Want to grab any of our Kickstarter-exclusive rewards before they disappear forever? If it's listed below, you've still got time to pre-order now!
PLEASE NOTE: The physical rewards below will not ship until at least July 2022. Digital rewards will be distributed as soon as they are ready.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
THIS FRIDAY in the GIZMOPLEX: MST3K's TRIBUTE TO MANOS. Plus: the PREMIERE OF A BRAND-NEW SHORT!
over 2 years ago
– Wed, Mar 16, 2022 at 04:41:32 AM
The MST3K "soft launch" continues this Friday night with our first-ever "Gizmoplex Special Event," and (if your pledge rewards included a Gizmoplex Member Pass) you're invited!
On Friday night, at 8pm ET / 5pm PT, join us for a livestream event as we pay special tribute to MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE!
Join the MST3K team and your fellow backers in real-time to watch what is arguably the worst film in MST3K’s long history. Plus, the event will include:
New Gizmoplex-exclusive content throughout the episode
Post-show Q&A with Joel Hodgson, Mary Jo Pehl, and a very special guest!
And…
For the first time since 1999, we'll premiere a brand-new MST3K SHORT RIFF!
No, we’re not telling you what it is yet. You’ll find out on Friday.
Dinner and a Movie?
If you want to have the full Gizmoplex Experience this Friday night, we've got your dinner plans figured out: Joel is finishing up a recipe for the infamous Torgo’s Pizza, and with a little planning ahead, you'll be able to make it yourself and enjoy it during the show!
Just grab these items from your favorite grocer, or using the links below:
We'll post the full recipe on Friday morning! Also, full disclosure: if you do order these items from Amazon / Whole Foods using the links above, MST3K gets a small commission… which will (slowly) help us start raising funds for more new MST3K!
And finally: we know that some backers are still having trouble redeeming their Gizmoplex member passes. DON'T WORRY: we don't want you to miss anything, so we'll have more information tomorrow on an easier way to activate your pass before Friday's event!
Stay tuned for more, and we'll #SeeYouInTheGizmoplex on Friday night!
MST3K News & Updates: March 12, 2022
over 2 years ago
– Sun, Mar 13, 2022 at 09:48:59 PM
In This Update
The New Plan for Backer Updates
Update: Redeeming Gizmoplex Passes
Gizmoplex Access + Virtual Theater Invites
Episode 1301 "rough cut" now streaming
Help us troubleshoot Episode 1301 audio!
Meet the Crew: Greg Gant, Director of Photography (East)
QAPLA' BACKERS!
You know the drill: we’ve got another update for you, fresh and toasty from the behind-the-scenes oven. Lesley and Ivan here, donning our oven mitts to give you the latest news. Let's dig in!
The Evolution of Backer Updates
Now that we're into post-production and editing all of the episodes, there's a little bit less behind-the-scenes action to report each week. Also, now that we've started hosting livestream premieres and special events in the Gizmoplex every two weeks, you'll start to see what we've been doing for yourself.
So, moving forward, we'll be sending backer updates a little less often than we have during production. You can still expect at least two updates each month, including announcements about upcoming events and Kickstarter rewards, as well as a few more "in-depth" updates.
Don't worry: we're not going anywhere! We just won't be in your inbox quite as often.
UPDATE: Redeeming Gizmoplex Passes
As promised in our last update, our team has been working around the clock on a simpler method for distributing and redeeming your Gizmoplex Passes and digital reward codes... and the good news is, we're getting close!
For now, you can continue redeeming your Gizmoplex Passes using our original method, but if you're having trouble accessing your reward codes in BackerKit, or adding the rewards to your Gizmoplex / VHX account, please be patient just a little bit longer.
We're doing our best to solve this ASAP, and should be able to help everyone before next Friday's livestream special event. We'll update you again early next week.
If you've activated your Gizmoplex Pass rewards, you can already watch each of our livestream events and replays, as well as each month's "Vault Pick" selections using either the gizmoplex.com website, or one of our new apps for phones, tablets and TVs.
Just make sure that you're logged in with the same email address you used when redeeming your reward code, and check the LIBRARY section to access all of your content.
And, as of this week, we've started sending out the first wave of email invites to join the Gizmoplex Virtual Theater "backer beta", which will let you set up an account to access your Gizmoplex collection through the new, visual "theater" we've been building for the web.
Over the next 4-6 weeks, we'll continue sending out more invitations in batches, until we've sent them to all Kickstarter backers, as well as anyone who pre-ordered a Gizmoplex Member Pass after the Kickstarter ended, and before March 1 of this year.
These invitations will be sent in the same order that your pledges were made, so the earlier you pledged, the sooner you will receive an invitation!
