TRYHARD COMPANY Update: TANK Leaps, Newman Stares, I Edit
- Oklahoma Ward
- Jun 25
- 7 min read
"TANK doesn’t sleep — and neither do we. Week by week, we’re bleeding through the cut… and loving it."
TANK Leaps, Newman Stares, I Edit. | TRYHARD COMPANY: Behind-the-Scenes Updates & Actor Spotlight
📚 TABLE OF CONTENTS
🎬 PRODUCTION BREAKING NEWS
Hot Off the Workbench – While the render was still smoking.
A ghost through flame.
TANK lands on the other side — burned but unbroken.
→ Real flames. Real grit. No shortcuts.
TRYHARD COMPANY keeps burning forward.
🛠️ PROJECT UPDATE: TRYHARD COMPANY
💬 Field Notes from the Director's Chair – Progress, Pressure, and the Push Forward.
📈 EDITING STATUS:
Episode 03 – EDIT Pass #3: ✔️ Progressed from 91% ➤ 100%
Episode 02 – EDIT Pass #3: ⚙️ Jumped from 73% ➤ 89%
🔥 VFX SUPPORT SHOTS FILMED:
Captured three new practical fire plate setups for upcoming large FX in EP01
Plates have been green-screened and inserted directly into the timeline
Sneak peeks below 👇
So as TANK would say…
🩸 Buckle up. Knuckle up.
We’re not stopping.
(For access to all Episode Breakdowns)
🎙️ DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
Wires, Guts, and Everything in Between.
🎬 Let’s cut to the truth...
🔔 NOTICE
Edit.
Edit.
Edit.
Sleep.
Eat.
Edit again.
And then… more editing.
We’re deep in the cut now — and as you’ll notice below, we just hit some major milestones:
➡️ Episode 03 – Edit 3 pass: COMPLETE.
➡️ Episode 02 – Edit 3 pass: Nearly there.
My goal?
To finish all Edit 3 passes before July, so I can finally dive into Edit Pass 4 — my favorite phase.
Why?
Because that’s when the real fun begins.
No more fixing plot holes or checking structure.
It’s all about feeling the episode — like a viewer — and tweaking the final frame.
Tightening FX. Recutting moments. Pulling punches. Playing.
That’s where the polish happens.
That’s where the art lives.
On a personal note —My dad is home.This is our second week on the PEG feeding system. He’s exercising, he’s laughing, and we’re learning how to care for him day by day.It’s not easy — but it’s working.
And we’re grateful.
And for the indie filmmakers out there —
I used to say, “When you make a movie, clear your life. Pre-pay bills. Silence the world.”
That’s great advice.
But when you’re making something this big —
Six full episodes… plus a surprise bonus one coming later…
There’s no silence.
Just work.
Just the grind.
It’s hard.
But I love it.
And the special effects? They’re flowing.
📽️ I’m including a video below here from a Stranger Things editing breakdown — so you can see how this kind of storytelling gets done in Hollywood.
Except in my case…
It’s just me.
No team.
No back-up.
Just a bowler hat, some coffee, and one foot always in the timeline.
So keep watching.
New updates are live in the Command Center.
See how far we’ve pushed since Saturday.
And as TANK always does —
Lift your head.
Take what life throws at you.
Squint your eyes.
And TRY HARD.
BOOM BOOM - ONE GREAT VIDEO
🎭 ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Some actors perform. Some disappear.
The ones we spotlight here? They do both.
Featured Actor: Paul Newman
📽️ Cool Hand Luke, The Hustler, The Verdict, The Sting
Paul Newman — Ice and fire. Control and chaos.
Whether he was outwitting con men in The Sting or cracking eggs in a prison yard, Newman never overplayed it — he embodied it.
There’s a calm to his storm. A burn behind the eyes.He didn’t chew scenery — he stared straight through it.
Cool. But never cold.
Newman didn’t demand your attention.
He earned it.
Every time.
🎭 What Makes Them Great
Paul Newman was a master of internal performance. He could say everything without a single word — just a glance, a breath, a slow tightening of the jaw.Whether he was the antihero, the outsider, or the broken idealist — he made you root for him even as he unraveled.
🔥 Most Underrated Moment
🩸 The Verdict (1982) — Sitting alone in a courtroom, a broken-down lawyer torn between profit and redemption, Newman delivered a quiet, crushing performance. No tricks. Just truth.
🧠 One Thing You Might Not Know
Newman was also an accomplished race car driver — finishing 2nd in the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans. He said racing was the only thing that took his mind off acting.
🗞️ What the Critics Say
“Newman’s silence was louder than most actors’ shouting.”“He didn’t perform cool — he defined it.”
❤️ WHY I LOVE: Paul Newman
You know, I keep telling myself that there are actors today who are icons.
But I have a very short list.
And when I look back on the greats, I’m stunned by how many people say they want to be an actor — yet have never studied Paul Newman.
It astounds me.
That’s like wanting to be a photographer and not knowing what a Canon or Panasonic camera is.
Just saying, “I know how to push the button.”
I really don’t take seriously any actor who hasn’t studied the greats.
You don’t have to like every movie Newman made — but to ignore his work entirely? That’s just careless.
There are so many unforgettable performances: The Sting, where he plays drunk so convincingly.
The Hustler — phenomenal.
Cool Hand Luke? Legendary.
Butch Cassidy — iconic scenes.
But my personal favorite is The Verdict.
And there’s one scene — the Polaroid scene — that I think is one of the greatest acting moments ever put to film.
Start around 46 seconds into that scene and watch his choices. The pauses. The thinking.
That’s what young or inexperienced actors often miss — it’s not just about emotion or memorizing lines.
We want to see the character thinking.
That entire scene… it has no lines. Think about getting this script and all the choices you can/could make - since no dialog.
I don't think think anybody could add anything to this scene.
It's a heartbreaking scene, because he has that moment of.... humanity. You can see it wash over him.
Over us.
When those pictures come in focus - around the 123, 124 frame - and then his response... we know - because he knows.
Newman tells you everything. He lets the emotion hit, suppresses it, processes it — and you feel it.
One of the greatest acting scenes ever, hands down.
The editing helps, yes — but the performance is transcendent.
He sits. He breathes. You know exactly what he’s going through.
That’s nearly impossible to pull off. Think how hard it is to look at someone you know and figure out what they are thinking - it's tough. Real tough.
And Paul, he allows you to know - and he does it without a single misstep.
I could go on and on about this scene and the way Paul - masterfully - without word - takes us on a journey of self reflection - humanity - sorrow... and that LINE DELIVERY - I'm her attorney --- WHAT! Perfect delivery - combining all the emotions - the end result of all those thoughts - the voice crack - the - I can't stand to be looked at while I say this..... WHAT! GET OUT OF HERE - one of the GREATEST PERFORMANCES EVER! BOOK IT!
You could go on and on — Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Slap Shot, The Hustler.
He disappears into his roles.
He could’ve been the good-looking guy — but instead, he was the real actor.
He’s remembered for the characters, not for being Paul Newman.
And that’s the goal, isn’t it?
If you’re a young actor — do yourself a favor. Study him.
Learn from what he does when he’s not speaking. Watch the thinking. The choices. The control.
I would’ve done anything to work with him.
Funny enough — I once spoke with his brother, who was also his manager. But that story’s for another day.
Ol' Blue Eyes - Paul Newman — one of the greatest actors of all time.
📺 SERIES SPOTLIGHT
Drops every Saturday.
🎥 FILM SPOTLIGHT
Pop in the tape and dim the lights…
Let’s talk about a film that never left me.
Drops every Saturday.
🏆 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
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🚀 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
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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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