Into the Darkness - A Sci-Fi Comedy Web Series

Aim

Into the Darkness is a sci-fi comedy exploring themes of identity and self acceptance, set in a fun sci-fi world.

STORY:

Set in 2117, Into the Darkness follows Captain Jim Jerico, Communications Officer Jynx Malone and the android Pilot Rook. They are the crew of the SGS Titchmarsh, a star ship for Space Galactic, travelling around the universe and bumbling their way through misadventures. 

The Characters:

Jerico is the hot headed Captain who is longing to be accepted for who he is, leading him to make rash and ill-advised decisions. Throughout the series he grows from a prejudiced leader on his last warning, to an open minded Captain that his crew trust with their lives. 

Malone is the often side-lined Communications Officer who is longing for more out of her life. Her arc across the series shows her learning to stand up for herself and proving that she is capable of so much more than she imagined.

The third member of the crew is the android Rook. He is awkward and finds it hard to pick up on social cues. Despite this, he has a longing to understand the strange, almost human, feeling he has inside. Over the series, he is forced to confront these feelings and grows to accept this new side of himself.

The Episodes:  

This will be a six episode series with a "mission of the week" structure.

Episode 1: The (Android) Pilot

This episode has already been created, initially conceived as a stand alone film, made in conjunction with the London Community Video Archive. 

After receiving a 40 year old transmission from his thought-to-be-lost uncle, Captain Jerico, Malone, and Rook follow the source of the transmission in hopes of finding the lost crew. 

Episode 2: A Date with Destiny

The crew is sent on a mission to Jaan'dillion to convince Queen Destiny to ally with Space Galactic. Realising Rook has a strange connection with her, they organise a date between the two, hoping that might be the key to gaining her favour. Also there is an assassin there to make the job even harder.  

Episode 3: Dream Job

Jim Jerico enters the office, just as he does every day. As usual, Gary is there to annoy him, the coffee is cold and the boss is the only one that appreciates his hard work. That is until Rick starts acting all strange, claiming they have other lives.

Hang on, an office? This doesn't sound like a space show... 

Episode 4: John

A crack in reality could mean deadly consequences if Jerico, John and Rook don't find the source before it's too late. To do this they have to travel to the most horrible place in the known galaxy...Scotland. 

Meanwhile, left on the ship, Malone runs into an unexpected visitor. 

Episode 5: Malone Alone

A botched mission strands Malone on a hostile planet. The only catch, for every minute Jerico and Rook experience, she lives a year. 

While Malone lives years, learning what it means to survive on Norak-Taal, the boys are on a race against time to rescue her before it's too late.  

Episode 6: Happy Birthday, Jim!

It's a particularly unhappy birthday for Jim Jerico. Nobody around him is even acknowledging that it's his birthday, everyone except his estranged parent.

Tasked with negotiating peace between two warring planets, he has to juggle the assignment and a tense birthday dinner with his parent. 

All the while, Malone, Rook and Destiny navigate the irrational nature of human existence.  

Style and Influences:

The show will be drawing influence from some of our favourite works of sci-fi and comedy.

A key reference point for us is the 1999 film Galaxy Quest. The way it balances character based humour, poking fun at sci-fi tropes, and heart-felt moments is the type of mix that we want to create for Into the Darkness.

Another influence on us is Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. The way it lovingly sendups the sometimes shoddy productions of older genre TV is something we are infusing into our show. Mixing this with a more heart-felt side will give our show a unique identity. 

Finally the last major influence for us is, of course, Star Trek (The original series and Next Generation). Its simple formula and ability to tell a wide range of stories with the same characters is the foundation for Into the Darkness. It is essentially THE sci-fi show which we are using as a framework to explore topics and themes that resonate with us.

Visually we will be leaning into the DIY aesthetic of older sci-fi. Think the cardboard sets of Doctor Who, the re-used corridors of Star Trek or the repeated space ship shots in Red Dwarf. While these may be seen as flaws, they are what create the unforgettable atmosphere of these shows. This is the same feeling we are going to create with Into the Darkness.  

Who Are We?

We are StaticEye Productions, an up and coming East Anglia based film production company. We have successfully crowdfunded a short film previously, known as The Last Show. This film got accepted into two different festivals (The Sur-REEL and Uncanny Film Festival and Sunrise Film Festival), winning an award at the former. Other films we have been involved in, Vérité and the first episode of this very show, the then titled, Into the Darkness: The New Adventure, have been accepted into London Lift-Off and Ely Arts Festival respectively (to great reception!).

Why Support Us?

We are passionate about this project because it is a chance to create the kind of stories we love to make and watch. We are lovers of genre cinema (sci-fi especially) and character focused storytelling. This show will combine these two aspects into a fun package that will resonate with a wide variety of viewers as, at its core, it is about the human experience...but with aliens.

As mentioned, the first episode has already been shown at Ely Arts Festival and had a great reception, proving that what we are creating does resonate with viewers. That was only the first episode and the best is yet to come! 

By supporting this project, you'll be helping independent filmmakers create an ambitious six-episode series that celebrates sci-fi in all of its weirdness. With your help, we can push this show to become the best it can be.

What Your Contribution Will Be Used For:

This show is low budget and will lean into the aesthetic this brings. Having said that, five more episodes will still incur costs. We are not asking for a lot but we would love to be able to buy props for the show, have more elaborate costumes and be able to pay for travel and food for our cast and crew. 

Small things like this make the biggest difference to us and would go a long way to helping this show be the best version we can make it.   

Challenges:

We realise producing a six-episode science-fiction series is an ambitious undertaking, but it is one we are carefully planning for. We have already completed and screened the pilot episode, proving the concept works, now we just need to make the rest. 

We have experience delivering independent productions from idea to completion, including successfully crowdfunding previous projects. While there will inevitably be challenges along the way, we have a clear vision for the series and the determination to bring it to life.

Production is already underway and has been running smoothly, showing that this is a project we are committed to seeing through to completion. We are also supported by a very dedicated (and brilliant) cast and crew who are just as passionate about bringing Into the Darkness to life.  

By embracing practical effects, creative set design, and the DIY spirit that inspired many of our favourite sci-fi shows, we can make the most of every pound raised and create something unique, entertaining, and, most importantly, funny.

Like any film project, there will inevitably be hardships along the way, but I hope this page has shown that, given the time and support, we are committed to seeing Into the Darkness through and delivering a finished series that you will enjoy. We also have a cool donation reward for those who choose to back the project!

Contact Us: 

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @staticeyeproductions

Facebook: StaticEye Productions

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 11th January 2027 at 7:01pm