Category Archives: Film Featuring Invisible Man Cast

Twists, Turns and Bumps in the Road

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Dearest readers, I recently recieved some feedback from a fellow fan and it was suggested to me that I should be writing more about the film in development and giving more frequent updates as to how it is progressing.  Now I had planned to wait until I had news that was more concrete, but I can totally understand wanting more frequent updates.  After all, you want to see the cast together again and you want to know what’s going on! 

I’m cool with that, but I should give you a little warning first.  It’s important for you to know that film production can be, for lack of a better analogy, like an old mountain road, with its accompanying unexpected turns, twists, and bumps.  One can think that they are going in the right direction and that everything is fine and then suddenly something happens that slows down progress or gets one off course.  That’s just the way film production works and one has to be willing to go with the flow and deal with these unexpected occurances when they happen.  So if one week I report about some plans in progress and the next week I tell you those plans have stalled or been changed, don’t worry, I might have just hit a pothole.  I’ll find another way to get the job done and get the project back on track.  

With that in mind, let’s talk about the film, shall we?

Let’s go back to February of this year.  I had just found a writer who was interested in tackling the script.  I had some personal stuff that was coming up and I knew it was going to keep me busy for quite a while, so getting a writer onboard and working on the project before that happened was very important to me.  My top priority is to keep the project moving forward.

Things seemed to be going fine then I found out that the writer didn’t have the time to work on the project.  A couple of great opportunities had come her way and I don’t blame her a bit for grabbing them.  I couldn’t be more thrilled for her successes.  But, now, I’d hit a pothole.  The project had stalled.  Nobody was working on it.

The next logical step would have been for me to get the project back on track by finding another writer.  Fortunately, I was saved that effort when another writer approached me out of the blue and offered her services.  That was about six weeks ago and I’m happy to report that this writer has been hard at work on a story.  Things are moving forward again.  Already, she has written the first draft of Act 1 of a treatment and it is coming along quite nicely.

I should explain what a treatment is for those of you who may not be familiar with the term.  A treatment is basically a screenplay written first as a short story.  Writers often them use them to focus and flesh out the story without having to worry about formatting and all the other considerations that come with writing a script.  But treatments are also used to sell a story.

Now the decision as to what story we tell isn’t just mine alone.  It also belongs to the cast.  They have to want to do the story also.  So I’m asking for a treatment instead of a script because treatments are generally shorter than scripts so there is less to write and less to read.  I figure it’s easier to write and read a 10- to 20-page treatment than a 90- to 120-page screenplay.  If the cast likes it and wants to do the story, then I’ll give the go ahead to the writer to write the script.

So that’s where we are in a nutshell.  I promise I’ll try to be better about giving more frequent updates.

Five Years Ago Today…

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Five years ago today the Sci Fi Channel aired the last new episode of The Invisible Man, thus bringing to a close a show that ended all too quickly and deserved a much, much longer run.  By the time the last episode, entitled The New Stuff, aired, we all knew that the show had been cancelled and yet many of us were hoping that by some miracle someone in authority would see fit to continue it and give the show the chance it deserved. 

With anticipation we watched Darien getting closer to permanent madness as the Counteragent was losing its effectiveness.  How would he be saved?  Would the Keeper find a way to safely remove the gland?  Knowing that Craig Silverstein wrote the last two episodes as closure to one chapter of Darien’s life and the beginning of a new chapter, that scenario didn’t seem likely. 

Would a new counteragent be developed?  Perhaps giving Darien more time between shots?  That was a possibility.  But, instead, a cure was found for the madness, courtesy of his nemesis, Arnaud de Fehrn. 

In the end, Darien chose to stay with the Agency, which meant that the series could go forward with the same characters we had grown to love.  Not knowing whether the series would continue or not, Craig had set up a sort of closure for Darien and the series, and yet left the door wide open for many more new stories. 

I miss this show.

