History of 'all about the mckenzies'

2011

• Idea Conception

• Original director quit on second day of filming leaving Samuell to learn directing on the spot

• A rough pilot was filmed on £50 with lack of resources and was stolen by cameraman

• Samuell went to Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF), this was where he discovered

what a webseries was.

• Met the founder of LA WEBFEST and was told to do a webseries to enter into next

year’s festival

2012

• Filmed show again as a webseries and entered LAWEBFEST

• Selected for LA WEBFEST screening and Samuell travelled back to LA

• Won an award for Great Ensemble Cast in a Comedy at the festival.

• The show was put onto YouTube for the first time and got a lot of media attention

• Various magazine/newspaper/radio interviews

• Rejected by Various TV UK Networks

• Was told show was ‘too black’ by a BBC TV exec

• Approached by GRM Daily (an urban media company) but they offered Samuell no money

• Approached by SBTV (an urban media company) but they offered Samuell no money

• Original YouTube channel corrupted and new YouTube channel created losing 3 million views.

• Rejected for a community arts grant.

•Won 'Best Webseries' at the BEFFTAS (Black Entertainment Fashion Film and TV awards).

•Met a new friend who was willing to grant Samuell money to make longer episodes

2013

• Filmed series 2

• Youth Media of the month in May by the Youth Media Agency

• Screening at Rich Mix Cinema in Shoreditch

• Samuell attempted to charge for the episodes to be watched via Vimeo on demand

but was unsuccessful

• Contacted by London Live

2014

• London Live launched and acquired series 2 as their first piece of content for the network

• Filmed series 3 with the hopes of another acquisition from London Live

• Dropped by acting agency IAG

• Samuell moved into new flat with acquisition money

• Highest ratings on London Live with the show for two months

• London Live receives bad press for the network overall. They rebranded and dropped All About The McKenzies

• Samuell moved back in with parents

• Talk at the Apple store Regent Street - 3 people turned up. Samuell embarrassed

and disappointed.

• Christmas time a cast member committed suicide

• Rejected by other TV networks

• Samuell thinks to leave the UK for good as tired of the industry not recognising his show.

2015

• Attended funeral for dead cast member

• Moved to LA

• Approached NBC but couldn’t get through the door so left DVDS in a local Starbucks that network executives used.

• Got a job as a server in Bubba Gumps in Universal city, with the hopes of network executives coming in so he could tell them about the show.

• Various auditions and awarded no parts.

• Accepted for a screening at (ABFF) American Black Film Festival in NYC.

• Screening at Chinese Theatre in Hollywood

• Wasn’t accepted for various meetings

• Wrote a Mckenzies film

•Samuell leaves LA after 7 months and returns to London

2016

• Unemployed for most of the year

• Rejected by various companies for production work

• Samuell speaking at a few events

• Contacted by Patrick Younge former exec for BBC for possible ITV meeting

• ITV wants All About The McKenzies for their fresh season

• Great feedback and promising for a series

• New controller employed, All About The McKenzies thrown out for consideration of a series. Samuell completely broken

2017

• Samuell working a normal job and finding himself

• Rejected from various companies for production work

• Samuell asked to speak on panel for Yellowspot Collective on the subject of webseries

• Interview on London Live for the Yellowspot event.

• Rewriting/Rebranding the show