The Runs
Share Our Story: supportourstory.com/theruns
We started this project last summer with a simple idea, “We should make something together!”
The Runs started as a breakout session from our shared group, dedicated to women of color writers, Bricks & Scones Writer’s Group (founded in 2020). Due to pandemic limitations, a group of us were meeting every other Saturday, via Zoom, to talk about TV, Film, and our own writing (from pilots to short stories). We were very happy to find each other during such wild times, with the privilege of being amongst peers who understood where our writing and stories were coming from.
Lots of discussion about diversity within the industry was permeating all of our social media feeds at the time. This definitely wasn’t a new conversation. Diversity within the industry has always been talked about at length, with call-to-actions about broadening the pool of Creatives (Writers, Actors, Animators, Directors- the whole lotsa) but no clear actionable items on what we could do as emerging Creators, on the other side of the equation. And the pandemic certainly has a funny way of putting things into perspective.
Upon the utterance and idea of “We should make something together!”, the sentiment was met with a resounding “YES!” and The Runs was born! Well… Not officially. And it wasn’t that easy either.
We also wanted to combat statistics, and make effective change with our project. Because we saw The Runs being a direct response to a lot of these issues too:
The story and scripts took us six months and six writers to develop. After endless writing sessions and workshops, many drafts, one all-day Writing Symposium, and three episodes later, The Runs was officially created! A lot of coffee and tea lost in the process though… May our mugs rest peacefully.
While development was still underway, our team outside of the writers, began expanding. We wanted this project to not only create opportunity for ourselves, but for other women and non-binary creatives of color who were hitting the same walls we were.
Our team blossomed from six writers to fifteen unique Creatives, all brought together through uplifting fellowship and mentorship within our WOC-non-binary creative space.
We wanted to make something fun, but along the way, we created a community of underrepresented Creatives who all want to create something for their careers, their resumes, their curiosity, their network, their fellowship, themselves.
We’ve all come together to make and create, and now we’re extending the invitation to you!
"Let’s make something together!”
The world needs a bit of a comedic break and a refreshing* dose of laughter! Join our community by donating to our production, supporting our creative mission, and keeping up-to-date with the latest project endeavors!
*On second thought, probably not so refreshing – the show is called The Runs after all!
Logline
Being an assistant sucks! Four women navigate the topsy-turvy industry lifestyle of dick bosses, an off-the-rails movie production, and actors who just can’t seem to stay off social media — all while perfecting the art of the coffee run.
Synopsis
Welcome to the world of Ice Box Studios, the producer and distributor of renowned classic films – from prestigious dramas, like The Queen’s Guard, to heartwarming comedies, like Dicey Dealings. And also Old Hogz.
Old Hogz is a high-octane action franchise which features exploding cars, motorcycles chases, and ironic one-liners from the iconic stars of yesteryear (early 90s). With its highly-anticipated ninth installment already in pre-production, this franchise is full speed ahead! … That is, until its leading man lands himself in hot water on The Bird App for making statements that absolutely do not reflect the views Ice Box Studios.
Enter the assistants: Olivia, Melanie, Jasmin, and Gabriela. They may not have a lot of power, but they do have a lot of responsibility! Sure Olivia is new, Melanie doesn’t want to be there, and Jasmin and Gabriela already have their hands full – but with the right attitude, these four can save Old Hogz, ace a mandatory DEI training, manage their dysfunctional relationships with their chaotic bosses, and keep the coffee coming!
Funding
Keeping our set Covid-free is a budget-buster – but we gotta do it! Just like we’ve got to rent equipment, feed our cast and crew, and ensure our set is ADA-accessible!
Every dollar we make fundraising goes directly to the project!
The Runs is a non-commercial digital comedy series designed to provide hands-on, practical experience to creatives who are underrepresented in the film and television industry, and associated fields.
In the event of a surplus, we'll pay it forward to a non-profit organization with a similar mission of providing instruction and opportunity for budding creatives in our communities!
If you can’t contribute right now, that’s okay!
You can still join our #RoadToTheRuns online by following us @therunsseries on Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok, and Facebook to stay up-to-date with our project announcements and fun, interactive content!
Most importantly, you can help by sharing this fundraiser and our website in your own networks to help us get the word out about The Runs!
Thank you for sharing in our journey. See you at the finish line!
