The Diner Anthologies, from Underworld Productions in Long Island, is a five-episode thrilling crime series designed specifically for YouTube and YouTube TV.
Set inside an old-style classic diner, each episode tells a standalone story (in less than 13 minutes) crafted by a different creative team, with subtle connective threads linking the episodes into a larger narrative.
WBGO's Doug Doyle spoke with director Ryan Sarno and actress and co-producer Gabriella Piazza about The Diner Anthologies.
Sarno conceived the idea of having each installment play like a short film, prioritizing cinematic visuals and emotional storytelling in a concise (under 13 minute / episode) format.
"We want to make beautiful and cinematic art along with a good story, but we also want to capture people's attention in the first few minutes. I think when we were writing and got our stories together, we got one through our stories done relatively quickly. Then we then said what makes sense to go in what order and what we would start off with a bang."
Gabriella Piazza, who we've seen in movies like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and The Many Saints of Newark, plays a seasoned thief who is having her last meal (at the diner) before going to prison.
"It was so amazing to play the antithesis of what people may assume I can play. Shout out to our incredible SFX makeup artist Mackenzie Brooks, she made me look like I've been through the ringer. In the story I actually do go through fun and exciting fight scenes."
The series also stars McKinley Belcher III and Sergio Acevedo.
You can see Doug's entire interview with Ryan Sarno and Gabriella Piazza below:
