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:
MST3K Set Wrap Update: February 2022
over 2 years ago
– Mon, Feb 28, 2022 at 01:51:46 AM
In This Update
Production: That's a wrap on Season 13!
Photos: Behind the scenes of our final shoot
Meet the Team: Kirk Thatcher, Writer
Helloooooo Backers!
Lesley and Ivan back again with this weekend's promised behind-the-scenes production update, and – as we said – things have been going non-stop for the last several weeks. We are now officially wrapped on production for Season 13, and today we've got a ton of first-look photos for you. But first, two very important reminders:
1. This Friday A.D. – that's March 4, 2022, at 5pm PT / 8pm ET – all backers with Gizmoplex Member Passes are invited to the "members only" livestream premiere of our first new episode of Season 13, Santo in the Treasure of Dracula!
2. Tomorrow, you will receive another backer update providing ALL of the information you'll need for Friday's premiere, including a guide to activating your Gizmoplex Member Passes, instructions for tuning into the premiere, and a simple way to make sure your pass is activated and ready for Friday's screening on the viewing device of your choice!
And now that we've got that out of the way, let's get you up to speed on what's been happening with production and post-production on the new episodes, shall we?
PRODUCTION NEWS
JOEL'S NEW EPISODES: During the first week of our final production block in Philadelphia, we shot all of the riffs and host segments for both of Joel's new episodes as host…. And yes, it was just as incredible to see him back on the SOL as you're hoping. Luckily for everyone involved, the jumpsuit still fits.
The red jumpsuit is back.
Jonah (Director) and Matt McGinnis (Producer) watch as Joel reclaims the SOL bridge; Matt tracks the script as Joel riffs one of our new shorts.
It's been awhile.
MST-3D: We also shot our first-ever 3D host segment, which you'll see in October when we premiere our first ever Halloween special, in spooktacular Kingavision 3D! (And if you hate 3D, or didn't order a pair of Kingavision 3D glasses, don't worry: the episode will also be available to watch in standard, old-fashioned 2D.)
Matt McGinnis checks playback and consults with "Johnny 3D" (3D specialist) while directing our first-ever 3D host segment!
THE HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Once Joel's two new episodes wrapped, we tackled our most ambitious episode to date: the Season 13 "Holiday Special Finale" featuring Joel, Jonah, and new MST3K host Emily. The host segments posed some especially interesting new challenges, but you'll have to wait until December to find out more.
This looks strange…
Seasons' Greetings from your friendly (co) hosts.
KICKSTARTER REWARD VIDEOS: With Joel finally back in the jumpsuit, we also finished shooting the final batch of "personalized video" Kickstarter rewards. For backers waiting on a personal video from the SOL, or from one of the bots, stay tuned: those are now in post-production, and we're hoping to finish and send all of them by early May.
Prepping the slate for a Kickstarter reward video.
THAT'S A WRAP: Now that we've wrapped on production – shooting more than 2000 script pages worth of new riffs, episodes, shorts, and Gizmoplex extras – it's full speed ahead into post-production, where we're just finishing up the final edits for Friday's premiere of Santo in the Treasure of Dracula. We're also still hard at work planning the last details for our first "Backer Exclusive" premiere livestream, and preparing your Gizmoplex passes, MST3K apps, Kickstarter rewards, and much, much more.
But for today, let's just enjoy some more photos from set, huh?
Conor McGiffin, professional ray of sunshine; Servo prepares to go where no bot has gone before.
Yvonne Freese was on hand doing double duty as GPC2 *and* Puppet Wrangler; F. Woods Stevens (Prop Master), Yvonne, and Sarah Mitchell (On Set Costumer) help Crow get ready for an overnight trip.
We know, we know, you really just want to see the snacks... but no raisin snails to be found on the east coast; The stage was FREEZING and we went through a lot of these; We call it the Satellite of Love for a reason.
Emily and the bots consider their options for post-Season 13 vacation plans.
What's happening here? As usual: wrong answers only, please.
The whole gang unmasks – BRIEFLY – for a group photo at wrap.
Goodnight, sweet Servo.