Our Team is composed of Women of Color and Non-Binary Creatives, from LA to the Bay, PST to EST. To learn more about our team, visit www.therunsseries.com/the-team
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Well! We made it through our first weekend on set, running full speed ahead with plenty of caffeine refills had by all. Because we've been so busy, we didn't get to send you all our “Happy Production Eve” update. We're sending that now – and to make up for our lateness, we're throwing in some very special behind the scenes photos captured by our cast, crew, and social team!
We want to give a tremendous THANK YOU to our families, friends, co-workers, communities, industry friendlies, and everyone who’s supported us and The Runs! Your donations, time, and emotional support throughout our journey to set is irreplaceable to us. We could not – and would not – be here without the love and support of our community.
This project began with a small team of writers and a desire to create an ensemble piece with women of color at the helm. And really, our mission has always been to provide and cultivate a space that prioritizes the creativity of women and non-binary people of color. As we reach the Production starting line, we’re proud to say that The Runs’ crew helped us reach that vision, and exceeded our expectations entirely. They are the backbone and strength of this project, and the living embodiment of what we hope to see more of in the future of this industry. We’re very grateful for them and can’t wait to show you their work.
Wherever Production may lead us, we feel happy. We had no idea that a blinking cursor on a blank page would bloom into something so incredibly special. We’re damn proud to have made it here – but above all, we’re deeply moved that The Runs has created a wonderful community of individuals we’re excited to keep running with!
Thank you all. #RoadToTheRuns
Sincerely,
Grace, Quanny & Sandra
And now, as promised… a sneak peak behind the making of The Runs!!! Thank you for making all this possible:
Day 1 - 09/10
Day 2 - 09/11
Another day, another coffee run! Should be easy enough, right? All you have to do is not-mess-up the order, deliver it to your boss (if you can find them), and *do not* – under any circumstances – be late!
Good luck! Try not to get in the way of our assistants before they’ve managed to squeeze in a caffeine boost of their own:
Nosayaba ....................……............. "Olivia"
Janeva Adena Zentz .................. "Melanie"
Alondra Alvarado ........................ "Jasmin"
Hannah Kwon ............…................ "Gabriela"
We hope you enjoyed this little tour around Ice Box Studios! Now please sign this NDA and exit through the gift shop!
#TheRuns
Today, we’re taking the elevator up to the Executive Suites! Sure, it can be lonely at the top -- but only if you keep firing your assistants! Or hire ones that don’t want to come to your BFF brunch. Or can’t stay awake long enough to talk to them.
Please meet our fearsome, fabulous, and fully-loaded bosses:
Ray Buffer ....................…... “Chet”
Amanda Wenger ………… “Amanda”
Nick Checket ..............…..... “KW”
Now please feel free to finish up those cups because tomorrow we’ll be taking you on a coffee run with our Assistants!
#TheRuns
Welcome to the world of Ice Box Studios – complete with undercover movie stars, crunchy HR reps, and quirky coworkers who will definitely keep you on your toes!
We’re thrilled to finally start introducing our fabulous cast! First up, some of the friendly and familiar faces at IBS:
Heather Daughtry ........................ "Vanessa Masters"
Chad Anderson ............................. "Brendyn"
Rachel Martin ..............................… "Maya May"
Amy Leigh Trost ............................ "Yelesk"
Kevin Michael Shiley .................... "Sword"
Julienne Ebora ...........................…… "Kelly"
We still have our ensemble of Bosses & Assistants to announce this week, so keep those coffee cups warm and stay tuned! #TheRuns
☕️ TONIGHT - 7:00PM PST ☕️
We're sipping with Nick Checket!
Nick is an actor, writer, and East Coast native in LA! Join us on IG Live where we’ll be talking about his journey from Jersey to LA, life as a pharmacist, and his first-round draft picks for our Fantasy Office League! 🤓
☕️ TONIGHT - 7:00PM PST ☕️
We're grabbing a drink with Amy Leigh Trost!
Amy Leigh is an actor and voice actor in LA – and our ✨first official cast member✨! Join us on IG Live where we’ll be chatting about her acting journey and playing a rapid-fire round of Firsts & Lasts!
Tired of us yet? 👀 Well, throw back that shot of caffeine, because we got some ✨FUN✨ stuff coming up in the month of August!
Follow us on Instagram @therunsseries to get notified when we're LIVE!
