Wednesday, October 1, 2014

A Big, Grand, Glorious Announcement


Ka-blam.

I tried for a while to come up with a really good sound effect to express how excited I am for this day, and "ka-blam" was the best one I could think of.  "Huzzah" also came to mind but that's probably because I've been steeped in Julius Caesar for the past six weeks-- and you're probably sick of hearing about that by now, so that's why I didn't go with "huzzah."  So "ka-blam" it is.  Ka-blam.

Have I said ka-blam enough?
Good.

Okay, moving forward.

...I can't hold it in any longer.

GUYS I'M CO-PRODUCING A LITERARY WEB SERIES AND I'M FREAKING OUT EXCITED.

It all started back in January, when I started thinking about how much I'd enjoyed several of the literary web series on YouTube, and what a cool way that was to adapt classic works of fiction, and wouldn't it be fun if someone did that with one of my favorite books, The Scarlet Pimpernel.  But then, what if someone decided to adapt TSP into a modern setting with a new storyline and I didn't like it?  What if they weren't true to the spirit of the book and ended up changing everything in horrific ways and absolutely ruined Percy and Marguerite and the League?????

Once I'd calmed down a little, it occurred to me that if I wanted a good modern adaptation of The Scarlet Pimpernel, maybe I needed to write one myself.  And that's how Masked was born.

...Well, a lot more work came after that, of course.  I approached two good friends of mine to ask for help and off we went.  Storyboarding, working out plot holes, character development, scriptwriting, scouting out filming locations, casting, long frustrated phone calls... yeah, it's been a journey.  But now, today, on Julie Andrews' 79th birthday (happy birthday, Mary Poppins!), we've decided it's finally time to announce it to the world.

World, meet Masked, an innovative, online, modern-day film adaptation of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Masked, look at the world.  Just take a peek for now, of course, because you won't actually be released to the General Public until summer 2015.  (I know, it's a long wait, but patience makes the heart grow anticipatory, or something like that.)

There's a lot more information (including a storyline teaser!) over here at The Day Dream, the Scarlet Pimpernel blog that I help run... and if you want to stay updated even more, please check out the show's official Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook page.

Oh.  And if you'd like to grab this little advertising button for your own blog, that would be splendiferously magnificent and I will be grateful to you forevermore.  

Masked

20 comments:

Hayden said...

YAAAAAAYYY THE ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN MADE AND I CAN SHARE THE NEWS FAR AND WIDE THROUGHOUT THE LAND.

Okay, enough with the town crier font :) Seriously, though, I'm so excited for this!

Caroline L. said...

OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO EXCITED! And suddenly VERY ready for summer again. ;]

Miss Elliot said...

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!! PERCYYY!!!
Ahem. *looks around to make sure no one saw*
But really, a WEB SERIES!! Based on The Scarlet Pimpernel...in the modern-day!!!! This is going to be epic. Just epic.
SQUEEEE I CAN'T WAIT HOW CAN YOU MAKE US WAIT A YEAR??? HOW?????
;-) So much excitement.
*faints*

Maribeth said...

SQUEEEEEEEE!!!! Summer 2015 seems like a long way away, but then again, I don't have to wait as long for "Masked" as I have to wait for "Sherlock." That's called the Power of Positive Thinking, folks.

Putting the button on my blog RIGHT NOW!

Bethany said...

Wow, that sounds amazing! I can't wait to see it!

Ella said...

Cool!!!
I really enjoy the Green Gables Fables and a few other web series.
A Scarlet Pimpernel series sounds very exciting.

Kathryn said...

Ooooh, that sounds so exciting! I can't wait to see it.

Candice said...

Oh my goodness, this sounds amazing! I don't know if I can wait until 2015!!

Sophie said...

*yowls* NO WAY. No. You can't be. Because you see it would be way too awesome.

SOMEBODY FINALLY THOUGHT OF THIS.

Modern S-P.

*yowls louder*

I DID NOT LIVE UNTIL TODAAAAAAY

This is so terribly cool. Summer 2015? Whaaa...

Elizabeth said...

YAY!!! "Masked!!"

jess dunlap said...

I AM SO EXCITED I CAN HARDLY EVEN...
GAH
YOU ARE A MASTERMIND MISS DASHWOOD.
This has been needing to happen,i've been waiting.. and waiting... and GAH PERCY.

Ahem.
anyway, I hope it goes very well, who's cast for it?

Your Fellow Leaguette
~Jess

Melody said...

Yay!!! I will be following this project with Interest. :)

And I'll put the button up soon...

Evangeline said...

YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I am SUPER pleased for you!!!!! XD I am most definitely putting the button up! XD
Good luck with everything!
Evie

Naomi Pitts said...

Is this going to be like the Lizzie Bennet Diaries?... but with the Scarlet Pimpernel? Like with videos and real actors and all that?
Is it?!?

I'M SURE IT'LL BE AWESOME!

Anonymous said...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I AM LITERALLY - LITERALLY - SO MUCH RIGHT NOW.

I LITERALLY CANNOT. I CAN'T EVEN. I JUST. I. CAN'T. EVEN.

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO EVEN, I CAN'T.

Yeah, I'm a tad excited. SOOOOOOO INCREDIBLY excited, actually. CAN'T WAIIIIIIIIIT.

-Eowyn-

Unknown said...

This sounds amazing!!! One of my favorite books, and I'm so excited to see what you all come up with. Checking out the Facebook page now ...

Miss Elliot said...

I just put the button up!!! Squeeeeeeee!!!!! :-)

Emily Blakeney said...

Grabbed the button pretty much as soon as I saw it! I am a book-only leaguette, but I have been anxious to watch the movie for some time! I just logged in planning to post a dream cast of TSP!
Your summer will be winter here in NZ. :(. So excited! Eep! Can't wait to see it, girls, such a great idea!

Katelyn said...

The button is now on my blog page and I have "liked" the FB page! Can't wait to see it; I'm sure it will be wonderful.

jess dunlap said...

Miss Dashwood I've got a few questions about Masked, would you email me please?
I've got a little team working on adapting Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey into a webseries, and I am so clueless about how to organize things, seeing as i'm trying to lead this thing. I'd love some advice.
I didn't know any other way to contact you.
:]
Anyways, if you'd do that, it'd be amazing.

http://jess-inthehomeofthedunlaps.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Just keep scrolling, it's on that page somewhere. XD