The Quest Begins

Many developments this last month. I didn't post at all during October. Much of that was out of respect for my grandfather. Part of it was that I just didn't have the time. One event dovetailed into another into another that scarcely left us room enough to breathe, let alone reflect and report on the events. Here's how it started: Camille and I were going to Oregon for our anniversary near the end of the month, and that trip combined with Grandpa's memorial and fused into an unexpected two-week journey to the Pacific Northwest, equal parts grief and business and celebration.

I've written about the grief, and Camille's written about the celebration. On to the business. I mentioned in a post after Comic Con (near the bottom, it's a long one) a new web project I'd been planning to work on: JourneyQuest, a fantasy/comedy webseries. The plan was to get back to my Gamers roots: shooting a no-budget passion project, running-and-gunning guerrilla style with a skeleton crew, begging and borrowing and stealing costumes and props and locations, and paying for it out of pocket. It would be more for fun than for profit, a welcome break from the grind of my other projects. A pallet-cleanser, a sorbet for the soul.

That was the plan. And that changed rather quickly. Ben and I (but mostly Ben) ran some numbers, just to see what JQ might do if it, say, matched the success of The Gamers. We discovered that JQ would be a viable project for investment. We could raise enough money -- not a lot, a drop in the bucket by industry standards -- to give it top of the line production value. And we wouldn't have to pay for it ourselves.

So we started to putting together an investment package ... and the opportunity was so lucrative that an investor bit before we'd finished the presentation materials.

Boom, JourneyQuest is fully funded. Just like that. And just like that, our shooting and roll-out schedule fell into place. We shoot in March. Which means we need to be cast before the end of the year. Which means casting is in mid-November. Which means we need a script immediately; I've spent the last two weeks on just that. Open auditions in Washington start next week.

Friday, Jeremy and I fly to Washington for a 10-day excursion of camera tests, location scouting, and auditions. Our casting director will be coming to LA in the first week of December to see talent and hold auditions down here. We're having a table read of the script on Wednesday. It's all coming together, at breakneck speed. The Dead Gentlemen serendipity factor seems to be at work again. Expect frequent updates in the weeks and months to come. 

Still haven't decided whether or not to capitalize the "Q" -- JourneyQuest or Journeyquest? I think I like the latter more, but I've always written it the other way. I'm open to suggestions.