COMMUNITY NEWS
You’re never lonely when you’ve got the MST3K forums! Join up here and sample a few delicious threads from the last few weeks:
In each update, we’re introducing you to another member of the MST3K team. This week, it's...
Kirk Thatcher, Writer
1. In a sentence or two, what do you do on MST3K? I am a member of the writer’s room and write riffs with the writing team and some of the interstitial comedy segments.
2. What do you love most about your job? Being in such a great, smart writer’s room, laughing a lot and marveling at everyone’s quick thinking and humor. As a bonus, I get to work with my pal, Jonah Ray, and make new friends, all from my home in my pajamas.
3. Tell us a fun fact about you. I own a 32 year old Macaw named Max who I have had for 31 and a half years and I still have all of my fingers. He laughs and swears just like me… and it’s adorable, unlike when I do it.
4. Do you have some other favorite projects you’ve worked on, if people want to see more of your work and support you?
Yes. I directed and co wrote the Disney+ Halloween Special "Muppets Haunted Mansion," and created, directed and wrote most of the episodes of the Netflix series, "The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell.” Spooky comedies with creatures are my wheelhouse!
That’s it for today's production update, but we'll remind you one more time:
Look for another update tomorrow with all of the details you'll need to activate your Gizmoplex Member Pass and attend the livestream of our season premiere on Friday night!
And, as always, please join us on the dedicated forum thread with your questions and feedback!
Your Correspondents,
Ivan & Lesley
ONE WEEK 'TIL LAUNCH! New production update this weekend. Gizmoplex Member Passes coming on Monday!
over 2 years ago
– Sat, Feb 26, 2022 at 04:19:13 AM
Greetings, Dear Backers!
As you've probably guessed from the lack of updates over the past few weeks, our entire team has been in a frenzy wrapping up production on Season 13, focusing on post-production for the entire season, keeping all of your rewards moving through production, and preparing for one of the biggest milestones of this Kickstarter:
Next Friday A.D. – that's March 4, 2022, at 5pm PT / 8pm ET – all backers with Gizmoplex Member Passes are invited to the "members only" livestream premiere of our first new episode of Season 13, Santo in the Treasure of Dracula!
Now, we know you have a ton of questions that need answers before then, and we promise: we're going to answer all of them at the beginning of next week. We'll tell you how to make sure your Gizmoplex pass has been activated, your apps have been downloaded, and that you're ready for our first big Season 13 premiere on Friday night.
This weekend, you'll get a much longer production update, chock-full of behind-the-scenes photos taken over the last few weeks, as we finished production on the last few episodes of Season 13. We had a lot of fun on set for this final round, so we're excited to share those photos with you.
But here's the really important part:
On Monday, you will receive another backer update providing ALL of the information you'll need for next Friday's premiere, including instructions for activating your Gizmoplex Member Passes, a guide explaining how to tune into the premiere, and a simple way to make sure your pass is activated and ready for the premiere on the viewing device of your choice!
Please be patient until Monday: we'll make sure you don't miss anything.
We wish we could share all of those details today, but we literally finished shooting less than a week ago, and we're all working around the clock to make sure the first episode of Season 13 will be ready in time for next week's livestream premiere, so we'll need this weekend to finish a few last details.
In the meantime, we are beyond grateful for your patience as we prepare to enter the next stage of this grand experiment, and we thank you again for your continued support and enthusiasm.
Your Pals,
Ivan, Lesley, & Team MST3K
MST3K Weekly Update: Jan. 24-28, 2022
almost 3 years ago
– Tue, Feb 01, 2022 at 11:20:33 PM
Helloooooo backers!
We have a shorter-than-usual update this week – er, last week – because we have so much going on here as we simultaneously prepare for our final round of filming. Plus we are also putting the finishing touches on your rewards, continuing beta testing on the Gizmoplex, and so many other things.
That said, we didn’t want to leave you hanging, so here’s a very quick rundown of what we have on our collective plates over the next couple weeks.
What's Happening with KICKSTARTER REWARDS?
We had our second VIRTUAL SET VISIT this weekend.
If you missed it, you can still access it at the same URL, and it will be added to your VHX / Gizmoplex collection this week.
If your rewards include the Virtual Set Visit and you didn't get any of the emails with the link or instructions for viewing and participating, you'll find them on BackerKit, with your DIGITAL REWARDS.
