Original songs combined with the vibe of Chatham people and places hopefully will launch a locally filmed and produced comedy television series into the big time.
Original songs combined with the vibe of Chatham people and places hopefully will launch a locally filmed and produced comedy television series into the big time.
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Filming has wrapped on Due Southwest, created by Chatham couple Pat and Megan Whalen, who make up the classic country duo Deep Southwest. The final edit is in the works for a five-episode show that will be streamed in the future on Bell Fibe TV 1.
When Deep Southwest formed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic with the Whalens performing songs from the back of a pickup truck, they never imagined it would lead to a chance to film a comedy series.
“That was really the basis of how this all started, is that I wrote a series of songs about Chatham actually and that’s how Deep Southwest, our band, came along,” Pat said.
As the song writing progressed, he said they had different ideas about whether to incorporate the songs into a stage play or a series of music videos.
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When the Bell Fibe TV opportunity came up, Pat said Megan “wove a story around the music.”
“It’s been a wild, wild journey,” he said.
An added bonus has been the opportunity to “work with friends on this really amazing passion project,” Megan said.
One of those friends is Ben Srokosz, camera department head and editor on the project, who has worked closely with the couple to develop a story they hope will appeal to a wider audience.
The owner of One of a Kind Productions said they are trying to “showcase the vibe and sense of humor that Chatham has” that included filming in familiar locations and featuring plenty of well-known local residents.
Pat said Bell Fibe was specific about the project being filmed in Chatham “and we embraced that fully.”
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The series is about the couple’s band Deep Southwest trying to realize their dream of being able to perform at the Hawaiian Pizza Festival in Chatham-Kent, where the pineapple pizza was invented.
Megan said what’s great about Bell is they provided funding for the show and it will live on Bell’s streaming service for up to five years.
But, after 90 days of the show being exclusively on Bell’s streaming service, they can enter it in festivals and approach television networks to sell the show, she said.
Megan said they have the drive and the ideas to make Due Southwest into something like a Schitt’s Creek or Corner Gas where much of the appeal of these popular TV shows is with the community and its residents.
“What we tried to do is make it so hyper-local and so much fun for the three of us. . . and something that we would be proud of at the end of the day.”
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She added they would love the audience to connect with the community and characters “because we connect with it so deeply.”
Megan said the ultimate goal is to use the short episodes that range in length from 10 minutes to 18 minutes as a “glorified proof of concept” that Due Southwest can be developed into a full-length television series and filmed in Chatham.
The team working on Due Southwest includes many other talented local residents involved in the film industry including director Daniel Turres, who lead the production of the horror-comedy movie Fresh Meat, filmed at the former Chatham jail in 2023.
Other residents involved include camera operator Cam Sinasac, sound person Donnie Ivey, project co-ordinator Shannon Young and grip Joe Gorzeman, the technician who works on the rigging and equipment for filming the project.
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Srokosz said the program Bell has created is “to foster art in smaller communities,” adding the company is investing in local creative people.
“It’s not a transactional relationship, it’s a growth relationship, an investment,” he said.
“I feel like we’ve already made very good on that investment,” he added. “I feel like when they see what we’ve created, they’re going to be absolutely blown away with what we were able to do with the funding.”
The dozen or so original songs written by Pat are at the center of the Due Southwest storyline.
“The music definitely informed the story and the music can’t be torn apart from the story,” Megan said. “It takes you through the journey and the story progresses through the music.”
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With a background in music recording, Srokosz said, “I’m able to use my talents in the music studio to then weave into the episodes.”
The goal is to have the show polished and ready to hand to Bell by mid-to-late spring.
“We’re to be using every minute until then to make it as great as possible,” said Srokosz.
The community has played a big role in making the TV series possible from providing sponsorships to being extras in the episodes, the trio said.
“They fed us, they allowed us to use every space in the city, they really came out to support this project, so it made the shooting process every smooth,” Megan said.
Srokosz said a lot of people were needed in some scenes and they were patient enough to go through the filming process, which often involves shooting scenes over from different angles.
“Some people sat for an hour and waited for us until we needed them,” he said.
Pat added, “The community saw our vision, they saw our dream and they helped us.”
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