Alien: Solara - New Audio Drama!

[Hudson]

I guess I don't really understand what you think it is that you are entitled to. People have seemed to enjoy your series; what else are you supposed to get for it? The more views, comments, and accolades you get, the more likely Fox is going to tell you to stop. You aren't going to profit off of this, and if you got close, again, Fox would tell you to stop. Fox is the entity that chooses the artists who work in different mediums on their work, not the fans. Give me an example of a fan-created piece of media in the Alien franchise that Fox loved so much they decided they had to purchases it and start selling it. Have you ever seen the fan-film S.E.E.D? I think it's safe to say that if that movie wasn't purchased by Fox (despite its horrendous sound editing), then anyone can assume that their fan creation will not be picked up in a professional capacity.

Well, we've been doing it almost a year. Just like my white privilege, it sure is taking a long time to kick in. 

Right...

[Anarchist86ed]

I guess I don't really understand what you think it is that you are entitled to. People have seemed to enjoy your series; what else are you supposed to get for it? The more views, comments, and accolades you get, the more likely Fox is going to tell you to stop. You aren't going to profit off of this, and if you got close, again, Fox would tell you to stop. Fox is the entity that chooses the artists who work in different mediums on their work, not the fans. Give me an example of a fan-created piece of media in the Alien franchise that Fox loved so much they decided they had to purchases it and start selling it. Have you ever seen the fan-film S.E.E.D? I think it's safe to say that if that movie wasn't purchased by Fox (despite its horrendous sound editing), then anyone can assume that their fan creation will not be picked up in a professional capacity.

Well, we've been doing it almost a year. Just like my white privilege, it sure is taking a long time to kick in. 

Right...

I guess I don't really understand what you think it is that you are entitled to.

Yeah, I literally said the only thing I hope to get out of it now is not getting eaten by a mouse. The powers that be don't even know we exist, and if they did I still don't think they'd care. We're no threat to them whatsoever. Shit, there's a fan film been on youtube for 6 years that was made in 1994 and they don't care. There's a predator fan film on there for 5 years, 14 million views and apparently they don't care. But knowing my luck, they'd come right for me and leave everyone else alone.

Give me an example of a fan-created piece of media in the Alien franchise that Fox loved so much they decided they had to purchases it and start selling it.

I can't, but anyone who has delusions of that deserves to have their dreams crushed. I personally hope I never hear from them about anything. I've dealt with NDA's and film studio crap. I was under an NDA from 2008 to years later once, and when what I had to keep my mouth shut about finally happened... it wasn't worth it at all.  I almost sold something to a studio in 2008, and it would have been a complete ripoff for me. So if Fox is reading this, which they aren't, please don't sue me! I don't have any money, and I live in a rat infested dump. Just count your mouse money and leave me be. 

The more views, comments, and accolades you get, the more likely Fox is going to tell you to stop.

Well, like I said if a fan film gets like 15 million views on youtube and they don't give a shit for half a decade.... yeah, they'd still come after me for getting 10 views in a year. 

Right...

I can see you don't have too much of a sense of humor and that's cool. I'll make enough fun of myself for both of us. 

[XenoHunter99]

@Anarchist86ed: I thought part 4 was the best one yet. I like the way you're handling the elements in play. Without your discussion of the production difficulties, who would have known there was an issue with headphones and so on? I think, you and your cast make a quality product. I expect your experience could have some value toward future endeavors. Maybe you should think about some no-license-needed, original production. It's a longshot, but maybe you could provide the audio portion for some sort of animated project. If you do anything like that and find some success with it, that would be a fine reward In the meantime, good work and thanks for making this. I look forward to part 5 (whenever it arrives).

[Anarchist86ed]

@Anarchist86ed: I thought part 4 was the best one yet. I like the way you're handling the elements in play. Without your discussion of the production difficulties, who would have known there was an issue with headphones and so on? I think, you and your cast make a quality product. I expect your experience could have some value toward future endeavors. Maybe you should think about some no-license-needed, original production. It's a longshot, but maybe you could provide the audio portion for some sort of animated project. If you do anything like that and find some success with it, that would be a fine reward In the meantime, good work and thanks for making this. I look forward to part 5 (whenever it arrives).

