On this week’s #WebSeriesWednesday twitter chat I had Nathan Blackwell and season two of his epic scifi adventure series ‘Voyage Trekkers.’
‘Voyage Trekkers’ season one was previously covered on #WebSeriesWednesday (check that out for more background on the series) where it was revealed that a season two was forth coming with a dramatic increase in production values. With the ultra low budget season one already easily being a favorite of mine, a bigger season two has been one of my most anticipated series to date. So how well did the show transition from season one to two?
The difference comes down to a dramatic increase in visual effects, more props, a live recording of the series score by an orchestra, and most notably a legit set for the crew’s bridge. I don’t want to spoil too much but the bulk of that additional VFX work has gone into a space battle sequence that caps off the seasons four part finale.
The coolest thing about this significant growth is how it organically came out of the previous work the crew has done and the quality of the first season. The orchestral performance of the shows score was given as a gift to the production by the show’s composer Michael Markowsky. The 3D model of the ship which is featured prominently in season two was created by a fan on the other side of the world in Australia.
It requires real talent, dedication and follow-through to provide a product that resonates well enough with people that they end up contributing at such a level. I believe as web shows become more popular and require more time, talent and effort to create and sustain, growing a community of fans who not only consume, but also directly provide and contribute to the creative process [beyond simple Kickstarter donations] will be a vital component of every successful show. For ‘Voyage Trekkers,’ appealing to fans of classic scifi with its own brand situational comedy has resulted in one of the best shows on the web and simultaneously got the ball rolling on some great collaborative, and hopefully lasting relationships.
The transition from season two to season three might be a bit different. Blackwell is interested in creating a ‘deeper experience’ provided by one big story that allows them to build the world and provide more setups and payoffs. This format is not what is typically associated with web productions and audience building typically defined by quick, straight to the point, one-off episodes that have been a staple of this shows first two seasons. Blackwell believes that his show’s audience is ready for a bigger story and rather than being concerned with catching new eye balls season three will be created for those fans already following the show.
Of course a new season will have to wait. Season two took a year and a half to create, and was produced as funds became available. For another round, budgets and time will likely keep fans waiting awhile but it’s sure to happen. As Blackwell noted “I think our future is definitely more Voyage Trekkers, it’s where our heart is.”
Both seasons of ‘Voyage Trekkers’ can be found at their online home http://voyagetrekkers.com