New Prime

Olan Rogers is a miracle worker. That's all there is to it.

For those of us who have been watching since the beginning of BalloonShop, the sketch comedy group which Rogers was previously one- third of, it is IMMENSELY satisfying to see his talent developing. His ambitions and emergent talent have been visible since mid-to-late period BalloonShop, but since he struck out on his own, he's been growing by leaps and bounds as a filmmaker.

I was sad to see BalloonShop end. I'm of the opinion that it would be as influential to modern comedy as Monty Python was if only more people were aware of it. What BalloonShop and Monty Python have in common is a surrealist bent and a knack for distilling the purest strain of humor out of absurdity, and all three members had some of the best comic ideas and timing I've ever seen. As it slowly became apparent to everyone involved that its era was past, Olan kept going.

Rather than letting the energy and creativity that had gone into BalloonShop fade away, Olan redirected and focused it. As time went on, he built up a collection of dozens of hilarious vlogs and shorts, many with longtime friend Reid Sullivan (previously seen in several BalloonShop sketches). We as viewers felt involved in his life. We developed a sense that this wasn't just some guy on the internet; this was a friend of ours who was so eager to share his talent, and we got to see that talent develop.

When The Last Scene hit, I don't think any of us were prepared for what we were about to get into. What started as a particularly ambitious comedy short developed by the end into something as touching and emotional as it was funny. I think we all knew Olan was headed for great things, but as The Last Scene ended, something felt different somehow. We'd seen the birth, and here we were watching an artist's first step.

It wasn't long before he announced a sequel series: New Prime. A few months later, New Prime has been completed, and even days after watching the finale, I'm a bit dazed.

This series should not be possible. How did a few friends, less than a thousand dollars, and a cat accomplish this?

Much like The Last Scene, it starts off on a small scale as a series of ridiculous dialogue exchanges with hints of something larger to come. By the time the credits roll, it's transformed into something massive, an epic story filled with big ideas and bigger characters. Olan plays most of the roles himself, and if he hadn't previously proved himself as an actor, he does here. Ferris goes from a parody of several well-known archetypes to a deeply sympathetic character. Sullivan and Thomas Gore, also of BalloonShop, fill out the other primary roles (except, of course, for the implacable Emperor Laboosh, played with measured placidity by Rogers' cat Starscream and voiced by Gore). Brett Driver and Sara Frietes take on a couple of smaller parts with little to no dialogue, and play them convincingly (and amusingly, in Driver's case) while on screen.

The soundtrack is excellent, and features music by Andrew Goodman, Zack Hemsey, and indie band Awake! Awake!, all of which sets the tone perfectly and underscores the proceedings beautifully. Other music was written by fans (I myself wrote a theme which was ultimately not used) and several other independent musicians. None of the music ever draws you out of the moment; it always enhances the action.

Rogers' skill as a director shines through every pixel of every frame, especially in the fifth and final segment. New Prime outshines its budget. New Prime 5 was filmed on a budget of $500, about as much as a Hollywood studio executive might find in the pocket of his jeans, but somehow, it never feels like it. The visual effects are stunning for a project that, by all accounts, probably should be held together with duct tape and string. They're frequently more impressive than what you might see on television shows whose per-episode costs are exponentially greater than that of this entire series.

A sense of infectious enthusiasm bubbles throughout the entire production, just under the surface. You can feel Rogers and his crew's deep love for what they're doing every step of the way. New Prime has everything. A fantastic cast, sharp writing, strong characters, gorgeous effects lending life to a hugely creative and consistent visual aesthetic to match the beautifully-composed shots, intelligently and honestly directed, coherently and intuitively edited, with a hungry energy found only in the work of creators who genuinely love what they're doing so much that they would NEED to do it no matter what. All of this combines to form a definitive statement of purpose and herald the exciting arrival of an auteur. You WILL know Olan Rogers' name, there can be no doubt of that. If there is any justice in the universe at all, his name will be at the top of credits rolling down a big screen near you very, very soon.

Olan Rogers is the most talented film maker on YouTube. The New Prime series really showcased his talent. New Prime 5, the last of the series was literally made on a shoestring budget, and the effects and plot are just as good, if not better than most Hollywood productions. I cannot wait for the series to be released on DVD. I will definitely be one of the first to buy it! Not only is New Prime 5 hilarious and heartwarming, it is equally dramatic and heartbreaking. The way it ties together the Last Scenes and the New Primes blew my mind. If Olan Rogers does not become a director of major motion pictures with large budgets, then there is no justice in this world.

Olan Rogers is one the greatest things that has happened to film. Olan has created amazing things that have made fans laugh, cry and beg for more. Being an Olan Rogers fan I'm always astounded by his work. He puts fans at the edge of their seats in wonder.

