Here is an update on Marc Zicree’s ambitious sci-fi movie franchise, Space Command:
Space Command’s Kickstarter campaign reached its initial goal of $75,000 in just three days, assuring fans that Hollywood’s newest sci-fi franchise would be produced; but through perseverance and enthusiasm, the production team lead by Writer/Producer/Director Marc Scott Zicree (The Twilight Zone Companion, Star Trek: The Next Generation), Producer Doug Drexler (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise and Battlestar Galactica) and Producer Neil Johnson (Humanity’s End) managed to raise a total of $221,267 by the 9pm deadline on Saturday.
(San Diego, CA – July 15, 2012) After reaching the successful conclusion of a 60-day Kickstarter campaign that raised over $220,000, Writer/Producer/Director Marc Scott Zicree thanked the thousands of backers and fans who made sure sci-fi’s newest franchise would blast off on schedule. ”After we celebrate tonight, we’ll turn up the heat on our pre-production efforts to make sure scripts are done, sets are built and we hit our goal of starting production in the fourth quarter of this year,” announced Mr. Zicree.
Hundreds of fans – some attending Space Command’s Kickstarter Party at the Embassy Suites in San Diego in person, others attending via live-streaming video feed from around the world – celebrated with the producers and production crew who had just wrapped up another day at San Diego Comic-Con. “We tried to make sure our fans and supporters who weren’t able to attend our party had a chance to feel like they were a part of it,” explained Leah Cevoli, social media manager for Space Command. Mr. Zicree jumped in front of the webcam from time to time to answer questions from fans in the hours before the end of the countdown, as did Ms. Cevoli, character designer Iain McCaig (Star Wars, The Avengers), actor Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy) and Assistant Producer David/Composer David Raiklen among others.
Mr. Raiklen, who was intimately involved in helping set and track the various Kickstarter awards in an attempt to continually engage fans, shared his insights into what the grassroots funding effort for Space Command means to filmmakers. “The fans get to greenlight projects now. And as a result, they’ll get to see and hear everything as it’s made ready for final production – from amazing concept art to music.
“This is the greatest team I’ve ever had the fun and priviledge to work with. The heart and vision are inspiring.”
The enthusiasm backers showed for Space Command had a profound impact on everyone involved in the project to-date, but none more than Mr. Zicree. “As a kid, one of the reasons Star Trek appealed so strongly to me is that it portrayed a group of good-hearted, brave, honorable and loving folks who were embarked on a grand adventure and committed to each other. My dream was to someday be part of such a group. Thanks to you all, I now am.” Mr. Zicree shared in his wrap-up speech and in an email to the production team early the next morning after the event.
What’s Next
Space Command now intensifies its pre-production efforts in order to make an aggressive production schedule and keep production costs as low as possible. “We still have a lot of work to do before the cameras start rolling,” said Mr. Zicree. ”The first script is almost completed, it just needs a few finishing touches – but Doug (Drexler) and I will be meeting soon to start fleshing out the first 1/2-hour episode we want to produce simultaneously and include with our first release.”Pre-production is expected to conclude later this summer and production begin sometime in the fourth quarter of 2012.
About Space Command: Space Command is a series of science fiction films that detail two families’ interactions over several generations as they take part in Man’s exploration and colonization of the solar system and beyond. For more information, please visit: www.spacecommandmovie.com
Great to hear, I will post more news about Space Command as it becomes available. I interviewed Marc Zicree a little while ago, you check that out here.
-Tom