Not sure how to access your digital rewards? Read this.
We will be adding the "20 CLASSIC SHORTS" bonus reward to VHX shortly.
This reward is available to all backers at Experiment 85, as well as everyone at Experiment 150 and up, and anyone who got a #MakeMoreMST3K episode pack as an Add-On Reward.
The shorts should be added to your existing episode collection on VHX within the next 24-48 hours.
We are packing up and shipping all of the OVERSTOCK REWARDS to our fulfillment warehouse to prepare to start packing them with your other rewards.
The one exception is the overstock COFFEE TABLE BOOKS, which we'll pack and ship ourselves – direct to each backer – to make sure we're able to track them for you.
We are calculating SHIPPING CHARGES for your orders + will collect them soon.
We're doing our best to make sure we don't over or undercharge anyone – which is a lot more complex than you might think, given all of the variables.
We'll keep you posted, but hope to start collecting for shipping in mid-to-late February, so that we can ship rewards around early April.
What's Happening with the GIZMOPLEX?
The BETA TESTING continues!
Additional features and bug fixes are being added 1-2 times per week.
We're about to expand the test to an additional round of volunteers.
We know there's a lot of interest, and we appreciate your patience.
If you signed up for beta testing and we're able to invite you to participate in this next round, you'll get an email in the next 24 hours asking you to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Once we get your signed agreement, you'll get instructions for how to join the beta test!
The truth is that we're also viewing the first 6-8 weeks after we launch the Gizmoplex as a "public beta" just for backers, before we open the Gizmoplex to the rest of the world – so you'll all get a chance to be part of that.
Our new MST3K streaming apps are almost ready to launch!
The apps we promised – for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Google TV, Roku and FireTV – are now going through their final testing stage, and are being submitted to each platform for approval this week.
Unless there's a huge, unexpected complication, we expect them to be available before the end of February, so that you'll be able to use them to livestream the Season 13 Premiere on March 4.
We'll share more details on the apps, and how to download them, as soon as they're available for you to use!
We're preparing our first round of GIZMOPLEX LIVE EVENTS!
As we've mentioned in a few previous updates, we're also working out some exciting plans for the that we'll be hosting throughout the year.
As part of that, we're actually shooting a lot of additional exclusive content when we get back to set in a few weeks, to help make those events even more special.
We don't want to spoil any of the surprises, but you'll find out more about what we've got planned in the coming weeks.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on, so we appreciate your patience with this briefer-than-usual note. You may not get another update until the final shoot is up and running, but the good news is, we’ll have lots of juicy new photos and info to share then.
MST3K Weekly Update: January 17-21, 2022
almost 3 years ago
– Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 05:39:14 AM
In This Update
Production: Backers made inventions + planning livestream events
Kickstarter News: Virtual set visit on Saturday + updated reward schedule
Meet the Team: Tim Ryder, Writer & Director
Hail and Well Met, Friends!
It’s Monday afternoon, and Ivan and Lesley are back with your belated weekly update for last week, full of the latest news from behind-the-scenes. This update is late enough, so let's not waste another minute: here's what we've been up to!
PRODUCTION NEWS
PREPPING FOR FINAL SHOOT: A lot of the team remains focused on preparing for our final filming block in Philadelphia, which is now just a few weeks away. Joel and Matt have done a final review and locked the remaining scripts, which means all writing for Season 13 is officially complete! Meanwhile, our producers have returned from their brief hiatus, and are now working through all of the logistics, budgets and other arrangements needed to ensure a smooth shoot. And, in a workshop near the Alternaversal offices, our friends at Monkey Boys are finishing up fabrication on the remaining props and models that we'll need on set for these last three episodes.
BACKERS GOT INVENTIVE: Last weekend, Joel also hosted a livestream workshop with a small group of backers whose Kickstarter rewards included the chance to help him develop a few new inventions that will appear on screen during Season 13. (This is different than the "Intro to Inventions & Magic" livestream class reward, which will take place later this spring when we're finished with production on the new episodes.) After several hours of productive brainstorming and discussion, the group came up with some great concepts, which Mike Norton (our lead concept artist) illustrated in real-time, and which have now been delivered to Monkey Boys to fabricate in time for our final shoot.
