Our ongoing series covering web-based productions in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror genres. If you have a recommendation for a web original that we should look at, contact us at mail@axiomsedge-scifi.com.
By John J. Joex
Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 Stars
Ark is a web series by Trey Stokes (known for his Star Wars parody Pink Five) which stars Renee O’ Connor (Xena: Warrior Princess). The series follows O’Connor’s character Connie who plays a single mother and third grade teacher who wakes up to find herself on a large spaceship traveling far away from Earth. She meets up with one other person who claims to be an astronaut from the 1950’s (Connie is from the present day). They begin to explore the ship when they meet another woman who appears to be part of the crew of the ship, but they do not know for certain because she speaks a foreign language that neither understands.
Ark was made on a rather hefty budget (for a web series) of around $50k and is quite an impressive production for this format. Its special effects and sets give it an authentic feel (allegedly the scenes on the ship are filmed on a set previously used on the Firefly series). It uses some green screen effects like those found in the Sanctuary web series and television show, and these look a bit cheesy at times, but do not detract too much from the production. The acting is quite good, though I did not really believe that the astronaut character was really from the 50’s. His mannerisms and colloquialisms seemed a bit too modern day, but then that may also be part of the overall mystery they are developing. Connie is also way to bad-ass for a third grade teacher, but as the series progresses we get the suggestion she may be more than she seems.
The first season runs nine episodes of varying lengths from three minutes to nine. It sets up the premise, but provides little resolution as it ends on a major cliffhanger. I have not been able to find much more information for the series on the Internet, but I’m guessing this was made with the hope that it would jump to a TV series just like Amanda Tapping’s Sanctuary did (and I’ve seen some comments to that affect on the web). And I think it definitely has potential if it were to do that. But I also think it could do just as well if it continued as a web series. Whether it could maintain its production budget and remain financially viable is another question. The first season hit Hulu in Summer of 2010 and I have not seen any information on Season 2 yet, but I’m hoping they will continue this one. In any case, this is a great web series for those new to the format because of its near professional production values. And it’s also a great story that any Science Fiction fan should enjoy.
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 Stars
Western X is a web series that mixes Western and Supernatural elements and that has produced three episodes so far. The show’s official web site gives the following description:
On the plains of a desert wasteland, a man known only as X is on the verge of death. Among a pile of dead bodies he awakens, with no memories of his past and hunted by an unknown enemy, he struggles to uncover the truth behind his identity; this is the beginning of his journey. Each episode uncovers some truth about who he is and sheds light on the strange world he finds himself in.
I offer that synopsis because otherwise I would have had a hard describing it from what I saw across its first three short installments. The initial three episodes really seem more like a series of recaps than any attempt to tell a coherent story at this point. And creator Michael Flores goes for a highly stylized approach that actually works against it to some extent because he does not quite have the production values to pull that off, which ultimately gives the series more of a cheesy feel. Still, it’s not bad for a web series and I’ve always loved the Western genre, so I’m intrigued at this point. And the previews for what is coming look interesting enough that I would definitely tune in once they are available. According to Flores, they have apparently attracted some investors to lend money to the production and the rest of the series will reflect this. You can watch the first three episodes along with an interview with Flores at the show’s website (actor Dustin Hale who plays X is on hand for the interview as well, but all he does is wear a hat and nod).
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