Pioneer One

There is a reason TV series generally cost a lot of money to make. Even a bad one needs to pull together a bunch of professionals to put something onscreen that goes beyond a couple of people talking in an office. But that's pretty much what the pilot of Pioneer One is; two or three people have a discussion in a remarkably spare office, and then maybe one of them takes a phone call, and then there's something in a different office. And that's how it goes for a half hour.

Perhaps this would work if the dialogue was gripping, or the performances were remarkable. But neither is the case. The acting isn't really bad, but no one stands out or brings anything to life. The dialogue conveys information, but that's about it.

There are moments of personality here and there, but this is just not an interesting show. But with money for better actors, directors, writers, and set designers, I guess maybe this would have potential.

Assuming all these 10-star reviews are friends of the cast and crew, since there is no way any disinterested party would give this 10 stars.

So I found this new web series when I was researching distribution for my web series in development. It was being offered through bit torrent on VODO. The set up was interesting. I downloaded the first episode and watched it. I was hooked.

Best line (for Canadians): Can someone get us some coffees from Willie Hortons... Genius! Pioneer One does a great job of presenting a great story with real characters and a minimalist set. The camera work made me feel part of the action without being obvious or invasive to the scene. The lighting was real and I did not feel like I was watching a polished setup. It was rough and raw and real.

The two leads come across dynamic and alive, absolutely believable three dimensional, as do the supporting cast.

This is a great program to watch. The story is tight and develops at the right pace. The first season of 6 episodes will pull you in.

My suggestion is to download, donate, and distribute!

Pioneer One has proved that independent media can compete with traditional markets. More and more people are looking at web series as a way to distribute shows and build an audience. I like the idea of independent media sidestepping the traditional studios and using the internet to reach an audience.

Pioneer One has an engaging story. The music is amazing. For being produced for less then $10,000 I'm surprised how good it looks. I'm hoping that the creators will be able to produce all the episodes that they've planned for the series.

I suggest that everyone watch this series with an open mind. This wasn't produced by a studio with a big budget and computer effects. Yet, it tells an interesting story.

This show is the future in many ways. As resources in the planet dwindle, the "more with less" approach is sure to invade every aspect of economy, including the production and distribution of entertainment.

This show has a tiny budget (less then $10000/episode), and yet the production is technically clean and actor work, while not exceptional, is competent. Since capital investment is so small, the production has to rely on the bag of tricks of the old school of (theatre) drama: first of all good writing (no special effects to distract us from bad lines, like -- from "The Hunt for Red October" -- "listen, I'm a politician which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies I'm stealing their lollipops"), competent acting and a thinking viewer. We've seen some excellent attempts from the industry to move in this direction, but the audiences are not quite there yet. But the days of watching flashy entertainment are numbered.

Maybe there are other stories out there like this, but I haven't run across any with these particular details. It's intriguing, fairly well-paced and feasible (to an uninformed civilian like me).

The acting is a little hollow but generally believable enough to not be distracting. There is a reasonable amount of character development. But I get the impression that someone, at some point, exclaimed "where's the humanity?!!" or the like.

Then they wrote in the blond nurse from the childrens' cancer ward and the pissed off convenience store girlfriend. And farmed the parts out to crushes, girlfriends or granddaughters. The scenes with the childrens' nurse are unwatchable and taint every actor that shares a scene with her. They stand out so starkly, I wish they could be edited out... and replaced with characters summarizing any pertinent information around her character's interaction with the subject. As it is, I just fast forward through them.

Generally good submission from what I assume are less experienced writers, director and actors, at a very low budget. It would be nice to see them in future productions, with more resources, to get a better idea of what they're capable of.