| Hard to Be Me | |
|---|---|
| Format | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | Edward Robert Bach |
| Starring | Edward Robert Bach Kendra North Katie E. Jones Michael Garvey Ali Walton Doug Henderson Megan Hurst Kelli Biggs Estenia Goodridge Carleen Troy Brandon Rice |
| Opening theme | "It's Hard to Be Me" by Cyndi Lauper |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 0 |
| No. of episodes | 1 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Edward Robert Bach Robert P. Bach Virginia Ryker |
| Producer(s) | Lauren Gildner Aditi V. Desai Edward Robert Bach Virginia Ryker |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | To Be Announced |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
Hard to Be Me is an independently produced dramedy series created by and starring Edward Robert Bach.[1] The show follows second year art student Kevin Hamilton (Bach) and his vlog in which he tells the story of his week more through his art than his words. This device would frame future episodes of the show.[2]
This framing device has led to Hard to Be Me being called "the first web 2.0 television show"[3] and is often cited by the director of the pilot episode Erik Cieslewicz as one of the main reasons he worked on the project.[3][4] It has been described as "a little Gilmore Girls a little Everybody Hates Chris and a lot of famility-oriented funny,"[5] which is also often cited by the pilot's creators as a major component of the show.[6][7][8]
Currently being pitched to networks by an agent,[9] Hard to Be Me has won a "slew of awards at film festivals."[10]
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"There is definitely some of me in the plot and character developed around Kevin" according to Bach, but he still hopes "Viewers will see themselves in all the characters" as well.[1] It took about a year from start to finish to produce the pilot episode.[11] Bach has stated numerous times that he would like the characters in the show to be relatable and empathetic while the plots to be universal and family friendly.[1][6] Additionally, the reason to set the show in Washington, D.C. was to show "the softer, non-political side of DC and the people who live here."[7]
According to Cieslewicz, "the goal from the beginning was to create a broadcast-ready pilot,"[11] and that the production considered "hundreds" of actors from the Washington D.C. area when casting.[4] Kevin's favorite artist in the show is also one of Bach's as well: Drew Struzan. According to Bach, Struzan "liked the idea of the Pilot"[7] and his self portrait appears in the pilot.[12]
In August 2010, the show reached an agreement with Cyndi Lauper to provide her track It's Hard to Be Me as the theme song of the show.[9]
Using the framing device of Kevin's vLog, the pilot follows Kevin receiving the weekly assignment of creating the vLog from his demanding Communications 101 professor Dr. Candice Wilkes (Biggs). His first blog, introducing his family and friends, introduces the audience to the universe of the show as well.[5] The show also follows a group of characters, who like the audience, are watching Kevin's vLog as part of the narrative of the show.[3]
In addition to calling the pilot "the first web 2.0 TV show," The Wausau City Pages also described it as "giving a truly unique perspective on youth, life and social media technology."[3] Blogger William Powell declared in his review that the show was "directed with crisp professionalism by Erik Cieslewicz" and that "Hard To Be Me is a pilot that will probably wind up on the small screen on a major network soon. Mark my words."[5] Additionally, the pilot has won many awards screening in film festivals.[10]
| Year | Category | Institution or publication | Result | Notes | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Silver Ace | Las Vegas Film Festival | Won | Television Pilot Category Jury Prize |
[13] |
| 2011 | Best Dramedy | New York International Independent Film and Video Festival | Won | Short Category | [14] |
| 2011 | Silver Award | California Film Awards | Won | TV Pilot Category | [15] |
| 2010 | Audience Award | Central Wisconsin Film Festival | Won | Short Category | [16] |
| 2010 | Platinum Award | Nevada Film Festival | Won | TV Pilot Category | [17] |
| 2010 | Best Television Production | Oregon Film Festival | Won | [18] | |
| 2010 | Best Television Pilot | Colorado Film Festival | Won | [19] | |
| 2010 | First Place | Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival | Won | TV pilot category | [20] |
| 2010 | John Muir Award | Yosemite Film Festival | Won | TV pilot category | [21] |
| 2010 | Best TV Pilot Direction |
The Indie Fest | Won | Award of Merit Erik Cieslewicz |
[22] |
| 2010 | Best TV Pilot | New Media Fest | Won | [23] | |
| 2010 | Star Award | The Indie Gathering | Won | TV pilot category | [24] |
| 2010 | Best TV Pilot | New York International Independent Film and Video Festival | Won | [25] | |
| 2010 | Leading Actor Leading Actress TV Pilot |
Accolade Competition | Won | Edward Robert Bach Kendra North Award of Excellence |
[26] |
| 2010 | Best Editing | LA Movie Awards | Won | Television Category | [27] |
| 2010 | Best Use of Music | Park City Film Music Festival | Won | Bronze Medal (Paul Oehlers) | [28] |
| 2010 | Short | SkyFest | Won | Certificate of Excellence | [29] |