In his recent film "New Prime 5" he has shown us you don't need the greatest actors or the greatest equipment. All you need is a lot of good friends, support and the will to amaze. A lot of things were done right in "New Prime 5" The characters were very well developed The actors put a ton of effort in there acting, more than what we can hope for. The VFX were just incredible for a super low budget. The music matched the scenes perfectly. They worked with what they have.

Olan Rogers and his pal Reid Sullivan are the best damn film team I've ever seen. I hope Olan's and Reid's flame never die down and they continue working together to create incredible things for the fans and newcomers to see. And a personal note for Olan if he ever reads this- You'll be the best director of our time, you're fans will always be by your side till the very end.

Reviewing Olan Rogers' recently completed web mini-series New Prime without being biased is pretty much impossible for me. I've been a fan of Olan's work for some time now, dating back to his days with sketch comedy group BalloonShop. It's because of this that I was so excited, and ultimately impressed, with the ambition and scope of NP.

New Prime is the 2nd web series of four to explore this particular universe, the first being the inventive and hilarious The Last Scene, and the last two, which are yet to be produced, are to be titled Pop Rocket and The New Scene. Just as a side-note, New Prime works better as a whole if you have seen TLS prior to viewing it. This is because several TLS characters make small appearances, which could otherwise cause confusion due to the actors playing multiple roles (Olan Rogers x4, Thomas Gore x3, Reid Sullivan x2).

Firstly, the humor. Your enjoyment of New Prime really hinges on you sharing the same sense of humor as Rogers. If you were a BalloonShop fan this should be no issue. However, if you are unfamiliar with their style of humor, it may at first come off as jarringly strange, and not really that funny at all. For me though, New Prime and Rogers' humor in general, is the perfect combination of volume, repetition and absurdity. You see, the characters like to yell… a lot. If you don't find Olan screaming "Rev it down!" or "Calm your storm" the first time all that funny, then you probably won't still be laughing by the 30th time he yells it. I was though. Olan has a talent for writing memorably absurd one-liners. Does the following make you laugh: "Quit dipping your toes in my mind butter". If not, then maybe New Prime is probably not for you.

Plotwise I'd prefer not to reveal too much, so I'll just quote its IMDb entry: Two bounty hunters attempt to take down a terrorist known as "The Phantom" and to save the planet, New Prime. Yeah, that'll do.

The performances are what you'd expect from their previous work. Their voices are coarse and exaggerated – a parody of typical action heroes. Reid Sullivan, while not a great actor, is still incredibly endearing as the bounty hunter Dutch ("No, the Nimbus Cubs!"), Thomas Gore is as awkward and hilarious as ever, while Olan Rogers attempts genuine versatility with some genuinely touching emotional scenes.

The special effects are impressive considering the limited budget. The final episode is amazing, combining emotion and exciting special effects to create an incredibly climactic ending, that in many ways rivals those of large Hollywood blockbusters. Sure, a lot of the background renderings are not of the highest quality, but Olan's passion for his work seeps through every frame, which is quite infectious. You can imagine the hours that were put into that final episode, and you can't help but feel a little proud watching it.

Okay, now I want to try some constructive criticism. Firstly Olan, you need to plan more. The first episode is 5 minutes, while the 5th runs for 20 minutes – there's something wrong with that. If you plan ahead for your next series and plot it out fully, you can split it more evenly and create an overall more consistent series. The Last Scene suffered from the same problem.

My second issue is one that most probably won't agree with. I personally feel that the emotional moments in NP, despite being well-executed and surprisingly effective, were unearned, other than in the last episode. You expect us to care for these characters, for their losses and their triumphs. Despite this, we never really get to know these characters until we are force-fed with overly melodramatic flashbacks. I'll admit, I loved these flashbacks, because they show your growing talent as a filmmaker. I just think that before we were fed these flashbacks, the characters should have been explored further through dialogue. Otherwise it feels like we only cared for these characters because we happen to find Rogers and Sullivan incredibly likable, and was then told to care about them.

If that seems convoluted, I apologise. It's difficult to make sense of my thoughts regarding New Prime. Let me just finish by saying that overall New Prime is incredibly ambitious – Olan Rogers, well done. You've created something special here.

I have watched Baloonshop over the years, and was quite impressed with their videos! 3 guys, a camera, and an Incredible sense of humor are the 3 factors that led to me favorite Youtube series. When the unfortunate events of Baloonshop's breakup went down, I was beginning to get withdrawals from that Baloonshop humor. Then all three members got new Youtube channels, and started uploading new videos. I got my fix! I still get to enjoy all 3 very talented individual's video art. Thomas and Josh are both incredible, but Olan Rogers is advancing at light speed. Compare I'm Listening To My Radio, Derrick! to New Prime 5. It is hard to believe that it is the same person. With the New Prime series, every new episode topped anything Olan has ever done. He has created a masterpiece of a series, with that incredible sense of humor that always has me laughing.

Thank you Olan Rogers!