8 MINUTES DEEP — AND COUNTING: TRYHARD COMPANY pushes forward. Born from CRAWL or DIE. Built to survive.
- Oklahoma Ward
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
"TANK doesn’t sleep — and neither do we. Week by week, we’re bleeding through the cut… and loving it."
Behind-the-scenes updates, production news, and indie filmmaking insights from Oklahoma Ward
📚 TABLE OF CONTENTS
🎬 PRODUCTION BREAKING NEWS
This week’s been a tough one. We’ve now moved my dad into hospice care here at home — and anyone who's been through that knows the weight it brings. On top of that, there’s been a handful of unexpected complications behind the scenes — some of it technical, some of it financial — and all of it needing attention. Nothing’s fallen apart, but it’s definitely one of those weeks where everything seems to be asking for a little more than I have to give.
Still — the work doesn’t stop.
Got the new M2 system built and running, reconnected all the drives, reinstalled everything from the ground up. That alone took a chunk of time. But once it was all in place, I finally sat back down, fired up the monitors, and pushed through eight full minutes of final cut on Episode 1. Felt good to get the wheels turning again.
It may not sound like much on paper, but in the middle of all this noise — eight minutes is a win.
And I’ll take every win I can get right now.
🛠️ PROJECT UPDATE: TRYHARD COMPANY
💬 Field Notes from the Director's Chair – Progress, Pressure, and the Push Forward.
This wasn’t a week for fireworks — it was a week for wiring the battlefield.Gear moved. Systems rebuilt.
Eight minutes down — and the next ten are loaded and waiting.
🔥 Footage is sorted.
🧱 Episode timelines are stabilized.
🎧 Audio beds ready for deployment.
Some scenes are still under wraps — but not for long. The tunnels are restless, and the Company is almost ready to strike.
🔍 Curious where each episode stands?
The TRYHARD COMMAND CENTER gives you a live look at every mission — from edits to effects to final sound.
Every update. Every step. Every fight to the finish.
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(For access to all Episode Breakdowns)
🎙️ DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
Wires, Guts, and Everything in Between.
🎬 Let’s cut to the truth...
🎙️Why I’m Still Here
One thing that kept hitting me this week is the difference between being an independent filmmaker and working on a big-budget studio project. On a studio set, you’re paid to be there full-time. Six days a week. All hours. Everyone’s there, life is put on pause, and you power through because that’s the job — even if things go sideways at home.
But in the independent world? Life doesn’t pause. There's no buffer. When the septic system breaks, when the power goes out, when hospice updates stop coming through because the internet’s down — you’re still in it. You’re still expected to show up for your film, your family, your sanity. The only reason you keep going is because it matters to you. Because you have to. And if it doesn’t mean something deep to your bones… you’ll stop. Because there are a thousand reasons to stop every single day.
🔍 Three Things I THINK I THINK - That Hit Me This Week on YouTube:
🎬 Little Fauss and Big Halsy is a gritty, offbeat character study that strips the glamour off American masculinity and leaves you with the grease, the ego, and the ache. Robert Redford flips his usual charm on its head, playing a cocky, selfish racer whose charisma masks emptiness — while Michael J. Pollard delivers a quiet, heartbreaking turn as the overlooked underdog. The film captures the raw loneliness of ambition, especially when you're chasing something you can never quite reach. With a spare, country-rock soundtrack (Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins), it feels dust-covered and lived-in — more like a memory than a movie. It’s a slow burn, but it sticks to your ribs.
ood vid about the movie - TWO LANE BLACKTOP!
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I am ALWAYS addicted to HOW people get done - what need to be done. Love this!
🎙️
Rarely do I hear from one of the best actors working today - I've listened to this more than once - and I love it!
..'nuff said.
🎭 ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
They didn’t just play the role.
They became the reason you kept watching.
🎬 Featured Actor:
Drops every WEDS.
📺 SERIES SPOTLIGHT
Drops every other Saturday.
🎥 FILM SPOTLIGHT
🎬 Featured Film: Rollerball (1975)
Directed by Norman Jewison | Starring James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams
❤️ WHY I LOVE: Rollerball
First of all — Jimmy Caan. I’ve always thought James Caan was one of the greats, even if not everyone puts him in that category. From The Godfather to Elf to Thief, the guy had range most actors dream of — but in Rollerball, he owned it. I saw this film young and was instantly hooked by the premise, but what made it stick with me for decades was how serious Caan took it. His performance carried the whole thing — exciting, emotional, brutal, and sad without ever being soft.