Want to watch the "standalone" version of Episode 1301?
If your rewards included a Gizmoplex Pass, and you've been able to redeem and use it, hopefully you've already had a chance to watch (or rewatch) our live premiere of Episode 1301, Santo in the Treasure of Dracula.
But, for those of you who didn't want to watch the full livestream version – complete with intermission and a post-episode discussion – we're happy to report that you now have access to stream a "standalone" rough cut of the episode.
Remember: you need to be logged in with the same Gizmoplex account you used to redeem your rewards. Otherwise, you'll see a button asking you to BUY the episode, when you should have access for free!
Help us troubleshoot the new episode!
Now, since this is still our "soft launch" period, and the version of Episode 1301 we're sharing is the same "rough cut" version we premiered last week, we have a favor to ask.
Since last week's livestream, a number of backers have reported that the audio was much quieter for the movie than for the riffs and host segments. However, we've also received reports that the audio levels were fine.
And here's the problem: since we haven't encountered this problem ourselves, it's hard for us to figure out what's going on, or to fix it.
We want to figure out why the audio levels work for some viewers and not others, and to do that we need your help.
When you watch the "standalone" version of Santo in the Treasure and Dracula, please pay particular attention to the audio levels, and – if you use them – the closed captions.
After the episode ends, we'll provide a URL where you can fill out a brief survey to let us know about the audio levels, along with details about how you watched the episode.
If you've already watched the livestream and did have trouble with the audio, your feedback is especially valuable – so if you don't want to watch the full episode again, please check out at least a few minutes of the movie and host segments, and let us know if it's still hard to hear.
With your help, we can make sure the finished episode sounds as good as possible for everyone when we premiere it for the public on May 6.
A Note About the "Soft Launch"
For what it's worth: these sorts of problems are exactly why we decided to start with a two-month soft launch just for backers.
After all, this is the first time we've made the show this way, or attempted to distribute it ourselves without a network or streaming partner. And while that might lead to some glitches up front, it also gives us a really unique opportunity to work with you to fix some of these problems before the episode is "finished."
If we were on a network, we wouldn't be able to make additional fixes to the episode after it premiered: we'd just be stuck with a version of the show that some people have trouble hearing. But, because we're distributing the show ourselves, we can keep fixing problems – and collaborating with you to make the show better – in ways that were never possible before.
COMMUNITY NEWS
The forums were pretty spicy over the past two weeks, with all the premiere anticipation and then the discussion of our first new episode!
Allow us to tempt you with some threads from the last week:
There's also a dedicated forum for Season 13, where you can discuss all facets of season 13 while keeping the rest of the forums relatively spoiler-free for those who won’t get to join until the public premiere in May.
MEET THE TEAM
Each week, we’re introducing you to another member of the MST3K team. This week, it's...
Greg Gant, Director of Photography (East)
1. In a sentence or two, what do you do on MST3K? Hi everyone! My name is Greg and I am the director of photography for the MST3K episodes being filmed on the East Coast. I am in charge of the lighting and camera department on set. I also work closely with the directors and producers to ensure the image we're shooting is making everyone look good.
2. What do you love most about your job? What I love most about being a cinematographer is combining my love for camera and computer technology with the art of film lighting. Setting up on a film set can be chaotic, but eventually, all the pieces line up and to create a beautiful end result.
3. Tell us a fun fact about you. My wife and I love to enter contests. Over the years we have won numerous vacations and hundreds of concert tickets.
As always, join us on this week's dedicated forum thread with your questions and feedback. And – in case we haven't said this in a minute – we're so grateful for all of your support in getting MST3K to this point, and for your ongoing feedback.
We know there are still areas that can get even better, and – with your help and input – we're confident they will. Thanks for being on the journey with us!
Your correspondents,
Lesley & Ivan
Having trouble redeeming your Gizmoplex Pass? We're working on making it easier!
over 2 years ago
– Wed, Mar 09, 2022 at 12:27:00 AM
Hello Backers,
We're delighted that most of you have been able to redeem your Gizmoplex Member Passes, and could join us for Friday's "backers only" livestream of Episode 1301.
However, we also know that a significant number of backers are experiencing a range of frustrating obstacles. While our two-person support team is doing its best to respond to requests as we receive them, we now realize that we need a better solution.
To make things easier, we are working on a much simpler approach to activating all of your Member Passes and digital rewards.
It might take us a few more days to work things out… but we promise: this is the fastest way to help everyone who is still having trouble.
We apologize profusely to those of you still waiting for a fix, or a response from our support team. We understand your frustration, and are deeply sorry for any disappointment you're feeling.
