Episode 076 - BEACHED Co-Creator and Co-Writer Nic Collins

The Viewfinder Podcast with Chris Hadley

Beauty, as they say, is always skin deep. Sometimes, the most grotesque-looking individuals are blessed with qualities that are even more gorgeous and invaluable than appearance: kindness, love, care and concern for everyone they meet. That’s how it is with the half man/half whale protagonist of an incredible new web series called BEACHED, co-written and co-created by this week’s guest on The Viewfinder Podcast, acclaimed filmmaker Nic Collins.

BEACHED’s first episode introduces us to the Wail (portrayed by series co-creator and co-writer Sean Godsey) who unexpectedly becomes the subject of a heated argument between an estranged couple - Paige, played by Paige Klone, and Melina, played by Jenny Austin - after Melina discovers the Wail washed ashore and brings him back to dry land. When their bickering leads to a tragic conclusion, the Wail at first assumes it was his fault, only to realize that his presence is urgently needed in a world where darkness both tempts and consumes society’s most vulnerable.

Episode 2 has the Wail coming to the aid of a suicidal man (Robbie, played by Deprece Reddick), while its third episode sees the formerly sea-bound creature pursued by both an overly inquisitive reporter (Simmons, played by Aliza Pearl) and a villainous hunter (Rimpow, played by Cooper Johnson) who’s single-mindedly focused on both capturing the Wail and getting vengeance on him - and the world - for turning him from a pirate into a humanoid.

Like its grotesque-looking yet heroic and gentle lead character, BEACHED as a series is its own one-of-a-kind beast. On its surface, it is science fiction but the show’s first three episodes powerfully incorporate significant dashes of humor, action, suspense and emotional drama.

That’s one of many reasons why in March 2020, BEACHED was chosen to have its world premiere at the legendary South By Southwest film festival before the event was ultimately canceled due to the coronavirus lockdown. Collins and Godsey plan to produce 8 more episodes for the show’s first season (11 total) sometime in the near future.

Now on the Viewfinder Podcast, Collins - an award-winning director, screenwriter and editor whose work includes music videos, shorts and feature films and web series - joins us to talk about how BEACHED came into existence, and how its incredible multi-genre storytelling approach transcends the usual trappings of sci-fi entertainment.

Find out more about Nic and his film work on his official website:

https://www.niccollins.com/

See Nic’s films and videos on his YouTube channel, Nic Collins Films:

https://www.youtube.com/c/niccollinsfilms

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niccollins.jpeg/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@niccollinsfilms

Connect with Sean Godsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scannedlife/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on Twitter @ViewfinderPod

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Music by Audionautix.com