Project Director Neil
Marsh answers the most Frequently Asked Questions we get from both
fans of NIGHTFALL and people associated
with the series who are interested in what THE
NIGHTFALL-25 PROJECT is all about: |
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1. How did you get interested in NIGHTFALL?
2. What made you want to develop a website about the series?
3. What advantages does a website have over a book?
4. Have you had input from fans?
5. What about input from people involved in making the
show?
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<This section is still under development: more
questions to be added> |
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1. How did you get interested
in NIGHTFALL?
I first ran across the show while I was helping to develop the dark
fantasy audio drama series Afterhell
with a friend from Portland, Oregon back in 2002. I'd been searching
for post-Silver Age radio dramas in the same genre to get an idea of
what had been done before and to see how far the envelope had been pushed.
An on-line friend of mine introduced me to NIGHTFALL
with Max Ferguson's "Where Do We Go From Here?" (NF
#24) and after hearing the shocking ending to that, I was hooked.
Incidentally, I introduced the Afterhell people to Nightfall
as well and they went on to not only appreciate the series as much as
I do, but to cite it in their publicity material as the standard to
which they strive in the production of their series.
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2. What made you want to develop
a website about NIGHTFALL?
Originally I'd wanted to do a book, but the many hassles and pitfalls
of finding a publisher for a work of such limited interest, and the
financial burden of self-publishing and fronting the cost of licensing
materials from a program that's not in the Public Domain pushed me toward
the idea of a website.
My actual interest in writing about the show, I think, stems from a
couple of things:
First of all, NIGHTFALL is a fantastic
program. It's that simple. It was a very popular show during its run,
but has only a small following today, mostly because of its limited
availability, and a there's great lack of readily-available historical
documentation: no one writes about contemporary Radio Drama. So there's
a niche to be filled.
Secondly, I have friends who write science-fiction books. I envy their
ability to wrestle with their Creative Muses and make a publisher's
deadline. I couldn't do that. But do research and gather data? Talk
to writers and producers about their work on a program I like? Then
write about it? Yeah, I could do that.
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3. What advantages does a
website have over a book?
One of the primary advantages -- and the one that attracted me the
most -- was that a website can be a "work-in-progress". A
project can develop and grow and change over time in an on-line environment
and it's perfectly acceptable. A book is static and any new material
would have to be published in an updated edition, which people would
have to then buy to get the new data.
Another benefit is the site's ability to attract people who might have
contributions to make to the project, either as fans offering to write
reviews or provide web or graphic design skills, or as professionals
-- writers, actors, etc. -- who worked on NIGHTFALL
and could add their own stories to the content.
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4. Have you had input from
fans?
Oh yes. Much of my initial research for the Episode
Guide was aided by material provided by fans like Kevin
Hartnell of Cincinatti, who sent me a copy of the original Nightfall
broadcast log compiled by Randy Minnehan,
and Archie Hunter of Ottawa, who sent
me a spreadsheet of broadcast dates based on his dilligent research
of the CBC Radio Guides on file in the National Library and Archive
in Ottawa.
Other fans have helped out by telling me of their own Nightfall
experiences, mentioning their favorite episodes, asking questions that
merit answering on the site, informed me about merchandising that I
was previously unaware of, and much more. The fans are going to be an
invaluable part of the life of this site.
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5. What about input from people
involved in making the show?
Since October of 2002 I have made contact with dozens of people involved
in the making of Nightfall. From regional
producers Lawrie Seligman and Bill
Gray to writers Larry LeClair
and Max Ferguson to actors Chris
Wiggins and Brian Taylor. Several
of them keep up with the site and send us comments, updates and even
corrections. They're very pleased with the work we're doing here and
are happy to see the show -- and their work -- being recognized.
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| [more to
come...]
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Do you have additional questions for the FAQ?
Please send them to us.
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