THE BIRTH OF RED | Inside TRYHARD COMPANY from the Creators of CRAWL or DIE
- Oklahoma Ward
- Jun 18
- 7 min read
"TANK doesn’t sleep — and neither do we. Week by week, we’re bleeding through the cut… and loving it."
📚 TABLE OF CONTENTS
🎬 PRODUCTION BREAKING NEWS
Hot Off the Workbench – While the render was still smoking.
The grind continues with guts and determination — we’re plowing through even more SFX shots, episode by episode.
✅ Yes — more episode updates are in.
🔥 And… the birth of a new secret character is officially underway — filming started this week.
🛠️ PROJECT UPDATE: TRYHARD COMPANY
Behind the Curtain — Where the timeline is built, and blood is spilled.
Quick hits:
👴 Dad is officially in rehab — learning to live with a stomach tube, and we’re learning right alongside him. But just like TANK and this project… he (and we) are determined to make it all work. 💪
Now onto the fun stuff:
🚀 Big strides in EPISODE 6 —Jump over to the Episode 06 page and scroll down to the Director’s Notes to see the latest progress updates!
🧭 When you're done there, head back to Episode 1 — you’ll see a ton of work logged and visible. It’s all moving forward and, yes… it’s still on schedule.
🎬 Lastly — one of the biggest pickup scenes of the entire series is now being built and staged. Nicole and I are crafting the set ourselves. Spoiler: it involves gallons upon gallons of red goo.
Will it rival The Shining’s elevator scene?You’ll be the judge. 😈
[Enter the Command Center], click the episode buttons — then scroll to the Director’s Notes at the bottom of each page to see what’s been updated this week in EPISODE 1 and EPISODE 6.
🎙️ DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
Wires, Guts, and Everything in Between.
Balancing life and work — has, and always will be — the core struggle for anyone trying to make anything. That, in itself, I’m learning… is the real art of creating.
I’m thrilled beyond words to finally begin, in just two weeks, the filming of a new secret character — one that will span the entire series.
Nicole has been grinding nonstop on the look of the character, and I’ve been salivating at the creative freedom and intensity this new force brings into the TRYHARD universe.
Let’s just say:
👉 This character slams HARD into TANK.
👉 FACE to FACE.
👉 And the battle between them?
EPIC.
CAN. NOT. WAIT. TO. FILM. IT. 😈🎥
Here’s one teaser image to get your mind spinning. And as filming ramps up — I’ll be dropping more behind-the-scenes peeks and reveals.
Lastly — this new character relies heavily on COLOR to drive its visual power. That reminded me just how important color grading is to the emotional tone of everything we create.
So again — here’s a new video from my all-time favorite colorist, Eric Lenz.
Go ahead. Salivate. 🎨🔥
🎭 ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Featured Actor: Holly Hunter
📽️ Broadcast News, The Piano, Raising Arizona, Succession
Holly Hunter — Precision. Power. Presence.
From Broadcast News to The Piano, from Raising Arizona to Succession — Holly
Hunter delivers performances that feel as though she’s not acting — she’s living inside each frame.
She doesn’t steal scenes.She anchors them.
With a voice like gravel-soaked bourbon and eyes that can switch from fury to fragility in a blink, Hunter brings a raw, intelligent energy that filmmakers dream of capturing. Whether she’s delivering rapid-fire dialogue or sitting in total silence, you feel every beat of her presence.
She’s not flashy.She’s real.And in a world obsessed with spectacle, that makes her lethal on screen.
🎭 What Makes Them Great
Whether she’s unleashing rapid-fire dialogue or holding tension in total silence, Holly Hunter brings an emotional authenticity that grounds every project she touches. Her voice is unmistakable. Her eyes burn with intelligence. She doesn’t just play a role — she inhabits it.
🔥 Most Underrated Moment
🩸 Thirteen (2003) — As the mother trying to hold her daughter’s life together, Hunter delivers one of the most heartbreaking and real performances of the decade. Vulnerable, raw, and devastatingly human.
🧠 One Thing You Might Not Know
She performed many of her own piano pieces in The Piano, having trained intensively in preparation. The performance earned her an Oscar — and still feels unmatched.
🗞️ What the Critics Say
“Holly Hunter doesn’t command the screen — she quietly owns it.” “She brings a grit to every character — no matter how fragile or fierce.”
🎭 WHY I LOVE: HOLLY HUNTER
— from Oak, Director of TRYHARD COMPANY
Let me be very clear about this.
I’ve always loved movies. I’ve always loved actors. And I’m thrilled — beyond words — to finally start sharing that passion here on the blog. Every Wednesday, I’ll be talking about actors, scenes, and why I do what I do. Because I love this. I live for this.
Let me tell you about Holly Hunter.
A lot of you may know her. Some of you may not.
But in my opinion?
One of the greatest performances of all time — across any actor, any era — is in the film The Piano…
by Holly Hunter.
Specifically — if you watch the clip I’ve linked below — from 1:31 to 2:39. That stretch.
It’s flawless.
It’s beyond acting.
It’s not someone trying to show emotion — it’s someone reacting exactly how a real person in that moment would. It’s instinctive. Honest. Crushing.
Think about it: she can’t speak in this role.
And yet, in the scene where she learns her hand is about to be chopped off — she communicates everything without a word.
Most inexperienced or untrained actors? They’d scream. They’d sob. They’d go full meltdown — tears, snot, wailing.
But Holly Hunter?
Go to 1:52 in that clip.
Watch what she does.
That expression — the shock, the swallow, the quiet devastation — it’s surgical.
She doesn’t react for drama.
She reacts because her child is there, and her child is the one who caused this to happen.
So what does she do?
She protects her kid.
She absorbs the pain.
She carries the weight so they don’t have to.
That’s real acting.
She earned the Oscar for that performance — and thank God she did. Because it’s one of the most honest, nuanced, and emotionally intelligent portrayals I’ve ever seen.
Even at 1:59, the way she thinks before she reacts — the way she makes choices in stillness — that’s elite work.
If I gave this scene to a hundred actors, most would turn it into a melodrama.
But Holly?
She makes it haunt you by holding it all inside.
Whenever I work with actors — on anything — this scene is in my top ten. I always show it. I always say:
“Now you… show me how you’d do it.Don’t copy her.But don’t scream. Don’t cry. Show me that same pain — without blowing it out.”
That’s what real emotion is.
That’s what moves an audience.
Not watching someone explode — but watching them fight not to.
That’s Holly Hunter.
If you're an actor starting out — or you just want to learn — study her.
Watch her in Crash.
Broadcast News.
Thirteen.
Raising Arizona.
Even her TV series — she can do it all.
Romantic lead. Action hero. Comic. Tragic. Stoic. Explosive. Unstoppable.
Phenomenal actor.
Just… phenomenal.
📺 SERIES SPOTLIGHT
Series that made me want to tell stories for a living.
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
👩🚀 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
📡 Spread the word:#TRYHARDCompany | #TANKarmy | #IndieSciFiLives
🎥 The mission’s live. The team is growing. Let’s make this impossible thing happen — together.
🟡 SIGN UP FOR UPDATES 🟡
🔗 CONNECT
📣 Want to stay in the loop?
Follow us across socials and join the team:
🟡 SIGN UP FOR UPDATES
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
Comments