Saving the world from evil isn’t easy, but somebody’s got to do it. Sometimes, that task is accomplished by a group of people who band together to save humanity from certain doom. As season 1 of the action/adventure web series THE SUPER ALLIANCE demonstrated, though, teamwork means nothing without the talent to achieve that goal – and the chemistry to work as a team.
Created by Niv Ende, and produced by Ende, Anaïsa Visser, Frank Bailey and Jon Warne, season 2 of THE SUPER ALLIANCE continues to follow the story of a group of disparate individuals who possess extraordinary individual superpowers. Unfortunately, they don’t necessarily possess the ability to work together as one unit.
The show’s first season consisted of 7 episodes on its official Youtube page. Seven more episodes of THE SUPER ALLIANCE are set to be produced for season 2, and the show’s producers are still accepting donations through Awkward Alien Productions’ (the production company responsible for THE SUPER ALLIANCE)’s official web site.
The series stars Bruce Novakowski as TV personality John Jupiter, who’s reeling from his breakup with ex-girlfriend Lucy.
After finding that he possesses the power of telekinesis (the ability to move objects at will through mind power), and learning that Lucy has suddenly been kidnapped, John reluctantly joins the Alliance.
It’s a team led by Rob (played by Bailey), a man who carries an over-inflated sense of personal vanity. Accompanying Rob is his top lieutenant, Shelby (Katherine Ramdeen), whose sense of trust in the people she surrounds herself with is gradually challenged over the course of each adventure.
Rounding out the team is the bulky, muscular Big Boy (Jason Asuncion), a guy who’s every bit the strong and silent type – but with toughness to boot. Together, they attempt to save Lucy from her kidnappers – but can they do it without managing to fight each other?
While season 1 of THE SUPER ALLIANCE introduced viewers to a sometimes dysfunctional group of superheroes, season 2 of the series presents a new set of challenges that the Alliance faces in their quest to save the world.
“Season 2 wraps up some of the questions left unanswered in season 1, then ventures into a whole new storyline in which the Alliance finds out that there are others who know about superpowers and who want to stop the Alliance,” the show’s creators add.
Originally developed and produced by Ende as a short film, THE SUPER ALLIANCE began production of its first season not long after Ende, Visser and Amber Davy completed their studies at Vancouver’s Emily Carr University.
As the show’s producers explain, a number of different factors – both internally and externally – contributed to what became a hectic production process during season 1.
“In the first season, we wrote each episode as we were shooting the previous one. This complicated things as we weren’t able to go back and change anything to suit the story arc better,” they say. “Also, all of us had just graduated and were struggling to make ends meet and find time to work on the show.”
While getting season 1 of THE SUPER ALLIANCE off the written page and onto the screen had been wrought with difficulties for the show’s production team, bringing season 2 to life proved to be considerably easier. “For season two, we have a much more structured and organized team of producers. The entire season has been written, and we have a lineup of experienced guest directors joining us for some of the episodes,” the show’s creators add.
For any filmmaker, one of the toughest parts of getting a project closer to fruition is the task of assembling dedicated, and talented, actors.
Although THE SUPER ALLIANCE was produced on a limited budget, the goal of finding people who would remain on board throughout the show’s production was a crucial one that the show’s creators knew they needed to achieve.
“We were really worried about finding cast members who could commit to a longterm super low budget project,” they say. Soon, their initial apprehension would soon give way to both fulfillment and satisfaction as the casting process ensued.
“We reached out to people we had already worked with, and people our friends had worked with, and invited them to the initial audition. For some characters, such as Rob, we put out a casting call on Vancouver Actors’ Guide and were extremely lucky to find people who were interested and committed.”
Most significantly, the show’s cinematography has also improved from season 1 to season 2, and the overall on-set tasks have become even more streamlined – thanks to the talents of a new member of the production team.
“We are also upgrading from shooting on a 60D and 7D to two Blackmagic cameras. In the visuals department, we have a new Director of Photography, Marco Bossow (SINGLE AND DATING IN VANCOUVER),” they add.
When production of season 2 does get underway, the show’s creators know that their job will be made a lot easier due to the skill and depth of its cast and crew. “Overall, we expect a lot less multitasking. No directors clapping slates on season 2. The team is stronger, more organized, more experienced, more prepared. We have such amazing people on board. Committing to Season 2 was a big deal because it’s like having another job.”
For Ende, Visser, Warne and Bailey, getting each episode of THE SUPER ALLIANCE written, shot and edited is a team effort that requires considerable dedication and commitment for every member of its cast and crew. Nevertheless, they add, the talents and teamwork of its cast and crew make the hard work of producing THE SUPER ALLIANCE all the more worthwhile.
“Everyone has to always have THE SUPER ALLIANCE on their mind at some point during the day. We all have to pull our weight and work on it or else it doesn’t get made,” they say. “So it’s a big commitment, but we love working together and we absolutely love our amazing cast. They make it worth getting up and working hard everyday.”
Although the show’s producers say that the task of acquiring funds for its continued production will remain a constant challenge, they look forward to showing viewers the end result of the hard work they’ve put in to THE SUPER ALLIANCE’s sophomore season.
“We really hope that people will be able to see how much work we’re putting into it, and how much better it’s going to be than Season 1,” they add.
Despite the difficulties of procuring funding for their series, Ende, Visser, Bailey and Warne take pride in the professional relationships they’ve gained with fellow filmmakers and industry professionals through THE SUPER ALLIANCE. “While our budget will likely remain very low, we have gained the trust and interest of local independent filmmakers, so we hope that these partnerships will also help the show evolve.”
THE SUPER ALLIANCE proves that not all superheroes are created equal, and not all superhuman individuals have the same talents, strengths, or abilities. Yet, the show’s creators say, each episode demonstrates that even though superheroes do their best to save humanity from certain doom, they’re actually just like the rest of us common folk – in a lot of different ways.
“Ultimately the show is about people being people, but with superpowers. We all have our ups and downs, and the characters go through their daily drama just as we do, but they have the added element of being superhumans,” they say. “Trust, family and loyalty are three huge themes in the show. However, we do not make a clear distinction between what is “right” and “wrong,” we leave that up to the audience.”
(Note: Regarding closed-captioning and subtitles of THE SUPER ALLIANCE, the show’s creators say: “There is auto closed captioning currently active on our videos, and we are in the process of adding several languages to our subtitles options including French, Spanish, and Hebrew.”)
To contribute towards production of THE SUPER ALLIANCE’s second season, visit:
http://www.awkwardalienproductions.com/donations-perks/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC06ggcBCGbgWh7Nca1-gR3Q
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheSuperAlliance
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SuperAlliance
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