Web series Wharf Rats secures funding to finish production
Application made it through three rounds of cuts
The P.E.I.-based comedy Wharf Rats has received funding from the Independent Production Fund that will help finish out the series.
Director Jason Arsenault says he received the news Tuesday that his application was successful.
He said he had applied a few times before for funding.
"Each time you learn something new and this year with Wharf Rats we were successful."
The $75,000 received from the fund will be combined with the funds the web series got from Telefilm Canada last month.
"It's a long process," said Arsenault. "We applied, I think maybe in February, went to the second round in May, waited a few more weeks to find out about these final results...So it was like this huge amount of relief you know, stress completely off your head, at least for the day."
One of 15 projects funded
Arsenault was able to secure the funds after being chosen from among 180 applications in the first round and 30 in the second.
"At the end, I think about 15 projects from across the country get funded. We were the only project outside of Quebec, Ontario and B.C. to receive funding."
Now, with more than $200,000 to work with, Arsenault said they are still planning to shoot 80 minutes of content using a full production crew over 16 to 18 days.
The plan is to shoot eight episodes that are 10 to 12 minutes long.
"It is still tight but it certainly allows us to work and we can hire people who have experience to help us."
The comedy series is set in the imaginary fishing community of Split Lip Cove, P.E.I. and revolves around two small-minded but likeable brothers, played by Dennis Trainor and Robbie Carruthers, who are also writers on the show.
The idea for Wharf Rats started as an entry in CBC's Comedy Coup in 2014, where it finished in the top five pitches.
With files from Island Morning