You’re So Talented
You’re So Talented (2015-16)
Created, directed and produced by: Sam Bailey
You’re So Talented follows Bea, a down-on-her-luck artist as she navigates the inevitable dramas of her twenties, and the community that supports her. Written, produced, starring and directed by created Sam Bailey, it’s an intimate, artisanal work that bravely asserts Black women’s right to be imperfect and vulnerable.
You’re So Talented has essential to the creation of OTV. Before seeing the series I had initially planned to simply distribute pilots through OTV, but Sam’s series showed me that Chicago was becoming a hub for quality full-fledged series. In late 2014 while I was directing the first pilot, Sam emailed me requesting I write about the series for my blog, Televisual, which I was in the process of sunsetting because blogging didn’t count for tenure. When I watched the first “rough” cut of the pilot, I was immediately blown away by the richness of the writing, acting and direction. It struck me as one of the most confident series debuts I had seen since I started tracking the market in 2009. I had to release it. With a pilot and series, I felt that was enough to start a network. The first season premiered in March 2015 as OTV’s first premiere! Today it is still one of a handful of series on OTV to make it to a second season.
You’re So Talented is a full meal. Beautifully shot and sincerely acted, the series recalls the neorealist, open-ended narrative structure of midcentury cinema, from Sembene to Godard. Sam uses Bea’s friends, family, and love interests and community as a lens through which to explore her growth, providing a platform for emerging talent like Shea Couleé, Jeez Loueez and Ashleigh LaThrop. It’s also a love letter to Chicago, where Sam is from, featuring new and iconic locations like Victory Gardens Theater, the 606, the “L” and more (including the Lakeview apartment I lived in for 10 years and hosted many OTV artists).
The series is one of the most critically acclaimed on OTV. The series premiered its fourth episode on the Tribeca Film Festival’s website as part of its new New Online Work program, and was nominated for a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Short Form Series.
For the second season, Sam took on the role of director, a career game-changer. Today, Sam Bailey is in consistent demand for writing directing, with credits on Netflix’s Dear White People, Disney’s Ironheart, Facebook/MTV’s Loosely Exactly Nicole, freeform’s Grown-ish, along with her indie work on on series like Brown Girls and East of La Brea. When viewing the exhibition and engagement of You’re So Talented, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that the second season was Sam’s directorial debut, and she now stands as one of very few black women consistently directing for television in Hollywood.
You’re So Talented Data
CHICAGO SCREENINGS - ATTENDANCE
Below is the estimated attendance for OTV-hosted screenings in Chicago. You’re So Talented had three official screenings in Chicago, all three taking place at The Whistler, a bar in Logan Square, the neighborhood Sam Bailey grew up in. The Whistler is an intimate space, with a maximum occupancy of 100 people.
The series has been screened in other instances in the city. The University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art screened the first season one week before its official finale, and Chicago Filmmakers screened parts of the series at the Chicago Cultural Center after the second season finale.
SEASON 1 FINALE
30
SEASON 2 PREMIERE
100
SEASON 2 FINALE
60
CHICAGO SCREENINGS - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK (S2 FINALE)
What stood out to you in the series?
“Honesty. The acting the the portal of life. The episode was relatable and the characters were appropriate for the world.”
“All the beautiful and different types of women and the spaces used.”
“Diversity and interesting friction between human relationships.”
PRESS
“You’re So Talented is, without doubt, an intriguing web series that’s worth watching. In Bea, Black millennial women now have a relatable protagonist we can invest in.”
Bitch Media, March 27, 2017
“Bailey’s portrayal of Bea is not only honest and true, but powerful, raw and darkly funny. It's no wonder the series was honored at this year's Tribeca Film Festival as part of the N.O.W Project, which recognizes superlative online creators.”
IndieWire, May 1, 2015
FESTIVAL EXHIBITION
TribecaFilm.com (NOW—New Online Work Program), April 2015, (Episode 4)
Season two trailer premiere, Chicago International Film Festival, AMC River East, October 23, 2015