CHECK OUT the eScape preview at www.eScapeTheSeries.com

LOS ANGELES — What if you woke up one day at summer camp to discover all the adults had disappeared? That’s how the kids’ adventure series, eScape, begins when it comes to the Web this summer, producers announced today.

Created by Mike Feurstein of New York-based MovieQuest Productions and co-produced by Blue Seraph’s partner company, Runic Films, eScape tells the story of a group of campers seemingly abandoned by their counselors. They soon discover they are trapped in a video game that grants them amazing abilities. But in the real world, this game is the object of a power struggle between powerful corporations and mysterious military interests.

The first three seasons of eScape will premiere on the Web this summer on its Web site, www.eScapeTheSeries.com. A trailer and a preview of the show are available on the site now.

“The show tells a great story in the same vein as Lost,” said Feurstein. “Young and older viewers alike connect with its characters’ struggles to make the right life choices in the face of adventure, danger and unimaginable odds.”

eScape’s third season is currently in production in and around Albany, N.Y., starring local actors and school children. The students also worked behind the scenes to help produce the series.

“Wide release of eScape this summer will introduce viewers to the space- and time-bending world of the show,” said Runic Films producer Ben Alpi.  “It’s a world we plan to continue to explore.”

eScape is the latest project from Runic Films, which comprises the creative team behind the Web series Star Trek: Phase II, winner of TV Guide’s Online Video Award for Science Fiction, and nominee for the Hugo and Nebula awards — science fiction’s highest honors.

Alpi, who had contributed visual effects to the first two seasons of eScape, introduced series creator Feurstein to his Runic partners — writer-producer Carlos Pedraza, cinematographer David Berry, and visual effects artists Joël Bellucci and Matt Jolly — after their recent departure from the Trek series.

Watch the Trailer

Feurstein and his young filmmakers have produced movies that have won gold medals in New York state competitions and top prizes in regional film contests. Feurstein himself earned Best Local Filmmaker kudos in readers’ polls from the Albany, N.Y., Times Union, and the Metroland newsweekly. He has also produced an international educational DVD series on autism, contributed to the blockbuster award-winning Guitar Hero video game and owns Cucumber Alley, a film lighting rental company.

“Ben, Carlos and the rest of the Runic guys came aboard to help make the third season of eScape the best yet,” Feurstein said, “and its release on the Web is an exceptional showcase for the cast and crew.”

Runic Films is a production and entertainment company developing original properties for Web, film and television. Now located in Los Angeles, Runic was founded by two brothers in New York, and has grown to a staff of award-winning writers, directors, artists and technicians. Dedicated to upholding the rich traditions of storytelling, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

Based in historic Schenectady, N.Y., MovieQuest Productions is a motion picture production company dedicated to offering young people educational opportunities to create quality films.

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Links

• eScape Web site http://www.eScapeTheSeries.com
• Runic Films http://www.runicfilms.com

ON THEIR OWN Campers in eScape have to fend for themselves when the adults suddenly disappear.

LOS ANGELES — The creative teams behind eScape and the award-winning Web series Star Trek: Phase II, including Blue Seraph writer-producer Carlos Pedraza, have joined forces to produce a new science fiction-adventure series aimed at tweens and teens.

eScape, a reimagining of a series created by MovieQuest Productions, will tell the story of a group of kids who wake up to find all the adults at their summer camp have disappeared. They soon discover they are trapped in a video game that grants them amazing abilities. But in the real world, this game is the object of a power struggle between powerful corporations and mysterious military interests.

The original series, now in its third and final season, was created and produced by Mike Feurstein of MovieQuest Productions. The series was shot in and around Albany, N.Y., and starred local schoolchildren and actors.

Runic Films plans to re-imagine the original series, casting professional actors and scaling up its production values.

DEEPENING MYSTERY The campers of eScape strike out on their own only to find their parents' abandoned cars.

“The original series tells a great story in the same vein as Lost,” said writer-producer Pedraza. “Young and older viewers alike connect with its characters’ struggles to make the right life choices in the face of danger and unimaginable odds.”

Pedraza and his Runic partners — producer-director Ben Alpi, cinematographer David Berry and visual effects supervisor Joël Bellucci — had been shopping for a new project after their recent departure from the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated Web series, Star Trek: Phase II. Alpi had contributed visual effects to the first two seasons of eScape and introduced the Runic staff to series creator Feurstein.

“The premise of the original series really struck us with its originality,” Alpi said. “Mike was able to tell an excellent story, something with great scope, on a very limited budget. We want to take that story to a broader stage.”

Runic’s other lead visual effects artist, Matt Jolly, is also joining the eScape co-production.

Meanwhile, Feurstein and his child actors have produced movies that have won gold medals in New York state competitions and regional contest top prizes. Feurstein himself earned Best Local Filmmaker kudos in readers’ polls from the Albany, N.Y., Times Union, and the Metroland newsweekly. He has also produced an international educational DVD series on autism, contributed to the blockbuster award-winning Guitar Hero video game and owns Cucumber Alley, a film lighting rental company.

“Ben, Carlos and the rest of the Runic guys have been helping with the third season of eScape,” Feurstein said, “and I’m looking forward to working with them on the re-imagining.”

Feurstein’s MovieQuest Productions is currently shooting the final season of eScape on location in the Albany region.

Runic Films is a full-service HD, film and visual effects studio offering cutting-edge development, production and post-production services. Founded in 2001 by two brothers in upstate New York, it has grown to a full staff of award-winning writers, directors, artists and technicians with presence on both coasts. Runic Films also specializes in rich media content for Web and next-generation devices.

MovieQuest Productions, based in Schenectady, N.Y., was created by Mike Feurstein to produce eScape.

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Links

Runic Films http://www.runicfilms.com
MovieQuest Productions http://www.moviequestproductions.com

Join the Runic Films team at San Diego Comic-Con 2009.

LOS ANGELES — The principal creative team of Runic Films, veterans of the Web series Star Trek: Phase II and Zerks Log, will attend Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego, July 22-26.

Producer-director Ben Alpi, cinematographer David Berry, visual effects artist Matt Jolly and writer-producer Carlos Pedraza will be at the country’s leading comics and popular arts convention, which is celebrating its 40th year.

Originally showcasing comic books, science fiction/fantasy and film/television, and related popular arts, Comic-Con has expanded over the years to include a larger range of pop culture elements, such as horror, anime, manga,animation, toys, collectible card games, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels.

The sold-out 2009 convention is the largest of its kind in the world, filling to capacity the San Diego Convention Center with over 126,000 attendees last year.

Runic’s creative team comprises veterans of some of the Web’s most popular series, including Zerks Log, eScape, Star Trek: Hidden Frontier and the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated Star Trek: Phase II.

Runic Films is a full-service HD, film and visual effects studio offering cutting-edge development, production and post-production services. Founded in 2001 by two brothers from upstate New York, it has grown to a full staff of award-winning writers, directors, artists and technicians with presence on both coasts. Runic Films also specializes in rich media content for Web and next-generation devices.