The Stanley Dynamic Set Visit and Interview with Ken Cuperus.

Back in March, The Stanley Dynamic premiered on YTV. A family oriented comedy highlighting the misadventures of the Stanley family. The Stanley’s are a typical family. There is mom and dad, two brothers, and a little sister. It would be pretty formulaic if it ended there, but the special twist is that one of the brothers, Luke, is actually an animated character.

The show ran a portion of it’s first season in the Spring, and got renewed for a second season over the Summer. Now they are gearing up to roll out the rest of it’s first season in just under a month.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to visit the set and the people behind The Stanley Dynamic. I nervously walked onto set, not really knowing where to go. But I was quickly helped by a kind gentlemen and brought to meet the guy who makes it all happen, Ken Cuperus.

Ken Cuperus is a co-creator, executive producer, and show runner. He is known for working on shows like: Beyblade, Mr.Young, and Stargate: Atlantis, just to name a few. But now he has been handed the reins of his own creation, The Stanley Dynamic.

During my entire visit, I could only feel positive energy. Everybody was happy to see one another, there was laughing and hugging and this is the same positivity you can see translated into each episode of the show, even the less than great ones. Even when the show isn’t firing on all cylinders, you can always see those bright attitudes shine through.

After meeting Ken, he promptly took me around the set. Some of it was still under construction, but it was still really cool to see this set in person. The school, the Stanley home, the game room everything. Ken even donated one of his personal arcade machines to the game room set. That’s dedication! He seemed very excited about how it was all coming together. He mentioned there will be some minor changes to the set for season two, and they are even introducing some new stuff. So keep your eyes open for that.

After taking a look around the set, I got to ask him a few questions about the show and himself. So be sure to read that interview down below to find out about what changes to expect in the second season, when the first season will continue, and even Ken’s favorite characters!

The final portion of my visit to The Stanley Dynamic was the table read. The entire cast was brought in, along with everybody else who has anything to do with the show. The room was absolutely packed. I sort of felt bad for taking up space in the room, but it was a blast. Everybody was laughing and having a great time. I’ve watched every episode of the show, and at times I have found the writing a little on the weak side, but I must admit this was one of the best scripts I’ve heard from the show. When dealing with anything family oriented, chemistry is key. You want to believe that these people are a family, and they have excellent chemistry.

I was careful to look around the room and gauge the reactions of the cast and crew. Everybody in the room seemed very excited about it, especially Ken. They are genuinely proud about what they are bringing to the table. Sure, the episode could air and it could suck, and my review will reflect that, but I doubt it. I can’t wait to see this air.

To wrap up my visit, here is my interview with Ken Curperus:

Q: Can you tell me about some of the challenges of making a live action/animation hybrid series?

“Yeah, a lot of the problem is time…because in multicam you have to shoot scenes very quickly. Because if I suddenly have to shoot scenes twice, we have to shoot with the actor who plays Luke in place and then we have to shoot it without him, so we can add in the animation later. So everything takes twice as much time. So, we really have to move it at a very healthy clip throughout the day. So, it is a complicated matter, for sure.”

Q: What changes can we expect to see in season 2?

“We’re introducing a new major character, Darnell’s sister, who will potentially be a love interest for Larry. Just to freshen up the cast a little bit. Other than that, it’s really more of the same. We’re really pleased with what we have. I mean, only a handful of episodes have played so far. We still have sixteen from the first season that haven’t aired. So, we introduced the grandfather in season one, and he’s going to be back for several season two episodes.

Q: When can we expect season one to continue?

“It starts back up, I believe October 5^th. Which is a Monday, at 7:00. And at some point I think we’ll go back to 7:30, but we’re staying on Mondays from now on.”

Q: And season two will be further off?

“Season two probably won’t start until next Fall”

Q: What’s your favorite part about working on the show?

“Well, I enjoy being the boss (We both laugh). I get to control the scripts, I do a pass on every single script. There’s a little bit of me in everything. And I like making sure that we’re working in a fun atmosphere. It’s very friendly. It doesn’t feel like coming to work, it feels like hanging out with friends for eight months.

Q: How did you get started in television?

“I actually started in theater. I was in a sketch group. I did that for several years, and then I moved here in the mid-nineties, and I was very lucky to get a couple of jobs doing some preschool series’. And somewhere along the way I jumped from preschool to being on the staff at Stargate, and that opened up a lot of doors. But, comedy’s always been my first love, so I was eager to get back to doing comedy. I worked on every teen show and every comedy I could get on, and I worked on some Disney shows, and I worked on some Nickelodeon shows and just kept plugging away until finally somebody said yes to one of my ideas.

Q: Finally, do you have a favorite character on the show?

“Uhm, I find myself partial to Ronnie. Because he’s probably the most like how I was. I get to put a lot of myself into Ronnie. But really, I’m more like a combination of Ronnie and Doop. That’s how I would describe myself.

And there you have it! Now you hopefully have a better idea of where the show is, and have a better idea about the guy behind it all! Personally, my favorite character is Lane (dad), but the show would definitely be missing special if Ronnie and Doop weren’t around.

This was my first time ever visiting the set of a TV show, so I’d like to thank Ken, Victoria, and everyone else at The Stanley Dynamic for the great experience.

The Stanley Dynamic will be returning with all new episodes on October 5^th at 7:00 EST on YTV. Here are a bunch of preview stills for the upcoming season one return: