That's My DJ

That's My DJ
Genre
  • Drama
Created byD. W. Waterson
Directed byD. W. Waterson
Starring
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes24
Production
EditorMaureen Grant
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time1-15 minutes
Original release
Release2014 (2014) –
2017 (2017)

That's My DJ is a Canadian web series created by D. W. Waterson.[1] The series, created in 2014, follows the lives of several people who work in the Toronto nightlife industry.[2] It has been funded through various Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns.[3] The first season originally premiered online in 2014, before being re-released in 2016, following the release of the second season on YouTube. A third and final season premiered online July 7, 2017.[4]

Since its release, the series has won several awards, including at the Vancouver Web Series Festival and the New York Television Festival. It additionally received two Canadian Screen Award nominations.

Background

That's My DJ was created by Canadian DJ D. W. Waterson in 2014. They wanted to create the series because they felt that the stories of LGBT women and women of colour and their importance in the Toronto nightlife industry and the electronic music scene were not being told. In an interview, Waterson discussed their intentions with the series, saying:

Being a DJ myself I found myself looking around the clubs and bars thinking there are so many interesting characters set against this colorful background, why isn’t anyone telling this story?! It was that moment that inspired me to write and create That’s My DJ.[5]

Waterson collaborated with other creatives in the Toronto arts scene to create the series and initially relied on self-financing to produce the project. The first season of the series originally premiered online in 2014, after a successful crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo;[6] however, after it struggled to attract viewers, it was subsequently pulled from YouTube.

Following the success of the second season in 2016,[7] the first season was re-uploaded to YouTube.[8] The second and third seasons were also funded primarily through Indiegogo campaigns.[9][10] Each season consists of 8 episodes, with a total of 24 episodes over three seasons.[11] As of 2020, the three seasons have been viewed over 3 million times cumulatively on YouTube.[12]

Plot

The series focuses on the nightlife scene in Toronto and each season follows a different character, ranging from DJs (seasons 1 and 3) to event promoters (season 2). The second season deals with an LGBT relationship between two women.

Cast and characters

Main

[13]

Recurring

  • Kelly McCormack as Dee (season 2–3)
  • Nico Racicot as Lucas (season 2–3)
  • Kristian Bruun as Peter (season 2–3)
  • Dayle McLeod as Hannah (season 2)
  • Kyle Mac as Kyle (season 1)

Reception

NOW Magazine called the series "well-produced, well-acted, and well-written".[8] Flare dubbed the series a "must-see—even if you're not in the music scene".[4] TalkNerdyWithUs.com described the series as "funny, exciting, inventive, occasionally maddening, always beautiful, and heavily invested in the duality of heartbreak and optimism".[14] Teen Vogue praised the series for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ women of colour.[15]

Awards and nominations

D. W. Waterson won several awards for directing and producing the series.

The series has won various awards, including the Best Director award at the 2016 New York Television Festival for Waterson,[7] as well as Best Canadian Series and Best Director at the 2017 Vancouver Web Series Festival.[16] The series has received two Canadian Screen Award nominations, for Emily Piggford's performance in 2016,[17] and for Waterson's direction in 2018.[18]

Year Association Category Nominee(s) Result Refs
2016
New York Television Festival Best Director D. W. Waterson Won [19]
2017 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance in a Series Produced for Digital Media Emily Piggford Nominated [18]
Vancouver Web Series Festival Best Drama Series D. W. Waterson Nominated [20]
Best Director D. W. Waterson Won [20]
Best Canadian Series D. W. Waterson Won [20]
2018
Canadian Screen Awards Best Direction, Web Program or Series D. W. Waterson Nominated [18]
Seoul Web Fest Best Music D. W. Waterson Won [21]

References

  1. ^ nurun.com. "Stroud native Kristin Waterson Plays the WayHome Festival | Entertainment | UR". Barrie Examiner. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  2. ^ ""That's My DJ" gets queerer in Season 2 - AfterEllen". AfterEllen. 2016-08-30. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  3. ^ "That's My DJ Season 2". Indiegogo. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  4. ^ a b "'That's My DJ' Season 3: This Show Has Something for Everyone - FLARE". Flare. 2017-07-07. Archived from the original on 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  5. ^ "Director D.W. Waterson Talks "That's My DJ" and Other Projects". Occhi Magazine. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  6. ^ "That's My DJ". Indiegogo. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  7. ^ a b "Indie Pilots 'According to My Mother,' 'Poor Todd' Take New York Television Festival Prizes". Variety. 2016-10-29. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  8. ^ a b "Binge-worthy Toronto web series". NOW Magazine. 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  9. ^ "That's My DJ Season 2". Indiegogo. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  10. ^ "That's My DJ Season 3". Indiegogo. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  11. ^ Night is Y (2017-03-26), That's My DJ - Season 1 - Episode 1, retrieved 2017-06-05
  12. ^ "Night is Y". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  13. ^ That's My DJ (TV Mini-Series 2014– ), retrieved 2017-10-10
  14. ^ "Web Series Review: That's My DJ". TalkNerdyWithUs. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  15. ^ Costa, Daniela. "9 Shows That Actually Star LGBTQ People of Color". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  16. ^ "Vancouver Web Fest". vancouverwebfest.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-26. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
  17. ^ "Announcing the Nominations for the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards". cfccreates.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-15. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  18. ^ a b c "D.W. Waterson - Academy.ca". Academy.ca. 2018-01-10. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
  19. ^ "Indie Pilots 'According to My Mother,' 'Poor Todd' Take New York Television Festival Prizes". Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  20. ^ a b c "Vancouver Web Fest 2017 Winners & Nominees". www.vancouverwebfest.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  21. ^ "Seoul Web Fest - 2018 Award Winners".