Does your office resemble "The Office" with its troupe of dysfunctional employees? Do you know a couple that are as fun to watch bickering as Ray and Debra Barone?
Then get the word out to any honestly funny character you know: There's a casting call for a sitcom actually set in Grand Rapids that's billed as being every bit the same production quality as "Seinfeld" and "Everyone Loves Raymond." The pilot series "GoFers" even has Tom Caltabiano, a two-time Emmy Award winning writer and co-producer for Everybody Loves Raymond, as a mentor.
The first script for GoFers has been pared down by about 45 pages to accommodate the sitcom's 22-minute length, and now it's time to find the people who will be saying those lines. Come March 22, producers say they will send out a casting notice via "any and all" local websites and talent agencies to give the location and details of the casting call, which is slated for April 17.
Shooting on location in metro Grand Rapids is scheduled to start in June, with wrap-up of the first episode later this summer.
Think of it. The Calder instead of the fountain in Central Park that's the opening scene in "Friends." (And the Friends fountain is really just a prop in Los Angeles; our Calder is the real thing) A shot of homes on our West Side instead of Seinfeld's Upper West Side apartments in Manhattan. Scenes in our local offices -- replete with Grand Rapids-made office furniture -- instead of the Scranton office of Dunder Mifflin.
So the question is: Can the Midwest ever be as funny as the two Coasts? Bob Israels and his colleagues hope so.
And when you look at where this all came from -- a furniture store owner telling a bunch of college students they can launch their own sitcom because they didn't want to make parts for nuclear power plants -- it may have a chance.
A Sitcom or Reality
When Israels was trying to come up with a project for his fledgling Center for Emerging Enterprises in Grand Rapids, the ideas were as far ranging as the design of new furniture to a manufacturing plant for nuclear power parts.
"I couldn't sell the students on the nuclear power plant manufacturing," recalls Israels, 64, owner and chairman of the board of Israels Designs for Living and owner of Klingman's Furniture Co. in Grand Rapids. "They said yes to the sitcom, so we pushed ahead. I thought it was a bad idea, but I'm easy to convince."
So he turned to his good friend Denny Cuson, who had contacts in show business that he developed from a 15-year stint with Steelcase Inc.'s corporate communications department, experience that included work with comedians Steve Martin and Bob Newhart. Cuson had been developing a sitcom for about five years when he suggested it become Israels' first project for the center.
In turn, Cuson was inspired by a friend who owned a mom-and-pop delivery service in metro Grand Rapids and told hilarious stories about what happened on daily delivery runs.
"He was always hiring these strange people who would do some strange things," says Cuson, project director for GoFers. "He tried to help down-and-out people, but there were always problems. It was a terrible way to run a business, but great for a sitcom."
One story line for an episode of GoFers involves a rash of accidents by the delivery drivers, who then argue about the root cause of the bad luck. When one driver suggests the business is cursed, everyone tries to break the spell based on his or her religious persuasion. Chaos ensues as an exorcism, voodoo and other rituals are employed while trying to make deliveries.
The cast will include a core group of six actors, with additional background drivers and support cast to be selected from the casting call. The pilot will be ready by September, with 13 episodes planned. A Web-based GoFers game also is being created for release at the same time.
Strange Freedom
Israels says he has been involved in a program at the Harvard Business School for several years that he used as a basis for his Center for Emerging Enterprises. The idea is to integrate entrepreneurial spirit with college students, mentors and businesses challenged to blend concepts, capital, communications and collaborations together to produce a sellable product.
"The center's core is about the need for education and hope. We have a knowledgeable, next generation of people coming on board, despite this difficult environment," Israels says. "I'm thrilled about this sitcom (because it's an example) of throwing out the map and trying to get students to experience the strange freedom that comes from being your own best."
The effort behind GoFers is gaining a lot of attention and support, with television networks seeking interviews from this amateur production expecting a battle for air time in a saturated, brutal industry. That will come later, says Israels, who wants all the i's dotted and t's crossed before seeking broad public exposure.
