Meet the White Van Men in New Comedy Webseries for Ram Vans

Production and post house Optimus is proud to announce its most recent project with Gifted Youth for The Richards Group and RAM Van. Cut by Optimus Editor Nate Cali and helmed by Gifted Youth director Sergio Cilli, the three comedic webisodes – featuring improv actors from Amy Poehler’s famed Upright Citizen’s Brigade – are online now on YouTube.

The funny, fresh videos are presented as webisodes of “This Old Van,” featuring characters that have found themselves in hilarious predicaments – such as trying to cram in a wedding cake, make a U-turn or find an internet cable  – caused in part by their old, beat up vans. These dilemmas are juxtaposed with businesses running smoothly and efficiently thanks to their sleek RAM vans that are customized precisely to meet their needs. Urging viewers to “Find a New Van,” the videos capture the frustration caused – and havoc wreaked – by old, outdated vehicles that are ill suited to serve today’s small businesses.

“The Richards Group brought us the concept and engaged closely with us to make these videos,” commented Gifted Youth EP/Managing Director Dal Wolf.  “Sergio, who also is an Emmy-winning writer, dug in with The Richards Group to hone the scripts into really memorable videos. And, Nate is such a great editor and person. At the end of the day, it’s wonderful to have that in a partner.”

Cilli acts in many commercials and knows many of the actors in the videos personally, which gave him a true edge in directing these spots. He and Gifted Youth went into each shoot day with an aggressive page count and multiple locations. “In the end, Sergio, The Richards Group and the production and post teams truly did a great job,” added Wolf.

“What’s so amazing about Sergio is that he’s also an improv actor and is in as many commercials as he directs,” said Cali. “He knows how to direct like you wouldn’t believe. There’s something about that. He doesn’t do one better than the other; he acts and directs so fluently. And with the team around him that had such strong improv skills, he hit it out of the park.”