Space Command

Is anyone else excited for Space Command? For those that don't know:

Marc Zicree here.  As a kid I loved STAR TREK, TWILIGHT ZONE, OUTER LIMITS, FORBIDDEN PLANET and grew up to write for such great shows as STAR TREK – THE NEXT GENERATION, DEEP SPACE NINE, BABYLON 5, SLIDERS and more.

I often hear fans say, “Why are there so few good sci-fi shows on TV, and why do so many go south?”  I can tell you – frankly, most of the network suits just don’t get it.

But you and I do.

So when I recently got the idea of creating a new show inspired by the sense of wonder and possibility science fiction gave me as a kid, I realized I didn’t need a network or studio to make my dream come true -- just Kickstarter and you. 

Thanks for making it happen.  Or I could just say, “Spacemen’s luck!” 

SPACE COMMAND is a series of new and original feature films written, produced, directed by and starring some of the top science-fiction visionaries working today.

The Kickstarter video (which I highly recommend you watch) goes into all of the various talent that's involved. They got the funding they were asking for in around three days. =P

I went with the Lieutenant tier. I had considered the next tier up but that only seemed like it had a special gold patch if you pledged within 48 hours of their start. I'm not a patch person. =P

All the tiers offer the blu-ray you just need to add an additional $8 to your pledge.

That isn't an actual tier, it's just a notification.

"By popular demand we now have a HD Blu-ray edition of SPACE COMMAND! Simply manage your pledge and add $8. Backers at Vice Admiral and higher already have this upgrade included. Thanks for making this dream possible."

Sigh.

To get us back on topic:

Move over Star Trek – Space Command is ready to boldly go
where no sci-fi series has gone before

A new and original feature film series produced, directed and starring some of the genre’s top visionaries has launched a grassroots effort that’s now gaining momentum with Hollywood’s most respected producers.

 (Hollywood, CA – June 15, 2012) - “Space Command,” a new and original feature film series from award-winning writer/producer Marc Scott Zicree, Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Doug Drexler and digital film pioneer Neil Johnson is poised to enter new territory in the field of science fiction film making.  A grassroots financing effort – coordinated exclusively through the crowd-funding site Kickstarter – has generated more than twice the initial budget required to produce the two-hour maiden voyage of the new series.  All accomplished in under a month.

“It all started with an experience I had writing and collaborating on a fan-produced Star Trek episode called World Enough and Time,” explained Mr. Zicree.  “That episode was nominated for Hugo and Nebula awards – the first independent project ever nominated for those awards.”

“Our production costs on that episode were just around $100,000 and I realized that we had the tools we needed to go up against larger, studio-produced shows – and that we could succeed,” said Mr. Zicree.  “If we had the right friends, the right heart and the right talent, we could make something that could stand the test of time.”

Kickstarting the Adventure
Mr. Zicree and his producing partners turned to crowd-funding website Kickstarter.com to generate the funds necessary to bring their idea for a new sci-fi television series to life.  This grassroots effort met the $75,000 goal set to fund the pilot episode in just over three days.  Backers have now raised over $150,000 and Mr. Zicree promises every penny will be seen on the screen.

“Every dollar we raise goes right into the production to make Space Command that much bigger, better and delivered faster,” claims Mr. Zicree on the project’s Kickstarter page.  “It’s a big, epic story and we have many great surprises for you.”

In fact, Space Command’s nearly 2,000 backers have been pleasantly surprised over the past month with daily updates on the project’s progress, special rewards for providing support and a nearly constant stream of encouragement from Mr. Zicree and Mr. Drexler.

“Our goal now is to reach a half million dollars and beyond,” writes Mr. Zicree.  With over a month to go before the social media-driven campaign ends, its clear the production team at Space Command thinks they have a chance of reaching their new, ambitious target.  If they do, it will be one of the most successful film and video projects funded through Kickstarter.com.

Industry Support Engenders Enthusiasm
The credibility Mr. Zicree, Mr. Drexler and Mr. Johnson bring to the project has helped attract an array of interest and support from Hollywood’s most talented directors, producers and on-screen personalities.  Endorsements for Space Command have been collected from the likes of Damon Lindelof (Prometheus, Lost), Neil Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods, Dr. Who, Coraline), Glen Mazzara (Walking Dead), Jane Espenson (Game of Thrones), Hugo Award-winning author David Brin and Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy).

“We’re thrilled to have support from so many of our Hollywood friends,” said Mr. Zicree.  “A number of leading writers, producers and directors in the sci-fi world are working on the project, along with actors, special effects artists, and designers from some of the biggest movies and TV shows of the last twenty years, including STAR WARS, HARRY POTTER and THE AVENGERS.”

Space Command’s Kickstarter campaign closes on July 14^th.

About Space Command:  Space Command is a unique foray into the world of film-making.  Financed entirely by fans and backers via Kickstarter, the program represents a new approach to science fiction – one that brings back the optimistic outlook of humankind’s future and the thrill and adventure of space travel and exploration.

You can learn more about Space Command by visiting www.spacecommandmovie.com