Each of us who call ourselves fans can describe how this show has touched us and why, after five years, we are still here, still hoping.  We’ve come to care, not for just the show and its characters, but also for the actors who portrayed the characters.  Over the years we’ve been able to interact with them online via bulletin boards, chat rooms, and blogs; and some of us have been able to meet them in person.  We’ve had a relationship with them that very few, if any, fandoms ever develop with their cast.  They have generously given us that unique opportunity.  They all love the show and would be willing to come back to it, and they all enjoyed working with each other and would love to do so again.

It’s for that reason that I’ve taken on this project.  It’s not the project I originally set out to do.  Believe me, I would love to be producing an I-Man movie; and if it weren’t for that little issue of rights, I’d be doing exactly that right now.  But if I can’t do an I-Man movie, bringing together a cast that I care deeply about is the next best thing.  This is a project that I’m thrilled to be a part of.  It is my wish that this will be a movie that will thrill you too.

Call me crazy, but I’m not totally giving up on I-Man.  There is a chance, albeit a slim one, that this movie could possibly trigger interest in I-Man.  But this movie would need to be a hit and be profitable.  Like it or not, money talks in Hollywood.  On the production side of things, I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen, but I can only do so much.  In the end, it’s the audience that decides whether to watch or not.

No matter what happens, seeing our cast together again on the screen is so worth all this work.  I can’t wait for that day!

A Brand New Year

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Welcome to 2007!  I can’t believe it’s already here.  Now where did 2006 go?  I swear I just saw it around somewhere.

The beginning of the new year is a good time for me to take a few moments and talk about the status of the project and to take a look at what’s coming up in the future.

The LLCing is coming along slowly but surely.  I had hoped to have it done by now, but sometimes these things take longer than planned.  But it will get done.

Some of you have asked if we have a script yet, and the answer to that is no.  However, since the script development phase can be a long process, I’ve already begun talking to writers.  We’re considering several options in our search for a writer, from hiring a professional screenwriter, to an up-and-coming hopeful, to a talented student, to basically just putting the word out and seeing what we get.  Nothing has been decided yet.  It’s a complicated decision because, depending on which way we decide to go, contracts, union requirements, release forms, rights, funding, options, etc. may or may not have a play in our decision.  But, whichever way we decide to go, my first concern will be to get a top notch story.  It’s been said that you can make a good film from a good script.  You can make a great film from a good script.  You can even make a bad film from a good script.  But no one can make a good film from a bad script.  A quality script is absolutely vital.  That’s where it all starts.

The dismantling of The Invisible Man Online has been put off for a while due to time constraints, but I hope to start in a month or so and spread it out over the course of several months or more.  I really hate the thought of losing everything there, so I’ve decided to save as much as I can (without violating copyrights) and bring it over to this website.  The SciFi.com website has tons of stuff for fans and they even feature productions that are not theirs, so I figured, why can’t I?  So expect a new section for fan stuff in the near future.  I’ll make an announcement when it’s online. 

I look forward to a productive 2007 as we move closer to our goal of getting our film made.  Thank you for all your support.  It’s been heartwarming to get messages from you expressing your excitement and enthusiasm at the thought of seeing our cast together again. 

May good things happen for you in 2007!

A Little Knowledge…

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It is said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.  That might be true when it causes one to think that they are more of an expert than they really are or to overestimate their abilities.  On the other hand, sometimes a little knowledge is just what you need.

I’m currently working on getting Shoom Zone Productions set up as an LLC (Limited Liability Company).  This is the first time I’ve set up this particular form of business.  Since I need to educate myself about it, I started asking my CPA questions about LLCs.  Did he answer them?  Nope.  Instead, he got up and walked over to his bookshelf and pulled out a Nolo book on LLCs.  He showed it to me and said that he could answer my questions, but it would cost me a fortune for him to teach me the basics, which I can easily learn on my own by reading the book.

Hmm…a $45 book or his hourly rate?  It wasn’t a hard decision to make.

