That's My DJ
{{Infobox television
| genre = {{Unbulleted list|Drama}}
| creator = D. W. Waterson
| director = D. W. Waterson
| starring = {{plainlist|
}}
| country = Canada
| num_seasons = 3
| num_episodes = 24
| executive_producer =
| producer =
| editor = Maureen Grant
| camera = Single-camera
| runtime = 1-15 minutes
| first_aired = {{Start date|2014}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2017}}
}}That's My DJ is a Canadian web series created by D. W. Waterson.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ur/story/1033576|title=Stroud native Kristin Waterson Plays the WayHome Festival {{!}} Entertainment {{!}} UR|last=nurun.com|website=Barrie Examiner|language=en-CA|access-date=2017-07-15}} The series, created in 2014, follows the lives of several people who work in the Toronto nightlife industry.{{Cite news|url=http://www.afterellen.com/entertainment/504551-thats-dj-gets-queerer-season-2|title="That's My DJ" gets queerer in Season 2 - AfterEllen|date=2016-08-30|work=AfterEllen|access-date=2017-04-29|language=en-US}} It has been funded through various Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/that-s-my-dj-season-2#/|title=That's My DJ Season 2|website=Indiegogo|language=en-US|access-date=2017-04-29}} 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.{{Cite news|url=http://www.flare.com/culture/thats-my-dj-season-3/|title='That's My DJ' Season 3: This Show Has Something for Everyone - FLARE|date=2017-07-07|work=Flare|access-date=2017-09-16|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-09-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915181205/http://www.flare.com/culture/thats-my-dj-season-3/|url-status=dead}}
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.{{Cite web|title=Director D.W. Waterson Talks "That's My DJ" and Other Projects|url=https://occhimagazine.com/film-director-d-w-waterson-talks-thats-my-dj-and-other-projects/|access-date=2020-06-08|website=Occhi Magazine|date=7 July 2017 |language=en-US}}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;{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/that-s-my-dj#/|title=That's My DJ|website=Indiegogo|language=en-US|access-date=2017-06-05}} however, after it struggled to attract viewers, it was subsequently pulled from YouTube.
Following the success of the second season in 2016,{{Cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/tv/indie-pilots-according-mother-poor-todd-york-television-003011019.html|title=Indie Pilots 'According to My Mother,' 'Poor Todd' Take New York Television Festival Prizes|date=2016-10-29|work=Variety|access-date=2017-04-30|language=en-US}} the first season was re-uploaded to YouTube. The second and third seasons were also funded primarily through Indiegogo campaigns.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/that-s-my-dj-season-2#/|title=That's My DJ Season 2|website=Indiegogo|language=en-US|access-date=2017-09-16}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/that-s-my-dj-season-3#/|title=That's My DJ Season 3|website=Indiegogo|language=en-US|access-date=2017-09-16}} Each season consists of 8 episodes, with a total of 24 episodes over three seasons.{{Citation|last=Night is Y|title=That's My DJ - Season 1 - Episode 1|date=2017-03-26|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWTPBhjq_Q8|accessdate=2017-06-05}} As of 2020, the three seasons have been viewed over 3 million times cumulatively on YouTube.{{Cite web|title=Night is Y|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCct_C4x0wAicMjhNIBDpWWA|access-date=2020-06-08|website=YouTube|language=en}}
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 =
- Emily Piggford as Meagan (season 1–3)
- Jade Hassouné as Sam (season 2–3)
- Jacob Neayem as Simon (season 1)
= 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".{{Cite news|url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/binge-worthy-toronto-web-series/|title=Binge-worthy Toronto web series|date=2016-08-17|work=NOW Magazine|access-date=2017-04-30|language=en-us}} Flare dubbed the series a "must-see—even if you're not in the music scene". TalkNerdyWithUs.com described the series as "funny, exciting, inventive, occasionally maddening, always beautiful, and heavily invested in the duality of heartbreak and optimism".{{Cite news|url=http://talknerdywithus.com/2016/07/12/web-series-review-thats-my-dj/|title=Web Series Review: That's My DJ|date=2016-07-12|work=TalkNerdyWithUs|access-date=2017-09-16|language=en-US}} Teen Vogue praised the series for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ women of colour.{{Cite news|url=http://www.teenvogue.com/story/web-series-about-lgbtq-women-femmes-of-color|title=9 Shows That Actually Star LGBTQ People of Color|last=Costa|first=Daniela|work=Teen Vogue|access-date=2017-04-29|language=en}}
Awards and nominations
File:D.W. Waterson at the 2017 Cineplex Entertainment Film Program Showcase (38122330535).jpg 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, as well as Best Canadian Series and Best Director at the 2017 Vancouver Web Series Festival.{{Cite web|url=http://vancouverwebfest.com/past_winners_2017.html|title=Vancouver Web Fest|website=vancouverwebfest.com|access-date=2017-06-25|archive-date=2017-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626024611/http://www.vancouverwebfest.com/past_winners_2017.html|url-status=dead}} The series has received two Canadian Screen Award nominations, for Emily Piggford's performance in 2016,{{Cite web|url=http://cfccreates.com/news/713-announcing-the-nominations-for-the-2017-canadian-screen-awards|title=Announcing the Nominations for the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards|website=cfccreates.com|language=en|access-date=2017-04-29|archive-date=2018-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715210554/http://cfccreates.com/news/713-announcing-the-nominations-for-the-2017-canadian-screen-awards|url-status=dead}} and for Waterson's direction in 2018.
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Association ! Category ! Nominee(s) ! Result ! Refs |
|---|
| rowspan="2" |2016 |
| rowspan="1" |New York Television Festival
|Best Director | rowspan="1" |D. W. Waterson |{{Won}} |
| rowspan="4"|2017
|rowspan="1"|Canadian Screen Awards |Best Performance in a Series Produced for Digital Media | rowspan="1" |Emily Piggford |{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="3"|Vancouver Web Series Festival
|Best Drama Series | rowspan="1" |D. W. Waterson |{{Nominated}} |
| Best Director
| rowspan="1" |D. W. Waterson |{{Won}} |
| Best Canadian Series
| rowspan="1" |D. W. Waterson |{{Won}} |
| rowspan="3"|2018 |
| rowspan="1"|Canadian Screen Awards
|Best Direction, Web Program or Series | rowspan="1" |D. W. Waterson |{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="1"|Seoul Web Fest
|Best Music | rowspan="1" |D. W. Waterson |{{Won}} |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}