Pioneer One
Encyclopedia
Pioneer One is a 2010
American
web series
produced by Josh Bernhard and Bracey Smith. It is notable both for being funded purely through donations and for being the first series created for and released on BitTorrent networks.
using Kickstarter
. The series itself was released under a Creative Commons license
and is distributed for free in collaboration with VODO
, as with Bernhard's previous independent film The Lionshare, over the Internet
including peer-to-peer
networks. So far, five episodes have been produced. Production of the rest of the season is funded through direct donations from the fanbase.
, however, that idea is discarded subtly by the leading investigator, asking the rhetorical question "Who would launch an attack on Montana?". Debris is found in Canada, where an investigation of the crash discovers a live human being in a Soviet
space suit
. Federal agents working for the American Department of Homeland Security get involved, receiving permission from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
to operate in Canada. The man is in an unstable condition and his initial blood work shows signs of severe cancer, with his doctors proclaiming him too badly injured to transport. A note handwritten in Russian found at the crash site says that the man is the child of cosmonauts living at a base
on Mars
. Not believing the note and wanting to announce a Department of Homeland Security success to the press, the American DHS orders Agent Taylor to bring the man back to the United States as a suspected terrorist, despite his severe condition. Believing the note could be true, Taylor ignores his orders and destroys the permission from the RCMP, forcing his team to stay on site. He also brings in Dr. Walzer, an expert who has written several books about the possibility of human survival on Mars, to discuss the incident. At the end of the episode, a radio signal is heard and the screen display of a computer at Baikonur Cosmodrome
is shown.
Initial reviews were positive, with many reviewers praising the show for being surprisingly good for an independent project. For example, Download Squad described the first episode as "surpris ... I found myself wishing there were more episodes available when it finished." The New York Television Festival
selected Pioneer One as the "Best Drama Pilot" for their 2010 Independent Pilot Competition.
website. Because the project lacks funding by traditional means such as a TV station or DVD sales, money had to come directly from the fanbase. On June 29, 2010, a minimum of $20,000 necessary for production on the next block of three episodes was raised. On February 11, 2011, the project announced that it would accept donations in Bitcoins.
.
On November 5, 2010, Rachel McLaughlin reported she has been working as Production Coordinator/Assistant director in Pioneer One and that 3 episodes were shot.
Episode 3 was released on March 28, 2011, and episode 4 was released on April 28. Production on the last two episodes of Season 1 is scheduled for May 5th - June, in Binghamton, New York
, New York City
, and Long Island
.
2010 in film
The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
produced by Josh Bernhard and Bracey Smith. It is notable both for being funded purely through donations and for being the first series created for and released on BitTorrent networks.
Background
Pioneer One is a serialized drama produced and distributed online through VODO and the DISCO network. Downloaded almost 2,000,000 times and winner for Best Drama Pilot at the 2010 New York Television Festival, the show is independently produced and financed by viewer donations. The pilot episode was filmed on a budget of $6,000, raised in advanceThreshold pledge system
The threshold pledge or fund and release system is a way of making a fundraising pledge as a group of individuals, often involving charitable goals or financing the provision of a public good. An amount of money is set as the goal or threshold to reach for the specified purpose and interested...
using Kickstarter
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors, ranging from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.-Model:...
. The series itself was released under a Creative Commons license
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons licenses are several copyright licenses that allow the distribution of copyrighted works. The licenses differ by several combinations that condition the terms of distribution. They were initially released on December 16, 2002 by Creative Commons, a U.S...
and is distributed for free in collaboration with VODO
VODO
VODO is an online media distributor releasing films under a Creative Commons license using the BitTorrent protocol. Filmmakers can upload films on the site and selected works are also promoted on third-party sites and services such as uTorrent or The Pirate Bay, Mininova and OneDDL.Past releases...
, as with Bernhard's previous independent film The Lionshare, over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
including peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
networks. So far, five episodes have been produced. Production of the rest of the season is funded through direct donations from the fanbase.
Pilot plot
A mysterious spaceship enters Earth's atmosphere, triggering a massive response from the American government. Since the ship has spread radiation over hundreds of miles of rural Montana, officials are quick to bring up the possibility of a terrorist attack, specifically the detonation of a dirty bombDirty bomb
A dirty bomb is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, hence the attribute "dirty"....
, however, that idea is discarded subtly by the leading investigator, asking the rhetorical question "Who would launch an attack on Montana?". Debris is found in Canada, where an investigation of the crash discovers a live human being in a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
. Federal agents working for the American Department of Homeland Security get involved, receiving permission from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
to operate in Canada. The man is in an unstable condition and his initial blood work shows signs of severe cancer, with his doctors proclaiming him too badly injured to transport. A note handwritten in Russian found at the crash site says that the man is the child of cosmonauts living at a base
Colonization of Mars
The colonization of Mars by humans is the focus of speculation and serious study because the surface conditions and availability of water on Mars make it arguably the most hospitable planet in the solar system other than Earth...
on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. Not believing the note and wanting to announce a Department of Homeland Security success to the press, the American DHS orders Agent Taylor to bring the man back to the United States as a suspected terrorist, despite his severe condition. Believing the note could be true, Taylor ignores his orders and destroys the permission from the RCMP, forcing his team to stay on site. He also brings in Dr. Walzer, an expert who has written several books about the possibility of human survival on Mars, to discuss the incident. At the end of the episode, a radio signal is heard and the screen display of a computer at Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
is shown.
Season 1 (2010 - 2011)
| № | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cast
- James Rich as Tom Taylor
- Alexandra Blatt as Sofie Larson
- Aleksandr Evtushenko as Yuri
- Jack Haley as Dr. Zachary Walzer [Matthew Foster played Walzer in the original pilot]
- Guy Wegener as Vernon
- E. James Ford as Dileo
- Laurence Cantor as Norton
- Einar Gunn as McClellan
- Laura Graham as Jane Campbell
Reception
Within the first week of its initial release, the pilot episode had been downloaded 420,000 times, 170,000 more downloads than predicted. As of January 23, 2011, the first two episodes have been downloaded a combined 1,788,412 times. It is hard to estimate how many other downloads may have taken place through other means, such as the torrent being automatically added to the latest version of μTorrent.Initial reviews were positive, with many reviewers praising the show for being surprisingly good for an independent project. For example, Download Squad described the first episode as "surpris ... I found myself wishing there were more episodes available when it finished." The New York Television Festival
New York Television Festival
The New York Television Festival is a yearly gathering of artists, fans, and executives to celebrate independent small-screen productions. It was founded in 2005, and is held in venues in New York City....
selected Pioneer One as the "Best Drama Pilot" for their 2010 Independent Pilot Competition.
Funding
The pilot episode of the show was shot on a budget of $6,000 donated by people through the KickstarterKickstarter
Kickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors, ranging from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.-Model:...
website. Because the project lacks funding by traditional means such as a TV station or DVD sales, money had to come directly from the fanbase. On June 29, 2010, a minimum of $20,000 necessary for production on the next block of three episodes was raised. On February 11, 2011, the project announced that it would accept donations in Bitcoins.
Production Updates
On October 6, 2010, local press reported that filming of the second episode was underway in Binghamton, New YorkBinghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
.
On November 5, 2010, Rachel McLaughlin reported she has been working as Production Coordinator/Assistant director in Pioneer One and that 3 episodes were shot.
Episode 3 was released on March 28, 2011, and episode 4 was released on April 28. Production on the last two episodes of Season 1 is scheduled for May 5th - June, in Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
.