About this project
I am Jared McLean, co-founder of Brown Shoes Productions and co-creator of The MK Projects, Brown Shoes Productions' flagship film. As a graduate of the University of Oregon's Theatre Arts program, recipient of the Mark Twain Award for Comedic Excellence (ACTF Region VII, 2010), and self-taught animator, The MK Projects is the culmination of over a year and a half's worth of research and creative writing between myself and co-creator Cole Musselman based on the unusual experiments conducted by the CIA and US military during the 1950s and '60s.
THE PLOT
The MK Projects is an animated action/comedy: the story of a man named Cole Allen: a former 1st Division marine who is quickly scooped up by the CIA after surviving a harrowing ordeal during the Korean War. In the CIA, he finds himself under the command of a cold, calculating agent, Timothy Carter, the man overseeing the various MK experiments. Cole witnesses the horrifying creation of sleeper agents first-hand for years, but once the projects are terminated, is ordered to find and exterminate the recently released subjects all over the world. A sudden and unexpected change of heart forces Cole to leave the CIA and go on the run, locating these "subjects" before the CIA can get their hands on them once again.
THE RESEARCH
You can get the gist of MK-ULTRA on (where else) Wikipedia. For a more in-depth look, you can look up a great deal of MK-ULTRA-related notes and memos right on the FBI's own site (Thank you, Freedom of Information Act!).
THE INFLUENCES
Visually, the show finds its inspiration from the bold, sturdy, yet fluid style of Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack, Dexter's Lab, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Saturday morning cartoons of the '80s and '90s, as well as the high-detail stylings of shows like The Venture Bros. and animes like Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist.
The show also draws a great deal of influence from Rock and Roll music. Since the overall arc of the show, as it is currently planned, takes place through the 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s, the costumes (if they can be called that in an animated series) as well as the color schemes and locations all reflect the feel of the emerging rock genres.
Overall, the story-arc is an homage to the great action films of the last 50 years. Beginning with the great car-chase films of the '50s and '60s like Bullitt and The French Connection, through the grittier '70s kung-fu films of Enter the Dragon, and the '80s and '90s "Action Era" of Indiana Jones, Die Hard, and Lethal Weapon.
WHERE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE GOING
We don't need much to get this 12 minute pilot episode from the page to your screen. We've already got most of the necessary hardware and musicians willing to record the soundtrack for free (starving artists, HA!). What we are still looking for is:
- A new Wacom tablet
- "Raw" animation materials (pencils, pens, paper, stone and chisels, all the traditional tools)
- The royalties for a popular '60s jam you've likely heard and love
- Establishing the official Brown Shoes Productions and The MK Projects site
And contributions also go toward, of course, all of your sweet pledge rewards!
THE MK PROJECTS ON THE WEB
The MK Projects on Facebook: "Like" us and help spread the word!
The MK Projects Blog: The Brown Shoes Productions website featuring The MK Projects Blog. Keeping you up-to-date on the show's progress, as well as links to other great sites and inspiring short films/animations.
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
22
Backers
$730
pledged of $6,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on November 6, 2011.
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Your name in the "Special Thanks" section of the production's website.
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Your name in the "Special Thanks" section of the website and in the credits of the final cut of the episode.
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The above rewards and a free digital download of the completed episode.
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The above rewards and a copy of the episode on DVD with a special introduction and episode commentary with the creators.
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The above rewards and a 16" x 20" poster of unreleased "The MK Projects" concept art.
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The above rewards, a Producer credit on the final cut of the episode, and a "The MK Projects" t-shirt in a size of your choice.
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The above rewards and a 23" x 35" signed poster of unreleased concept art.
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The above rewards and their likeness animated into the episode as a recurring (or if we like your look, maybe even regular) character on the show!
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The above rewards and a custom 2 ft x 2 ft "The MK Projects" Pop Art-style painting by co-creator Jared McLean and an Executive Producer credit on the final cut of the episode.
Project By
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Born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, I've been drawing and animating for as far back as I can remember. I attended the University of Oregon, majoring in Theatre Arts with other areas of focus in Video Production and Psychology. I received the Mark Twain Award for Comedic Excellence in Performance from the American College Theatre Festival (Region VII, 2010). I relocated to New York City after graduation to pursue a career in animation and acting where my heroes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, defend the innocent citizens of this great Metropolis. Then I found out they aren't real.
