Indie Spotlight: ‘Rally’ Delivers A Wild Ride

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.

When looking for a web series that excels across the board, look no further than Rally. Cris Rice‘s web series, which follows two brothers as they cause trouble around Los Angeles, doesn’t do anything in particularly spectacular fashion, but it thanks to the strength of its writing, direction, acting, and editing, it is a worthwhile watch.

Rally focuses on Paul (Rice), a down-on-his-luck actor who is getting ready to leave LA. A few months before that happens, he is visited by his brother Hud (Mark Riley), who is eager to tour the City of Angels. As the show’s description tells us, there is a devilish undertone to Hud’s visit, though three episodes in, Rally has given us only a hint of that mischief.

What makes Rally so strong is Rice’s keen understanding of the web series format. Through abrupt cuts and fast-paced dialogue, Rally grabs the attention of its viewers and compels them to keep watching. It rewards those viewers by offering up an array of well-defined characters as well as an appealing visual style. The trio of episodes Rice has released so far are all quality entertainment; you can check them out on his channel.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• The Justice Lease. This web series that puts a domestic spin on superhero stories was recently picked up for a second season.
• ADventures Heading Up and Down. Through a unique visual style, this series explores life with ADHD.
• Ghost Light. Set backstage at a theater show, this series will soon return with new episodes.

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.