Urban AT Shed Crew Twitter Gets Personal. Maybe Too Personal?

As much as any other Richard Armitage Fan, I’m hoping that Urban AT Shed Crew is a great film that achieves its distribution goals so that we all get to see it. That being said, I’m beginning to feel a lot overwhelmed and somewhat unhappy by the recent change in the voice, tone and frequency of @UrbanATShedCrew. There seem to be a lot of tweets ( practically continuously) with very little new information, or in some cases, wrong information. And much pushing.

The voice of the @UrbanATShedCrew account has changed dramatically from what it used to be, now engaging in constant banter and back and forth with fans, asking “for help” in some tweets, getting Urban recognized at LIFF, and in general, taking on a personality and voice  that is quite different from most other film sites I’ve followed. The relentless pushing is becoming a turn off.

@Becksibee @HydeParkPH So are we! Hyde Park Picture House, any more available dates? #onlyjokingbutsrsly x

— UrbanAndTheShedCrew (@UrbanATShedCrew) October 18, 2015

I’m wondering whether this is helpful or harmful or simply irrelevant to the film and its success, but there seems to be a frenzy of activity to bring the hashtag @UrbanATShedCrew to light on Twitter – so much so, that it’s almost unseemly.

Maybe taking page out of the Hannibal crew book, @UrbanATShedCrew is filling its time line with tweets, in banter with fans and fan sites not only with some new photos of Richard Armitage that we crave – but with no photos of other stars, for example, not one of Anna Friel or Neil Morrisey has been released recently. (you’d think  @UrbanATSHedCrew is a hardcore Armitage fan or fan site admin),

@SimplyCamelia @RCArmitage Not at all! Always feel free to ask, at least here. (And good luck!) #BondJamesBond pic.twitter.com/pQKAOUITDi

— UrbanAndTheShedCrew (@UrbanATShedCrew) October 16, 2015

The account has even engaged in some fan chastisement for what it considers inappropriate tweets.

Furthermore, when one looks at the time of the tweets, it seems obvious that the tweets are coming from the U.S., and not the UK.

I’ll predict that a load of fans and tweeters are delighted with the personal and constant attention and “inside info” about film festivals work, etc., but I’m not one of them. In my view, the account has lost some of its professionalism, in tone, content and frequency. ( DO I really need to know that the @UrbanATShedCrew admin has cats or has been away for a day or uses a desktop?)

So what’s my gripe? Just that I care a lot about the success and exposure of this film, as do many of you, I know, and in my opinion, and I am no publicist, I’m just the audience, I think it’s kind of bush league for its air of unprofessionalism, lack of polish and humor and preachy, downright pushy tone.

It recalls to mind one of my favorite lines from a judge in a case I was trying, which lines later became a trope for my counsel and me – after a terrible direct examination by opposing counsel, during which she was interrupted a zillion times with objections by counsel and the judge, the Judge, Hon. Thomas Griesa ( pronounced Grisay), moaned in exasperation,

Who wrote these words!?!

srsly.