Indie Spotlight: “Subway Stories” Finds Talent Underground

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. 

Subway stations in major cities are filled with buskers, many of whom are trying to make a living off of the generosity of passersby. These performers are often ignored by busy commuters, so a new web series is giving five of them a closer look. Documentary producer Gariné Tcholakian is behind Subway Stories, which profiles street musicians in Toronto.

The image of a typical subway busker is a disheveled musician using whatever skills he has to make ends meet. Subway Stories, however, shows there are plenty of street performers who have chosen their urban venues out of preference rather than necessity. The debut episode profiles Andrei Denga, an accomplished violinist who has decided to take his work underground. “I have [a] stage every day,” he says.

Denga’s story is certainly fascinating, and Tcholakian profiles him with steady camerawork and polished production. Four more episodes, each of which will have their own subjects, will debut on Tcholakian’s YouTube channel.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Help Yourself. A released prisoner becomes a part of the weirdest work release program ever.
• Ward’s World. Skiing meets Wayne’s World-style comedy in this web series.
• Armenian-American. An Armenian-American from Los Angeles profiles his journey to his mother country.
• Harley Quinn. A group of Batman fans provide their interpretation of the animated series’ popular villain.

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.