The online animated series, Afterworld (which I first wrote about here) has now reached the halfway point in it’s 130-episode post-apocalyptic journey. After what was perceived as a shaky start while distribution issues were sorted out, which had some fans bristling, the creators of Afterworld stated at the end of August that they would be releasing daily (5 days a week) episodes until the series completion. It’s a big commitment, and one which I’d never seen made by an online series of any kind, much less honored. But apart from a few minor hiccups (again related to distribution challenges) they have kept their word, and the only major hiatus in that release schedule came this week - at the fans’ request. People wanted an opportunity to catch up on the story so far, so the producers decided to take one week off to let them do so.

The secret to being able to perform this kind of release schedule? It’s no big secret, actually; it’s something television has been doing for decades. Your production is being completed WAY before it’s time to release. In Afterworld’s case, they were scheduled to finish production on episodes 121-130 yesterday, though the release date for those is months away.

I am happy to report that the strong storytelling I observed in the early episodes has continued throughout the series to-date. We follow the travels of Russell Shoemaker, a man who wakes up one day in New York to find 99% of the human population has disappeared, and all modern technology has been rendered useless by some kind of inexplicable worldwide event. He sets about on a journey from New York to Seattle, Washington - on foot - in hopes of reuniting with his family… if they, too, survived.

(more…)

An example of precisely what you want to do to your fans: Present for them an irresistibly engaging story, with memorable characters, exceptional sound design / mix, and evocative musical score. Ninjai: The Little Ninja does this, and then some. (WARNING: Graphic violence, some adult language)

An example of precisely what you DO NOT want to do to your fans: Present most, but not all, of your story, and then disappear from the face of planet Earth. Ninjai: The Little Ninja does this, and then some. Twelve completely entrancing episodes, no closure… and some fans have been waiting two and a half years since that twelfth episode was released, hoping a number 13 will appear… to no avail. A whole lot of rumors and some serious bitterness going on in corners of that fan forum, let me tell you… and who can blame them? It’s a major karmic infraction in the world of story / film.

That being said, the Ninjai Gang sure did respond quickly to a MySpace friend request (link), and rumor has it they are taking Ninjai to some kind of larger distribution channel… perhaps even the big screen. So much as it might seem futile… I’ll not take my eye off what they’re doing. And if the internet version of their production is any indication of what is to come, it’ll be worth the wait.