Hillywood or bust

Samantha Samuel
The Signal
Today’s generation is experiencing a new trend in overnight celebrities. Affordable technology and video sharing websites sites, such as YouTube and Vimeo, have made it possible for anyone to gain an online following.

One YouTube channel in particular is taking the Internet by storm. “The Hillywood Show” is the creation of comedy sister duo Hilly and Hannah Hindi, which features song and dance parodies of box-office films such as “Twilight” and “Harry Potter” as well as TV shows and celebrities such as “The Vampire Diaries” and Lady Gaga.

After placing third in more than 100,000 entries in AOL’s Be a Red Star contest, “fans started calling themselves ‘Hillywood fans’ even though we didn’t have a show back then,” said Hannah, the elder of the two sisters. “We started thinking that we really liked that idea, sounds like a fun hobby and, so far, it has been. Hopefully this hobby will lead to a career someday.”

Some of Hillywood’s first productions were webisodes consisting of Johnny Depp characters such as Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd.

“We kind of cringe at them,” Hannah said. “The costumes and sets were cheaper; they’re really not our best work, but we had to start somewhere.”

“The Hillywood Show” has come a long way since then. Ideas for a production can come from anywhere.

“The ideas are really just from inspiration,” Hilly said. “Ideas can come from things we have seen before in films or music videos. It all depends. Fans always write us with ideas that they would like to see and we really do lean towards what the fans want, because we care about what they want to see. We want to keep them watching.”

With big ideas come big productions and even bigger costs. Their Halloween special “Gagaween,” one of their smaller productions, cost $4,000. The “Breaking Dawn Parody,” released February 2012, was their biggest production yet and cost Hilly and Hannah $10,000 to create.

“In retrospect, that’s nothing compared to what it costs for television productions,” Hannah said. “We have a lot of help and people volunteering their time or give us things on a discount, which saves us from what it originally would have cost.”

Hillywood productions have become a family affair. Hilly and Hannah usually have their parents and grandparents on set with them to lend an extra hand, make phone calls and even create costumes.

“The crew is our really close friends and family; people we know and live fairly close to,” Hannah said. “It’s a real blessing that they help us out because, honestly, we probably wouldn’t be able to get it all done without them.”

For years, Hilly and Hannah’s parodies were funded entirely by their own personal incomes. Before production of the “Harry Potter Parody” began in summer 2011, however, the girls set up a PayPal account on their website allowing fans of the show to donate. Ten percent of all proceeds go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Fan donations have helped “The Hillywood Show” grow beyond what the sisters could have imagined. The $10,000 goal for the “Breaking Dawn Parody” was raised in less than two weeks.

“Without the fans, the “Breaking Dawn Parody” would not have happened,” Hilly said. “We’re really grateful that the fans were behind us on that one; it made us work extra hard for them to pay them back.”

As dance teachers in their hometown of Las Vegas, Hilly and Hannah enjoy combining their passion with their hobby.

“We both choreograph together and try to make our dance choreography change from production to production,” Hilly said. “Choreography can usually take us up to two days to get it right.”

All of their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, even by the celebrities they portray. Cast members of “The Vampire Diaries” have commended the girls’ noticeable talent.

“That [“Vampire Diaries”] parody is hilarious,” said Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon on “The Vampire Diaries.” He compliments the girls’ attention to detail in the final scene. Hilly leans her head back before sinking her teeth into a fellow actor. Somerhalder described how that’s exactly what the directors on set told him and the other vampires on the show to do. “When I saw that, I realized that they get this show. If [anyone] gets a chance, watch that parody and pass it along.”

Even Lady Gaga took to her Twitter account to compliment the “Gagaween” parody.

“This is an amazing monster video… just peed in the bed laughing… this girl looks just like me.” Gaga said.

“It’s mind blowing,” Hannah said. “We’re just doing it for the fans; we’re not doing it for [celebrities’] approval.”

“When they give us their feedback, it’s amazing because they’re actually taking the time away from their day to comment on a little parody and that means the world to us,” Hilly said. “To get their approval makes us feel so honored and inspired by it. We’re glad we didn’t offend them and go nuts when we hear their positive feedback.”

Another celebrity has taken notice of the sisters. Their new “Hunger Games Parody,” released April 2, was co-produced by Facinelli Films, the film production company of actor Peter Facinelli, who’s known for his role as Carlisle in the Twilight Saga.

Hilly and Hannah are now experiencing a taste of fame of their own. The co-founder of a company that puts on Twilight conventions asked the girls to host and share their parodies with the fans.

“We host the entire event, ask fan questions to the guest stars, share our productions and vend Hillywood merchandise,” Hilly said. “On the plus side, we get to meet fans of “The Hillywood Show” from across the country.”

Their mother and manager, Emily Hindi, has nothing but pride for her daughters.

“They have worked very hard for the past six years with regard to “The Hillywood Show,” Emily said. “I have been there, firsthand, to know how much effort and time they put into the show to make their fans happy.”

Today’s accessibility of technology allows anyone the opportunity to create a production as successful as “The Hillywood Show.”

Michael Lee, assistant professor of communication and digital media studies, explains that the affordability of technology and software has made it possible for anyone to create videos and post them on the Internet, but that doesn’t mean they’re good.

“It definitely makes the whole video production process easier and more accessible for beginners,” Lee said. “Sometimes the software or technology hides many details under the water in the course of making it easier. Consequently, it prevents you from thinking more critically to make better project. That’s why it’s rare to see a quality project in YouTube.”

Hannah and Hilly appreciate their supportive fan base and encourage aspiring filmmakers to take risks to pursue their ambition.

“Try to do something that’s never been done before,” Hannah said. “That’s what’s going to set you apart. Be original, be yourself and always remember to have fun.”