NOTE FROM LB: Want to see what a web series episode with a million and a half views looks like? Click “play” on the video below.
by Larry Brody
There I was, on the back deck of the Brody home that isn’t Cloud Creek Ranch, having a fine old end of summer convo with my wife, Gwen the Beautiful, and two old friends, and suddenly the Missus of the friends, Laura Conway, casually mentions, “I’ve been making a couple of web series. They’re a lot of fun.”
And without missing a beat, the Mistah of the couple, Gerry Conway (yes, this Gerry Conway), equally casually says, “Laura’s shows have over three million views.”
“Three million views?” was all I could say.
“Yep,” Gerry said.
“And you never told me before?”
“I haven’t told very many people at all about the shows,” Laura said.
“Why not?” I said.
“She’s shy,” Gerry said.
Laura nodded. “I am. I’m shy.”
So, because I’m not so shy, let me repeat the most cogent fact here, because, well, because how can I not?
Three million views.
Fucking three fucking million fucking views!
And not only had I never known that Laura was doing this, I’d neither heard about nor seen any of her shows anywhere before.
Those of you who know me know where this is going. I have now watched Laura Conway’s absolutely mind-blowingly professional top scoring in every aspect series, The Vamps Next Door, and I’m absolutely blown away.
The episode above, “Hurt So Good,” is the most popular in the series, but the others are all just as good. Scripts, direction, acting, production values, we’re talking stuff that puts the original Dark Shadows to shame. Oh, and in case you haven’t watched the embed yet, I gotta tell you: The Vamps Next Door is funny.
To me, one of the most interesting thing about The Vamps Next Door is that Laura was a total noob when she started it, seven years ago. If you watch the earlier episodes, they’re rough, unpolished, fraught with the errors all new filmmakers make. But she learned, and is still learning, the way a true creator does.
You can find out more about the show HERE, and you definitely should.
Thank you, Laura, for finally coming out of the closet!
Oh hell, here’s an episode of Laura’s other show, Ageless. It left me speechless when I first saw it, but I’m sure we’ll talk more about this later:
