We (Annie Lukowski & Leyna Juliet Weber) write and produce original content. Annie cast Leyna in her USC thesis film, The Passenger, and we’ve never stopped working together.  Our poignantly inappropriate work is available all over the web.  We’ve been slinging smatterings of spaghetti against the wall and luckily it’s sticking! We figure bugs carry oh-so-much weight on their backs.  And that’s what we are:  working bugs.

Annie Lukowski and Leyna Juliet Weber co-authored the highly acclaimed webseries, Road to the Altar, starring Jaleel White (Urkel, Family Matters) and Leyna (Six Feet Under), directed by Annie.  The Producers Guild of American nominated Annie and Leyna for their work on ROAD, in the outstanding original independent webseries category.  

After co-founding Working Bug Media, the team wrote and sold their series to MWG Entertainment.  ROAD launched on over 40 top video portals worldwide, and garnered praise from Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, Huffington Post, to TV Guide.  “Punch lines emerge rapid fire”, “Cleverly satirizes wedding fever”, and “Many layers of absurdity” the press loved the smash series.  As for Lukowski’s direction, “Experienced web director Annie Lukowski keeps the visual pace quick,” raved IMDB.  TV Without Pity calls it “undeniably funny.”  As for Leyna’s performances, “The bride’s terrible attempts at speaking Spanish, military-like planning skills, overly excited nature, and utter failure at not becoming Bride-zilla combine to make her a rich character for Weber to sink her teeth in to,” raved IMDB.  The Tabletpraises, “[ROAD] offers up another star worthy of notice:  Leyna Juliet Weber as White’s fiancée…Rochelle is an effervescent and funny character played with warmth and a great sense of physicality by Weber.”

ANNIE LUKOWSKI
director/writer/producer

Lukowski exploits the wild west of the web for new avenues of storytelling.  She expands the narrative structure by adding elements like in-character vlogs and comedic Q&A’s.  Using a polished but subjective camera, she takes her comedy seriously.  Speaking to a sophisticated viewer, Annie mixes drama and comedy, never forgetting a classy fart joke.  While awaiting the network greenlight, she took a serious plunge into web content production.  She is the co-creator and director of ROAD TO THE ALTAR with Jaleel White (Urkel, Family Matters), and RANDOM COMEDIES, with guest stars Michael Urie (Ugly Betty), David A. Arnold (Meet the Browns), and Randall Park (Dinner for Schmucks). Recently, Annie collaborated with Eric Stonestreet (ABC’s Modern Family) for the web series DIVORCEES.  She is currently in post-production on the new web suspense thriller, THE ACCIDENT with Miles Fisher (J Edgar) and John Patrick Jordan (American Pie).

Born and raised in Boston, Annie graduated cum laude from Boston College with a double major in Theology and Film.  After graduating, Annie moved to Los Angeles and made a children's film, Waiting For Hello (San Diego Film Fest).  Then Annie returned for her master’s at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.  There, Annie wrote, directed and produced several films, including The Protest (Swaziland, Africa Film Festival), and The Passenger.  She won a Student Emmy from the Academy of Motion Pictures for producing the comedy pilot, Cost of Living.

Annie began her Hollywood career on set with In the Bedroom.  Then Annie worked in the art department on Wonder Woman, Big Fish, and Ladykillers, and was the production designer on God’s Waiting List.  Next she directed the award-winning music video, In My Head (Las Vegas Film Fest, HD Fest, Accolade).  Annie has worked at DreamWorks Marketing, development at Cheyenne Enterprises (Bruce Willis), and Liberman/Patton and Francine Maisler Casting.  

Her first web series ROAD TO THE ALTAR was bought and produced by MWG Entertainment.  ROAD TO THE ALTAR launched on over 45 top video portals worldwide, and garnered praise from outlets including Extra, The Huffington Post, CNN, TV Guide, and Entertainment Tonight.  Road grazed the cover of BrandWeek for using high profile brand integration partners like Pier1 Imports, Panda Express, and iRobot.

Annie’s next directorial bow, RANDOM COMEDIES, was written by Lukowski and Weber.  The first two episodes, SPEEDING TICKET and TABOO both quickly achieved the respected status of “User’s Pick of the Week” on FunnyOrDie.com.  Their most recent episode, THE SECRET, won the FunnyOrDie Facebook Poll.

Lukowski and Weber are currently in development with comedian David A. Arnold on an unrestrained, unapologetic new comedy series, NURSE DAVE.  Setting the gold standard for quality entertainment on the web, NURSE DAVE promises candidly awkward story lines at the Prairie Medical Clinic. Lukowski will direct and Arnold, Weber, and Kym Whitley will star.  Also in production is A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE.  Teaming up with fellow writer Beth Shea, Lukowski and Weber explore a smattering of people -- train-wrecks if you will -- who are tragically doomed.  Lukowski will direct and Shea and Weber will star. 

In a an interview, we were asked what’s important to WorkingBug.  We liked the exercise, and wanted to share.  So here’s a list, in no particular order.

Stuff We Believe In:
1.  Make our own luck.  Instead of waiting for a studio to hand over a big budget action movie, we began making our own web films to take control of our future.  In life, if you do the thing you say you want to do, then you will be doing what you want.  It's really that simple. 
2. Necessity is the mother of… creativity.  If WorkingBug is shooting in a location and we’re running out of time, we’ll justify why the rest of the scene should take place in the parking lot.  We turn obstacles into challenges, and use them as motivation to tap our resources.  Often we find the new solution elevates our vision.
3. Don’t be afraid to ASK – whether it’s for a location, a porta-potty, or advice.  Put yourself out there.  Don’t be afraid to say thank you. 
4. Work with what is in front of you.  We don’t have access to a spaceship, but we can shoot in a living room.  We make do with what we have, not what we wish we had. 
5. Listen to the people you are working with.  This is a collaborative art, and every artist is unique, from the cinematographer to the editor. We value what they have to say.