Read 'em and Weep (but not really)

I promised to let everyone (all 8 of you) know what the latest news concerning the S.C.O.D. pitch at MTV, and well, I found out last week and simply haven't had the time to post anything. Here's what happened. We had a meeting with MTV that went very well. There was real, genuine interest in the show. One of the main points of discussion was the demographic of MTV2. MTV2 has it's own demographic, separate from MTV proper. It's more male oriented and currently features most of the network's animated content. All in all, we came away from the meeting with high hopes, simply because all the pieces seemed to fit well. After waiting for over six weeks for our pilot script to be read, after some prodding, I finally got an email back. Here is an excerpt,

"My apologies for the long delay in responding. I finally had a chance to read the script and really enjoyed it. Since we last spoke, there have been some changes in our development criteria. To be considered for pickup, projects are now expected to be able to play on both MTV and MTV2. While Summer Camp might play well for the male teen in the MTV2 audience, it doesn't play broadly enough to work on MTV. Therefore, we're going to have to pass on this project. If you have any questions or want to discuss further, please let me know."

Can you believe that? Unlike many meetings with executives of networks, I have reason to take this email at face value, that its meaning is what it says it is. With that in mind, I have to say, "Bummer!" It sounds as if we almost had a deal by a difference of six months. It was tough to accept since he liked the idea, liked the script, and thought it would work well on MTV2. So some dumb new rule botched the whole thing. What's the point of having two channels then? So you can play the same crap at two different times of the day? That's like buying two suits of the same color and design. I don't get it, but I'm OK with it. All in all, I think we got closer than ever to making a deal which makes it a success of sorts. Now I'm scheduling a meeting with Fangoria TV and am also thinking about Spike TV and Comedy Central. Who knows?

Since the MTV chapter is closed, I'm happy to announce that work on the project has resumed. I have plans to produce more webisodes, continue work on the site, and am looking into producing independently the pilot episode or possibly the second script that is almost completed. The world needs Summer Camp of Death! even if it doesn't know it yet. The independent route will be excruciatingly slow, but slow and steady wins the race. Thanks for your interest, and I'll be sure to add new stuff to the site as soon as we get through the busy holiday season.

Now, for a little description of the character line-up posted above. This is the latest in character design for Mell, Gary, Derek, and Sanchez. These updated models have a new look, new inking style, and are ready to go (all symbolized in Flash, etc.). Truthfully, I'm not completely happy with Sanchez, so there will be a little bit more work done there. How do you like the T-shirt art? This is something I'm looking forward to. I've always thought cartoon characters should be wearing clothes that are more true to life, and that will have a role in the show's design.