We knew it was possible we'd run into some problems, which is exactly why we decided to start with a "soft launch" for backers before premiering the show to the public on May 6th… but even so, we know how frustrating it is when you're the one experiencing those problems.
We are working around the clock to fix this. As soon as we do, we'll work to make things right with anyone who is still frustrated. We hope you'll give us that chance!
Thanks for sticking with us, and giving us the room to get this right.
Your Friends,
Ivan & Team MST3K
TONIGHT at 8pm ET / 5pm PT: LIVE PREMIERE of EPISODE 1301 in the GIZMOPLEX!
over 2 years ago
– Mon, Mar 07, 2022 at 11:55:22 PM
Dear Backers,
Last May – less than 10 months ago – we finished a Kickstarter campaign to #MakeMoreMST3K and #BuildTheGizmoplex.
Tonight at 8pm ET / 5pm PT, thanks to you, we will premiere the first new episode of Season 13 – Santo in the Treasure of Dracula – live in the Gizmoplex, exclusively for backers!
If your Kickstarter rewards included any Gizmoplex Member Pass – included with almost all pledge levels at EXPERIMENT 35 and above, and as an add-on reward – you should have received an email this week with your Gizmoplex reward codes.
And, if you've followed the instructions in our last backer update (or this handy guide) to redeem your Gizmoplex Event Pass, you're now ready to tune in at 8pm ET / 5pm PT for the premiere.
You can join the broadcast on gizmoplex.com right here.
If you didn't get your code, or still need help, start here:
If you can't attend the premiere livestream tonight, or can't get your pass to work, don't worry! After the livestream ends, you'll can watch it anytime you want!
That should be everything, so grab some movie snacks, settle into the best seat in the house, and we'll #SeeYouInTheGizmoplex at 8pm ET / 5pm tonight!
Your Friends,
Team MST3K
IMPORTANT: How to activate your GIZMOPLEX MEMBER PASS before Friday's Premiere!
over 2 years ago
– Thu, Mar 03, 2022 at 09:48:56 PM
Dear Gizmoplex Founding Backers:
With the SEASON 13 BACKER PREMIERE now just a few days away, today's backer update is more important than most, because it will explain how to activate your GIZMOPLEX MEMBER PASSES in advance of Friday's live event.
While finalizing the instructions, we discovered a few ways that we could make your pass easier to activate and use, so we've spent an extra 24 hours doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make this as simple as possible. For anyone who worried when their pass didn't arrive yesterday, we apologize for the delay, and appreciate your patience.
And now... let's get to the details you've been waiting for.
Over the next 24 hours, all backers who pledged for GIZMOPLEX MEMBER PASSES will receive email notifications from BackerKit letting you know that your pass has been added to your digital rewards.
When your notification arrives, follow the link in your email to access a full list of your digital rewards on BackerKit. Once you do, you'll see that your Gizmoplex Member Pass actually consists of TWO digital reward codes:
1. A Gizmoplex EVENT PASS, which gives you access to all of the livestream premieres and special events included with your membership, and...
2. A Gizmoplex VAULT PICKS membership, which gives you on-demand streaming access to a rotating collection of six classic episodes each month, based on each month's Gizmoplex theme.
Be sure to redeem BOTH reward codes by following each link, and connecting each reward to your gizmoplex.com account.
If you've claimed MST3K digital episodes on VHX in the past, be sure to use the same email address you used when claiming those episodes, so that all of your MST3K collection will be available in a single account.
Once both Gizmoplex reward codes have been redeemed, you should see your Gizmoplex EVENT PASS and GizmoplexVAULT PICKS appear in a list of all of your MST3K "purchases":
Need more help? Check out these step-by-stepguides:
Now that you've activated your Gizmoplex Member Pass, let's talk about what you can do with it. Moving forward, you'll be able to use the Gizmoplex in three forms:
1.TheGizmoplex.com
Starting now, you can always access your Gizmoplex account, video collection, and live events with any web browser by going to gizmoplex.com, which has now replaced our old site at mst3k.vhx.tv, and which should feel familiar if you've used Netflix, Hulu, or other video streaming platforms:
2.TheGizmoplex APPS
Thanks to our Kickstarter campaign, we've also been able to work with the team at Vimeo OTT / VHX to develop custom MST3K GIZMOPLEX APPS that you can download to access the Gizmoplex directly on other popular devices.
Starting right now, the new MST3K GIZMOPLEX APPS are available to download and use on the following platforms:
Each of these apps will allow you to login and stream any videos in your personal collection, and to attend Gizmoplex livestream events.
Please note: Roku and Amazon do not allow us to rent or sell videos and event tickets through theirapps. If you are using the Roku or Amazon FireTV apps, please use the gizmoplex.com website to activate your reward codes, and to browse, rent and buy additional videos for your personal collection. Once you do, you'll be able to access it all from within the app.
