Styncat

Cacahuetex was born from a shared love of movies, series, and TV shows that shaped the team’s childhoods. What began as a hobby —filming sketches and short films— gradually evolved into their own audiovisual collective. From the very beginning, the dream was always to create something bigger: a film or a series of their own.

When they came across an online web series competition, they saw the perfect opportunity to take that leap. But rather than follow the familiar sitcom format so common in online series, they wanted to try something different —something bold. That’s how Styncat was born: a wild mix of action, comedy, and science fiction inspired by all the shows and films they grew up loving. Winning the contest wasn’t the main goal; the real motivation was to bring their idea to life. And even though they didn’t win, they chose to keep going —and they did.

The production process for Styncat took over a year, and as their first serious project, it brought plenty of challenges —and plenty of stories.

One of the most memorable episodes took place at a key filming location used for the final episode’s action scenes. From the start, the team felt like the place was cursed —nothing ever went according to plan. Although it was an open space, it required a key for access. Every time they got hold of the key, the lock had been changed, or the space was booked, or there was a gym class… or even a full-blown concert with hundreds of people. Somehow, despite all this, they managed to film —and the end result turned out even better than expected.

Another fun anecdote: since Toledo is known for its steel and sword-making tradition, they traveled there to buy weapons for the series. After browsing several stores, they ended up in a shop where the owner offered them a pair of extremely cheap —and incredibly ugly— zebra-striped katanas. They bought them anyway, and now those swords have become part of Styncat’s identity. Anytime someone sees a zebra katana, it’s a nod to the series.

The team shot the series using three Canon 550D cameras. The choice was purely practical: they needed something affordable with decent quality, and the 550D was a perfect fit for their YouTube-based project.

In terms of visual style, they wanted a conspiratorial, mysterious atmosphere. That led them to use a cold, bluish color palette throughout the show.

They started with just €450 and added money along the way whenever needed. Most of the budget went into fuel for driving to filming locations. While they don’t have an exact total, they estimate the entire project cost under €1,000.

The web series world has grown massively in recent years. Nowadays, everyone has a camera—even in their pocket —and anyone can upload content online. That’s a great thing, as it makes filmmaking more accessible. But it also means the internet is saturated with content, and standing out is harder than ever. Even with a good idea and solid execution, it’s no guarantee that a project will find an audience.

The team believes the internet is a powerful space where great talents are emerging —but there’s still work to be done in recognizing that online content can be just as valuable, if not more, than what’s shown on traditional television or in cinemas. In fact, Styncat itself offers a critique of that very reality: how internet culture often rewards randomness over quality, and how that continues to affect how online creations are perceived.