters from TV shows and I just hope one day that I can create a character that people will go crazy over.My goal for this project is simple. Create a finished product that our entire team is proud of.
- Savanna Aghassian (Budgeting Producer) - Hello! I am Savanna Aghassian the Budgeting Producer for "Viral." This project stood out to me because it is a comedy and I feel connected to the humor and concept of the project. I am very interested in producing TV comedies with hopes of being a show runner for a major network. I have various internship experiences both at small production companies and large VFX houses. I worked as a Production Intern on the Disney film "Maleficent." My goal for this project is to create the best pilot episode possible and to win our Senior Showcase
- Gianna Copeland (Scheduling Producer) - Hey! My name is Gianna Copeland and I am Scheduling Producer of Viral. This project is particularly interesting because it twists our idea of viral reality. We see the back side of where we thought our imaginations wondered and see the upfront truth of a corrupted government mind. Meeting this oddball group of people makes the audience fall in love with their corky personalities and adorable selves, like I did. Television has been a big part of my life ever since I was a child. I remember my mom, brother and I would sit in bed together watch The Simpsons and it was always the best part of my day. I want to bring people together like television did for me. Ultimately, I want to produce or be a show runner of my own show, but just being involved in any kind of television makes me happy. With my experience of working on music video shoots with EDM artists, such as Steve Aoki, TJR, and Borgore, and working on the ESPN show, SportsNation, I can lead this project to greatness with my team by my side. For this project, I want it to be the best it can be. I want to make people laugh and smile and leave with a content feeling. I want this story to develop into something completely original and at the end of day, leave our mark in the world. I know it may seem a little far fetch but at this point, the sky is the limit for us and nothing can stop us from making this project incredible. That's why we need your help. Whether it is a dollar or $100, every cent makes a difference. Thank you and enjoy going Viral.
- Ozzy Lara (Director of Photography) - Hello, my name is Osbaldo Lara, Ozzy for short, and I’m the Director of Photography for this project. I chose to be the DP for this project because I enjoy shooting comedies. They present a unique challenge for the cinematographer, since comedies tend to be more unpredictable than their dramatic counterparts. Television interests me because I enjoy the freedom the format presents, with the story having more time to flesh itself out, while also being able to imitate film at times. I want to take my experience from this project to help me find a job working with or behind the camera in the industry. My goals for this project are to not only create the best pilot out of all the projects, but to make an aesthetically pleasing piece of work that will effectively tell the story while also bringing the audience to tears. Of laughter!
- Evan Baltimore (Sound) - Hey, I'm Evan Baltimore and I will be the sound engineer on Viral! This project interests me because of the amount of diverse characters in the show. Capturing the many quirks and tones of a wide variety of cast will be a challenge which I'm looking forward to tackling! My goal is to record the best dialogue possible so that the audience (that's you) doesn't miss any of the hilarity and quick wit of the characters and one doesn't drown out the others. I'm also looking forward to working with such a group of talented people and I'm excited to see how magnificent we can make this pilot with all your contributions!
- Claire Gallagher (Production Design) - My name is Claire Gallagher and I am one of the Production Designers of Viral. I chose to work on Viral because I love comedy and i think this project has GREAT potential. I became passionate about television at the age of 10. Every Monday, my family and I would gather around the television to watch our favorite show, The O.C. With so many childhood memories with my family, it made me want to pursue a career in television. My goal for this project is to make Viral a reality and make the audience laugh! Please support our project! Thanks.
- Gabe Ramirez (Production Design) - This project can become something amazing with all the ideas and contributions that are going into the script. Just have faith. I've been interested in tv/film ever since I was a kid. It allows you to show and tell stories that can't be lived in reality. With that said I would hope that this project and other projects I work on in the future will benefit and lead me to something greater. My goal is to bring the script to life! I would like to make one want to work for Viral as The Internship makes you want to work for Google.
- Alex Howard (Editor) - I like Viral because the main idea that one company is behind all of the hit viral videos is hilarious. I am one of the editor of Viral.I am interested in TV because I like the idea that people get so connected to characters in the stories that are told on TV because they watch them week after week. Using my experience on Viral I hope to one day become a television director, or go into the business side of television. My goals for Viral is to tell a story that is relatable for everyone and make it a strong contender at the CSUN Senior Showcase at the end of the semester.
- Ryan Delgado (Editor) - I like this project because it showcases themes that are relevant and relatable in today's fast-paced digital world and I am excited to help bring the project to life as the Editor. I can't remember a time I wasn't fascinated with Cinema in general and television has always been something I've been eager to be apart of as I enjoy acting just as much as I'm interested in what goes on behind the scenes. My goal for this project is simple: to perform my specific duties as a team member to help deliver the most professional, meaningful, humorous production to the screen that the audience will truly enjoy and that we, as the crew, can be proud of.q
Other Ways You Can Help
Anything helps. If you can't contribute, don't worry! You can still follow us on twitter, Facebook and Instagram to keep updated and the filmmaking process. Also share this page with everyone- spread the word! Let's make this comedy a reality!