PLANNING GIZMOPLEX LIVE EVENTS: As you might recall, one of the stretch goals we reached during the Kickstarter campaign promised that – in addition to our livestream episode premieres – we'd also organize an additional live Gizmoplex event each month for an entire year. Now that the new episodes are (mostly) under control, the Alternaversal team has also been spending a lot of time planning how those "bonus events" will work, and brainstorming ways to make them special. We're pretty excited about what we've got planned. In February, we'll share a little bit more about our plans for live Gizmoplex events, so that you know what to expect once the new season begins!
KICKSTARTER NEWS
1. VIRTUAL SET VISITS resume THIS SATURDAY, JAN 29, at 1pm PT / 4pm ET.
As announced last week, our VIRTUAL SET VISIT reward will resume this coming Saturday, January 29, at 1pm PT / 4pm ET, and will focus on FILMING & DIRECTING MST3K. We'll be showing you over an hour of unedited footage captured on set, across multiple shooting days, and then we'll have a LIVE CONVERSATION and Q&A with our Season 13 co-directors Jonah Ray, Tim Ryder, and Matt McGinnis.
Starting tomorrow, all backers whose rewards include the Virtual Set Visit sessions will get an email from BackerKit confirming that you have access to two new "digital rewards":
Virtual Set Visits: Replay Access will give you a new digital code to redeem on VHX, which will give you access to rewatch all of the previous set visit livestreams.
Virtual Set Visits: Livestream Access will provide instructions and a URL for viewing and participating in all the remaining livestream sessions, starting this weekend.
2. Most of your PHYSICAL REWARDS will (hopefully) ship in APRIL 2022.
As we've explained in several past updates, we've made a lot of progress on manufacturing most of the physical rewards for this Kickstarter, and have been carefully monitoring how COVID might impact our schedule for receiving and shipping out all of your pledge rewards.
Right now – among other logistical tasks – our partners are in the process of acquiring over 25,000 blank t-shirts and hoodies, in all of the sizes and colors you've ordered, so that our apparel vendor can finish printing them. We're also working with a team in Canada to finalize the Challenge Coin rewards, which we've just learned will be delayed a few extra weeks as work in China grinds to a halt in observation of the Chinese New Year. That said…
Right now, we estimate that all of the rewards should reach our warehouse by the end of March, which means that we'd be able to start shipping them out in early-to-mid April.
But, as always, this estimate may change until we've received all of the rewards from our manufacturers. We'll keep you updated on the exact timing, but if you ever want to check for yourself, we've also posted an estimated schedule for all rewards.
TIME BUBBLE TOUR UPDATE
Where is the MST3K Live TIME BUBBLE TOUR headed this week? We’re so glad you asked.
1/22 - Kansas City, MO - Muriel Kauffman Theatre - BUY TICKETS
1/27 - Orlando, Florida - The Plaza Live - BUY TICKETS
As always, you can see all of the upcoming tour dates and available tickets on MST3Klive.com.
COMMUNITY NEWS
It may be cold outside, but our forums are warm and toasty with the welcoming embrace of MST3K community. Join up here. Here are a few threads from the past week:
Each week, we’re introducing you to another member of the MST3K team. This week, it's...
Tim Ryder, Writer & Director
1. In a sentence or two, what do you do on MST3K? Oh boy! I've done a bunch of stuff since the first Kickstarter. For Seasons 11 and 12, I was a writer and Bonehead. Then I voiced and puppeteered Tom Servo on the first two MST3K Live Tours. Currently, I'm a lead writer and director of the Time Bubble Tour and some of the upcoming Season 13 episodes.
2. What do you love most about your job? I get to hang out with the funniest people on the planet and make jokes about cheesy movies. I also get to use the comedic vocabulary built up from years of watching MST3K to literally make more MST3K, a fact that still blows my mind.
3. Tell us a fun fact about you. I played alto saxophone in high school and when I was a senior, our jazz combo won the Illinois State Fair Talent Show with a stunning rendition of "Jump, Jive and Wail." What can I say, it was the summer of 2001 and the Swing Revival had just made its way to the Midwest. It was a heady time.
