To One And All
I'm still getting the hang of all this so forgive any mistakes I make when posting.
Thanks
I'm still getting the hang of all this so forgive any mistakes I make when posting.
Thanks
"Dreamland" scripted series in dev. about Area 51
- Thread starter jefferiestubes8
- Start date
Providing we steer clear of X Files territory I don't mind (IE focus on the aliens and not the government conspiracies).
Candlelight,
Its going to be a mixed bag of adventure on and off the base, a little X Files, funny, creepy, but its main focus is on our central character Dr. Emily Dehner and her issues, being forced to work at the base as well as solving her own personal mysteries.
But over all I hope it'll be a fun watch and entertaining. Thanks for the post.
Its going to be a mixed bag of adventure on and off the base, a little X Files, funny, creepy, but its main focus is on our central character Dr. Emily Dehner and her issues, being forced to work at the base as well as solving her own personal mysteries.
But over all I hope it'll be a fun watch and entertaining. Thanks for the post.
Welcome to the boards. Just remember the BBS can be a dangerous place; some people develop opinions about shows well before they've aired. Good luck with the project.
Might pay to enable private messages (in your control panel somewhere) so you can chat privately with posters here. Or they are enabled and my machine is having kittens at present.
Might pay to enable private messages (in your control panel somewhere) so you can chat privately with posters here. Or they are enabled and my machine is having kittens at present.
Candlelight,
Thanks for advice and input.
Thanks for advice and input.
J
Jetfire
Guest
Sometimes when you post it will double post and such...believe me...it is a pain.
I don't know who you were asking if they were in the industry...Temis or myself...I am not. As a viewer I like to see a character have a sense of newness...if that makes sense? Kinda like how new experiences resonate with the audience...something that is familiar to them...like first day of High school, first day at a new job, first day in a new city...of course I mainly watch crap on The CW.
I just hope this works out for you and everyone involved. 
I don't know who you were asking if they were in the industry...Temis or myself...I am not. As a viewer I like to see a character have a sense of newness...if that makes sense? Kinda like how new experiences resonate with the audience...something that is familiar to them...like first day of High school, first day at a new job, first day in a new city...of course I mainly watch crap on The CW.
I just hope this works out for you and everyone involved. Jetfire,
My question was addressed to Temis. But I get what you're saying. I'm hoping Dreamland will bill full of "firsts". Despite my obvious bias, I think we have a collection of interesting characters especially Emily Dehner the lead character.
As I've said, I wrote this with the Sci-Fi fan very much in mind and I can only hope that they'll embrace the show. I want it to be entertaining for everyone, young and old and a rewrite is in the works.
Thanks again for your interest.
My question was addressed to Temis. But I get what you're saying. I'm hoping Dreamland will bill full of "firsts". Despite my obvious bias, I think we have a collection of interesting characters especially Emily Dehner the lead character.
As I've said, I wrote this with the Sci-Fi fan very much in mind and I can only hope that they'll embrace the show. I want it to be entertaining for everyone, young and old and a rewrite is in the works.
Thanks again for your interest.
J
Jetfire
Guest
I like the idea and I hope it makes it on the air...if not...have you considered doing it as a movie?
I word in the advertising and branding biz, which is why I like to follow the ups and downs of ratings and form opinions of why certain shows succeed and others fail. Some if it is based on what I've learned at work, and the rest is just idle speculation. 
I've become convinced that what everyone thinks are the most important factors - the quality of a show, the topic, even the actors (which are supposedly hugely important, because they bring their own fanbase with them) - are less important than cold-blooded business factors like how much a show costs and whether it's on a network with similar shows, so that there's a good audience to cross-market to. That's how CBS and USA have gotten so successful, a stable full of very similar shows. Conformity is rewarded.
Above all, you need to match a show to the right network. A show isn't good or bad in isolation. Star Trek couldn't survive a minute on CBS, bit I think it could be a great asset to Showtime. It would have to be adapted to be Showtime-like - more grownup, more complex, some increase in sex and violence (not necessarily the maximum you could get away with) but that might be refreshing. Star Trek would bring new subscribers into Showtime. There must be about a million people who are big enough fans that they'd pay for a new show. That's nothing by network or basic cable standards, but it would kick ass for premium cable.
I've become convinced that what everyone thinks are the most important factors - the quality of a show, the topic, even the actors (which are supposedly hugely important, because they bring their own fanbase with them) - are less important than cold-blooded business factors like how much a show costs and whether it's on a network with similar shows, so that there's a good audience to cross-market to. That's how CBS and USA have gotten so successful, a stable full of very similar shows. Conformity is rewarded.
