Decrees, a Perplexity Pictures Web Series, Debuts Today

The jury's still out on the actual instructional value of the decrees in Perplexity Pictures' web series Decrees, which debuts its first episode today. The show, which follows the exploits and misadventures of two twenty-something dudes trying to make it in this crazy world, compresses the character's travails into dubious life-lessons (i.e., decrees) in each episode, with such maxims as "Not all showers are created equally" and "The repeated offense of poor dating habits is punishable by a slap to the face."

"Some are more general and some are oddly specific," explains show co-star Bryan Smith. "They're a commentary on whatever the subject of the episode is, and there's ten episodes, one for every rule."

The idea, appropriately, was born in a bar; Smith and co-star George V.K. were kicking around ideas for sketches, and those ideas spontaneously coalesced into the pseudo-moralistic concept for the show, which is simultaneously earnest and sly. Smith and V.K. are also head of brand management and head of production, respectively, at Perplexity Pictures, a video production studio that makes music videos for local bands like Bop Skizzum and Adrienne O, among other ventures.

Being marketing professionals, Smith and V.K. weren't about to let the lack of funding deter them. Instead, they did what they know how to do: They put together a brand strategy and pitched local talent from camera operators to directors — and even their own business partner, Sinjin Jones — on the show, managing in the end to swindle an entire crew into working for free. "Nobody's been paid," says Smith. "It's a collective passion project for all of us."

For everyone else, it's a low-time investment dose of funny, even if the lessons won't improve your life. The first edition, "The Brojan Episode," clocks in at just over two minutes. Watch it below.


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