What makes Rollerball so rare is this: I don’t think the direction, the cinematography, or even the story would have landed without Caan. It all funneled through him. Replace him, and I don’t believe the movie works. And they proved that — they tried a remake with flashier effects, bigger names, louder music... and it fell flat. The original had slow burns, moody pacing, and raw edges — but with James Caan at the center, it worked. It meant something.
📜 Summary
Set in a chillingly corporate-controlled future, Rollerball imagines a world where nations have been replaced by massive conglomerates, and individuality is suppressed for the sake of order. At the center is Jonathan E. (James Caan), the superstar of a hyper-violent sport designed to crush independent spirit — but he refuses to disappear quietly. What starts as a brutal sports spectacle transforms into a tense, existential rebellion. The film’s sterile architecture, cold-blooded executives, and rhythmic violence are as unsettling as they are prophetic. Rollerball isn’t just sci-fi — it’s a warning.
🧩 Two Interesting Facts
• Norman Jewison insisted on real stunts and full-contact choreography — much of the game footage is real impact, real risk.
• The film was originally meant as an outright condemnation of violence-as-entertainment… but audiences loved the violence, which only reinforced the message.
🎭 Actor Spotlight – James Caan
Coming off The Godfather, James Caan could’ve coasted — but instead, he chose to challenge himself with a quieter, more introspective antihero. In Rollerball, Caan plays Jonathan E. with wounded dignity and resistance boiling under the surface. It’s a physically demanding role, but what hits hardest is how much he doesn’t say — a performance built on restraint, not explosions.
🔥 Most Underrated Moment
The “Zero Gravity Memory Room” scene — Jonathan stands alone, trying to retrieve answers from a cold AI that keeps losing data. It’s surreal, sterile, and says everything about a world that’s traded knowledge for control.
🎭 What Makes Him Great
Caan’s gift was always in understatement. He could be violent or volatile, but in Rollerball, it’s his stillness that scares the system. He gave us a hero who’s not trying to overthrow the world — he just wants to exist in it. That quiet demand is what makes the world want to erase him.
🎬 Iconic Scene
Jonathan skating alone in the arena, bloodied, surrounded by silence after a match — no music, no cheers, just the echo of what he’s survived. It’s less a victory than a reckoning.
🗞️ What the Critics Say
“Rollerball is about the suppression of individuality — and it’s terrifyingly relevant.” “Norman Jewison has created a cold future that feels only one degree removed from our own.” “Caan’s performance grounds the film — brutal, elegant, and sad.”
🏆 CRAWL OR DIE CORNER
The film that started it all.
Before TRYHARD COMPANY, there was CRAWL or DIE — a relentless indie beast that clawed its way out of the U.S. underground and became a cult phenomenon, especially overseas.
🎬 WATCH IT NOW
You can stream or rent CRAWL or DIE here:
🔥 Cult underground sci-fi. One tunnel. One woman. One chance.
🎨 FAN TRIBUTE VAULT
This week’s spotlight: Vintage Fan Art
From the early days of the film — gritty, handmade tributes from the trenches of indie fandom. 🔍 Click to enlarge. Soak in the grime. The legacy. The love.
💬 STILL BLEEDING INDIE
TANK wasn’t just a survivor — she became a symbol. A silhouette of desperation, rage, and raw survival. In TRYHARD COMPANY, her legend evolves. The war gets bigger, the world gets meaner — but at its core, it’s still her story: One soldier. One mission. One endless tunnel.
🎬 Rent / Buy / Stream the Original CRAWL or DIE and Prepare for TANK’s return in TRYHARD COMPANY: The Series
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY
🔴 Don’t Miss the Next Drop 🔴
STAY IN THE LOOP WITH US
Get behind-the-scenes updates, new blog posts, and future project news — not just TRYHARD COMPANY.
👤 Follow Oklahoma Ward – director, editor, indie war room general
👩🚀 Follow Nicole Alonso – actor, creator, and the face of TANK
📰 Follow this Blog – for every update, every drop, every detour
Whatever we build next — you’ll be first to know.
🚀 JOIN THE TRYHARD COMPANY TEAM
We’re building this series from the ground up — no studio net, no budget machine. Just fire, grit, and a need to create something real.
If you’re reading this — you’re part of the mission.
💥 Want to Go Deeper?
🔗 Visit TRYHARDseries.com
📢 Share this blog with someone who loves raw sci-fi
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🎥 The mission’s live. The team is growing. Let’s make this impossible thing happen — together.
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Mission Accomplished... for now.
The briefing may be over, but the mission continues. Join the TRYHARD COMPANY team and stay tuned for more updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes information. Share your thoughts and join/follow us on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, twitter/x etc. - and we'll catch you every Weds/Saturday...
Create fearlessly,
Oklahoma Ward
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