4. Do you have some other favorite projects you’ve worked on, if people want to see more of your work and support you? Please follow me on Instagram at @RedRyderBBGun for the longest-running, dumbest bit I've ever committed to. I also just got 100% on Metroid Dread! That was a pretty cool project.
And that’s all we’ve got for last week. As always, join us on the dedicated forum thread with your questions and feedback, and have a splendiferous week, everyone!
Your correspondents,
Lesley & Ivan
MST3K Weekly Update: January 10-14, 2022
almost 3 years ago
– Sun, Jan 16, 2022 at 12:25:36 AM
In This Update
Production News: Preparing for February shoot + locking final scripts!
Kickstarter News: RiffTrax Rewards, Virtual Set Visits resume, invention class postponed + more!
First Look: 3D Glasses have been printed!
Gizmoplex News: Beta testing continues + apps are almost developed!
Meet the Team: Dylan Pecora, Lead Fabricator
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Helloooooo Backers, and welcome to your first #MakeMoreMST3K update for 2022! It’s been a minute, and all of us here at MST3K hope you’ve had a restorative holiday break and are looking to the new year with optimism.
As usual, Lesley and Ivan here with the latest news from behind-the-scenes. Here’s what we’ve been up to for the past week.
PRODUCTION NEWS
PREPPING FOR FINAL SHOOT: In early February, we'll head back to the studio in Philadelphia for two final weeks of filming on Joel's episodes, as well as Season 13's big triple-hosted "Holiday Finale." So, even though a lot of our production team is still on hiatus until the end of the month, the Alternaversal team have been hard at work doing final review and edits on our final shooting scripts, and overseeing the fabrication of the props and costumes we'll need. We're also keeping tabs on the current spikes in COVID transmission, so that we can take all necessary precautions to keep our cast, crew, and guests safe on set.
PLANNING BONUS CONTENT: Over the past week, we've also convened a small writers' room to work on some additional bonus content we've got planned for Gizmoplex members. We don't want to give too much away just yet, but you'll get a better idea of what we're working on in just under two months, when the new season premieres!
KICKSTARTER NEWS
With production mostly on hiatus since mid-December, Ivan has been able to devote more time than usual to Kickstarter rewards and fulfillment, so we've got some progress to share!
1. VIRTUAL SET VISITS resume on SATURDAY, JAN 29, at 1pm PT / 4pm ET!
If your rewards include access to our VIRTUAL SET VISIT – that's all backers at Experiment 400 and above, as well as anyone who selected the "Virtual Set Visit" add-on reward – we're pleased to confirm that our next livestream is scheduled for Saturday, January 29.
(As we explained in a December update, we've decided to hold some of the virtual set visits on weekends, so that more backers will have the option to watch live, and to participate in the Q&A session.)
Our next session will be focused on SHOOTING MST3K, and will feature about an hour of unedited "live feed" footage that was recorded during a few different shooting dates, so that you'll be able to see more of our cast behind-the-scenes. Then, we'll host a LIVE CONVERSATION with Season 13 co-directors JONAH RAY, TIM RYDER and MATT McGINNIS, who will take questions about shooting (and directing) new episodes of MST3K.
And, just as a reminder: if you can't make it to one of these sessions, don't worry! Backers whose rewards include virtual set visit access still be able to watch the entire stream again for at least a month, and you'll always be able to find links to access the sessions in the "Digital Rewards" section of your BackerKit profile.
(Not sure how to find your digital rewards? Read this.)
2. RIFFTRAX BONUS REWARDS will be available this afternoon!
Near the end of our Kickstarter campaign last spring, our friends at RiffTrax stepped in and offered some bonus rewards for all backers who pledged for Experiment 35 and above:
Well, just in time for the long weekend – at least here in the United States – we're pleased to announce that your RiffTrax reward codes will be distributed starting today!
If your rewards include one or more RIFFTRAX BONUS REWARDS, you'll get an email from BackerKit in the next 24 hours. Follow the link in the email, and you'll find your personal digital bonus codes, and instructions on how to redeem them!
3. INTRO TO INVENTIONS CLASS postponed until production ends.
In a previous update, we announced that the INTRODUCTION TO MAGIC & INVENTIONS livestream class reward with Joel would be held tomorrow (Saturday, January 15).
