Get to know the ladies behind the web series Call it a Day

With Broad City and Fleabag gone, you may be looking for a new pair to fill your vulgar ladies tackling adversity void. Call it a Day has you covered.

Rachel Mariam (Just Saying) and Oriane Pick (Say Your Name) play two women in their 20’s trying to survive in London. From the very first episode, you get a taste of the humor, as well as the real-life struggles that Call it a Day looks to address. In just six episodes (each less than 15 minutes in length) you see their characters, Amy and Eva, at their lowest points but you also see how they triumph in the face of that adversity.

Making a web series is not easy work and especially making one with the level of quality shown in Call it a Day. The pair hope to follow in Broad City‘s footsteps and be picked up by a network and there is no doubt that the show has what it takes. The characters have depth, they’re likable, and their struggles are relatable. It’s just a matter of getting the series in front of the right people.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Rachel and Oriane about the show recently.

Hidden Remote: You two seem to have great chemistry on-screen but from your biographies, it seems like you may be met just over a year ago. How did you two come to know each other?

Rachel Mariam: Yeah we do make a good team! Maybe it’s the angry French women factor! We met in acting class, last January? February?

Oriane Pick: Yes, I think it was in January last year; first day in class doing Shakespeare together, looking on word reference to make sure we fully understood the script written in old English. We obviously instantly bonded.

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HR: How did the idea to make Call it a Day come about?

RM: Well, Oriane was already working on her other web series Just Saying, in which I also appeared. We realized we do work really well together, and Oriane wanted to make a more ambitious web series, so we decided I’d get started on the writing!

OP: We wanted to create something together, something we’d be really proud of, which people could really relate to. I remember reading the scripts of Episodes 1 and 6 for the first time and already having tears in my eyes thinking: “man, Eva is going through so much heavy stuff!” I knew that Rachel had written something really special for us!

HR: You really do get into some heavy stuff within just minutes of Episode 1. How were the themes/storylines chosen for this first season?

RM: We liked the idea of having two very different women so that we could show a broader spectrum of the struggles women, but also people in general, go through. Amy & Eva have very different issues, they don’t worry about the same things, so it allows us to touch on more topics and hopefully have more people relate too!

OP: We also added a bit of autobiographical moments here and there, because why not? We’ll let you try and find out which ones each of us has!

HR:  The best stories have some truth behind them! With that said though, the show is a comedy which means there have to be some bloopers or outtakes. What are the chances we get to see a blooper reel?

OP: Definitely! We have to do this as soon as post-production is over. There were so many moments, especially when the both of us were on-screen together, where we simply couldn’t stop laughing before a take.

RM: Yeah we need to put it together, we’ve been so busy with post that we didn’t get to it yet, but soon, promise!

HR: Is there any moment in particular, that you can recall, where something went wrong on set? (Funny story or horror story)

RM: Sweet baby Jesus. It’s filmmaking, and moreover indie filmmaking so there were a LOT of them. One time we couldn’t make the sound equipment work so we lost three hours of doing nothing on set, which was incredibly frustrating. A full cast and crew, just sitting around for hours, not knowing when they’ll be able to get back to work. Worse: when they’ll be able to go home, see their family again, breathe fresh air. Lovely!

OP: Oh YEAH. Like Rachel said, it’s indie filmmaking so no matter how far in advance you plan ahead and try and anticipate what could go wrong on set, there’s always something you’re not thinking about. Like on our first film day, where we were shooting Episode 3’s dating scenes of Eva and it was POURING outside making it so difficult to carry all the equipment from one location to the next.

We should have thought about it, living in London…! Everyone was soaked and feeling like they would catch a cold when we were just starting a very long week of shooting! Coffee and chocolate helped though.

HR: Coffee and chocolate always help! What has been the most surprising thing for you both in this process? And/or what have you learned from this process?

OP: For me, it was to see how committed everyone was to this project. Everyone believed in it and worked so hard to make it happen for us both! They all had our backs. We received so many lovely emails from cast and crew after the release of each episode and it was incredibly moving. Even during our crowdfunding campaign, people we hadn’t met before donated so much money because they believe this show can go big. We never felt so proud of what we achieved!

RM: The most surprising thing is that we actually did it like we really finished it. I think, because it’s my first really ambitious project, a part of me maybe expected for something to go horribly wrong and the project would go dead or be delayed for months. I was so scared we’d find out something in post that would just be irreparable or something like that. We have now edited the whole season, and I am pleased to announce that everything kinda works so that’s a huge relief!

And what I learned is, you need to be surrounded by a good team. Everything ended up working out because we had a team of people that knew what they were doing so even if it was stressful at times, at the end of the day we could trust that everyone cared and wanted to make their best work, which is vital.

Also, good catering: very important.

OP: Couldn’t agree more! The only way to pull a project like that one off was for everyone to work super closely together and trust each other. And oh my God, those homemade cookies helped us survive some very intense shoot days!

HR: You two aren’t the first to mention good food being vital to the process. So what is your favorite thing about the show?

RM: The fact that people react whether really positively or really negatively to it. It feels like there is no middle ground, people love it or hate it. It’s a good thing, as long as it doesn’t make people indifferent, I did my job.

OP: Totally agree, it shows that we’ve touched a nerve and created a reaction there. Also, receiving emails or DMs from people who’d watched the last episodes and letting us know that they relate to specific moments our two characters face in Season 1 was insane!

HR: With the first season complete, what are your plans?

RM: I’ve been working on the writing of a feature film called Juliet Is Fine, that I’d love to get made eventually. I’ll get started very soon on the writing of a short film about mental health, that I will also be directing with Oriane attached as the lead. And I’ll be re-writing Season 1 of Call It a Day in a 25-minute episode format to pitch it to networks (Hi, BBC3, yeah I’m talking to you). So, hopefully, 2020 will be busy, because I really need to quit my day job, man (no offense, boss).

OP: Yes, we’ll definitely keep busy! First half of the year, I’ll be focusing on producing the short film Rachel mentioned and working on the part. On top of approaching networks like Rachel said, we’ll also be working on a play later this year so stay tuned…

HR: It does sound like you two will be very busy this year and we wish you luck in promoting the show. It really does feel like one that could take off!

Rachel and Oriane are primed for a busy year. Check out the trailer above and give Call it a Day a shot.

The full six-episode season of Call it a Day is currently streaming on YouTube.