Tag Archives: Tello Film

‘She’s In London’ is the UK’s First LBQ Web Series

In the past few years, we’ve enjoyed binge watching our way through several fabulous LGBTQ web series.

There’s the likes of Carmilla, the vampire/human love story, the hilarious Plus One which has got plenty of friendship drama, and there’s Rent Controlled about a difficult living situation and a difficult personal life.

What these three web series (as well as so many others) have in common,though, is that they’re all set in North America, with there being no web series that represent queer life on this side of the pond. But that’s what Tello Films’ new series She’s In London aims to fix.

As the title denotes, this one’s set in the English capital and it “follows the fight to save a lesbian bar from closure by the Soho gentrification brigade”.

Gentrification is a serious issue for the LGBTQ community in the capital right now, with many queer establishments being either bought out or squeezed out of the city/out of existence as pricier developments pop up all around them, so She’s In London’s plot line is true to the city it’s set in.

She’s In London isn’t just about lesbian and bi women protesting, handing out some leaflets and starting a Twitter hashtag or two, though, as there’s plenty of drama within the group that’s trying to save the bar.

For example, Theo, who works at the bar, gets involved with Mel. Mel, as well as being the ex of Theo’s best friend, Sam, also happens to be the developer who’s trying to get the bar shut down, so you can understand that that throws a spanner, if not the entire flippin’ tool box into the works.

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Those who’ve seen She’s In London‘s six episodes mostly have positive things to say – it’s the first globally distributed LBQ series, it’s made by London’s LGBT community and there are several UK LBQ artists on the soundtrack too.

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They also say that it does a good job of representing a real struggle that London’s LGBTQ community is facing, even if it doesn’t do a great job of representing London’s LGBTQ community itself.

Indeed, one of the biggest criticisms of She’s In London is that the cast is overwhelmingly white, with just one person of colour (a black woman) on the cast, and she plays a supporting role.

That’s not particularly indicative of how multicultural London is at all, which is a shame, but hopefully the show’s producers will consider this should She’s In London get a second season.

She’s In London premiered on Tello Films on Sunday, September 27. Episodes will be released weekly and you can access them with a Tello Films subscription (around £3 a month).

 

How Tello’s Queer Web Series Can Save You From Boring TV Shows

According to GLAAD’s annual ‘Where We Are On TV’ report for 2014, just 32 out of 813 primetime broadcast scripted series regulars will be LGBT (3.9%). Even if you agree with the low ball statistic that 1 in 10 people are queer, that number doesn’t cut it and most definitely doesn’t reflect the queer faces who are watching these TV shows and trying to relate to the characters’ stories. Over half of these characters on primetime television are also queer men and the few queer women who we get to see are often subject to uncomfortable and familiar tropes such as Pretty Little Liars’ Emily who cheated on her girlfriend and kissed a guy, or the many queer female characters who are killed off.

At times it can be impossible to enjoy television, when you’re well aware that your favourite TV lesbian is playing second fiddle to a mundane heterosexual love triangle and it can leave you with nothing to watch on the telly. But while TV fails, the Internet can help pick up the slack and as one of the most popular portals for queer web series, tellofilms should be your number one destination for fictional queer ladies.

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tellofilms’ co-creator Christin Baker explains:

“I realised that the web was becoming an interesting space for non-traditional entertainment, and wanted to explore it. Our focus has always been to make series distributed over the web, specifically for a lesbian audience.

I did it because it’s stuff that I like to watch. I’ve put my own money into the company – it had to be something I wanted to watch. Because, at the end of the day, if you’re putting your free time, money, blood, sweat and tears into something, you’d better be passionate about it.”

Saying that The Fosters, Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black and new Amazon web series Transparent are “shows that are trying”, Baker also states that “those shows will eventually get canceled like The L Word. On the other hand, [tellofilms has] new content all the time.”

Also: Why Rent Controlled Is The Funniest Web Series You’ll Watch

That list of shows Baker mentions could see them each go on for five seasons or so, proud of the fact that they feature queer female leads but once they end due to the natural closure of the plot or diminished viewership, we’d be lucky to see them replaced with something just as queer friendly. They are the exceptions not the rule. And with tello’s 15 or so web series (a roster constantly being added to) all featuring lesbians both in front of and behind the camera (such as the hilarious #Hashtag and Rent Controlled) viewers will constantly have queer media to enjoy – even when other inclusive shows or cancelled or are on hiatus.

