A behind-the-scenes blog from the producers of It Happens in Florida

We had one job: host a public screening of our It Happens in Florida proof-of-concept video at Cracklin’ Jack’s. Just one. Simple, right?

Cue the circus music.

First, we needed a projector. Raymond swore he had a “great one” in storage. What he brought was a 2003 model that only accepted MiniDiscs and smelled like raccoon pee. Oscar tried to clean the lens with a sock he found in his truck, then accidentally superglued the sock to the side. It is now part of the projector.

Then came seating. We thought Cracklin’ Jack’s had chairs. Turns out, they do, but Oscar said he was bringing his extended family of maybe 2 people (or possibly 57). So we needed more chairs. So we tried to borrow chairs from the VFW hall, but Ashley somehow offended the commander by referring to his prized parrot as “discount poultry.” We now have 17 mismatched lawn chairs, 3 pool noodles, and an inflatable flamingo that seats one.

Now: signage. We asked Tim to design a big banner. He said “trust me,” and disappeared for two days. He came back with a 12-foot-wide hand-painted mural of two armadillos watching a sunset, and the words “WE’RE DOIN’ IT LIVE.” When we asked if he meant to include the name of the show anywhere, he said, “Art speaks for itself.”

We also needed a table for merch. Our intern Dakota (a loose term—he’s Raymond’s cousin’s roommate) said he could “build one from scratch.” He did. Out of driftwood, zip ties, and emotional instability. It collapses if anyone sneezes in its direction.

Meanwhile, we attempted a tech run. We plugged everything in—projector, speakers, laptop—and immediately blew a fuse in Oscar’s garage. That’s when we discovered we’d been charging all our gear off the same outlet that powered his freezer full of venison jerky. It was a dark day. Literally.

Costumes? Oh, you mean “event attire.” Ashley requested a glam team. We said we had $14 and a can of dry shampoo. She said, “That’ll get me started.” Oscar insisted on wearing his “lucky shorts” even though they have more duct tape than fabric. Raymond threatened to go shirtless if anyone made him tuck in his polo.

As of right now, we’ve got:

• A possibly functioning projector (with sock),
• Lawn seating for most of an average-sized toddler birthday party,
• One banner that may confuse people into thinking this is a wildlife fundraiser,
• And two backup flashlights in case the power goes out again.

Are we ready? No.
Will it be perfect? Also no.
Will it be Florida? Absolutely.

See y’all at Cracklin’ Jack’s this Saturday!
Bring a chair. And maybe an extension cord.
–The Producers of It Happens in Florida