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Contact: Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca

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Epic Crest

   

Kickstarter in the Community:
Are you ready for an ‘Epic Quest?’

» Local filmmaker takes on video game issues with new web series

Cheryl Minns

. Arts Editor
Marts
@theotherpress.ca

 

pic Quest is a modern take

ona hero’s journey where
a video game character named
Alys, a lower level barmaid,
steps up to rescue her sister,
Thea, from the evil King. In this
web series, Alys is joined by
Sevrin, an inexperienced Mage
who keeps trying to prove his
power, and other companions
who assist her on the epic
quest.

The series’ creator, Chelsea
Goodman, developed the
show’s concept for a class
project in her third year in the
Motion Picture Arts program
at Capilano University. The
assignment required students
to look at various web series
and answer the question,

you make?”

“What I’m doing with Epic
Quest is a fantasy story and
a video game story but I’m
blending it in a way that these
fantasy warriors know they’re
video game characters and
know they live in a video game
world, but they don’t know who
created them and why life is
like that,” she said.

Since the video game

in other series, Goodman

: decided to take it toa new level :
: in her web series by analyzing

: the issues in video games, such
: as gender stereotypes.

“I’m not just going to look

: at misrepresentation of female
: characters, I’m also going to

: look at how male characters

: are misrepresented and how _ :
: they’re expected to act and look :
: acertain way,” she said. “Things :
: have to change. Maybe we can
: start that change, or at least

: make people aware of it.”

What started as a class

: project is currently evolving

: into a pilot episode for

: Goodman’s fourth-year

: development project, and soon
: will expand into a 10-episode

: season.

“
If we can get season one

done, distributed, well-known,
: and if we're really successful,

: then probably two to three

: more seasons,’ she said. “The

: world I’m creating in Epic
“What kind of web series would Quest is huge and I could go up :
: to five seasons. If we are really
: successful, maybe we might

: make a movie.”

While Goodman and her

: crew have use of the university’s
: facilities and equipment for the
: project, she and her producer,

: Jeff McAlpine, decided to raise

: funds through Kickstarter to

: support the production’s other

: needs, such as costumes, make-

: up, props, and distribution.
fantasy genre has been explored :

“Our ultimate goal is

: obviously to create it as a web

 

: series, but we don’t only want
: it to be online. We would

: love to have it on Netflix and
: iTunes,” she said, comparing
: the series to The Guild, which
: transitioned from online to

: Netflix.

The Kickstarter campaign

: has already raised over $1,800
: from more than a dozen

: backers, reaching its $1,600

: funding goal by the end of

: January. The campaign will

: finish on February 22.

: “This is actually the second :
: Kickstarter campaign I’ve

: ever done, so I’m not new to

: Kickstarter. I’ve done it and

: succeeded before,” Goodman

: said, referring to the campaign
: for her previous short film.

: “With the success of The Curse

 

2

: of Maggie Boon Kickstarter

: campaign, a lot of my previous
: backers are now donating to

: Epic Quest.”

The campaign rewards

: for backers were inspired by

: the rewards offered during

: the Maggie Boon campaign,

: which were popular among

: supporters. The lower donation
: levels offer a variety of Epic

: Quest goodies such as flair

: buttons, photographs from the
: shoot, the soundtrack, a signed

script, a signed poster, anda

: digital download of the pilot

: episode. Higher donation levels
: feature the opportunity to get

: executive producer credit on

: the production, a visit to the set :
: to meet the cast and crew, as
: well as the chance to take home :

Image from Kickstarter.com

Servrin - Epic Quest

aa

 

Image from Kickstarter.com

: a prop from the set.

“IT wanted to make rewards

: that my audience would want
: and would proudly display

: on their wall. I have a graphic
: design background, so I was

: able to design most of the

: rewards,” she said. “People love
: any Executive Producer credit
: because then their name is

: inthe movie. With all of our

: projects, we put them onto

: IMDb.com, so their credits are
: up there online with the film.”

To learn more about

: Epic Quest, check out

: EpicQuestSeries.com or

: follow the series on Facebook
: and Twitter. To support the

production of the series’

: pilot episode, check out the

campaign at Kickstarter.com