“Uncouth, unadulterated and unapologetically ‘UNSINGLE’” – that’s how the women of LA-based sketch comedy group LadyPantz describe their first scripted series, an edgy comedy about three women teetering on 30 and the men who love them. The series launched yesterday on YouTube and is directed by ContagiousLA’s Jeff Jenkins, known as much for his playful style of spotmaking as for his deeper, darker, quirkily comedic short films. Among Jenkins’ recent spot work is “Mostess” for BIG LOTS (via OKRP/Chicago), featuring middle-aged ladies inspired to perform a synchronized-robotic-interpretive dance at the thought of discount twinkies.
"Jeff was my immediate first choice to direct this project,” said Minnie Goode, who created UNSINGLE and who stars as Eve, the type of young woman who grows her pubic hair beyond bohemian proportions – to teach her boyfriend a lesson. “Jeff and I collaborated so well together on previous LadyPantz videos, and he just really gets my sense of humor, my comedic style, and adds his own oomph to it. He could execute perfectly exactly what I saw in my head and then some. I love working with him. Plus, he respects women. Which is a must when you are working with three very opinionated ones.”
“Directing a show created by and starring women feels natural to me, I understand their point of view,” Jenkins said. “UNSINGLE also presents me with this amazing opportunity to go for the joke while grounded in emotional reality. Those layers are great.” The director stressed his appreciation of Goode’s collaborative spirit. “We collaborated quite a bit in bringing the scripts to life,” he said, “finding those weird moments and extended subtle humor that come out in rehearsal and on set.”
On the spot front, Jenkins recently helmed “Make a Difference,” which he also wrote, for Amazon Smile (via Eyeball) and “Discover” for the CDC (Center for Disease Control), created via IW Group Inc./Weber Shandwick. “The lines between ads and long form narrative are increasingly blurring,” Jenkins observed. “Especially in comedy, we are always taking cues from what's relevant in the narrative world. So making this was a way for me to dig deeper into the character and scene work that make all storytelling powerful.”
UNSINGLE unspools across 14 episodes, offering a refreshing take on what real female friendships are like. Each episode is under 2 minutes making it hard not to binge through the entire season in one sitting. The series has a unique blend of comedic styles that bounce from Wes Anderson quirk to sexy and bold realism. Whether frankly discussing body hair, dirty underwear, or the difficult task of choosing your maid of honor, these best friends look like your actual best friends; funny, honest and unapologetically real.
About ContagiousLA
CLA and its filmmakers align themselves with ideas that rebel as much as they entertain. We do never-been-done-before, subversive, genre-bending work that redefines both the needle and the scale. It's a marriage of adventure, imagination – and a touch of fearlessness. We don't want to die of the fear. We want to cure ourselves of it. And that desire for a cure…is ContagiousLA. Work for Mercedes, Farmer’s Insurance and the AICP nominated campaign celebrating Carhartt’s 125th Anniversary is complemented by longform projects such as the award-winning short film Art & Corny — starring advertising luminaries Lee Clow, Gerry Graf and Jeff Goodby. http://ContagiousLA.com
