The Hosts: A New Webseries
Jason wants a relationship, not just a hook-up. But after a heartbreak, he decides to give up putting his best side forward, and start putting out. The Hosts goes under the surface of the gay culture we see on TV to take an intimate and realistic look at how we present ourselves in the bedroom.
Jason wants a relationship, not just a hook-up. But after a heartbreak, he decides to give up putting his best side forward, and start putting out. The Hosts goes under the surface of the gay culture we see on TV to take an intimate and realistic look at how we present ourselves in the bedroom.
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Story
Mission Statement
"The Hosts" is pledging to cast queer men of color in at least 5 of its 7 available roles. We are pledging to hire women and LGBTQ+ filmmakers in all our available crew positions. We express awareness that our cast features men exclusively, hence our taking these measures.About The Project
"The Hosts" is a new gay webseries in 10 parts, currently in pre-production, with production scheduled for late August 2019. Read below for everything you'd want to know about the story, our team, and our funding campagin!
"The Hosts" follows Jason, a young gay man in New York City, who has just gone through a break-up after a 7-year relationship with the only man he's ever been with. Out of pride and desperation, Jason makes a plan for himself: integrate himself back into the world of dating the way so many other gay men do, by going on the hook-up app all the gays love to hate.
10 episodes, 10 Grindr hook-ups - and a whole lotta complication
I began writing "The Hosts" out of a need to see what I wasn't seeing in other LGBTQ webseries: all of that revealing, complicated, fussy, and fraught behavior that occurs just after getting to your hook-up's apartment and just before leaving. It is, in some ways, much more vulnerable than the sex itself. We have to be honest about what we want, say the right thing, avoid saying the wrong thing, be upfront about our statuses, our preferred positions, not appearing desperate, staying in the moment. All this, on top of being with someone you've never met before. Anything is possible, and that's terrifying.
"The Hosts" is built on uncomfortable situations for our characters, especially for Jason. Every moment takes place in the discomfort of a stranger's home: a stranger who is expecting favors he wants to deliver on, but often has no idea how to reconcile his own sense of self with what. He wants sex, and his partners want sex, but that doesn't mean everyone wants the same thing.
At early development readings for "The Hosts", the most striking thing for those listening was just how relatable it was. Listeners and readers continue to remark on how familar the scenarios seemed, and how it captured the difficulty of connecting with another person, espcially when sex gets in the way. They cringed at the connections they drew to their own lives, felt vulnerable and seen by it, and sometimes even validated. I want to explore all this territory throughout the series.
Our team is made up New York filmmakers, actors, and producers from all different backgrounds! Some of us come from the theater world, some from the comedy world, some have produced their own work, some have worked in other areas of entertainment. Myself and my director are committed to hiring entriely non-binary, female, and transgender crew members, and the cast filling out our characters will predominantly be actors of color. We are telling an urban queer story, and that means an ethnically diverse one.
In order to bring you this intimate and relatable story and make it the very best it can be, we need support from people like you! Your donations will go towards paying our exceptional crew, making sure everyone on set is fed, renting the best equipment, and editing the project to perfection in post-production.
If you cannot contribute, you can help by following us on our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages, and sharing and retweeting our posts! We are at @thehostsseries on all platforms.
Thank you for all your support and your engagement! We'll see you on the internet!
Incentives
$5
"hey" (Personalized "Thank-You" video on Insta and FB)
This will get you a personalized "Thank You" video on our Instagram story! Make sure you share your handle with your contribution to make it shareable. Plus, we'll make a written version of that note on our Facebook page!
$25
"pics?" (Personalized Sing-stagram "Thank-You")!
The show's creator, Ben, just happens to be a trained theater singer with a degree! Your contribution of $25 or more will get you personalized version of a song with lyrics expressing our gratitude and how great we think you are! Got a favorite? Let us know (Ben will do his best)! Make sure you include your Instagram handle with your contribution!
$50
"do u host?" (Wrap Party Invite)
Our wrap party will be held on October 18th, 2019 at a location TBD in New York City! Come party with the cast and crew, and get a first glimpse at the trailer!
Claimed: 2 of 30
$100
"what r u into?" (Early access to the series online)
With your $100 contribution, you'll get to see "The Hosts" before the general public! You will receive a code to watch online a full week early!
$150
"wanna go out for drinks?" (Private yoga session or Acting coaching*)
Photo credit: Tay Cooley @cooleyography
Ben Odom, the show's creator, is a certified yoga teacher, and has studied acting at Syracuse University, Atlantic Theater Company, and The Barrow Group. With a $150 contribution, you get your choice of a 1-hour private yoga session or 2-hour acting coaching!
*NYC locals only
Claimed: 0 of 10
$250
"wow you're hot" (Customized Speedo)
Sizes according to waist!
How proud would you be to strut your support for the show on Fire Island or Riis Beach?! Our customized swimsuit from Splish.com is the only swimsuit you need this summer!
$1,000
"Last night was fun :)" (Associate Producer credit)
Your generous contribution will get you credit as an Associate Producer on "The Hosts"! You'll be credited at the end of every episode.
$5,000
"Let's meet up again sometime soon :D" (Executive Producer credit)
You'll go above the tile as a key contributor to the success of "The Hosts!" If you are an NYC local, the team will treat you to dinner at the restaurant of your choice!
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$5
"hey" (Personalized "Thank-You" video on Insta and FB)
This will get you a personalized "Thank You" video on our Instagram story! Make sure you share your handle with your contribution to make it shareable. Plus, we'll make a written version of that note on our Facebook page!