Above all, you need to match a show to the right network. A show isn't good or bad in isolation. Star Trek couldn't survive a minute on CBS, bit I think it could be a great asset to Showtime. It would have to be adapted to be Showtime-like - more grownup, more complex, some increase in sex and violence (not necessarily the maximum you could get away with) but that might be refreshing. Star Trek would bring new subscribers into Showtime. There must be about a million people who are big enough fans that they'd pay for a new show. That's nothing by network or basic cable standards, but it would kick ass for premium cable.
Jetfire,
We originally planned it as a feature film to spin off into a series but we couldn't find the backing (that story's a whole other nightmare), even though it is designed as a series. I have the script, complete show Bible, and fifteen completed episodes (in first draft) and two seasons of story ideas.
Its been a long and difficult road to get to this point. And we have a Chinese gaming company interested and willing to put up 50% venture capital but not willing to put "first money" in. Its extremely frustrating to be this close and seemingly spinning our wheels.
We originally planned it as a feature film to spin off into a series but we couldn't find the backing (that story's a whole other nightmare), even though it is designed as a series. I have the script, complete show Bible, and fifteen completed episodes (in first draft) and two seasons of story ideas.
Its been a long and difficult road to get to this point. And we have a Chinese gaming company interested and willing to put up 50% venture capital but not willing to put "first money" in. Its extremely frustrating to be this close and seemingly spinning our wheels.
I just noticed - Kerner Studio - are they the people in Marin County?
I'm not personally wild about the prospect of 3D TV but I have a suspicion that when the big ad agencies realize they have a new toy to play with that could make their ads stand out in a crowd, they'll start pushing the networks to start making 3D shows so that consumers will be driven to buy 3D TV sets. Sort of a replay of how color TV was adopted.
Did you see Defiance, which debuted at E3? Yet another stab at combining interactive and noninteractive entertainment - if anyone ever figures out that puzzle, they could become very rich (if they move fast before everyone else steals it, since whatever the "solution" is, is probably not copyrightable).
Here's how they need to do it: run a competition for a season where players need to achieve some goal. The reward is that the winning character becomes a character in the series. Whatever he or she looks like, his or her personality, that's going to govern the character in the show. Players should have control over what their character looks like, acts like, even how they dress. They need to feel that that's "their" character in the TV show, the one they created.
For the dedicated gamers, it will be a chance to distinguish themselves by having the "best" character, and the fun of seeing the character come to life. But most of the TV audience won't have time/interest in the game. So there needs to be an easy way for the TV viewers to observe the progress of the competition, maybe even start rooting for a character they like.
There could be some kind of virtual reality place within the show where the game actually appears - the live-actor characters in the show know about and observe the game. If that's too meta, then maybe it's just a website where the highlights of the game are replayed for TV viewers. That might also be a good way of hooking a few viewers into the MMO, who otherwise might not bother.
I'm not personally wild about the prospect of 3D TV but I have a suspicion that when the big ad agencies realize they have a new toy to play with that could make their ads stand out in a crowd, they'll start pushing the networks to start making 3D shows so that consumers will be driven to buy 3D TV sets. Sort of a replay of how color TV was adopted.
Video games? (Not gambling?) Are they interested in game/TV show crossovers?
Did you see Defiance, which debuted at E3? Yet another stab at combining interactive and noninteractive entertainment - if anyone ever figures out that puzzle, they could become very rich (if they move fast before everyone else steals it, since whatever the "solution" is, is probably not copyrightable).
The logistics will be a nightmare if the connection between game and show are anything but trivial. But if they're trivial - who cares, it's just a gimmick.
Here's how they need to do it: run a competition for a season where players need to achieve some goal. The reward is that the winning character becomes a character in the series. Whatever he or she looks like, his or her personality, that's going to govern the character in the show. Players should have control over what their character looks like, acts like, even how they dress. They need to feel that that's "their" character in the TV show, the one they created.
For the dedicated gamers, it will be a chance to distinguish themselves by having the "best" character, and the fun of seeing the character come to life. But most of the TV audience won't have time/interest in the game. So there needs to be an easy way for the TV viewers to observe the progress of the competition, maybe even start rooting for a character they like.
There could be some kind of virtual reality place within the show where the game actually appears - the live-actor characters in the show know about and observe the game. If that's too meta, then maybe it's just a website where the highlights of the game are replayed for TV viewers. That might also be a good way of hooking a few viewers into the MMO, who otherwise might not bother.
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Temis,
Yes, Kerner is the studio we're working with. The Chinese company is already established with MMO games already up and running. They want to move seriously into film making. They are building a state of the art studio, theme park, and 5 star hotel in China.
They are looking at projects they can develop in both arenas, looking at Dreamland and two fantasy projects of mine. Its just a matter of finding someone to put in the "first money". The Chinese will put up matching funds.
We're working on it.
Yes, Kerner is the studio we're working with. The Chinese company is already established with MMO games already up and running. They want to move seriously into film making. They are building a state of the art studio, theme park, and 5 star hotel in China.
They are looking at projects they can develop in both arenas, looking at Dreamland and two fantasy projects of mine. Its just a matter of finding someone to put in the "first money". The Chinese will put up matching funds.
We're working on it.
Here's your ticket to the big time: figure out how to do scripted content for YouTube that costs a lot less than the TV kind, but doesn't suck. Someone is bound to figure it out, might as well be you.
They already know how to do reality TV, just train your cat to play the piano. How to do the same with fictional (or more honestly fictional) content is another matter.
To date, this is their best example of how to attract millions of eyeballs with scripted content. Save us from more of the same.
They already know how to do reality TV, just train your cat to play the piano. How to do the same with fictional (or more honestly fictional) content is another matter.
To date, this is their best example of how to attract millions of eyeballs with scripted content. Save us from more of the same.
Temis,
Been pondering that avenue myself and working on something. Reworking a vampire hunter storyline that was originally good that was turned into crap by a low budget company years ago that became titled "Bram Stoker's Way of the Vampire" - god awful piece of crap! Tried to watch it 3 times and couldn't get past the first 5 minutes each time.
Problem is, you still need to find the backing, even for the simplest of projects, even for the web. Just don't have the clout or connections to get it financed like Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, and Damien Kindler did for SANCTUARY. They gambled and raised the money on their reps for the pilot, took no salaries, just percentages then cut it into short segments and posted it on You Tube or something.
The fans picked it up first, then Syfy. When it got picked up for a 2nd season, they were able to syndicate and got their fair share. I'm not in the position to do that, sadly.
I wanted to approach national sponsors for backing but don't know how to do that, which is something I need to discuss with my manager.
Thanks for the input, though.
Been pondering that avenue myself and working on something. Reworking a vampire hunter storyline that was originally good that was turned into crap by a low budget company years ago that became titled "Bram Stoker's Way of the Vampire" - god awful piece of crap! Tried to watch it 3 times and couldn't get past the first 5 minutes each time.
Problem is, you still need to find the backing, even for the simplest of projects, even for the web. Just don't have the clout or connections to get it financed like Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, and Damien Kindler did for SANCTUARY. They gambled and raised the money on their reps for the pilot, took no salaries, just percentages then cut it into short segments and posted it on You Tube or something.
The fans picked it up first, then Syfy. When it got picked up for a 2nd season, they were able to syndicate and got their fair share. I'm not in the position to do that, sadly.
I wanted to approach national sponsors for backing but don't know how to do that, which is something I need to discuss with my manager.
Thanks for the input, though.
Here's another thought: figure out a way to get product placement in your show without it being hilarious and crass, like it almost always is. I've seen successful examples only in reality TV - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is basically just a weekly one-hour advertisement for Craftsman and Sears - but scripted TV would be more of a challenge.
It may sound sleazy and crass, but if someone figures out the way to do that, you'll be way ahead of your competitors, who simply want an outlet for their artistic vision. Problem is, nobody cares about artistic visions unless your name is Steven Spielberg or JJ Abrams.
After seeing all the ads that are uploaded to YouTube and how some of them are received very positively, I can't help but think that there's no reason an ad on YouTube needs to be just a minute long, just because that's how long the TV version was. And there's no reason it can't be sci fi, either. What if someone took the below idea and extrapolated it into a series of 15 minute episodes? (And maybe this is something I should stop talking about here and start taking to my boss about tomorrow morning when I get into work.)
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyGlqb1s_n0[/yt]
It may sound sleazy and crass, but if someone figures out the way to do that, you'll be way ahead of your competitors, who simply want an outlet for their artistic vision. Problem is, nobody cares about artistic visions unless your name is Steven Spielberg or JJ Abrams.
After seeing all the ads that are uploaded to YouTube and how some of them are received very positively, I can't help but think that there's no reason an ad on YouTube needs to be just a minute long, just because that's how long the TV version was. And there's no reason it can't be sci fi, either. What if someone took the below idea and extrapolated it into a series of 15 minute episodes? (And maybe this is something I should stop talking about here and start taking to my boss about tomorrow morning when I get into work.
)[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyGlqb1s_n0[/yt]
Temis,
just out of curiosity what do you for a living? where do you work. you've got some good ides here. Thanks.
just out of curiosity what do you for a living? where do you work. you've got some good ides here. Thanks.
