05
We’re counting. We’re watching. We’re meditating on the state of things. As early as 2006, we were having big discussions with Rand and Tony on the state of the Myst Universe, and the health of the fan base. It is, sadly, anemic. The few, the proud, the Myst fans. Where did they all go, you wonder? The answer to that is not entirely known, but the fate of such ventures as Myst Online: Uru Live may give a glimpse into the issue: I personally blame the first-person shooters.
The early-to-mid nineties was a testament to new gaming. CD-ROMs opened us all to titles such as The 7th Guest, Under a Killing Moon, Myst and it was a wonderful time: exploring new worlds, embarking on great adventures. And it lasted for a while. But as time went on and franchises like Myst grew more mature, the dwindling sales alone was a statement to the direction the industry was moving. Doom, Unreal, and finally Halo seemed to seal the deal. Then MMORPGs like EverQuest and Worlds of Warcraft introduced the goal of imaginary wealth acquisition to gaming, and ever since the lowly adventure and puzzle game has been viewed as boring and lonely by the mass market. There is apparently something very alluring about butt-stocking your buddy to a bloody death while showing the world (i.e. Xbox Live) what a good soldier you are.
But that’s not the end of the story. There are still original ideas and still original gaming, and it can still be very popular - proven by the good sales of recent releases like Portal. And this is just one side of one industry that we’re dealing with here.
On the other side, Adrian and I have been watching the tenor of the film industry for years: the introduction of classics like The Lord of the Rings, new classics like Harry Potter, and quick knock offs like all the titles that we won’t mention. Years ago it started becoming really apparent that the love/hate relationship Hollywood has had with science fiction and fantasy for so long was finally making a semi-permanent swing toward a passionate romance. And it was now (or rather then) when we began to realize that it was the perfect time for Hollywood to take notice of well-adapted Myst stories. And it did, but it didn’t work out.
Coming down from the titillation and disappointment and finally finding relief at the fact that the Myst Miniseries on Sci-Fi Channel came to a grinding halt, I found a renewed sense of faith that maybe someday I would have the chance to build an opportunity to take a swing at Myst for film myself. There was an element to Myst and a theme in the stories that was simply too grand to be hijacked by a money machine with the goal of a quick Saturday night exploitation - and it was always borderline offensive to me that anyone could ever consider Myst to be anything but a major motion picture slated for wide-spread theatrical release. And this is what I wanted to see - this is what I wanted to make happen - there was just one little problem: I was no one. Skilled, talented, driven - but still no one.
Adrian has always been the grand thinker in our relationship. He thinks big, bigger than I have ever been able to. And with the skills he had, the insight and experience in the industry and the unique ability to kick me in ass until I take action, the idea that he came up with in 2004, while crazy, seemed strangely achievable, especially with his unique season of enthusiasm attached to it. And as per usual, once he gets me started, I can usually keep up.
More on the nitty-gritty details can be found through this site, either now - or later. But suffice to say, things blew up in our face - portions of which we were ready and waiting for, and others that we had no idea were coming. Two challenges we knew we were going to have to face, however - have rang true. And they’re challenges that we’re ready for: the fact that we’re still very much no one and the fact that the more time that passes, the more that seem to leave Myst behind. The solutions?
1. You are helping to carry us.
This site has been an experiment on numerous fronts, and it’s working out brilliantly - better than we expected. The amount of support we’ve gotten from the die-hard fan base not only helps to encourage us to continue, but also helps to further endorse us, on top of the shining endorsements that Rand & Tony and Cyan have already extended. When we begin to break into mass-media (and believe me, we are) the very fact that most of the remaining dedicated Myst fans are behind us will help to propel both our credibility and the likelihood of this all happening. We were very glad to have brought you through the puzzle sequences and enjoyed giving you all some needed Myst entertainment, but we are even more thankful of what you are giving back.
2. As we’re preparing to tell the world.
This site is and always was planned to bring a unique facet of filmmaking to the rest of the world - both Myst fans and not. It is a chronicle following the journey of two nobodies who had a big goal and through self sacrifice, dedication and perseverance continue to garner pieces of success regardless of the insurmountable odds. So far, the only ones who know about this site are within the Myst community and that was actually by design. This was a beta test in the greatest sense, and the numbers we have seen are promising. Present and accounted for are not only the brothers and sisters of Myst fandom, whom you see commenting on our numerous posts, but also many silent yet curious minds watching for the story to unfold.
Adrian and I know that to make this a success and to actually strike a deal will not only take a great script and great vision, but also hordes of public relations. It will take proof that we know how to produce, evidence that an audience is out there, and confirmation that we’re real filmmakers capable of creating worlds (and not just regional bank commercials). Part of that is starting this month, and it will continue until we’re forced to stop. It’s Myst Movie or bust and we haven’t busted yet.
3. There definitely is a plan.
Over the next month we’ll be hitting major news periodicals, online blogs, gaming aggregators and movie sites with the news that we’re out here. We’ll be sending out press releases that explain who we are, where we’re going and why. We’ll be reaching out to the masses conveying what we’re trying to do and attempt to get anyone who might hold interest (blogsphere elites, gamers, movie freaks) over here to participate - if only to watch. Everything will start to get really interesting around the beginning of April as we launch more PR in tandem with the release of Myst DS in North America, while simultaneously unveiling the animatic that originally got Cyan’s attention.
4. But it doesn’t stop there.
Content is king when you’re trying to populate a story like the lives of two filmmakers and the torture that is their favored project. Countless entries remain from the past, waiting to be pruned, prepped and published for the world to see. Countless entries remain unwritten from the present following the daily happenings of our lives both related and unrelated to the project. Blood, sweat and tears have poured into all of this, and it’s not over, and we plan on letting it all hang out. The only challenge is time, and time is something one can always make.
5. And you can do so much to help.
Spread the word. And I don’t mean this passively. I’m not saying remember to tell a friend over coffee, or log into the last days of Uru and tell a Bevin. I’m saying write Wired editors and let them know what’s up; hit the gamer sites and invite them to come see what’s going on; call E! and express the magic happening; alert SciFi Channel that we got it going on; search Google for every Myst reference and add a post about the process; write your congressman (maybe).
The one thing that will make this happen is support from the world at whole. The people that will stand behind this are the potential audience, and the potential audience is what speaks dollars to the industry.
It’s not only time to find others enthused about this journey, but also all of those lost Myst fans that gave up after Exile. Time to bring them home. After all, we’re creating worlds here and we need people to populate those worlds. So, go on then. Get started on your thing as we do ours.
I wish us all the best of luck.
10:29 pm
lol
Mar 05 2008
It’s go time!