$25
"pics?" (Personalized Sing-stagram "Thank-You")!
The show's creator, Ben, just happens to be a trained theater singer with a degree! Your contribution of $25 or more will get you personalized version of a song with lyrics expressing our gratitude and how great we think you are! Got a favorite? Let us know (Ben will do his best)! Make sure you include your Instagram handle with your contribution!
$50
"do u host?" (Wrap Party Invite)
Our wrap party will be held on October 18th, 2019 at a location TBD in New York City! Come party with the cast and crew, and get a first glimpse at the trailer!
Claimed: 2 of 30
$100
"what r u into?" (Early access to the series online)
With your $100 contribution, you'll get to see "The Hosts" before the general public! You will receive a code to watch online a full week early!
$150
"wanna go out for drinks?" (Private yoga session or Acting coaching*)
Photo credit: Tay Cooley @cooleyography
Ben Odom, the show's creator, is a certified yoga teacher, and has studied acting at Syracuse University, Atlantic Theater Company, and The Barrow Group. With a $150 contribution, you get your choice of a 1-hour private yoga session or 2-hour acting coaching!
*NYC locals only
Claimed: 0 of 10
$250
"wow you're hot" (Customized Speedo)
Sizes according to waist!
How proud would you be to strut your support for the show on Fire Island or Riis Beach?! Our customized swimsuit from Splish.com is the only swimsuit you need this summer!
$1,000
"Last night was fun :)" (Associate Producer credit)
Your generous contribution will get you credit as an Associate Producer on "The Hosts"! You'll be credited at the end of every episode.
$5,000
"Let's meet up again sometime soon :D" (Executive Producer credit)
You'll go above the tile as a key contributor to the success of "The Hosts!" If you are an NYC local, the team will treat you to dinner at the restaurant of your choice!
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
We come from a variety of backgrounds in the New York theater, film and TV scene!
Ben Odom is the creator, writer, and executive producer of "The Hosts", and plays Jason. His field of study includes acting for the camera and stage, classical and contemporary singing, improv and sketch comedy, Shakespeare, Alexander technique, and dance. He has trained at Atlantic Theater School, The Barrow Group, and the Upright Citizens Brigade. He recently worked on "Mr. Robot" and Netflix's "Alex Strangelove", and has appeared in leading roles for commercials for Coca-Cola and Hulu. He is a member of Actor's Equity, and is a graduate of Syracuse University. Ben is also a certified yoga instructor, an avid podcast listener, and a reader of various non-fiction. Follow Ben on Instagram at @ben_odom15
David Bonderoff (Director/Executive Producer), he/him, is a Brooklyn based actor, director, and writer. He is known for his acting work on SyFy's Happy! and for a successful Seed & Spark campaign for his short film, Older Brothers. It is his mission to develop and produce stories that increase representation, inclusion, and joy. David studied acting at the Stella Adler Studio, comedy at UCB, and film production through BRIC arts media's public access education. @davidbonderoff on all social media.
Haley Goetz (Assistant Director/Outreach Consultant) is a 21 year old graduate of the film program at Ithaca College and a recent Brooklyn transplant. While in film school, Haley immersed herself in the producing and directing of films. Her senior thesis film, Feverdreaming, has shown at three film festivals in New England and New York City. Feverdreaming is based on true events, as it tells the love story between Haley's late uncle and his partner before both of them passed away due to AIDS complications in the year 1995. It was a very personal and reflective experience for Haley to make this film, and she hopes to make more films dealing with queer-specific topics in the future. Haley is a self-identifying lesbian, and when she is not busy helping The Hosts become a kick-ass web series, she is working on her own feature-length screenplay. Haley is also one of the organizers for a new feminist-focused film festival coming to Brooklyn this August, the Fatal Femme Film Festival. You can check Haley out on Instagram @boatsofgoatz
Ryan Kristopik (Associate Producer/Events Consultant) is an actor, singer, and comedian in New York. Ryan has appeared Off-Broadway in the musical "It Came From Beyond" and produces his musical comedy show, Thirst Tracks Live!, at venues around the city. Ryan has studied comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade, Second City, and Sea Tea Improv.
Tony Tilli (Actor/Associate Producer/Social Media Consultant) is an actor, model booker, and video editor living in New York City. As an actor, his favorite credits include Spring Awakening, Little Shop of Horrors, Arsenic and Old Lace, the Hot Mikado, and Machinal, as well as an appearance on “Sell It Like Serhant”. He has worked as a casting associate with Laura Stanczyk Casting, working on such projects as the Kennedy Center revival of Follies, and the Tony Award-winning After Midnight. He is currently a model booker with Abbey Lynn Models, booking talent on commercial print and on-camera commercial campaigns for major brands. He is a graduate of Chapman University with a BFA in Theatre Performance, and has studied with the Upright Citizens Brigade. Follow Tony on Intstagram at @TonyTilli.
Kevin Loftus (Associate Producer) studied at Syracuse University's Tepper Semester and SUNY Purchase. He's interned for Tucker/Meyerson Casting and Mark Saks Casting.
Anna Campion (Producer/Outreach Consultant) is a recent New York transplant from the bustling town of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. She just graduated from William & Mary this May, and is excited to be producing some #gaycontent! When not working on The Hosts, Anna can be found binge-watching crime procedurals, walking dogs, and working on her own scripts.
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