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SOAP OPERA WEEKLY News - Soaps Online - Reality Bytes For Tristan Rogers
(Please Note: The words "REALITY BYTES" were changed to REALITY BYTES THE SERIES in several places in this article, since that is the FULL name of this Web series.) Tristan Rogers (Ex-Robert, GENERAL HOSPITAL; GENERAL HOSPITAL: NIGHT SHIFT) is poised to enter the burgeoning world of Web soaps with his project, REALITY BYTES THE SERIES.
"It's a soap opera about a soap opera, and then you'll have the behind-the-scenes," Rogers explains.
Soap opera is "definitely an area of the Web which is really pushing ahead," he asserts. "I wish we could keep tabs on how many there are, so we could bring it to people's attention in one block. I think it would go a long way to accelerating where this genre is going and how it can really move daytime soap opera ahead," says Rogers.
The idea for the series came to Headwriter/Co-Producer Kate Lang in a dream. "I kept having this recurring dream, and I finally just said to Tristan, 'Let me tell you about this so I can dream something else. Variety would be nice.' (After that) I never had the dream again and forgot about it," laughs Lang. "But we had been discussing a Web series for about three years. Tristan and I had tried to find a story that we thought would fit. He came back about a week later and said, 'What about that dream you had? Why don't we try working with that?' And we did."
Actual production will not start until all the needed funding is in place. "We are in the process of raising money for it right now. Unlike some of the other Webisode shows out there, we've set out to be a little more ambitious, so consequently, a little more ambition takes a little more money," explains Rogers. "Needless to say, the state of the economy in the entertainment business in general hasn't helped a whole lot. We have plenty of people who want to talk to us, and we're making progress with it, (but) we haven't got all that we need and I'm not going to start until we have everything that we need."
Helping Rogers' cause is the casting of some big-name soap stars, like Drake Hogestyn (Ex-John, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) as Jerry Parker. "I think he liked the project," Rogers says. "He liked the way the character was laid out. I haven't even told him this, but I have quite a few plans for what he'll be doing on the show here and down the line."
"It is a pivotal character and a lead character," adds Lang. "We look forward to what Drake will be bringing to this role. We're very excited about bringing him aboard."
Also on board is Tonja Walker (Ex-Alex, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; Ex-Olivia, GENERAL HOSPITAL) as Avery Meadows, Rogers himself - who will play Trevor Rains, and Drake's stepson, Ben Hogestyn (Ex-Harry, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; Ex-Lucas, GENERAL HOSPITAL), as Jacob Kaplan. The producers are still looking to cast Victoria Radcliffe, another lead.
Once the cast and the money are both in place, production will begin - possibly as early as April. "We'll do thirty to thirty six episodes in the first season. They would be eight to ten minutes long. We would probably film the entire series at one time, like an independent movie. We're going to be using flip cameras to record behind-the-scenes footage, which can be seen on the Web site, as well," Lang explains. In addition, "We would air new episodes more than once a week, to give the soap fans the feel of a soap, rather than a weekly series."
And it hasn't been difficult to come up with story ideas, thanks to Rogers working in daytime since 1981. "I discovered that there was nothing I could conjure up in story which could surpass the absurdity of what he had already lived," laughs Lang.
To keep up with REALITY BYTES THE SERIES, go to HERE.
Gabrielle Winkel, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 4/6/10
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