Joshua Schubart created .AFTER now streaming on IFT Network. He is the star of the Amazon series The Tick. Some of Joshua’s work are Seven Seconds (Netflix) and High Maintenance (HBO). His voice is on audiobooks available on Amazon Audible, including Blue Summer, Lorelei, and Blaze of Ecstasy. Joshua is the co-founder of the production company 2 Ladies & A Giant. .After is an indie series about a widower navigating life and the dating scene after losing his wife. It stars Joshua in the lead role, and it is a story of life, love, and rebirth, and it is streaming on IFT Network.
indieactivity: When did you form your production company – and how did you do that?
Joshua Schubart (JS): Ladies & A Giant came into existence in 2015. I knew I wanted to tell stories from my unique perspective, but I also knew I couldn’t do it alone. While working and taking classes in NYC, I was not only growing my career and learning everything I could, but I was also scoping out folks I could potentially create with. One of my major criteria was that I wanted to work with women. So after a few years of watching and getting to know people, I invited Olivia Baptista and Teegan Curitz to lunch and asked them if they wanted to work with me. They said yes, and here we are today!
Tell us why you chose to create “.AFTER”?
Joshua Schubart (JS): The show was something that had been sitting in my mind for quite some time. I wasn’t getting seen for the roles that I really wanted to immerse myself in. As a larger man in the industry, we tend to get pigeonholed into a few very specific things, but I am not just a few things. No one is. I wanted to show a large man with a beard going through a full spectrum of humanity. Also, mental health is extremely important to me, and I wanted to show someone who looks like me going through it, working it out, and coming out the other side as a better person. Men have a hard time talking about their mental health, so I hope this show will connect with some folks and let them know it’s okay to not be okay all the time.
The Official Trailer for .AFTER created by Joshua Schubart
Could you take us through the whole process? What is the source of the idea? How did the story develop from the idea? And how did the story evolve into a screenplay?
Joshua Schubart (JS): The idea actually came to me in 2013 when I was walking away from the altar with my new wife. I looked at her and thought “What the hell would I do if you died?” This new fear is something that comes only after you make a commitment like this. That thought sat in my head for a few years and kept coming back into my mind and bothering me. I would write bits of ideas, and scraps of scenes here and there, until one day everything hit me in a rush. I sat down and wrote the whole show in about a week. I wasn’t the only one I knew who wasn’t playing the roles they wanted to, so I started writing for them as well until “.AFTER” became what it is today.
Let’s talk pre-production: take us through a timeline of how you started and ended it?
Joshua Schubart (JS): Honestly, pre-production started right after the production company was formed. Olivia, Teegan, and I started sitting down and ripping the show apart and putting it back together for a few months. Then we started approaching the actors, and key crew we wanted to work with to assess what our overall budget will be. After that, we did a read-through with the cast to see if the show actually flowed the way we wanted it to, and then I immediately did more rewrites. We then secured the financing, started to scout, and went into shooting pre-pro with the directors and camera team. Once that was done, we started shooting a week later.
How long did it take to shoot the entire series? And how long were the days spent on set?
Joshua Schubart (JS): We shot the show in 18 days, broken into two chunks. The average day on set was about 12 hours, with two days that pushed to 16 with a pretty rough turnaround. We tried to be open and honest with our crew, and add extra compensation where we could if things ran longer, or got too crazy.
How did you finance the project?
JS: Two investors got very interested in the project because of the story and the message of the show. They provided the money for shooting and post-production.
How long was the post-production process?
JS: It took way longer than it was supposed to, to say the least. A short time after we completed shooting the show, I landed a fantastic role on Amazon’s The Tick, and a few years of my life blew up due to a pretty busy shooting schedule. As a result, the world got to see it later than we wanted to, but in the end, it turned out just fine!
How about the festival circuit? Can you walk us through that process? When is a good time to start submitting for festivals? Could you share your tips with our audience?
JS: Most of the festivals you can/want to submit to can be found on FilmFreeway. It’s very easy to use and start submitting your project. Festivals are always rolling throughout the year, so it’s not like you can’t jump right in if you would like. Unless you are shooting for a festival like Tribeca or TIFF that demands you premiere your project there first, you don’t have to wait. Just make sure you have some money set aside because the festival circuit can get expensive.
And now please tell us about the festivals “.AFTER” was nominated or won?
JS: I won’t throw a list here of everything, but “.AFTER” was nominated well over 60 times, won Best Drama in NJ, Best Music in Minnesota, and ranked 6th in the Web Series World Cup.
ThiTell us about marketing/ advertising/ PR activities efforts on this project. What worked or didn’t work?
JS: In the beginning, it didn’t have any marketing at all, other than social media posts. The show was being pitched by my lit agent Dave Marken over at Take 3 Talent. The idea was that once it found a home, in whatever form the show would take, I would onboard some PR. Which is exactly what is happening now!
The show is available on IFT Network. How did that happen? Can you share with our indie filmmakers how did you find a home for “.AFTER”?
JS: Oliva actually brought IFT to my attention. She called me one day and told me that Jay Cruz, who owns the network, was looking for quality indie projects to acquire for his new streaming service. My agent and I reached out, Jay watched the show and fell in love with it, and “.AFTER” ended up being one of the projects that launched with the network. Which was very special.
Tell us what you think of the interview with Joshua Schubart. What do you think of it? What ideas did you get? Do you have any suggestions? Or did it help you? Let’s have your comments below and/or on Facebook or Instagram! Or join me on Twitter.
Follow Joshua Schubart on Social Media
Website
IMDb
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
MORE STORIES FOR YOU
The Key Facts Behind How Jeff Nichols Made The Indie Hit MUD
Jeff Nichols gives himself directorial challenges to master on every project.
In Conversation with Michael Oblowitz Director of Confidential Informant
Confidential Informant stars Mel Gibson, Dominic Purcell, and Kate Bosworth
