Today we’d like to introduce you to Walt Bost.
Walt, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After graduating from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994, majoring in Radio/Television/Motion Pictures and minoring in Business Administration, I co-wrote/directed/produced/edited a 35mm independent horror feature for $50k. That pretty much served as my grad film school and I moved to Los Angeles in 1996, where I continued to work on independent projects in various roles and wrote and directed some short films. While doing so, I became very interested in post-production sound and started hanging out at a small sound editing company. Shortly thereafter, I was offered a runner position and soon was able to join the Editors Guild. I worked my way up to being a supervising sound editor, and still hold that job currently. “Felicity”, “Veronica Mars”, “Private Practice”, “The Following”, “Lady Dynamite”, “iZombie”, “You”, and “Grace and Frankie” are some of the shows on which I’ve had the pleasure of working. I’ve also done post sound for various short films, web series, documentaries and other projects.
A few years ago, I was writing another short film to direct – but not feeling very inspired. I was going through a sort of mid-life crisis and was at a crossroads in my personal life and professional career. My nine year partnership had ended and, now in my early 40’s, found myself forced to “reboot” my life. I turned to television to find some comfort – but looking at the few gay-themed shows and also web series online, couldn’t find anything relatable. Most of the shows were about gays in their teens and twenties, were not about serious life issues, and were also not very good. There wasn’t a show where I saw myself and what I was going through represented. And when I thought of my gay friends and how they were all in very different places in their lives – some in relationships, some eternally single, some wanting marriage, some thinking about children, some focused only on careers – I realized that none of these stories were being told onscreen either. But, I knew there had to be an audience out there for them. And it was then when I got the idea for my web series The New 30, about a diverse group of gay friends in their 40’s, living in Los Angeles and finding their path in life.
I met with my friend and fellow 40-something gay filmmaker John Sobrack and pitched him the show. John is a very talented writer, and I knew he would bring different ideas and points of view to the characters and the series. He quickly sparked to the idea so we developed the story further, outlining a six-episode season. After writing and shooting the pilot (self-funded), we thought we had something. We then wrote the other five episodes, launched a Kickstarter campaign and were successful! After compiling a diverse cast, we shot the series in the summer. It took a long time to do post-production because we had such little money, but still wanted it to be as professional as possible – so many kind friends and colleagues contributed favors to help us complete it. After finishing post-production, we tried to get the show picked up to a major streaming site like Netflix, Amazon, etc. That proved ultimately unsuccessful, so we released it on YouTube. So far the show has almost 9000 subscribers and over a million views. One of the most rewarding parts of this whole journey has been the positive and humbling comments left by viewers from all over the world.
The New 30 has also been shown in numerous film festivals and recently won the “Best Digital Drama Series” award at the QueerX Film Festival in Los Angeles. Most amazing of all, though, is that the show was nominated in May for an Emmy for “Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama.”
The show is also now streaming on the On! Channel, and John and I are writing Season 2 and seeking funding to make it happen.
Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not! It’s been filled with roadblock after roadblock. And they are still coming.
Making a living as a writer and director is a huge challenge in this town, because so many other people are trying to do the same thing. You have to constantly push forward despite all the “no’s” and setbacks, and keep believing in yourself and your talent. I believe that if you really want to do something, you just find a way.
It took years to make The New 30. Crowdfunding is insanely difficult if you want to be successful. (And with Kickstarter, if you don’t reach your goal, you get nothing!) The campaign consumed my whole life for about four months. The shoot itself was very arduous – with 8 main actors, different locations, cross-boarding episodes (shooting various parts of different episodes on the same day), filming in the hottest part of summer, no frills and low pay, losing locations at the last minute… the roadblocks were endless and too many to mention. I also poured in a lot of my own money to help finish the show – I didn’t have any production company backing, nor big stars or celebrities to help get publicity after it was complete.
After an Emmy nomination, you’d think things would get easier to find funding for another season! But, it’s still been a struggle. I feel it’s a long road that will be built brick by brick, and I’m eventually going to get there. You just have to keep fighting, keep believing, and keep working towards your goal.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Peggie Sue Productions – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’m proud that The New 30 shows gay life in your 40’s in a real and serious way, and is a quality show with wonderful actors and solid production. I’m especially proud that the show features a very diverse cast including an African-American male lead and Latinx, Asian and Indian characters as well. And although the show focuses on gay men, I also feel it tells truthful human stories that are relatable to anyone, no matter what sexuality or gender.
Peggie Sue Productions is not just about drama though. In addition to a second season of The New 30, we have a horror feature in development and are also writing a high-concept action/drama feature.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I like how anything can happen here… there are infinite possibilities. Los Angeles really is the city of dreams, and you can shoot for the stars. You never know who you might meet, or what magical situation you’ll fall into. And if you want something, the toughness of this city forces you to make it happen yourself. Additionally, there’s always something going on, always something to do. It’s impossible to get bored here! There’s something for everyone. It’s also a giant melting pot; there are people from all different countries and cultures, with all unique stories to be told.
What I don’t like is that people here can be very selfish and rude. Manners don’t exist. People come in and out of your life in a flash, and it’s hard to find reliable, close friendships. The traffic, parking and air is terrible. Plus, it’s crazy expensive to live here!
Contact Info:
- Address: Peggie Sue Productions
11415 Miranda Street, Suite 4
North Hollywood, CA 91601 - Website: www.thenew30series.com
- Phone: 8186799163
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misterburns35
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walt.bost
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thenew30series
- Other: https://www.theonchannel.com/en/the-new-30
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