Noir Drama The Steps Brings the Feel of Bogart to the Web1

By Raven Kai, Aug 17, 2010 in Pop Culture, Show News, The Steps

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Noir Drama The Steps Brings the Feel of Bogart to the Web

Whether it’s from the cop’s point of view or the criminal’s point of view, prime time television is full of crime dramas. Now the web has its own crime drama. Dylan Kussman, a familiar face in film and television for more than two decades, brings us the crime drama The Steps. Inspired by the real life case of L.A. private investigator Anthony Pellicano, The Steps is the story of Charlie Madison, a Los Angeles private investigator who gets himself into trouble when the guy he works for gets busted for blackmailing the movie stars he’s had Charlie bug. Now, with the Assistant D.A. breathing down his neck, Charlie decides it’s time to get away from the trouble before it’s too late. He makes his way from the bustle of L.A. to the sleepy, small town life of Chattanooga. Unfortunately, trouble has a way of finding him.

The Steps, Episode 1: In Hell

Living under the false name Ron Harlan, Charlie begins attending a local Alcoholics Anonymous group to help keep him sober. Gary, one of the guys at the meeting, approaches him about a ‘favor.’ He’s trying to find out if his fiancé is cheating on him. Knowing that Charlie has some investigative experience, he was wondering if Charlie could help him out. Reluctant to do anything that might put him back on the law’s radar but desperate for money, Charlie takes the job and ends up getting caught up in a situation that could be just as bad, if not worse, than the one he was fleeing in L.A. In order to save himself from getting a murder pinned on him, he’s got to put his investigative skills to use and find out the truth about Gary before it’s too late.

The series opens up with a voiceover that explains a bit about the mess he’s fleeing from before we get a look at the mess he’s about to get caught up in. Charlie isn’t exactly squeaky clean nor is he necessarily likeable but his situation is intriguing and you find yourself wanting to know more. It’s a gritty thriller with a film noir feel similar to the classic Philip Marlow films. From the fabulous theme song to the silence, which is almost like another character in the show, the sound of The Steps is unique. Because it stands out so much, I just had to ask series creator and star, Dylan Kussman, about the soundtrack.

“Silence is a tough sell in the world of web series, I think. A lot of them seem to be going for wall-to-wall action and noise, as if they’re terrified of losing people’s attention at any moment. I guess that’s justified … online audience members probably turn a lot of things off at the 10-15 second mark, don’t you think? I wanted to make a show that wasn’t worried about that, that trusted that the intrigue and mystery that the series was steadily developing would hold people’s attention. That said, Joe Kraemer has done a masterful job composing a score that creates transitions and defines moments for us. I’m very proud of the music in The Steps.”

That isn’t the only thing about The Steps to be proud of. The soundtrack, coupled with the look of the show, creates a unique feel to the show, heavy with sense of intensity and intrigue. “All the credit goes to cinematographer Tim Cofield. We knew we wanted stark lighting, hard shadows … you know, all that good noir stuff. But when it came down to the execution and framing up of shots, I just got out of his way.”

The Steps, Episode 2: The Job

One of the things I especially love about The Steps is how the storyline unfolds. We are fed bits and pieces of the backstory throughout the episodes as well as in the video logs that are featured at FollowTheSteps.net. Some events aren’t fully explained until much later, so we don’t usually know more then Charlie knows – something that I think works well in holding the viewer’s attention and adding to the intrigue. As a matter of fact, I’ve re-watched the series 4 or 5 times now just to go back looking for breadcrumbs because, as events are revealed, the surprise is enough to make me want to go back and look for the clues that maybe I missed before. Each episode is a mini-story and takes its time to play out. Instead of rushing to tell it in the typical 4 to 6 minutes, some episodes run as long as 11 minutes. Still, they will all feel too short when they are over just because you’ll want more. If you are a fan of film noir, thrillers or crime dramas, be sure to follow The Steps.

Watch the complete first season of The Steps.

Raven Kai is an artist, coffee master and geek. She’s also a writer, blogger and co-creator of ÜberSciFiGeek.com which explores geeky interests and lifestyle with special focus on emerging media such as webseries. She’s lived all over the United States including Chicago, Indianapolis and Tampa and has always wanted to travel the world. Her next great adventure is a move to Vancouver, BC, where she hopes to take on a more full time role in the production side of filmmaking. She’s divorced with two children and currently resides in Virginia.