More About the Gizmoplex Apps
almost 5 years ago – Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 04:20:59 AM

Hey Everyone! 

Ivan here, one of a few producers behind Mystery Science Theater 3000, and the sleep-challenged individual responsible for planning and managing both of the Kickstarter campaigns for Mystery Science Theater 3000.  It's a lot like the mob: every time you think you're out...

Anyway, as Joel mentioned in his last Backer Update, we're getting really close to our next big Kickstarter goal at $3.3M, which will let us launch the Gizmoplex and – yes – make at least six new episodes! 

But it'll also let us deliver another big goal we had for this Kickstarter:

We'll be able to develop new GIZMOPLEX APPS that make it easier to watch MST3K – and live Gizmoplex events – from your phones, tablets and TVs!

We're still working out some of the details, and figuring out how much of Joel's perfect "Gizmoplex experience" we can recreate in the apps, but here are a few things you might want to know:

1. We're planning apps for six of the most-used platforms.

Right now, we're planning to offer Gizmoplex apps for iOS and Android (for phones and tablets) as well as Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon FireTV and Roku (for television viewing). 

Since the Gizmoplex will also be available on the web, we expect that you'll also be able to stream the Gizmoplex to your television through services like Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast, but we'll need to test those more once we get into development.

 2. The apps will let you watch old and new reward episodes. 

If you were part of our original #BringBackMST3K Kickstarter for Season 11, or our Pledge Drive for Season 12, you might recall that a lot of our rewards gave you digital access to stream and download all of the "new episodes" (the ones we released on Netflix) as well as a lot of "classic episodes" (the ones from our first ten seasons on Comedy Central and Sci Fi).

To make sure we could get those episodes to you without DRM, we decided to partner with a digital video service called VHX. Then, a few years ago, Vimeo bought VHX and changed their name to "Vimeo OTT", which – I'm sure you'll agree – is much catchier.

Anyway: We didn't always love the interface or user experience on VHX, but we did love having a reliable way to let you download and stream your digital episodes... and to offer them DRM-free, so that you could load them onto any device you want. 

As of now, you can still use our Vimeo OTT / VHX site to stream and download all of the digital MST3K episode rewards we offered during Season 11 and 12. You can also buy, stream and download other classic MST3K episodes, which will be added to your personal VHX collection.

Here's why I'm boring you with all of these details: When the Gizmoplex apps come out, you'll be able to log into them using the same accounts you set up on our original VHX/Vimeo site. And, if an episode is part of your personal collection on that site, you'll be able to use the upcoming apps to watch that episode on your other devices as soon as the apps are released.

3. We're not spending much on app development. We promise.

We've gotten a handful of emails from curious backers (as well as helpful "internet users") asking why we're using funds from our Kickstarter to develop apps, instead of spending everything on making new episodes.

Well, if you're wondering about that.... good news:

We're not spending much to develop these apps. In fact, the annual expense to develop these apps and keep them running should be less than $50K per year – not even enough to make half of a new episode of MST3K! We know that, for most of you, new episodes are the most important goal. 

I promise you: we feel the same way.

Obviously, there are still a lot of details left to address. Some of those won't get figured out until we start developing the apps, and others probably won't get figured out until you start using them, and give us your feedback, suggestions, and requests to make them better. 

And honestly, part of the fun of doing this on Kickstarter – at least for us – is that we'll get to work with you to figure all of these details out. We'll have more to share once the Kickstarter ends, but feel free to post your app-specific thoughts and questions as comments below, and I'll do my best to answer them where I can!

Otherwise... see you in the beta test!

Best,

Ivan

An Update About Updates. Plus: More Answers About Rewards, Pledge Levels & Add-Ons!
almost 5 years ago – Tue, Apr 13, 2021 at 10:58:51 PM

• Progress Report: Almost at 50 percent!
• An Update About Backer Updates
• More Answers About Rewards
• What's included in EACH PLEDGE LEVEL
• A first look at our PHYSICAL REWARDS
• How (and why) to get ADD-ON REWARDS
• A menu of AVAILABLE ADD-ON REWARDS
• What to do if a LIMITED REWARD is SOLD OUT

Dear MST3K Preservation League,

Hey everyone, it's Joel again. I hope you had a good weekend. Now... let's get started!

PROGRESS REPORT

In case you're not following our progress too closely, I'm happy to report that our Kickstarter is still coming along nicely. We actually just reached $2.7M a few hours ago.

I'm hoping that we'll be able to pass $2.75M soon... because when we do, it means we'll be HALFWAY TO OUR FINAL GOAL of making 12 NEW EPISODES!

AN UPDATE ABOUT UPDATES

Before I get into the real information, I want to take a minute to talk about our new plan for sharing Backer Updates, because it's a little trickier than you might think.

