New Form Digital has announced the launch of Incubator 2, a series of 10 short films funded by the company and created by online film makers, including selected UK YouTubers.
Benjamin Cook, Jack Howard, and Emily Diana Ruth are amongst the latest talent to be commissioned to create a series of short films for New Form Digital, a collaborative company fronted by Hollywood producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, it has been announced. TenEighty caught up with Ben and Jack to find out more.
“Well I’m delighted,” says Ben. “My first short film! Can I say that? Or is the term ‘short film’ copyright Bertie Gilbert?”
“Seriously New Form are great. An online studio that wants to nurture YouTube’s filmmakers, artists and innovators. And now me. It’s an honour,” he continues.
Jack shares Ben’s sentiments about receiving the funding from New Form. “It’s great!” says Jack. “I loved the first round of films that they did. I’m so happy that someone as established as Ron Howard still has a passion to help young and upcoming filmmakers.”
Meeting the award winning director was another perk for Ben. “I got to go out for dinner with Ron Howard the other week,” he reveals. “We talked about The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Kony 2012. I ended an anecdote with ‘…and then he was found masturbating over a truck’. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
We also ask Jack if Dean Dobbs will be making an appearance in the film or whether it’s a solo project.
“This is absolutely a Jack and Dean project,” he says. “I’ll be directing it but we have written together and we’ll be starring in it together.”
The decision to commission another round of films was made following the success of their original Incubator collection last year, which saw 14 films created – including those by UK YouTubers Tim Hautekiet, PJ Liguori and Bertie Gilbert. They were then debuted at Canada’s Buffer Festival. PJ has since been funded by Vimeo to create a ten episode series for the site based on his film Oscar’s Hotel, about a hotel for mystical creatures.
The new short films, due for a May release, will all be hosted by and feature prominent US YouTuber Mitchell Davis.
Emily Diana Ruth’s Cold will tell the story of Isla as she uncovers secrets regarding her biological parents murder, and the town in which it was committed.
Jack and Dean’s and Ben’s films are titled Ghost Fighting Corporation and The Imp of the Perverse respectively. The former is a comedy venture which follows two con artists whose plans have to change when their scam goes awry, and the latter a dark comedy following a man who becomes obsessed with a poem by Edgar Allen Poe.
We ask Jack and Ben if they could tell us anything more about their films.
“I don’t want to tell you very much,” says Jack. “You’ll have to wait and see. But the story is about a fake team of ghost fighters who take advantage of people who believe in the supernatural.”
“The Imp of The Perverse is about the urge to do the worst possible thing in a given situation, simply because you can. Everyone’s felt that urge, haven’t they? Even you, TenEighty! I bet you have,” says Ben.
Finally we asked over Ben how the film will fit in his very busy schedule around Becoming YouTube 2 and his Channel 4 series Tofu.
“This interview is over. Etc.” he answers, in TenEighty honoured tradition.
The full list of the new New Form releases and their accompanying synopsis’ can be found on the official announcement here.
If you want to know more about the film-makers, why not check out our cover interviews with Jack and Dean and Ben. We also recently caught up with Ben about the upcoming release of Becoming YouTube 2.
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