Congratulations should go to this production! It's an indie that definitely organized. It shows commitment, organization and a a desire to present some fresh ideas.
The office format is tried and true, with lots of opportunities for comedy and real life to invade.
What this first episode does well is introduce us to the characters and setting. Music choices, shot choices, and script editing choices were all done very well, until you get us into the office space itself.
Overall, I'd say this show has a lot of development and learning to do, but you are on your way. It will be great to see how you progress as you smooth out the bumps.
What I really enjoyed: Some really quippy writing, good editing choices, great music, some good acting.
What I didn't like...
Larger than life characters are very challenging to do on the small screen. The line between restrained acting and over-acting are very hard to walk. Here, I found the direction was allowing the actors to be too big.
A good example of this is in the role of the head of the company. The Scottish accent is quite big and comes off as false, not funny. It also slips from time to time. Better to direct the actor down so the accent is more subtle.
As I was watching I kept feeling that the actors were trying too hard. The waiting room scene looked forced, the one-on-one of Gord and the HR guy had some great lines, but had an air of falsity.
The central kernel that holds this show together, the central situation, could use more refining. If the writers work at that, upcoming episodes could improve show after show. If it doesn't, well...
I'd like to see the cinematographer pay closer attention. The framing of some shots was frequently so big, with the actors so tight, they looked like they were being shoved into a too small box but had tons of screen real estate all around them. The audio quality is mixed. Costume choices in some cases were questionable (if you want a power woman, put her in power shoes, unless the big flats are a part of her character).
I like the quality of the main actor, the camera loves him and he comes across as real and in the moment. Cute, too!
Crossing fingers it does, because it's refreshing to see something so Canadian.