So, lately, yours truly has had her nose stuck in a book about LLCs.  It’s not going to make me an expert.  I have my CPA and lawyer for that.  But once I’ve read the book, I’ll be able to talk to them from a more knowledgable position.  No wasting their time and my money teaching me the basics.  We’ll be able to skip over that part and go straight to the specific issues that will effect the business directly. 

Already I’ve got a few questions to ask them and as I read more the list grows.  But they’re questions I wouldn’t have thought of asking if I hadn’t read the book…at least not right away.

Sometimes a little knowledge can be a good thing.

How Fans Can Help

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First of all, let me say that it is a pleasure to have Mike McCafferty join this blog as a contributing author.  Without Mike and that conversation we had last year, I would have never been able to take on a project such as this one.  But Mike helped me realize that collaboration between a cast and fans is very possible.  It just takes willingness on the part of both parties to work together and get it done.  We’re definitely going into new territory here.  Already, old rules are being broken and new ones are being created.

In his post, Mike asked for your help to promote this project.  Now you may be thinking, “Of course, I will help!  As soon as that movie is released, I’m going to tell everyone I know about it.”  And that’s great.  But instead of waiting until the movie is released, how about start now?  Seems kind of early, doesn’t it?  Well, bear with me and let me explain.

It’s going to take some time to build buzz (which the dictionary defines as “excited interest or attention”) and there are fewer of us now than there was before, so the earlier we start the better.  Not only can buzz help increase the audience for the movie, but it can also help to get it made.  How is that? 

There are two big hurdles to jump over in getting this movie made:  financing and distribution. 

Let’s talk about financing first.  I mention on the About Page that I have had some preliminary interest from a funding source, and that’s true.  But at this point in time it’s not guaranteed.  That funding source might come through for us and provide all the money needed to get this movie made.  On the other hand, it could also fall through for a variety of reasons:  from simply losing interest in the project, to having resources already tied up in other ventures, to thinking that this isn’t a good investment.  Having funding fall through is actually a fairly common occurance in filmmaking and anyone who wants to be a producer has to be prepared to deal with that fact.  I’ve been told to not just wait until the check is in the bank, but wait until the check actually clears. 

People who invest in movies know that it is a risky investment, but they also know that the payoff can be big if the movie turns out to be hit.  There are several factors that they look at when considering whether or not to invest in a film venture, but I’m going to only cover a couple right now:  audience and distribution.

Having a built-in audience is not something that every film has, but producers often try to minimize the risks and make the film more appealing to financiers by getting a “name” star or two in their film.  It doesn’t always work and we could probably all cite examples when a known star was in a film that flopped.  But many times it does work.  How many of you have gone to see a movie just because Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, or Angelina Jolie was starring in it?  These actors are considered bankable, which is why if producers can get a name actor interested in their movie, they have a better chance of getting their film funded.

We happen to be very fortunate.  We have a very talented cast from an awesome little TV show for our film.  But the show has been off the air for a few years in the U.S. (though it is still airing in a few other countries), so investors are going to want to know if there is still a worldwide audience that wants to see this cast come together again. 

Another thing that investors consider is distribution.  While investors sometimes fund films without any kind of distribution deal in place, having a distribution deal already in place makes for a stronger case.  As a producer, I owe it to the investors to get the best distribution deal possible. To do otherwise is unconscionable.  After all, they are the ones who are putting their money on the line.

So do distributors consider the audience when deciding what films to promote and distribute/air?  Yes, that’s definitely one of the factors they take into account.  Like investors, they too are putting their money on the line.  A film that already has a built-in audience can definitely be more attractive to them.

Now, I’m going to work my you-know-what off for this film and try to make it as good as I can with the resources I acquire.  And, if you, the audience, are willing to support that and show that there is an audience for our I-Man cast, our chances for success will be that much greater. I know we can create something special of which we can all be proud.