Maybe you should think about some no-license-needed, original production.

This originally was. The crew was the same. The ship was also a clunker. They ended up on a mining planet where they found ancient aliens who were fighting each other, one side wanted to unleash a biological weapon to do their fighting for them. Then I realized it was basically Alien anyway. 

Without your discussion of the production difficulties, who would have known there was an issue with headphones and so on?

Yep, and I had appendicitis earlier this year which put a halt to to the project.

Just before I got sick, I April fooled the cast with a fake Fox cease and desist. I don't think AJ ever forgave me.  But when I told them they had no idea we even existed all was forgiven.

It's a longshot, but maybe you could provide the audio portion for some sort of animated project.

With the budget of a double cheeseburger and small fries at McDonald's, that's not likely to ever happen.

[Perfect-Organism]

You should offer your services to Audible.  Maybe it will mean we get more than 1 audio play per year.  With obviously limited resources, you made something that is comparable to a professionally budgeted production.  I listened to all of it.  It's ace!

[Anarchist86ed]

You should offer your services to Audible.  Maybe it will mean we get more than 1 audio play per year.  With obviously limited resources, you made something that is comparable to a professionally budgeted production.  I listened to all of it.  It's ace!

I'm a lot of things, but delusional isn't one of them. I have a better chance at winning a free coke.

Though we do use the exact same sound effects in some cases. The helmet venting sound effect for example is from alien isolation. I don't have a computer that can run it, but I found all the files for download.

Me: Hello, Audible,can I make Alien audio dramas for you?

Audible: No! f**k off.

Me: Ok. 

[Xiggz456]

Just listened to these and you sir are a master of sound. Move over Dirk Maggs! Thanks for your work I look forward to the next installment.

[Prez]

You should offer your services to Audible.  Maybe it will mean we get more than 1 audio play per year.  With obviously limited resources, you made something that is comparable to a professionally budgeted production.  I listened to all of it.  It's ace!

I'm a lot of things, but delusional isn't one of them. I have a better chance at winning a free coke.

Though we do use the exact same sound effects in some cases. The helmet venting sound effect for example is from alien isolation. I don't have a computer that can run it, but I found all the files for download.

Me: Hello, Audible,can I make Alien audio dramas for you?

Audible: No! f**k off.

Me: Ok. 

Don't sell yourself short.
Original post was on the mark.
Your quality of production is on par with anything I've heard from Audible.
Take a bow to you and your team - you deserve a lot of credit.

[Anarchist86ed]

Just listened to these and you sir are a master of sound. Move over Dirk Maggs! Thanks for your work I look forward to the next installment.

I'm sure he's safe from me.

Don't sell yourself short. Original post was on the mark. Your quality of production is on par with anything I've heard from Audible.
Take a bow to you and your team - you deserve a lot of credit.

Nah, it's not, but maybe 45% on par. Maybe 45.5%. 

I am my own worst critic by the way.

[Prez]

Just listened to these and you sir are a master of sound. Move over Dirk Maggs! Thanks for your work I look forward to the next installment.

I'm sure he's safe from me.

Don't sell yourself short. Original post was on the mark. Your quality of production is on par with anything I've heard from Audible.
Take a bow to you and your team - you deserve a lot of credit.

Nah, it's not, but maybe 45% on par. Maybe 45.5%. 

I am my own worst critic by the way.

Yes you are 
But take it from someone who's been a professional within the creative industry for almost 30 years ... you and your team have done an outstanding job on this series.

[Anarchist86ed]

Just listened to these and you sir are a master of sound. Move over Dirk Maggs! Thanks for your work I look forward to the next installment.

I'm sure he's safe from me.

Don't sell yourself short. Original post was on the mark. Your quality of production is on par with anything I've heard from Audible.
Take a bow to you and your team - you deserve a lot of credit.

Nah, it's not, but maybe 45% on par. Maybe 45.5%. 

I am my own worst critic by the way.

