Follow this project
Halloween_promo_pic_s

About this project

In 2010, TVTV will grow beyond our "webisode" format and produce a 60 minute Halloween Special! But making an hour of broadcast-quality television takes quite a bit more than a simple "webisode". You can see our previous work by visiting our website at www.transylvania-tv.com or by downloading our Web Season 2 episodes via iTunes under "podcasts".

We're currently filming Web Season 3. After that we're going to move ahead with shooting our perennial Halloween Special for grown ups! Think "Avenue Q meets The Great Pumpkin"! If all goes as planned, we'll be able to broadcast the special via local television this year and then push for a national release in 2011!

Your donation will help us tell the tale of Dwayne Frankenstein, Furry the party Yeti, and Irving Batfink as they dig deep into Castle LeShoc to discover the true meaning of Halloween and meet the somewhat morally ambiguous Pumpkin Prince!

A Brief History Of Transylvania Television
TVTV started about 3 years ago when Michael Heagle (an independent film maker and professor of film production) and Gordon Smuder (professional special effects artist and frustrated puppeteer) met at a Minnesota science fiction convention. The result was TVTV, a "retro monster comedy" aimed at adults and done with puppets. Sort of an Avenue Q meets The Munsters... for all those of us who grew up watching Sesame Street and later watched Hammer and Universal horror films.
What started as a 30 minute pilot shown locally on Minneapolis television quickly became an online webisode series (because the internet for distribution is free). During this time, TVTV has gathered a talented and loyal crew that is currently working for home-cooked meals and free t-shirts!

Why Do We Need Money?
TVTV has been what they quaintly refer to as "a labor of love" funded out of pocket. A shoestring budget and a plucky crew can do alot... but we want to reach for more. Our work has been steadily improving with each foray into the studio and we're ready to make a play for the big leagues. Our goal is to produce a one-hour Halloween Special that will be broadcast locally in 2010 and then made available for national distribution in 2011. Call it a twisted version of "The Great Pumpkin" for grown-ups. It will also be made available on DVD along with the terrific third web season of Transylvania Television.
Your contributions will enable us to create more necessary puppet characters, props and sets for the Special, buy television time, and hopefully allow us to give something back to our amazing and talented and devoted cadre of puppeteers, writers and production people.
Using what we've learned over the last two years of web production, we expect this Special to be truly boss wicked!

What Happens If We Raise More Than We're Shooting For?
You mean, other than it would be stupefyingly phenomenal and we'd be grateful to you forever? For starters, it will allow us to continue on to a frantic and fantastic fourth season of TVTV on the web! Can't beat that!

Now, we're not just asking you to plunk down your hard earned dinero just so we can play with puppets... NO! We got incentives! That's right... just like Public Television, we're angling for your cold, hard sheckles by dangling special and substantial rewards for your contribution! Check out our Backer Rewards... You'll see we're deadly serious about showing our appreciation!


Project location: Minneapolis, MN

131
Backers
$8,455
pledged of $6,000 goal
0
seconds to go

Funding Successful

This project successfully raised its funding goal on June 6.

Pledge $10 or more

“The Angry Mob Level” You get: A welcome letter to the TVTV Midnight Zombie Legion, An Official TVTV M.Z.L. Pinback Button, Two TVTV Postcards, and Your name in the end credits of the Halloween Special!

Backer 31 BACKERs

Pledge $20 or more

“The Creep In-Training Level” You get: A welcome letter to the TVTV Midnight Zombie Legion, An Official TVTV M.Z.L. Pinback Button, Two TVTV Postcards, A set of do-it-yourself TVTV character Shrinky Dinks, and Your name in the end credits of the Halloween Special!

Backer 14 BACKERs

Pledge $30 or more

“The Macabre Mutant Level” You get: A welcome letter to the TVTV Midnight Zombie Legion, An Official TVTV M.Z.L. Pinback Button, Two TVTV Postcards, A set of do-it-yourself TVTV character Shrinky Dinks, An autographed photo of the cast, and Your name in the end credits of the Halloween Special!

Backer 18 BACKERs

Pledge $60 or more

“The Zombie Minion Level” You get: A welcome letter to the TVTV Midnight Zombie Legion, An Official TVTV M.Z.L. Pinback Button, Two TVTV Postcards, A set of do-it-yourself TVTV character Shrinky Dinks, An autographed photo of the cast, A copy of Season 1, 2 or 3 DVD (your choice), and A copy of the Halloween Special Script Signed by cast and crew Your name in the end credits of the Halloween Special!

Backer 23 BACKERs

Pledge $90 or more

“The Evil Henchman Level” You get: A welcome letter to the TVTV Midnight Zombie Legion, An Official TVTV M.Z.L. Pinback Button, Two TVTV Postcards, A set of do-it-yourself TVTV character Shrinky Dinks, An autographed photo of the cast, A copy of Season 1, 2 or 3 DVD (your choice), A copy of the Halloween Special Script Signed by cast and crew, A Special TVTV T-shirt (pick your size!), and Your name in the end credits of the Halloween Special!

Backer 10 BACKERs

Pledge $120 or more

“The Ghoul Of Our Dreams Level” You get: A welcome letter to the TVTV Midnight Zombie Legion, An Official TVTV M.Z.L. Pinback Button, Two TVTV Postcards, A set of do-it-yourself TVTV character Shrinky Dinks, An autographed photo of the cast, A copy of Season 1, 2 or 3 DVD (your choice), A copy of the Halloween Special Script Signed by cast and crew, An actual piece of the TVTV Pilot set signed by the cast or with a puppeteer’s handprint, and Your name in the end credits of the Halloween Special!

Backer 7 BACKERs

Pledge $340 or more

“The Keeper Of The Tomb Level” You get: A welcome letter to the TVTV Midnight Zombie Legion, An Official TVTV M.Z.L. Pinback Button, Two TVTV Postcards, A set of do-it-yourself TVTV character Shrinky Dinks, An autographed photo of the cast, A copy of Season 1, 2 or 3 DVD (your choice), A copy of the Halloween Special Script Signed by cast and crew, An actual piece of the TVTV Pilot set signed by the cast or with a puppeteer’s handprint, Your name in the credits of the Halloween Special, And a PERSONALIZED VIDEO GREETING from the Characters of TVTV (Can be used for birthday, Christmas, anniversary, etc. greeting! No commercials, please.)

Backer 5 BACKERs

Project By

I_tunes_logo

gordon smuder

Straightpin Minneapolis, MN

I am a special effects artist (for the last 20 years) and a puppeteer. I have created a web property called "Transylvania Television" that has its sights set on becoming the next break-out television sitcom. Its an all-puppet comedy show for grown-up audiences. Think "Muppets meets Two And a Half Men".

I believe in it whole-heartedly, which is why I've invested myself into the poor house with its production and promotion. But I'm still not reaching the kinds of audience numbers that attract network attention. That's a matter of penetration. All our efforts on the web are mitigated by the fact that we're competing on a field inundated by randomness and dilution. Advertising is easy when you have lots of cash... but when you're not well funded? Not so much.

I know we have a professional quality show. It just hasn't been seen by enough people yet. So I'm hoping to become involved with Kickstarter and garner some operating capital that will allow us to propel TVTV into a much bigger public eye. The plans exist... we just need the "green impetus". You know?

  1. transylvania-tv.com