"Rent A Friend" is a comedy drama set in Kilkenny. Dave and Der are in their early 20s, out of college and out of work, forced to live at home. With few opportunities they decide to sell the only asset they have, their friendship. Unfortunately as far as friendship goes these two are offering the worst deal on the market.

Director Dave Minogue talks to Scruff Daddy about the hilarious web comedy that's part of RTE's Storyland competition. The competition that launched "The Hardy Bucks" onto the nation. Voting is open from Monday the 2nd of March so make sure you check it out and vote. Dave took the time to answer some questions about film making, the inspiration for the series and more.

How long have ye been making films together?

Since November 2009. Dermot Tobin, co-writer and one of the main actors in "Rent A Friend" came to me and asked me to help him make "Collusion," which was a pretty hilarious gag, so I was extremely onboard for making it. I didn't really know Der. We got on pretty well and haven't really looked back since. Except for on Monday, we fell out. But it's ok now.

There seems to be a mini film-making community in Kilkenny. Do ye all know everyone and help each other out?

That's pretty much down to Young Irish Film Makers. Which is a youth based film and acting training school for young people who don't want to play GAA or get a real job when they grow up. Having said that, it's much more than that. About 90% of film makers from Kilkenny have spent some amount of time there. I've grown up with a lot of them.

I've never had a problem with getting help from the film making community in general, not specific to Kilkenny. It's pretty cool actually, knowing that strange people like to help other strange people out. You always need something when making a film, be it a dozen mannequins or a four year old boy. So it always feels like a small miracle when someone helps you out.

Where did the idea for "Rent a Friend" come from?

Last August we realised we hadn't made a short in a few months. We started prep, (prep = coffee) on a short about a Banshee but ended up shooting a sequel to our short "ComaStoned." We were stuck for an ending so we threw in this sub plot where one of the characters rented a friend. When Storyland came up we started looking at ways of working "ComaStoned" into the Storyland format and "Rent a Friend" became the end result.

I think I got the original idea from an article I read in The Sunday Independent. "Rent a Friend" is nothing like "ComaStoned." It is semi based on myself and Dermot Tobin's struggles with setting up a business and dealing with people.

Who are your comedic heroes?

I think most people of my age and probably the generation coming behind me, grew up watching The Simpsons with their dinner, so that has to have affected me somewhat. I think the two schools of comedy that influenced me the most would be "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Larry David basically and then "Stella," a comedy trio from New York that kinda blow your mind in an acid jazz kinda way. I think Der is into "Little Britain" or some shit.

Who are your film maker heroes?

Dunno to be honest. I think Hal Ashby would be one of my favourites and whoever made "8 Mile." I Fucking love "8 Mile." Der's into Michael Bay.

Do you now have access to shiny new equipment as part of the RTE Storyland competition?

Kinda. We got a load of great stuff from all over the country to help out with the first episode. We shot it on a 7d which we own and the sound guy had his own gear. We probably should have bought more equipment for ourselves. In hindsight those hookers were a waste of money. It was also pretty insensitive to the women on set. It wasn't very politically correct.

Do you see RTE's Storyland as a route into an actual TV show like the Hardy Bucks did?

I don't know. The transfer from web to telly isn't very successful. You're also dealing with two very different audiences. The Hardy Bucks were lucky. Their web stuff was great but it didnt transfer to TV very well, not for me at least.

It's hard to tell. We'd love to have a TV show. I don't think anyone in this competition wouldn't want to be producing for a TV audience. The most we can hope for is that people like "Rent a Friend" and we can follow through and trick a broadcaster into letting us be on TV.

Or does it even matter anymore if the show is not on TV if its a success on the internet?

Internet audiences are far more aggressive viewers than TV audiences, which has it's merits but is also very intimidating. The greatest thing about the internet is the free market element to it. We've all become our own broadcasters and are free to attract an audience. But equally that is it's greatest pitfall too. Everyone is a stupid broadcaster. It's kinda cool in that the internet is driving television to be more creative, smart and compelling.

TV has become more cinematic and in a lot of ways is far better at story telling than cinema. I suppose my answer is I dont know. Depends on whether you want to make money or not.

How have the people of Kilkenny taken to ye filming around the city?

We weren't allowed shoot there at all, which was pretty disappointing. We had to go to Kilkenny's twin town "Moret-sur-Loing" in France. That town stunk but you can't see stink on the internet, so it was ok.

Check it: facebook.com/rentafriend.rtestoryland