As tellofilms continues to do well and strives to deliver more great content to its 3500~ subscribers, Baker says that “We’re interested in honouring our audience and subscribers outside of just letting them watch content. We’ve started to create this great community and now we’re really excited to figure out what that looks like and what that is.”

One exciting project that subscribers should look forward to later this year is a yet-untitled project about a ballerina who has to “slum it” at a queer, modern dance company after she suffers an injury.

But as for those who aren’t subscribed to tello, as a small business owner Baker offers sage wisdom, “It’s important to support indie artists. If you notice something missing – it’s probably out there, being made by someone in the indie community.”

#‎Hashtag‬ – The Lesbian Web Series We Can’t Stop Watching

So, there’s a lesbian web series on the market called ‪#‎Hashtag by tellofilms, that we can’t get enough of.

Season 1 started at the beginning of 2014, and now tello has announced the launch of the next season, which starts in January. Hurrah and Happy New Year!

The web series follows the love lives of two social-media obsessed best friends, Liv and Skylar, from Chicago. The technology crazed duo rely too much on Instagram, Twitter, and OKCupid to rule their lives. The incredible funny storyline twist and turns, when real-life interrupts their virtual world and the friends have to learn consequences of over-indulgence of a cyber existence.

Written by / starring Caitlin Bergh (Roomies) and Laura Zak, the show also co-stars Kate Black Spence (tello’s The Throwaways) and Marnie Alton (tello’s Cowgirl Up).

What to expect from season 2?

In season 2, Liv & Skylar try to reconcile the impulse to over-share with a chance at true connection. While Skylar combats heartbreak by pursuing internet fame, Liv juggles her IRL girlfriend with an online flirtation that’s about to get just as real. They may have mastered the #follow, but will they #fail at the follow through?

Watch for Free

To wet your appetite and celebrate the start of Season 2 in January, tellofilms have announced the release of an episode from Season 1 for free, and we have it here for you to watch.

Why Rent Controlled Is The Funniest Web Series You’ll Watch in 2014

As queer adult women there are experiences that many of us share: we all have that ex we can’t get over, that crush we know we shouldn’t have and there’s that one straight girl we know to avoid for the fear of falling a little bit in love with her. Yet these experiences aren’t reflected in the many shows about adults finding their way in the world.

Lena Dunham‘s HBO series girls was hailed as ‘the show’ for women in their 20s, but the show is too white (despite being based in New York City) for us to buy into. Friends is funny but having started in the 90s it’s about as inclusive as a group of grumpy old men and Sex and the City is so heterosexual that it borders on offensive. So it is a struggle to find shows that represent us and entertain us which is why we should be looking away from our TVs and at the web instead.

One show that takes the best bits of Girls, SatC and Friends (with the queerness of The L Word thrown in) is Rent Controlled, a new web series from tello Films.

Rent Controlled introduces us to the fabulous (yet hapless and pathetic) Heather Dean. A queer woman of colour, she’s got limited funds, schoolwork to keep on top of and she’s dating with a woman named Jennifer who doesn’t love Heather as much as Jennifer loves herself. Relatable so far? You bet it is; so when the two inevitably break up and Heather’s heart cracks into a thousand tiny and adorable pieces you only feel for her even more.

Not that the heartbreak is completely ‘wring your heart out’ though, or really sad at all. The seven episode season mostly focuses on Heather navigating her living situation (her and Jennifer share a room in a house belonged to a couple named Ted and Carla), picking herself up and dusting herself off with the help of Kyle and Lauren (her best friends) all in hilarious fashion.

There’s misinformed daytime drinking, night time underage drinking, and dealing with the outcomes of having drunk too much. Along with the alcohol there’s also awkwardness, make-outs, first dates, new friendships, bad dancing and, in the best description of an episode ever, Rent Controlled also features tello’s “first ever lesbian dance mob”.

The development of Heather is also a fantastic reason to watch. As mentioned, you really do feel for her (even though episodes are around seven minutes long) simply because you’ve been there, done that and can either find the humour in your adult mishaps or you’re looking for a bit of hope.

No matter where you fall on that scale, Rent Controlled is a great pick me up and is one of those binge watch-y type of shows (like OITNB on Netflix) that you’ll want to marathon and then watch all over again just to relive the giggles. Head over to the Tello Film’s website to find out how to watch it.