Former DV Guru blogger Ryan Bilsborrow-Koo let me in on his new side project The West Side. Set in a unique, alternate universe, it melds together elements of two disparate film genres: the grit of an urban setting with the tradition of the American Western.

After watching the single episode on the site I left astounded. The black and white treatment fits the tone of the story perfectly although technically there is some distracting digital noise in some dark scenes. That’s alright because the story definitely piques my interest as we follow Qasim, played by Damian Washington, as he introduces us to the desolate urban city in search of a drink. The episode felt a tad sluggish but at the end I wanted more. Hopefully The West Side can deliver episodes consistently as it builds its audience on the open frontier of the Internet.

Watch Episode 1 of The West Side.