The following is an interview with Ned Donovan regarding the launch of the second season of the web series, The Hunted: Encore. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Donovan about the inspiration for the series, what he hopes that viewers will take away from the show, his plans for future projects, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: The second season of your web series, The Hunted, recently released online through Charging Moose Media. For our readers who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the premise of the series?
Ned Donovan: The Hunted: Encore is a spinoff of The Hunted which is the longest-running web series on the internet (est. 2001). Our series is an action comedy rock musical about a band of NYC vampire slayers. Season 2 comes one year after the first, the gang has made little headway against the city’s bloodsuckers. To make things worse, vampires John and Adam are viral sensations with their super popular vlog and have called in the rocker mercenaries, The Queens of the Damned, to finish the Encore team once and for all. The Queens, however, don’t want just Megan’s blood — they want HER. Meanwhile, the Slayers can’t seem to get anything done. Fearing they might be in over their heads, Bob from The Hunted LA comes to NYC to whip the slayers into shape and take on these rockstar assassins.
BD: What can you tell us about the inspiration for the show in its initial season, and how has the show evolved in its sophomore year?
ND: I’ve been making episodes within the greater universe of The Hunted since 2009. Bob asked us if we would be interested in bringing a new musical flavor to the series, and we jumped at the opportunity. The first season was a lot of trial and error. A mockumentary filmed in a single-camera style, where the cameraman is a character that is also a rock musical and features action sequences, is a lot of styles to juggle at once. We are so proud of the first season, but it also taught us a lot of things we wanted to improve upon with a second season. The new season features the introduction of mini music videos. Each song gets its own treatment under the eye of Crystal Arnette (Director) and Garrett Kafchinski (Director of Photography) to bring the music to life in a whole new way.
BD: How would you describe your creative process in working with the cast and crew of The Hunted?
ND: We have an incredible team who work on our show. After finishing the first draft of the scripts, we immediately got in touch with our lead songwriter, Preston Max Allen. He, myself, and Music Supervisor Marcus Thorne Bagala worked closely to craft the songs to fit the scenes needed and also to adapt the script to match Preston’s fantastic additions. Once we tightened everything up, we brought in the cast to record the soundtrack while we also entered fight rehearsals and sword training. The multi-talented cast of actors, fighters, and singers allowed us maximum flexibility in prepping the show, and Crystal’s brilliant direction gave it all the flavor to bring it all together. In the editing phase, myself (editor/colorist), Crystal, and Marcus stayed in close communication through every cut to ensure each moment was given the time and deliberation it deserved. Add in the incredible VFX work by Robert Chapin (creator of the original show, who also reprises his role as The Chosen One in our second season), and we have a product of love from so many different people who are passionate about creating the best quality show possible. The Hunted: Encore is truly a group collaborative effort.
BD: How many total seasons are currently planned for the series?
ND: So long as we have viewers and funding, we’ll keep making seasons. We have rough story arcs planned for at least two more. But for now, we’re working on getting our viewership up for the first two seasons, as well as promoting the soundtrack, the sales of which go towards funding more seasons. Those can be found here or on all major online music stores/streaming services.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
ND: Not visually; however, Charging Moose Media has many projects going at a time. Our podcast, At the Table: A Play Reading Series, features readings of new plays from emerging playwrights read by fantastic NYC-based actors. Every month, we feature a full reading and an interview with the playwright. We recently released our January episodes, {my lingerie play} by Diana Oh. We also have three albums available, two Christmas albums and a collection of pre-1960 showtunes reimagined for today’s radio genres. All of these can be found on our website at www.chargingmoosemedia.com.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about The Hunted?
ND: The Hunted: Encore seasons 1 and 2 are available now at www.thehuntedencore.com. We also have many screenings and festivals planned for the coming year, and the soundtracks are available for purchase and streaming wherever you get your music. If you like our show, please help us get the word out by sharing it with your friends, and be sure to tag The Hunted: Encore and Charging Moose Media! #HereComeTheVampires
