Who are We
IronZoo is a group of Florida State students who have united for the common goal of producing, marketing, and distributing high-quality media. Our founding members met through the FSU media production program and were admirers of each other’s works. We banded together to focus on producing enticing visuals and thoughtful storytelling. After founding the initial group we branched out and acquired members from various fields, such as marketing, business, web design, literature, and studio art. Our goal is to produce creative films and shows for the Internet age.
We have created a variety of different projects in the year we’ve been around. These include: web shows, documentaries, PSAs, and short films. You can see them for yourself here.
After completing our narrative coursework, we took the initiative and created a Directed Independent Study course in association with the FSU College of Communication & Information. Our goal is to turn IronZoo Productions into a real production company, and expand our portfolio by creating a 7-part sci-fi web series titled, Chronos.
What is Chronos (our series)
Chronos is an anthology series, where every episode takes the point of view of a different character. The series is set in a world where time travels exists in the form of natural disasters aptly called, “time storms.” These storms are completely random and cannot be prevented or controlled. The people of this world are forced to deal with the ensuing chaos as they are flung back and forth through time. Government agencies try to maintain order and prevent the spread of alternate timelines, while others seek to manipulate history for their own insidious purposes.
This is the biggest project that IronZoo has attempted thus far, and we are treating as such. We’ve already written the first few drafts of all our scripts, begun our casting process, developed concept pieces, and outlined a budget. All of our members have committed to this project and we have enough of them to form two separate teams to tackle 3-4 episodes apiece, with each episode aiming for an approximate 15-minute runtime. Our production schedule is set to begin in early January and wrap in late March 2015, with a rough premiere date set for mid-April. Each episode is being handled with care by different two-person writer/director teams, with one student overseeing them all creatively as the showrunner.
By teaming up with the College of Communication & Information, we have been granted the assistance of various mentors. Professors and professionals from all parts of the media industry are helping our team with each facet of production. This project will be our calling card to the industry and we’re making it our duty to deliver the best time-travel epic ever told.
How can you help?
Aside from helping students produce a series that will serve as our professional calling card, you will receive special perks. First, every dollar you donate to the SparkFSU campaign will count as a tax-deductible donation to FSU. In addition, we have set up back rewards for different levels of funding. These rewards range from a behind-the-scenes newsletter, to physical rewards like shirts and posters.
Benefits
We also have special rewards for those who feel like giving a little bit more. For $10, you will gain priority access to every episode including “Dawn Days,” a epilogue episode that takes place outside the main story of Chronos. This episode will not be shown to the general public until well after the season has ended, but you will get to see it first.
Furthermore, once a backer has donated $25 they will be entered into a raffle to win a special prop of their choice from the show. The initial $25 donation will give the donor one ticket, with another ticket given to the donor for every $25 they give beyond that. There is no limit on the amount of tickets one can buy.
FAQS
How are my donations tax deductible?
Contributions made through SparkFSU are 100% tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The receipt you will receive via email shortly after you complete your donation meets all IRS requirements as a record of donation. For any donation greater than $250, you will also receive an official hard-copy gift acknowledgement letter from the FSU Foundation for tax reporting purposes.
All the money that is donated will only be used on the production and distribution of this series. Your contribution will only be considered as a donation to the university for tax purposes.
How will I know my money is being used effectively?
The money will be held in an account that is administered by our faculty advisor, Dr. Stephen McDowell. He will be monitoring our purchases and ensuring that we are using our funds responsibly and following University policies. In addition, we will also be giving our donors a behind-the-scenes look at production. This way, you can see for yourself where your money is going.
How much will the actual series cost?
If you mean the series, we are aiming to raise $20,000 to cover our production costs. If we raise more than that, we will create stretch goals for the project to include assets we sorely desire.
For our viewers, the show will be released online for free, with the exception of the “Dawn Days” episode. This will initially only be available to paying backers.
When can I watch the series?
While we don’t have a set premiere date at the moment, our goal is to begin releasing episodes by April 2015.
Will you make more seasons?
The goal for this project is to film one season, however we have plenty of ideas to continue the story should the opportunity present itself and we are very excited for that possibility.
I’m a student/I know a student at FSU, can I/they be a part of IronZoo and help make this series?
This series is a large undertaking and we would love all the help we can get. With production, design, marketing, and a web presence, there are a lot of roles to fill. That being said, we only have a few open spots in our DIS for new students. To fill those seats, we will be interviewing candidates who submit their resumes to ironzooproductions@gmail.com. However, if you still want to assist without receiving credit from the DIS, feel free to message ironzooproductions@gmail.com anyways.
What is an “IronZoo?”
Is this really a Frequently Asked Question? A zoo made of iron, perhaps? Or maybe a zoo that only has iron in it. Who would pay to see that? Metallurgists maybe, but I bet even they’d be bored. What was the question? Oh right. I don’t know, it’s whatever you want it to be. Use your imagination.