When we ran our first Kickstarter campaign, we did our best to send new updates almost every day, all month long, because I really feel like you're our partners in this whole process. Also, we enjoyed producing them, and I know a lot of you liked getting them.

But, you know, we also learned that some backers find it stressful to get new emails every day, and decided to "unsubscribe" from them. And then, once they unsubscribed, it was a lot harder to reach those backers later, when we had really important news, or needed to get information to send their rewards. 

So yeah, it's a tricky balance. I want to share as much as I can... but I also don't want people to "tune out" before production, and miss out on the good part!

So, moving forward, here's what we're going to do:

For the rest of this month, I'll still send "important" Backer Updates to your email 1-2 times a week... but I'll also post more updates on our Kickstarter page, for folks who want to know everything as it happens.

So, if you want to know everything right away, be sure to keep checking our update page, and following our social media accounts. And if not, don't worry: when I send those "important" updates, I'll make sure to include links to all of my other posts, so you can catch yourself up.

Also, once the Kickstarter campaign ends on May 7, I'm excited to tell you that we've got a really solid plan to share production updates at least once a week, until all of the new "Season 13" episodes are done and released. I'll tell you more about that soon.

MORE ANSWERS ABOUT REWARDS

Now, I know there are still lots of questions, especially about The Gizmoplex, and I promise, I'm going to tell you more about that very soon, so I hope you'll be patient for a little bit longer.

For today, I want to give you some more answers to questions we're seeing about our Kickstarter reward levels, and how to make sure you're getting exactly what you want when you pledge. 

Now, to be honest, there are a lot of details involved here, and I don't always know the answers myself, so I've asked Ivan Askwith, our producer and the brains behind our Kickstarter campaigns, to help me answer them. So yeah, let's dig in...

That's a really good question. We thought it would be clear that each reward level, all the way up to Experiment 500, includes everything in the lower pledge levels... but it looks like Kickstarter made some changes to how the site looks, especially on their mobile site, that made it a little more confusing.

So, to make things easier, Ivan put together a handy little chart:

If you look at the list under each Experiment Level, you'll see that you're really getting a lot of stuff... especially those of you who are pledging for Experiment 500 or higher.

Sure! Today, let's focus on the PHYSICAL REWARDS we're planning to make.

I know there are lots of questions about The Gizmoplex still, and we're working on another update just to explain more about that. But if you have questions about our other digital rewards – or some of our higher level "experience rewards" – please let us know in the comments on this update, and I'll try to get to those questions right away.

Anyway, the easiest way to give you an idea of all of the new physical Kickstarter rewards we have planned is to just show you a "menu" we made. But wait, before you look at it: I want you to understand...

 THESE ARE NOT THE ACTUAL REWARD DESIGNS! 

This is just to give you a better idea of what to expect. I'll be giving you sneak peeks at actual art and designs as we get further into the month.

Anyway, here's a "teaser menu" Ivan put together to preview some of our new rewards:

So yeah, as I hope you can tell, we have a few really fun new rewards planned this time, and I'm excited to give you a closer look at some of the actual designs before the Kickstarter ends!

Yeah, this took us a little while to understand too, but here's how it works.

After you choose any reward level – even the lowest one – Kickstarter will show you a list of "Add-On Rewards", which are basically "a la carte" extras that you can choose, and "add on" to your other rewards. It' should look something like this:

So, if you really want to get the "Collector's Box Set", but don't want all of the other rewards in the $250 pledge level, you can get any level you want, and then add the "Collector's Box Set" as an Add-On Reward. Or, if you want to get "extras" of anything, like a shirt for each person in your family, or a poster for each room in your house, you can do that too.

Yeah, so the way Kickstarter is set up, it's hard to see all of the Add-On Rewards until after you choose one of the reward levels. So, Ivan made up a little "menu" for that, too:

Also, remember, these are just the Add-On Rewards available right now. We've got some other fun surprises planned for later in the month, but I'll let you know when those are ready for you.

Oh yeah, isn't it the worst when that happens? I know it can be really frustrating... but first, remember: "It's just a Kickstarter. I should really just relax." (I’m kidding, of course.) 

Also, I have some good news for you:
 When one of our limited reward levels "sells out," we'll do our best to add more!

Sometimes, we might have to make the limited rewards a little bit more expensive when we add more, because the more we offer, the more work it takes us to manage and "fulfill" all of those promises... but if you're really excited about a sold-out reward level, we want to do everything we can to give you a chance to get it.

So, if you want a reward level that already sold out, here's what you should do:

• Keep checking back, in case we've added new chances to get them.
• Send us a message and let us know which reward you wanted. If we're able to add more, we'll send you a message just before we do, so that you have the best chance to get them before they sell out again.

