| Story and photos by Anthony Gilmore |
Each year, hundreds of people come from the around the world to teach English in Japan. Some do it for the experience, others for the money, and then there are those
who come because they simply want to be teachers. In the fall of 2010, Nameless Media and Productions will do it on the net, exploring the billion-dollar industry of overseas English education with their new “dramedy” web series, English Teachers.
Set in a bustling Japanese city, English Teachers tells the story of Tom Kellerman, a young teacher who left his home in Topeka, Kansas and set out on a soul-searching journey that leads him across the globe to the BeYes! School of English. Making his search more difficult is his rag-tag group of colleagues whose questionable teaching skills seem to be even worse than their social skills. With English being a competitive business, Tom and his BeYes! cohorts struggle to find their way through language barriers, cultural challenges, and the everyday obstacles of being an English teacher.
Anthony Gilmore, the creator/director of the series and president of Nameless Media and Productions, is proud to be bringing this first-of-its-kind story to the booming web series genre. “This is an idea that I’ve had for awhile,” says Gilmore, “But the timing has never been right to move forward with production. After months and months of hard work, we’re finally going to be able see that idea on the screen. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we’re all very excited.”
The production will be brought to life with the help of an international cast and crew. The talented cast of English Teachers is made up of both new and familiar faces from television and film. Jonathan Sherr, who recently starred opposite Mao Inoue in My Darling is a Foreigner, plays the role of Tom. Actress, singer, and model Ananda Jacobs plays the role of Jodi, a fellow teacher and Tom’s potential love interest. Rounding out the cast is Michael Kruse as the aging slacker Mark, Michael Walker as the wanna be ninja Neville, and Gaetano Totaro as the training tornado known simply as Roberto.With the web series genre quickly becoming a mainstay in popular media, it is an exciting time to be bringing the world of English teachers to the laptop audience. A web series allows the viewer to experience a variety of unique comedy and dramas rarely seen on the sometimes stale television dial. With impressive talent both in front of and behind the camera, the highly anticipated English Teachers production will be just as much fun to make as it will be to watch. “I’ve been able to work with such a great team,” comments Gilmore. “The writing staff have delivered great scripts and have been quite entertaining to work with. The art department is really working hard to make the BeYes! world come to life, and the production manager, producers, and interns are working around the clock to make this show happen. We’ll be shooting on a pair of Canon 5Ds and working with a top- notch local DP, lighting technician, and sound technician.”
English Teachers has posted their first episode at:
So tune in and take notes. There will be a short quiz afterwards.
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