Made-for-web Television: Sanctuary For All
For a while now, I've been finding broadcast commercial television so annoying that I've stopped watching it "live." I follow the few shows I like by watching the DVDs or downloads with friends. The main problem with that, for me, is that there's no easy way for me to financially support all the talented people who are making the programs. I don't have a lot of money, but if there was a way I could easily and cheaply pay for my enjoyment (the way I would for a movie ticket), then I would.
Which is why I'm excited that the Stargate people have put together a made-for-web genre show called Sanctuary. This is something I've been waiting for since the Animatrix and the Battlestar Galactica haitus webisodes. This could be the start of something really awesome, so I think it's worth supporting if you are interested in the development of direct-to-consumer programming.
That said, the Sanctuary site is currently not very user friendly, and the first webisode is kinda ordinary. It has potential--it's aiming for a grown-up, Buffy-style monster show with a Gothic feel (and time travel!), and stars some of the SG1 and SGA regulars. In webisode one, the show is still finding its feet, with some of the scenes feeling a little cliched. It's no worse than other recent first episodes, though, like that of Heroes, or Stargate: Atlantis, or Firefly.
Anyway, I think it's worth your while to check Sanctuary out if this is something that interests you, so I've put together a cheat sheet of links so you can find everything easily. And if you do think this is a show worth supporting, I suggest leaving feedback. In my opinion, the Sanctuary people desperately need some pointers from web-savvy consumers, in order for this system of content provision to become really smooth and usable.
YouTube
You can find the trailers and first webisode on YouTube, so you can give it a try before you decide to buy anything.
Webisode 1
2 Minute Trailer
Webisode 1 Trailer
Plus, if you need to download these, you can use Firefox's plugin, VideoDownloader or the site, hxxp://keepvid.com/ (not linked; just copy and paste, and change the xx to tt).
Sanctuary For All Website
Sanctuary
This site requires the latest in flash, and I actually can't get the stupid thing to work on my Vista-based machine yet. This may just be me being a gumby, as my laptop is so new it's still covered in styrofoam. (*strokes laptop* :)
Having seen black_samvara load up the site, I can say that it is a horror of over-engineering. Things are hard to find, and none of it is intuitive or explained. They seriously need some feedback about this, and an alternate access method for people who hate the over-use of flash.
Sanctuary on LiveJournal
sanctuaryforall
This is a fairly typical news-and-squee type of LJ. I don't think it has any official connection to the show, but it may, given that the producers are trying to tap into our interest groups to sell the show.
I'd just like to finish up by saying that I have no connection to Sanctuary. I'm linking to this solely because I love the idea of straight-to-web content. If you'd like another opinion on the show, this article gives a more traditional review, and has some links to forums and so on at the bottom: A New TV Reality? Sanctuary Webisodes Online at Blogcritics Magazine by Gray Hunter.
Which is why I'm excited that the Stargate people have put together a made-for-web genre show called Sanctuary. This is something I've been waiting for since the Animatrix and the Battlestar Galactica haitus webisodes. This could be the start of something really awesome, so I think it's worth supporting if you are interested in the development of direct-to-consumer programming.
That said, the Sanctuary site is currently not very user friendly, and the first webisode is kinda ordinary. It has potential--it's aiming for a grown-up, Buffy-style monster show with a Gothic feel (and time travel!), and stars some of the SG1 and SGA regulars. In webisode one, the show is still finding its feet, with some of the scenes feeling a little cliched. It's no worse than other recent first episodes, though, like that of Heroes, or Stargate: Atlantis, or Firefly.
Anyway, I think it's worth your while to check Sanctuary out if this is something that interests you, so I've put together a cheat sheet of links so you can find everything easily. And if you do think this is a show worth supporting, I suggest leaving feedback. In my opinion, the Sanctuary people desperately need some pointers from web-savvy consumers, in order for this system of content provision to become really smooth and usable.
YouTube
You can find the trailers and first webisode on YouTube, so you can give it a try before you decide to buy anything.
Webisode 1
2 Minute Trailer
Webisode 1 Trailer
Plus, if you need to download these, you can use Firefox's plugin, VideoDownloader or the site, hxxp://keepvid.com/ (not linked; just copy and paste, and change the xx to tt).
Sanctuary For All Website
Sanctuary
This site requires the latest in flash, and I actually can't get the stupid thing to work on my Vista-based machine yet. This may just be me being a gumby, as my laptop is so new it's still covered in styrofoam. (*strokes laptop* :)
Having seen black_samvara load up the site, I can say that it is a horror of over-engineering. Things are hard to find, and none of it is intuitive or explained. They seriously need some feedback about this, and an alternate access method for people who hate the over-use of flash.
Sanctuary on LiveJournal
sanctuaryforall
This is a fairly typical news-and-squee type of LJ. I don't think it has any official connection to the show, but it may, given that the producers are trying to tap into our interest groups to sell the show.
I'd just like to finish up by saying that I have no connection to Sanctuary. I'm linking to this solely because I love the idea of straight-to-web content. If you'd like another opinion on the show, this article gives a more traditional review, and has some links to forums and so on at the bottom: A New TV Reality? Sanctuary Webisodes Online at Blogcritics Magazine by Gray Hunter.