Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joseph X Casillas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Joseph X, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Gladlyinsane has been the most important thing for me. Actually, the fifteen year anniversary for it is coming up next November, in 2025.
Gladlyinsane was something that started as a bunch of friends just making silly videos in backyards after class. But over the years it has evolved into something more serious and a means in which we create. Finishing up 2024, we’re wrapping up a promo campaign. Throughout all of 2025, there should be a new promo every month. Not just promoting Gladlyinsane, but also our website. While we’re transitioning to more drama / horror based short-form content, our identity remains in comedy. That’s the core of Gladlyinsane.
Joseph X, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Entering college, I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t know to what extent or in what capacity. I only attended college due to an ultimatum my dad gave me (go to college or pay rent). So I ended up finding a groove in screenwriting.
Like I said with the history of Gladlyinsane, I’d always made videos and wrote ideas. But when I was a kid, I mean, I didn’t even know what “directing” was as a concept. I had no idea what I’d been doing since middle school was an actual job. So going into college it was really about figuring out what to focus on. I am a writer, first and foremost. But Gladlyinsane – the video production group I founded – is where I’ve gotten the opportunity to get back into directing, at least post-college.
Gladlyinsane encapsulates a lot. Initially, it’s sketch comedy videos. But I also offer screenplay coverage through it. I was trained in how to do coverage at NALIP, have read for Big Apple Film Fest, and currently read for Shore Scripts.
I also have a blog on Gladlyinsane’s website where I release a short story every month. This has been heavily influenced by my experience at Northridge Review, a literary magazine at Cal State Northridge where I am currently the lead drama editor. Soliciting, editing, and incorporating pieces for Northridge Review has majorly influenced how Gladlyinsane approaches creative writing. In 2025, we hope to launch our magazine with material majorly solicited from Glassell Park.
What sets Gladlyinsane apart from other sketch comedy or coverage services is how long I’ve been doing it. I’ve technically been making skits and sketches since 2010. But more professionally, it’s been since the end of college around 2020. In terms of screenwriting, I’ve placed in the Academy Nicholl’s Screenwriting Fellowship and Austin Film Festival. A short script of mine, I’m So Tired of the Hero’s Journey, follows a homeless man who believes he is the second coming of Jesus Christ. That script won first place for best drama script in 2023’s Creative World Awards.
Beyond Gladlyinsane, I’m most proud of my screenwriting accomplishments. Although I try not to put much weight into awards or contests, it is a nice form of acknowledgment when it comes to writing. It’s difficult to find any form of recognition as a writer. Directors, DPs, actors – they all have a reel. But writers don’t really get that. They tell you to have as many polished projects as possible and that’s about it. Screenwriting portfolios aren’t something companies or clients ask for often. So it’s nice to build up a list of accolades in terms of screenwriting competitions.
In regards to Gladlyinsane, it’s important for people to keep in mind that this is just a handful of people keeping it going. It’s entirely volunteer and passion-based. Our team goals are sky-high, even if right now we can barely afford to feed our talent. This isn’t meant to deter people from checking our skits out or collaborating with us, it’s the opposite. This shows how many people believe in Gladlyinsane. It’s all an act of love. Everything on Gladlyinsane, as of now, has been written and directed by me. But as we establish ourselves online more, we certainly look to collaborate with more people in the near future.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The goal is for Gladlyinsane to be my full-time job. Eventually, I don’t want it to be a passion project. I want to be able to pay our DPs like Eric Espinoza and pay our editors like Julian Grajczak. And while I love that Gladlyinsane is a home for comedy shorts right now, the ceiling is to be at the front of movies. I like to tell friends that Gladlyinsane aims to be the A24 of comedy films. The goal has and always will be features. In a dream world, Gladlyinsane will attend film festivals and bid on projects we think fit our aesthetic – just like A24.
I dip my toes in TV writing, novels, shorts, and specs, but the goal will always be to make a movie through Gladlyinsane – so as not to sacrifice creative integrity.
Gladlyinsane aside, it’s the same ballpark. I write features. My bachelor’s degree focused on writing movies. Whether it’s with my writing partner Patil Kojikian or on my own. I want to tell stories that aren’t often seen on screen. Concept-based, often surrounding Native American characters. Inspired by my upbringing in Los Angeles. That’s the kind of thing I find interesting and wish I saw more of on screen.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
The Gladlyinsane website didn’t launch until 2024, majorly thanks to Jason Gomez. Jason pushed for the site for years. But when I launched the website, Jason and I realized that we needed a way to draw people in. It was a moment of, “Well, we have the website. Now how do we get people to check it out?” The problem was that I didn’t have any money to promote the website like I wanted. What I did have, though, was a group of creatives who were willing to help. That and Eric. So in the middle of 2024, I launched a website promo campaign. These promos consist of 30 to 60-second clips, typically two or three shots (maximum). All were written by me and shot by Eric Espinoza. The idea is that these very quick, oddball promos will represent perfectly the type of videos and projects you can expect to find on Gladlyinsane. Some of these promos are more complex than others. For example, one may consist of a guy sitting in a parking lot selling happy pills for kisses. Another may be a masked man robbing a movie theater for its film reels. All of the promos end with a link to Gladlyinsane dot com. The goal is to get more traffic on our website, more subscribers on our YouTube, and hopefully one day have a big enough following to properly compensate my team for their hard work and dedication.
This campaign is a risk. We’ve dedicated days’ worth of time to developing the promos, planning the shoots, working on production, and editing them. Also, that time could’ve gone to other projects looming in the background. We also look to spend even more in promoting these promos. But we believed in the website and the brand enough to dedicate thousands of dollars to props, equipment, and talent to see these promos through. Only 2025 knows what the results will be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gladlyinsane.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gladlyinsane/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GladlyinsaneProductions
- Other: https://letterboxd.com/gladlyinsane/