Now you may be wondering just what is it that you can do to help, so I’ve taken Mike’s suggestions and added a couple of my own.  These ideas are easy to do and don’t cost anything.

  • Tell a friend–Do you have a friend that is a fan of The Invisible Man or its cast?  Do you know someone who enjoys quality TV and movies?  Tell them about this project and website!  And tell them to tell their friends.  Spread the word!
  • Bulletin Boards–Do you visit any online bulletin boards?  As long as it doesn’t violate the board’s rules or policies, how about posting a blurb about this exciting project?  And don’t forget to include a link to this website. 
  • Blogs and Websites–Do you have a blog or website?  Please consider putting up a link to Shoom Zone Productions.  Links help in a couple of ways:  1)  They help drive visitors to this site, and 2)  They help increase our search engine rankings.  Once you have a link up, please contact me via the Contact Form or leave a comment and let me know that you’ve linked to this site.  Don’t forget to include a link to your website or blog because I want to be sure to reciprocate by adding your website or blog to a new link category I’ve created called Friends & Supporters.  The idea is to grow the list of friends and supporters as large as possible.  When I give presentations to investors and distributors, I want to be able to show them all the people who support this project!  And I want it to be impressive!
  • MySpace–Do you have a MySpace page?  So does Shoom Zone Productions!  It’s located at http://www.myspace.com/shoomzoneproductions.  Please add Shoom Zone Productions to your MySpace friends list.  The goal is to spread the news and grow the friends list.  Let’s make it huge!  Let’s impress those investors and distributors! 

Those are just a few things that you can do right now to help out.  For your convenience, I’ve posted them on a new page called How Fans Can Help.  This list is by no means comprehensive, so if anybody has any ideas that I can add to this list, please let me know.

Thank you for your support.  Let’s get our cast together again!

Hello everybody!

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My name is Mike McCafferty and once upon a time I was on a pretty cool show called “The Invisible Man”. The show was doing well, getting great reviews and good ratings. Then 9/11 and bickering network presidents killed it before it’s prime. But you know all this.

5 years later, most have moved on. But there are still enough people who remember that this was a show that meant something to them, and so they hold on. They hold on to a faint dream that someday these characters on a tv show at the turn of the millennium would return and entertain an enthrall at least once more.

I’m one of those folks.

So is Amanda, who took an idle conversation we had two years ago about how the fans need to take the reins and make something happen, and then proceeded to do just that. That’s why this site is here.

There are others. There is you, who is reading this blog not because you are required, but because you choose. If you’ve made it this far, for this long, you believe that this dream can happen too.

It ain’t gonna be easy. The last 5 years has buried the dream in a thick layer of intellectual property rights, shifting networks and general apathy. No one wants to help us, in fact they’d rather we fail to save them the hassle. They want you to watch what they tell you to watch and don’t cause a fuss. After all, they know better, don’t they.

Actually, they don’t. The fact is that the industry is changing a light speed…literally. There’s a lot of chaos going on and if you need proof, see how much a company called YouTube sold for recently. It’s no longer a world where a few dictate entertainment to the many, rather, the many create content, and a few or many watch, listen or read it. It’s a brave new world, and the rules don’t exist yet.

So I say we make some new rules, possibly by breaking old ones. Let’s take some baby steps then start to sprint. The dream is of course to have an I-man movie, but it can also be so much more. A group of like minded people can do almost anything, all it takes is a dream, the will to do it and a place to meet to talk about it. I think we’re in pretty good shape.

So drop by here now and then and I’ll do the same. I’ve given Amanda license to show anything I do here if that drives people here. If you make something that you think helps the cause, maybe it belongs here too. Maybe you can just tell a friend, maybe you can mention it in your own blog. Maybe you can just believe for a little while longer, just enough for us to get on our feet. Whatever you can do, it will help.

For now, we baby step. Soon, we shoom.

Thanks, and see you soon,
Mike McCafferty