However, at Joel's request, we have decided to postpone this livestream event until after production is complete, so that Joel can devote more attention to preparing his lecture and presentation. As of now, we plan to reschedule this reward for March or April.
All backers whose rewards include access to the class will receive further details via email. However, backers who are participating in the GET INVENTIVE WITH JOEL workshop will still be meeting tomorrow to help Joel come up with a few new inventions, so that we'll have time to fabricate them and include them in the final episode(s) we shoot in February.
4. HOLIDAY CARDS have all been sent out!
As promised in December, the MST3K HOLIDAY CARD reward has been mailed out to all backers who were supposed to receive one (unless you haven't completed your BackerKit survey). If you were expecting a holiday card and it hasn't come yet, read this. And if you have received a holiday card, we'd still love to see photos of you with your card… so, feel free to post those online, and be sure to tag them with @MST3K and #Season13Greetings so we'll see them!
5. Our KINGAVISION 3D GLASSES are hot off the printing press!
For those of you who are receiving KINGAVISION 3D GLASSES, we're thrilled to share a few photos from our printing partner, showing the first completed batches of glasses:
We're pretty excited with how they're looking, and can't wait to get them out to you… but if your rewards didn't include a pair of KINGAVISION 3D GLASSES, or you'd like to add extras for family, friends and pets*, you can still grab them here.
Finally, this is your weekly reminder: if you haven’t filled out your BackerKit reward survey yet, we’re now more than four months past the deadline, and need your answers ASAP in order to make sure we'll be able to make your rewards.
And, even if your rewards are all digital, BackerKit won't send them out until you finish filling out your survey… so if you want to start watching your classic digital episode rewards, or RiffTrax Bonus Rewards, finish your survey NOW!
If you haven’t finished (or received) your BackerKit reward survey yet, please follow these instructions to get it re-sent, and then submit it ASAP.
--
Next week, we'll have more Kickstarter reward updates to share, including an updated timeline of when you can expect your rewards!
GIZMOPLEX NEWS
UPDATE ON BETA TESTING: If you signed up to volunteer for our Gizmoplex Beta Test, please be patient! Our next round of invites to join the beta test group will be sent out before the end of January. Also, please note that the current beta test is just for the Gizmoplex "virtual theater" website, and not for the various apps that we'll be launching.
UPDATE ON OTT APPS: Speaking of which, we're pleased to report that development on our iOS, Android, AppleTV, GoogleTV, Amazon FireTV and Roku apps is almost complete, and our partners at VHX will be submitting them to the various platforms for approval in the next few weeks. As long as approvals don't get held up, our goal is to have all of the apps launched and available to use in time for our Season 13 Premiere on March 4, so that you'll be able to watch the livestream on the device of your choice. We'll share more news about the apps, and how to get them, before the end of February!
TIME BUBBLE TOUR UPDATE
The TIME BUBBLE TOUR swings down to Texas for a series of dates this week. Yeehaw!
1/15 - Dallas, TX - Winspear Opera House - BUY TICKETS
1/22 - Kansas City, MO - Muriel Kauffman Theatre - BUY TICKETS
As always, you can see all of the upcoming tour dates and available tickets on MST3Klive.com.
COMMUNITY NEWS
We may have taken a couple weeks off from updates, but the forums are lit 24/7! You can join up here. Here are a few threads from the past couple weeks to entice you:
Each week, we’re introducing you to another member of the MST3K team. This week, it's...
Dylan Pecora, Lead Fabricator
1. In a sentence or two, what do you do on MST3K? I’m leading the puppet/prop fabrication team for Monkey Boys Productions.
2. What do you love most about your job? It gives me one easy thing to say to strangers at weddings or parties without having to really engage with anyone on a meaningful level.
3. Tell us a fun fact about you. No one heeds my warnings, but someday you will.
4. Do you have some other favorite projects you’ve worked on, if people want to see more of your work and support you? Directed the new Merzbow + Hyrrokkin video for “Spatially Raised, From Seed To Volatility.” I’m happy with that one. Also working on a card game called Doll Scanner that’s supposed to be out sometime in 2022.