And just in case you missed it, we've already added more of these sold-out rewards:

•  Personal Video from the S.O.L. ($1000)
•  Private Meet & Greet Online ($1250)
•  Voice Act with M. Waverly ($4000)
•  Associate Producer ($5500)
•  Riff A Short with Joel ($6000)
•  Adopt a Robot Friend ($7500)

We'll do our best to keep an eye on the rewards, but again, if you want a limited reward that sold out – or have other ideas for rewards you'd like us to offer – please send a message and let us know, or email us at [email protected]!

I get it, man! I promise, we're doing our best to get to everyone's questions... but, as usual, you can also take a look at our Kickstarter FAQ. And, we'll keep answering more questions in these updates all month long.

Anyway, that's a lot of new information, and there's a lot of work we need to do behind the scenes, so I think that's everything for this update.

As usual, be sure to send us a message if you have questions we haven't answered, so we know to get to them!  And, of course...

Cheers & Thanks,

Joel

Want to help make sure we get all the way to 12 NEW EPISODES? Just copy this message and post it on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram:

• Our @Kickstarter to #MakeMoreMST3K and #BuildTheGizmoplex is almost 50% of the way to making 12 NEW EPISODES... but we can't get there without YOU! Pledge now to  prove that fans can keep shows alive WITHOUT networks! Go to MakeMoreMST3K.com, and join us... won't you?

How Things Are Going... And Thanks!
almost 5 years ago – Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 03:38:40 AM

Dear "Day One" Backers,

It's Joel again. The last 24 hours have been so crazy that I don't know what to say. When we decided to come back and do another Kickstarter – and to do it after a year-long worldwide pandemic – we weren't really sure how things would go. 

The last time we tried this, it took us almost a week to reach our first goal, and make three episodes... so I guess I figured if we could do that again, we'd be off to a really good start.

But yeah, as you might have noticed, things went a little faster this time:

In just over 24 hours, we've already met our first goal to #MakeMoreMST3K, which means we'll be able to make at least three new episodes and launch The Gizmoplex! 

I'm also so encouraged to see that, in just our first day, more than 11,000 of you decided to jump on board and be part of Mystery Science Theater's next chapter. Also, I just talked to some folks at Kickstarter, and got some pretty exciting news:

In just one day, #MakeMoreMST3K has already become Kickstarter's 5th "Highest Funded" and 15th "Most Backed" Film & Video project ever. 

If you were here for our first Kickstarter, you might remember how during our "Final Countdown Telethon," we managed to break the all-time record and become Kickstarter's "Most Funded" Film & Video Project of All Time.  And I'm proud to say that we held onto that record for a long time, until we turned the title over to our friends at Critical Role in April 2019.

Now, I don't know if we can take that record back, since Critical Role raised over $11 million (!!), which would be enough to fund our next two seasons. But you know, we already held that title, so as long as we keep going – and maybe raise enough to make another full season – I'll still be pretty happy. 

And hey, if we do break the record, I’m gonna walk back into Critical Role’s studio and take that belt BACK!

Anyway, before things went totally cuckoo, I was hoping I could use today's update to answer some of the questions we've been getting on Kickstarter and social media... but if it's okay, I think I'm gonna need one more day to get that together for you. I’ve noticed some really good questions on our Kickstarter page and social media, and I want to answer as many as I can... So yeah, I'll have more to share with you tomorrow.

For tonight, I just want to thank each of you for getting us off to such a good start. I'm glad to have so many of you here, and really excited to start showing you more of what we have planned.

Thanks for being an important part of Mystery Science history again, and until tomorrow, remember: Keep Circulating the URL!

Cheers & Thanks,

Joel

Joel Takes Some Questions, Part I
almost 5 years ago – Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 12:05:43 AM

Dear MST3K Preservation League,

It's Joel again, back with another update. 

Like I said yesterday, we've been doing our best to keep up with all of your comments and feedback on Kickstarter and social media, so I know there are a lot of questions out there.

Since there's a lot of work happening behind the scenes to keep our Kickstarter running, I'm afraid I don't have enough time to answer all of them right now.. . but before the weekend starts, I want to at least answer some of the easier ones, so you don't need to worry about them.

So yeah, let's see here...

1. Are the main cast from Season 11-12 coming back? 

Yes, I'm happy to report that ALL of our main cast members from our last two seasons have agreed to come back for another round! So, Jonah will be hosting again, and Baron and Hampton will be back to reprise Tom and Crow. Rebecca will be back as Synthia and GPC, and of course,  Felicia and Patton will return as our brilliant Mads, Kinga Forrester and Max. 

And, since I've seen a lot of you asking, I'll also tell you that we've also got some big plans to expand the world – and cast – of Mystery Science Theater 3000, so... I'll tell you more about that soon.