Hope to see you Wednesday! 😜🥂 #RoadToTheRuns ☕️🏃🏻♀️
Well, it’s certainly been a minute, hasn’t it? It’s hard to believe that it’s already been three weeks since we wrapped our first fundraiser – from which (thanks to all of you 💛) we were able to raise $16,000!
Since you last heard from us, we’ve been diligently working behind the scenes on just about everything under the sun, including: sourcing and designing incentives for those of you who opted-in on those, running around Pasadena on location scouts, and hosting our second round of auditions with an incredibly talented pool of actors. We could not be more excited for what’s to come! 🤓 ☕️
We’ll be continuing to keep you updated on all things The Runs through this campaign – so stay tuned! We’re only seven weeks out from set and there are many more updates to come!
Thank you all again for sticking with us on our #RoadtotheRuns 🛣🏃🏻♀️ and helping us get the word out about our project! Your continued support is what keeps us energized through our late nights and long weekends working, so we truly cannot thank you enough! 🤎 ☕️
In the meantime, we’re still running towards our overall fundraising goal of $60k, so if you know anyone who missed out on contributing to our original campaign that would like to donate, or you’d like to make another contribution – we’re on Paypal! 🤑 🙌🏾
We have officially reached the end of our campaign with $16K and 107 SUPPORTERS!!! A TREMENDOUS THANK YOU to everyone who helped us reach our minimum goal and believed enough in The Runs to get us this far. We love and appreciate each and every one of you! 💛💙
More project updates coming soon (fun things on the horizon 🥳), but in the meantime keep spreading the word! And tell your friends who missed out on this campaign, no worries! Our PayPal is officially LIVE https://bit.ly/donatetheruns! 🙌🏽
☕️ A million more thank you’s, may your coffee cups always stay warm! 🥰
#RoadtotheRuns
Holy moly, folks! 🙌🏽 You’ve made these writers speechless!
We are beyond grateful for the amount of support we’ve gotten in the final stretch of this campaign. This is just the beginning! And we’re so happy to have you on this journey with us. #RoadtotheRuns ☕️🏃🏻♀️
Joining us tonight is our producer-extraordinaire and Episode 2 co-writer, Sandra! Follow @therunsseries on Instagram to get notified when we're live.
We'll be talking about workplace comedies this time! So join us with your hot takes and hot toddies – and bring a friend or two! And of course, as we count down these final hours of our fundraiser, coffee tips are always welcome. #RoadtotheRuns ☕️🏃🏾♀️
Join us for our second fundraising Happy Hour – tomorrow @ 7pm PST! We'll be going live on Instagram to talk about workplace comedies, creativity, and all things The Runs!
Make sure you're following us @therunsseries on IG to get notified when we're live!
We made the news! 📰 Check us out on page 12 of the @pasadenaweekly where we cover all things The Runs – from our pandemic origin story to our fundraising campaign!
Please feel free to share this story in your networks and be sure to let them know that there’s only ONE WEEK left on this campaign! We still have a minimum to hit, so every like, share, and dollar helps!
Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3HOecqz - We’re on pg 12!
Let’s get running! #RoadtotheRuns ☕️🏃🏾♀️
Week 3 went by in the blink of an eye! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to those of you who carried us through this past week. We’re so grateful for sustained enthusiasm and helping us get the word out about The Runs! 💛💛💛
The beginning of summer officially kicks off the countdown to the end of our campaign! We’ve got some fun things in store, so make sure your friends and favorite coworkers are following along. You won't want to miss a thing! #RoadtotheRuns ☕🏃🏾♀️
Week 2 of Fundraising DONE! Big thank you to the continued support and contributions from everyone on this wild journey and venture we call The Runs! We appreciate every single one of you! <3
We’re halfway through our campaign, but with plenty of mileage to cover! Share in the caffeinated chaos, spread the word, and shake those pockets for loose change! #RoadToTheRuns
Thank you to everyone who made our first week of fundraising so special that we had to brag about you on social media!
If you haven't seen it, then stop reading and go check out our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, @therunsseries – and while you're there, double-check to make sure you're following us for even more updates. We've got some fun things percolating and you won't want to miss a sip!
Also, shout out those of you who have already joined our #RoadtotheRuns for Week Two! We'll be singing your praises next Tuesday, but in the meantime, feel free to brag about us on social media. (Please!)
Run, don't walk, to audition on therunsseries.com/casting!