It certainly helps the project's credibility to have Caltabiano, who also directed the documentary "95 Miles to Go," as a mentor for the students. Caltabiano is involved through his friendship with Frank Boring, an award winning film maker and professor at Grand Valley State University who is the head mentor for the GoFers writing team.
Caltabiano has been traveling from his home in California to assist as needed. He also will have a role in the filming.
"We're still in the pre-production phase, but I'm surprised at everything that is happening," Cuson says. "The students have been terrific, with a whole bunch of energy and creativity I didn't expect. "Professionals will be involved in the filming and helping the college film departments, but 90 percent of all the work is being done by the students."
Looking for the Big Break
Cuson says they haven't decided yet where to introduce the sitcom pilot, be it the networks, cable or the Internet. His goal is to get the show picked up and "out there" for 10 years.
"It may not be a hit, but some hits take a length of time before they get there," he adds. "Seinfeld took about three years and Raymond almost as long."
Chris Kotcher, 22, studying film and video at GVSU, is part of a nine-person student writing team assigned to develop the characters and write the scripts. He says it's a challenge -- but rewarding -- to work with other talented writers with a variety of comedic and storytelling approaches.
"We looked at other shows and people we know in real life to develop the characters and the history of the company and how that would work together," Kotcher says. "Tom is very creative and has a real eye for helping us see how it's done. He was really interested and even laughed at it."
So certain that GoFers will be successful, Israels is personally footing the $13 million project as the students seek out sponsors, grants and fundraising events. Profits will be used to help offset tuition and other education costs at the participating colleges.
The typical cost to build a series like this would be around $20 million if it was being produced in Hollywood, Israels says. "We're building our own Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (movie studio) by doing this with students and the state of Michigan."
A secondary, but important, effort to woo advertisers to GoFers involves a ground breaking software program which allows viewers to pause and click on products and clothing during the program. That click directs them to an advertiser's Web site, where items can be ordered for purchase.
"It won't interfere with the regular viewing of the show," says Kotcher. "It will help advertisers to make money, and we see it as a win-win for everybody."
A Cast of Hundreds
Since the project began in September, 67 students and seven area colleges and universities have been involved. They include Grand Valley State University and its Seidman College of Business, Aquinas College , Cornerstone University, Kuyper College, Calvin College, Compass Arts Academy and Kendall College of Art and Design.
Their involvement includes everything from drafting contracts and other legal documents to script writing, set design and casting. Eventually there will be 155 students involved as set construction and scene setups begin, Israels says.
Several students have expressed interest in continuing with the project beyond graduation this year.
"I don't have a job yet, but hopefully I will still be involved with the sitcom after graduation," says Rachael Vail-Steele, 22, who's part of the advertising, marketing and public relations team working with mentor Seyferth and Associates in Grand Rapids. Vail-Steele is majoring in advertising at GVSU and is working on the sitcom's logo, as well as a signature for the delivery trucks. The team also has worked on market research, product placement and was in charge of arranging a recent press conference.
"I had no idea this was going to be this huge and it's been very exciting for us," Vail-Steele adds. "This internship has opened up a new way to go into advertising and it's definitely going on my resume."
Andrea Mannino, 21, is part of the legal team responsible for PowerPoint presentations for business sponsors, the Michigan film tax credit application, (michiganfilmproduction.com), by-laws., marketing and dozens of other required legal documents.
"The movie industry is very difficult and all the students were starting from square one," says Mannino. "I'm interested in going to law school and this has been so interesting and exciting, I may pursue entertainment law."
The interns are in charge and are not given the answers to help solve any problems they might have. The unique learning experience through the center takes them out of the classroom and into the actual world, she adds.
"There's no way this can fail, no matter what happens with the sitcom," says Mannino. "The students are learning stuff you won't get in a classroom, and making connections in the business world by really getting out of their comfort zones. If nothing else, I'll have a great wardrobe."
A veteran journalist formerly of The Grand Rapids Press, Mary Radigan is a freelance writer based in Grand Rapids.
Photo:
Bob Israels (2)
GoFer Team -courtesy photo (2)
Photographs by Brian Kelly -All Rights Reserved