2. I want to own all the new episodes. How do I do that? 

Yeah, I'm sorry this wasn't clearer right away. Let me explain. If you want to own the new episodes, the options for that are pretty much the same as our original Kickstarter:

At EXPERIMENT 100 and up, your rewards will include DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for all of Season 13, which you'll be able to access starting right after our "live premiere screenings" in The Gizmoplex. 

At EXPERIMENT 250 and up, your rewards also include a COLLECTOR'S BOX SET for all of Season 13, and you'll be able to choose between DVD and Blu-Ray. You can also get the Box Set for $70 as an "Add On Reward" with any pledge level. Once you choose a pledge level, you'll get a menu of Add-On Rewards, and can choose "Collector's Box Set" there to add it to your pledge.

3. I just want to see the new episodes. How do I do that? 

If you don't care about owning all of the new episodes we make, but still want to see each one as it comes out, the Gizmoplex Pass will be your new best friend. We'll still need to work through some technical details after the Kickstarter ends, but I'll tell you how we're hoping to make it work. 

Once we have our first new episode finished, we're planning to start holding live episode premiere events in The Gizmoplex once a month, until we've shared all of the new episodes the Kickstarter lets us make.

Each month of Gizmoplex Pass access gets you a ticket for another episode premiere, until we've premiered all of our new episodes (and, if things go well, our new shorts). 

So yeah, just to spell it all out for you...

• A 3 MONTH PASS gets you tickets to the first THREE live premieres. 
• A 6 MONTH PASS gets you tickets to the first SIX live premieres.
• A 9 MONTH PASS gets you tickets to the first NINE live premieres.
• A 12 MONTH PASS gets you tickets to all TWELVE live premieres. 

Now, we can only premiere 12 new episodes if we get to make 12 new episodes... but no matter what happens, we'll make sure there's at least one event in The Gizmoplex each month for a full year.

So, if we don't have enough new episodes to premiere one each month, we'll still host other special live screening events. And don’t worry, whether we're watching new episodes or not, we'll make sure the events are a really special "MST3K" experience.

 4. What if I can't be online for a live event? Can I still see it? 

Oh yeah, of course. After each new episode has its "live premiere," both the episode and a recording of the full live premiere event will be available to watch "on demand" in The Gizmoplex until the next premiere event.

But yeah, if you can't make it to one of our live events, you will be able to watch (or rewatch) everything you missed for at least a month! You just won't be able to join the live chat, or participate in any of the interactive parts of the event, because, you know... they'll already be finished.

5. If I don't pledge for a 12 MONTH PASS now, will I be able to get event tickets – or buy and download the new episodes – when they come out?

We don't want to keep anyone from seeing the new episodes, and I know not everyone can afford to pledge for the twelve-month "Gizmoplex Season Pass" right now. So, once The Gizmoplex launches, and we start holding live events and premieres, you will be able to get event tickets, extra months of access, and buy individual episodes (once they've been released).

We don't know how much those will cost you later, but we do know they'll cost a little more than getting a Gizmoplex Pass now for all of those events. (Also, it'll be too late for your money to help us reach our Kickstarter goals, or for us to add more episodes in Season 13.)

So, if you're going to want all of them, I hope you'll consider pledging at the EXPERIMENT 100 level (or higher) now. That way, you'll have tickets to all of our new episode premieres, and you'll also get to download all of the new episodes to keep.

6. I still have a ton of other questions about The Gizmoplex, and other rewards, and the future, and my birth parents. I need answers, Joel! 

I hear you, man – and I know, it's a lot to take in all at once. I've tried to answer some of the most common questions here, to make sure everyone sees them... but if you've got more questions, take a look in our Kickstarter FAQ, since we've also started adding some more answers there. I'll also keep answering more questions in these updates all month long.

Also, if you just can't wait, you can always send us a message here on Kickstarter. We still have a really small team doing a lot of things every day, so I hope you'll be patient with us if it takes a day or two to get back to you.

Anyway, I know there are still a lot more questions, but I hope those answers will help you relax and enjoy the weekend a little bit more.

Also, now that we're a couple days into our Kickstarter, you can see that the numbers are starting to "cool off" and slow down a little.  Just so you know, in case it's your first time being part of something like this, that kind of "drop off" is actually pretty normal for big Kickstarter campaigns -- especially after a week as successful as the one we've had.

For today, we're not getting too worried about it, and you shouldn't either -- but if you want to help out over the weekend, be sure to check in with your MST-loving relatives and friends and make sure they know about the Kickstarter.

And, of course, be sure to Keep Circulating the URL!

Thanks for being here with us, backers... and have a great weekend.

Cheers & Thanks,

Joel