3. TheGizmoplex VIRTUAL THEATER
And finally, there's the GIZMOPLEX VIRTUAL THEATER, which we've been developing and testing non-stop since last summer. As we explained during the Kickstarter, the Gizmoplex Virtual Theater is not a brand-new video streaming service. Instead, it's a much more visual, MST3K-flavored, enhanced user interface that adds a lot of features we felt were missing from VHX – and, in turn, the gizmoplex.com website.
Through the Gizmoplex Virtual Theater, you'll be able to browse and stream your Gizmoplex video collection, attend live events, interact with our cast and other backers, and explore each floor of the Gizmoplex for yourself.
The Gizmoplex Virtual Theater is still undergoing beta testing, but is just about ready to start welcoming visitors. To ensure a smooth(er) launch...
We will be inviting all backers to join the Virtual Theater beta test over the next 4-6 weeks, in the order that you pledged.
If you were among the first 1000 backers to make a pledge during the #MakeMoreMST3K Kickstarter, or if you've already volunteered to participate in the beta test, you'll receive an invitation to start testing the Gizmoplex Virtual Theater within the next week.
We'll give you a more in-depth live tour this Friday night after the premiere, but here's a little taste of what's waiting for you:
However you choose to access the Gizmoplex, you'll always be able to use your account to stream your personal MST3K video collection, and – as long as you have an active Gizmoplex Member Pass – to attend livestream events and premieres.
If you can’t be at the events, you’ll also be able to watch a recording of each event, while your Member Pass is active. If you’d rather not attend or watch the premiere events, you have the option to stream each of the new episodes and shorts individually as we release them.
Also: please remember that if you ever experience technical problems with the Gizmoplex Virtual Theater, you can still access all of your Gizmoplex content and live events using gizmoplex.com or the Gizmoplex apps, so that you won't miss anything.
Still have questions? Here are a few more answers:
Starting today, we will begin a GIZMOPLEX "SOFT LAUNCH" for the next two months.
As promised, we'll start premiering new episodes and holding special livestream events... but we'll also continue doing a lot of experimenting with different options, add a lot of additional features to the Virtual Theater, and might even refine some aspects of the first few episodes after you see them.
Until May 6, 2022, only BACKERS and PRE-ORDER MEMBERS will have access to the new episodes and shorts we release, as well as our special livestream events, and the Gizmoplex Virtual Theater.
Then, at the beginning of May, we plan to open the Gizmoplex to EVERYONE with a "World Premiere" of the first three episodes of Season 13 – which you'll see first over the next two months. But, before we invite everyone else to visit the Gizmoplex, we need your help to test everything out, and smooth out the rough edges.
How to Help During the Soft Launch
To put things in perspective, our Kickstarter launched on April 7, 2021, and ended on May 7, 2021. That's less than ten months ago. And in those ten months, we've accomplished an incredible amount:
We've written and shot 13 NEW EPISODES and 12 NEW SHORTS.
We've planned more than a dozen special LIVESTREAM EVENTS.
We've redesigned and relaunched our VHX site at gizmoplex.com.
We've launched GIZMOPLEX APPS to bring MST3K to six platforms.
We've developed a VIRTUAL THEATER with a team of just 2-3 people.
We've designed and started manufacturing all of your rewards.
But, even with all of that work done, there's a lot left to do. And even though this is MST3K's thirteenth season, it's also our first season as an independent, self-distributed television series. That means there's a lot that we're still figuring out, and will continue to learn as we go. While we do, here's how you can help:
Do your best to "just relax" if things go wrong. Over the next year, things won't always be perfect or 100% final, because we are making things as we go. We ask for your patience and understanding.
Remember that this is a work in progress. We're showing you what we're working on before it's finished. The Virtual Theater will evolve a lot between now and the end of the year. We still have a lot of additional features planned, including integration with Scener to support private watch parties.
Your suggestions and feedback are invaluable. As we work to make something new, we want you to be part of the process. For those of you who want to be involved, we'll be seeking your input on what features and enhancements to focus on. Starting today, you can find a new area for discussing the Gizmoplex over on the MST3K forums.
Please remember to be kind, considerate and respectful. We have a very small team, and everyone involved is working hard to build something great for you – so when you weigh in, please keep an open mind, ask questions, and offer constructive feedback.
And... that should be it for today! Again, our most sincere thanks for your patience and excitement throughout this process.
Keep an eye on your email, activate your Gizmoplex Member Passes, and get ready for our backer-exclusive PREMIERE OF SEASON 13, this Friday – March 4 – at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