Yes you are 
But take it from someone who's been a professional within the creative industry for almost 30 years ... you and your team have done an outstanding job on this series.

Thanks. 

The script for Charon has gone out. We're going back to Acheron to uncover all the secrets that are still there. And, yes, we will reference colonial Marines and it's "canon" of Hadley's hope. 

In the meantime, here's some fun behind the scenes stuff.

When the Captain said "who kamikazed who?". This was actually my own personal reference to the original ending I had planned of Solara being kamikazed into the gold mines on Plutus. But this was cringe because it was too Deep Imapactish, Stephanie agreed it had to go.

"Dear lord baby Jesus creator of man and all things good." That's not right, is it? I don't know, but it's what a religious crazy I knew when I was a kid would say.

I know none of the cast personally, but Stephanie and AJ are friends.

Solara's registry number is 8122157, it's the Captain's birthday of August 12, 2157. But my birthday is on August 12th. The captain is technically 23, but she's still a teenager because she spent so much time in Cryo, this is why doctor Church calls her a child. I will be 200 years old when the story of Solara begins in October 2180.  Technically Solara happens right around Halloween, 2180. I love Halloween, it's the only thing I look forward to all year.

"To the money" was a phrase I came up with for another project that I never got made.

Before Disney bought Fox, I wrote that Taco Bell was in line with Walmart to buy Weyland-Yutani, this reference is made again in Charon. This is of course a demolition man nod. In Charon the main character says Wey-Yu will end up like all the old fast food franchises, bought by Taco Bell for pennies on the dollar.

Captain Anderson shares the last name of a dear friend of mine, that's why I named her that.

The characters all have first names of course. John is only John though. Or J-001, his official Weyland-Yutani designation. Deckard is Philip Deckard. His name is also a reference. According to Wikipedia, the word jockey in the English language itself derives from the name John also colloquially used for boy, as cognate to the custom found in many Indo-European languages. John will live up to his name at some point. The kid is called the kid, I never did come up with a name for him. Chief is Chief, didn't come up with a name. And Ramirez is named Ramirez because Highlander was on when I was writing her. The Captain's first name is a mystery, only John and the Chief actually know it which is why the kid asked if he'd tell her, because he doesn't know it.

Roll Me Away · Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band is a very important song in the series.


Part 5 preview.

Fox on the run is played on a cassette tape in part 5. The Captain will ask "why is this tape labelled "awesome mix"?

The scene it's used in is described as gearing up, with the Captain removing a colonial marines patch and replacing it with a Solara crew patch. The crew then strut "awesomely" to an elevator.

The Captain tells John a story of a little girl she met on Acheron who had a kinda weird accent sometimes and wouldn't leave her alone with questions about what it was like to live in space. And how she was sorry that little girl was dead now. Who could she possibly be talking about? 

Part five is the last time we hear from John until the final episode. We won't hear from Deckard until the final episode either.

[Prez]

I enjoyed those insights. That's so cool.

Question for you ... give Solara is so laden with Easter Eggs and nods (which I totally love by the way as they don't feel forced or cringey) is Deckard any relation to a beloved Blade Runner who may or may not have been a replicant?

;-)

[Anarchist86ed]

I enjoyed those insights. That's so cool.

Question for you ... give Solara is so laden with Easter Eggs and nods (which I totally love by the way as they don't feel forced or cringey) is Deckard any relation to a beloved Blade Runner who may or may not have been a replicant?

;-)

Can't confirm or deny.

[Prez]

I enjoyed those insights. That's so cool.

Question for you ... give Solara is so laden with Easter Eggs and nods (which I totally love by the way as they don't feel forced or cringey) is Deckard any relation to a beloved Blade Runner who may or may not have been a replicant?

;-)

Can't confirm or deny.

See. Answers like a pro 

[Nostromo]

Hey Anarchist, great work man, I've been listening the last few days and really am enjoying the pace, dialogue, story. Again, great work and thanks for making these audiodramas.

Really am enjoying the backstories of Deckard especially, very nice voice and dialogue too. This is what Alien-Aliens is all about, to me at least. When the story and dialogue function, things look great.