Miami Native Premieres New Adult Animated Series, 'My Crew is a Zoo', At The Third Annual Urban Film Festival in Downtown Miami

    MIAMI, FL, August 30, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A new animated comedy series called "My Crew is a Zoo" is premiering its pilot episode at the 2018 Urban Film Festival during Labor Day Weekend on Sept. 1 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Historic Overtown Performing Arts Center Lyric Theatre located at 1074 NW 3rd Ave in downtown Miami.

Chosen from dozens of film and TV submissions from producers from around the world, the "My Crew is a Zoo" animated series is among a select few that will premiere to film producers and art and film students from local high schools and colleges. The series is about a group of dimwitted, uninhibited teenagers who happen to be exotic and domesticated animals living in a fantasy city. "Following the character's daily lives as crazy teenagers, they offer hilarious takes on political figures, pop culture and controversial topics. Their outrageous adventures sometimes spew lewd language, but still find a way to deliver positive messages. I'm looking forward to presenting the series to the same Miami audience that helped inspire it," said Richard McLean, Miami native and writer/producer of 'My Crew is a Zoo.'

According to McLean, the animated series can be described as "a mash-up of 'The Boondock's', 'Sponge Bob' and 'South Park.'" "I don't think television and streaming services have seen anything like this before. If I had to give a reference point to the kind of animated series that it is, I'd say anyone who enjoys animated shows Adult Swim, Viceland or Comedy Central will definitely appreciate this project."

As a South Florida native of Jamaican decent with a background in journalism, McLean developed the skills necessary to create this series from scratch. "Raised in Miami by Jamaican parents, I have always been taught to pursue my dreams and work hard for what I want. After graduating from the School of Journalism and Graphic Communications at Florida A&M University, I came back to South Florida to work in the field. I ultimately realized that I wanted to pursue a different avenue in the media arena by creating my own animated video content. Since then, I have dedicated my time and capital resources to learning, writing and developing this show, its characters and nearly all of the voice-overs. I've worked with local animators to bring my vision to life while combining my humor, love for animals and my take on the cultural cocktail that Miami has to offer," McLean said.

McLean's production and publishing company, Better Days Movement, Inc., is also premiering the pilot series at a variety of other events and film festivals in the coming months. McLean's goal is to build a loyal fan base that will help propel the series to a national audience. "To me, this comedy animation series embodies what I like to call the 3 L's— laughter and life lessons. I believe that laughter is food for the soul and with every episode, I aim to equally entertain audiences while teaching them important life lessons. I'm currently building a strong local South Florida fan base for the series and later plan to pitch it to major streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix," McLean said.

Urban Film Festival's founder, Marco Mall, is also a fellow FAMU Alumni and established movie producer who has supported McLean over the years. "Marco and the team behind the Urban Film Festival are definitely a great resource for up-and-coming film and TV makers in Miami. I appreciate them selecting my series to be debuted at this year's festival and I cannot wait to get everyone's feedback and see their reactions," McLean replied.

Following the pilot premiere, McLean and event hosts will conduct a Q&A session with the audience. To get tickets to the premiere of "My Crew is a Zoo", visit www.UrbanFilmFestival.com. Discounted and complimentary tickets are available to local film and art high school and college students with valid school ID. To learn more about McLean and his animated series, follow @MyCrewisAzoo on Instagram.

Savory PR is a boutique public relations and digital marketing agency based in Miami with a presence in New York City. Working with a variety of tech, entertainment, real estate and lifestyle clients, Savory PR has continued to offer strategic publicity and digital marketing services to clients over the past five years. For more information, visit www.Savory-PR.com.

Better Days Movement, Inc. is a production and publishing company based in Miami, Fla. and spearheaded by Richard McLean. For more information, [email protected].

# # #