Indie Spotlight: Dark Comedy Gives Viewers ‘Greetings! From Prison’

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now.  Read previous installments here. 

This edition of Indie Spotlight is sponsored by Tongal.

There’s a new dark comedy centered around offbeat characters in a prison, and I’m not talking about Orange Is The New Black. Chicago-based Backyard Adventure Club is behind Greetings! From Prison

, a web series now available on Vimeo.

Each episode of Greetings! From Prison focuses on a particular inmate as he visits with a family member or friend from the other side. Each interaction can be summed up in a line or two, as the actors are given ample room to build out funny dialogues that make each episode shine. In the first installment, a doting mother treats her son’s incarceration as a four-week trip to summer camp, only to turn on him after a game show-related faux pas:

I’ve already mentioned Orange Is The New Black, and as with Netflix’s superb original series, Greetings! From Prison does a good job of culling its characters from all points of the spectrum. They are young and old and black and white. This brings a nice variety to the episodes that compels viewers to watch all of them, not just one. Right now, that run includes seven installments, with three more to come. Get on it.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Dookie Squad. A web series that follows an unloved-but-important janitorial crew.
• Portions. A channel that releases short films which encapsulate slice-of-life moments. This episode takes place during an awkward interview.
• VAIN. A spoiled international superstar lives up to his titular characteristic.
• Don’t You Think? Comedian Jared Logan takes on the awkward talk show format.

Got a series you’d like to see featured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include a full episode in your e-mail.

This edition of Indie Spotlight is sponsored by Tongal. Tongal is changing the way creative work gets done, by making it accessible to people everywhere. For brands, studios, and causes, Tongal’s innovative platform provides continuous access to a global network of creatives, offering fresh ideas and insights, and top filmmaking talent to bring them to life. Tongal’s collaborative, merit-driven process enables everyone to focus on the work they do best. The result is outstanding content delivered with great speed and efficiency. Tongal is based in Santa Monica, California.