We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Icebreaker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with ICEBREAKER below.
ICEBREAKER, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
One of the most unexpected problems we faced when filming season 2 was casting. Because the concept is so new, not many people really know what ICEBREAKER is and they were reluctant to be a part of it.
It’s not a short film, so it wasn’t as easy as finding two or three actors, we needed TEN actors for season two. Which we accomplished… sort of.
It was the Thursday before our Saturday shoot when one of our 10 contestants let us know they wouldn’t be able to make it.
We did everything we could to find last minute contestant, but we couldn’t find one who was available for both film days.
Ashley Fletcher (the creator of ICEBREAKER) had to let go of the drop-out’s teammate, and restructure the show to work with 8 contestants instead of 10.
We also had another casting issue on the DAY OF filming. One of our contestants let us know they were actually not available for the second day of filming, and Ashley had to dismiss them before we shot anything for continuity purposes. That contestant was replaced with one of our amazing PA’s (Troy).
Although we had lots of issues with casting, Ashley’s quick thinking and ability to adapt definitely helped keep the production flowing. Season 2 was released successfully and everyone that made it onto the show did incredible.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
ICEBREAKER is a reality gameshow created by Ashley Fletcher. It’s designed to showcase upcoming talent in the entertainment industry.
An outlet for artists and creatives, whether they’re normally in front of a camera or behind it. We’ve had influencers, screenwriters, singers, directors and other types of creatives join our show.
It’s an opportunity for them to say “I’m here, this is what I do, this is me.” We want the talent to showcase themselves in another way other than on their own social media, so viewers can get a better idea of their true personality and character.
It IS a gameshow, which means the contestants are competing for a prize. The prize is a gift basket, along with an ICEBREAKER interview. This is where the winners get interviewed as they sit in an ice bath (hence the name of the show, ‘ICEBREAKER’). If the winner can last through the entire interview they also receive a cash prize!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn when creating ICEBREAKER is not everybody is going to believe in you. You can plan everything out to the T, get everything lined up, work out all the kinks, explain EVERYTHING, and people will still turn you down.
You can’t wait for someone to believe in your vision in order to create it. If you can figure out a way to make it work on your own, SHOW people how serious you are by completing projects and putting them out there. That’s what I did for season 1.
Completed season 1 with a personal budget of $200, an iPhone camera, and my friends/family.
Then we upgraded season 2, I worked with a production company who believed in my show (Voiid media) and the quality of ICEBREAKER was raised tremendously. I also received sponsors for season 2, who I would like to publicly thank right now:
– Dom G’s Barber Shop
– Tyler Tisi
– High Desert Family Events
– Wonderful Beauty Supply
– Heavenly Anointed Hair
And thank you to all of the donors who donated towards ICEBREAKER season 2!
I had to show my dedication first before strangers agreed to board my project. So don’t wait for people to believe in you. Work with what you have, and keep your momentum.
– Ashley Fletcher
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part about being a creative is positive feedback from the viewers. Especially when they’ve been having a bad day or rough week, and let you know your content improved their mood. It’s confirmation that we’re doing something right.
Another rewarding aspect is being able to support other artists and creatives. Where one person struggles, another may have strength. When two creatives can come together and build each other up, genuinely, without any animosity, it’s really an amazing thing to witness and be a part of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI7vBm9-o_LbZGHvhYQxc-sk13wiCSz9F&si=WZcYltvNEeeDXTH6
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icebreaker.youtube?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094200978091&mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
Ashley Fletcher (season 1)
Voiid Media (season 2)