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The Forces Behind Darker Projects

In this age of flashy effects and quick cuts over plot and character dialogue, it would seem that the art of storytelling has faded into the pop culture ether. It is ironic that when people watch a film based on a book the first comment they make as the credits roll is inevitably, “Not bad… wasn't as good as the book though.” Why is that? Sure, sometimes it is because the filmmakers didn't capture the spirit of the original prose. However, often the reason an audience member didn't enjoy the film as much as a novel is that no amount of Hollywood art and talent can match the unbridled power of a person's imagination. It likely never will. Our minds can create images and emotions that can never be captured on celluloid or 1s and 0s. While some people may scoff at the notion, there is a reason why older generations talk lovingly about sitting around the radio listening to their favorite shows. The writers and performers provided the action and story; the audience provided the images and feelings.

Eric Busby and the folks at Darker Projects are bringing back that feeling.

I had a chance to sit down with Eric, the driving force and Executive Producer with Darker Projects and asked him a few questions about his highly entertaining radio dramas.

Illusionaire: Before we dive into what you are doing now, I want to know what got you here in the first place. What made you decide to create fan-based radio shows?

Eric: Actually, my first stab at storytelling took the form of Fan Fiction. I had joined a couple of early newsgroups and wanted to post my completed stories there. Unfortunately, like so many of the early newsgroup…it folded before I got a chance to publish the stories.

Illusionaire: Did you go looking for other places to post your work then?

Eric: Um, not exactly, actually, they sat on my shelf for far too long, unread. Then I started to think they would make fun audio dramas.

Illusionaire: Why audio dramas? Why not fan films?

Eric: Partly because I don't have a ton of experience with film and video, to say nothing of how much it costs to shoot one. However, the main reason I wanted to do audio dramas was that I loved the old radio serials of the 20s and 30s. They had an excitement and magic that simply isn't around anymore. So, I dusted off my old fan fiction stories, turned them into scripts, and bullied most of my friends into starring roles. It took off like mad!

Illusionaire: Is that still pretty much how they are made now? Friends and family behind the microphone?

Eric: Kinda, although I've attracted some voice talent from, literally, all over the world. It's pretty exciting actually. I send my scripts off to various actors in Australia, England, and South Africa and they come back as these wonderfully acted scenes! It has become something far larger then a fan piece on a newsgroup could ever hope to be.

Illusionaire: What has the response been like?

Eric: The response has surprised the heck out of me. I had a feeling that the Star Trek [the series Star Trek: The Section 31 Files is one of Darker Projects earliest and longest running shows – Aaron] community would jump on pretty fast. That is a wide reaching and supportive group, so to receive emails and comments from Star Trek fans have been great. What I didn't expect was the average, non-fan downloading the shows. I have hundreds of podcast subscribers and on any given day up to 8 gigs worth of downloads. I get emails from truckers who say the Darker Projects programs have helped keep them up and entertained through their long hauls. That just makes me grin and I know it makes all the folks behind Darker Projects proud.

Illusionaire: That is pretty impressive. Okay, so brings me to another question. Have you received any response from studios regarding your shows? Have they been positive or negative?

Eric: I heard back from Paramount when I tried to receive official sanction, like the Star Trek Communicator, which started as a fan based magazine. While they declined my request, they didn't ask me to stop producing the radio shows. As long as I didn't make any money off their property, they are okay with it. I did get a request from J. Michael Straczynski to stop producing Babylon 5 shows. While that was discouraging, he was civil about it and it was a little exciting to receive a “real” non-corporate letter from him.

Illusionaire: Ah, money... let's get to that ugly part. I know that Podcasting is an inexpensive medium, but it still takes a fair amount of funds to handle all that bandwidth. How does Darker Projects make any money, if it does at all?

Eric: Darker Projects survives because of my supportive family and friends. Although I would be remiss if I didn't give a huge thanks to all the fans that have been supporting Dark Projects through their donations and word of mouth advertising. The power of fandom is quite impressive. Also, Darker Projects has started to move into more and more original programming, which I can legally make money on. I was a little nervous at first when we cut back on the fan work. However, the response we've received on our original shows has been great.

Illusionaire: Are they also in the science fiction vein?

Eric: A little. I love horror movies, particularly Zombies. So, the first real push for Darker Projects original shows has been the Zombie epic Alive Inside! Alive Inside focuses on a group of people forced to live and survive in a world that has been overrun by the walking dead…With a slight twist. I could tell you more, but that would be spoiling the surprise. Another fun show has been the Night Terrors series. The Night Terrors series is my nod to the Twilight Zone and Outer Limits type shows. While each show is a different story, with a new cast of characters, Night Terrors definitely follows a theme of dread and suspense. Finally, Darker Projects newest and I think most ambitious show is Generation 1. It takes place far in our planets future. Wars, natural disasters and pandemics have wiped most of the human race out. In order to survive, children were placed in suspended animation within sealed biodomes. With the Earth healed, the doors were opened and the children were set out to start a new world… But can they survive without guidance?

Illusionaire: Wow, sounds like you keep busy!

Eric: Most definitely, but I love every minute of it, so does the rest of the Darker Projects crew.

Illusionaire: Well Eric, I want to thank you for the chance to talk to you about all the work you and the crew at Darker Projects do to keep us Geeks entertained! Keep them coming, we'll keep listening!

Eric: Thanks, we're having a blast! Glad you are too.

Be sure to check out all the shows that Darker Projects has to offer, you'll like what you hear.