Business Spotlight: Parallax Studio

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by Laura Scott|ret||ret||tab|

SBJ Contributing Writer|ret||ret||tab|

sbj@sbj.net|ret||ret||tab|

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It's A.D. 2125. Mother Earth and all her people have been destroyed. A voice from the future travels into the past with a warning that, if heard and heeded, can change the course of history and save the world.|ret||ret||tab|

This is the world of Darkstar, an interactive DVD-ROM by Jeff Williams, owner of Parallax Studio and J. Allen Williams Creative, a one-man Springfield advertising agency.|ret||ret||tab|

"Darkstar," Williams said, "is essentially a murder mystery with Armageddon as its ironic backdrop."|ret||ret||tab|

Parallax Studio was formed by Williams in 1999. "It was created as an offshoot of the advertising business to handle the Darkstar' project," Williams said. "I had to have a separate company because it was completely different than advertising, and because I'm producing and financing the project." |ret||ret||tab|

Parallax Studio team members, in addition to Williams, are animator/producer Roger Jared and producer/songwriter Ruell Chappell. It was Jared's job to shoot the actors' scenes against a green screen, and Williams said he's the technical brain behind Darkstar, while Chappell handled the score. |ret||ret||tab|

Parallax has worked on a few other projects, including "Storm's Coming: The True Story of the Young Brothers Massacre," by Chappell and Lori Locke. "We've also done other animation projects for TV spots and DVD-ROM presentations for clients. Anything that is broadcast-related or animated goes through Parallax," Williams said.|ret||ret||tab|

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The game|ret||ret||tab|

The interactive movie, as Williams calls it, originated as a screenplay. "The experience looks like a movie from start to finish," said Williams, a self-proclaimed "Star Trek," "Star Wars" and "Mystery Science Theater" fan and collector. "It maintains full resolution movie-quality visuals throughout, while allowing the viewer to navigate the story through the main character's eyes as desired."|ret||ret||tab|

As a feature film, Williams' idea would likely cost around $250 million to produce. "I decided to do it myself as a DVD-ROM project instead," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

Williams said he wanted something different from the hard-core, shoot-em-up games that have become standard. So, he created a story that incorporates role-playing, exploration, puzzle solving and cinematic adventure that's set to the music of the rock band Rush.|ret||ret||tab|

The game begins with the player's first-person character Captain John O'Neil (played by Hollywood actor Clive Robertson) awakening disoriented and confused after 312 years of sleep in a wrecked spacecraft, The Westwick. |ret||ret||tab|

O'Neil is suffering from "hibernation-induced amnesia" which has irreversible effects. The acquired skills and cognitive ability of the mind are intact. What's missing is the event-related memory and basic personality traits. |ret||ret||tab|

He finds that some of the data in the ship's memory banks has been erased by a crewmember, so he must rely on clues along the way in the form of logs, records and messages. |ret||ret||tab|

There are three fellow crewmembers on board. One is still asleep, one is missing and a third has been murdered and his hand has been cut off. Therein lies the challenge the player must figure out the puzzle, recover O'Neil's identity and find a way out. |ret||ret||tab|

"There are 14 different ways to die," Williams said, but only one successful ending. "You choose."|ret||ret||tab|

To date, Williams has invested $150,000 of his own money into the "pay-as-I-go" project. |ret||ret||tab|

That figure only covers William's costs."That doesn't include the time, the thousands of hours I've spent, along with doing stuff to pay the bills." |ret||ret||tab|

Williams' expenses include hiring national talent and traveling to Hollywood four times to produce.|ret||ret||tab|

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The talent|ret||ret||tab|

"Darkstar" features the voices and acting of several Hollywood stars and a host of local actors. Peter Graves ("Mission: Impossible") and KY3 newsman Tony Beason are narrators. |ret||ret||tab|

Also, the entire cast of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" appears in "Darkstar." Trace Beaulieu is The Westwick's first officer, Ross Perryman. Beez McKeever portrays The Westwick's pilot, Paige Palmer. Josh Weinstein portrays Captain Cedrick Stone, Mary Jo Pehl is Captain Beth Ingram and Joel Hodgson is Kane Cooper. Frank Coniff portrays Alan Burk, the ship's navigator.|ret||ret||tab|

Among the local talent appearing in "Darkstar" is former Springfield Little Theatre Director Alan Bryce, portraying Sir Timothy Brisbane, acting president of the United Nations of the Earth. Libby Chappell is pilot Lisa Hicks and Woody P. Snow is Captain Chuck Nordstrom. Locals Lisa Hamaker, Cristina King, Todd Smith, Aaron Wahlquist, Nick Sibley and Chappell also appear.|ret||ret||tab|

Musician Bill Brown, who died recently in a house fire in Springfield, stars as Billy Bob Brown the only character to appear under his own name.|ret||ret||tab|

To secure the talent of Graves, Robertson and other celebrities, Williams decided who he wanted to cast, and then contacted the celebrities' through the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles. |ret||ret||tab|

"I got my first choice in all the roles except for Emilio Estevez. I ended up with Clive Robertson instead, who was my second choice," Williams said. |ret||ret||tab|

Getting rights to the music of Rush was simple, he added. "You just apply for synch rights in order to synch the music into a score. There's a series of steps you go through. I contacted Rush's manager and e-mailed a proposal. She presented it to the three guys and within a few hours they asked, Where do we go from here?'" |ret||ret||tab|

After the OK, even Williams was amazed at how well the music and lyrics fit his story. |ret||ret||tab|

Williams many of his own props for the project, and "I learned by doing. I bought the software and learned it," he said. "Except for outside shoots, the whole thing has been put together in my basement at home."|ret||ret||tab|

Williams had the opportunity to work with some of his childhood idols, including animator Richard V. Corben and musician Bill Bruce, who is doing the five-to-one digital sound effects. |ret||ret||tab|

Williams said the biggest challenge so far was Sept. 11. "When that happened, I thought, this is going to kill Darkstar,'" he said. A Springfield shoot was scheduled for Sept. 27, but the actors were afraid to fly. Williams went to them instead.|ret||ret||tab|

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The release|ret||ret||tab|

When completed,"Darkstar" will be designed for play on PC, Macintosh and perhaps Xbox.|ret||ret||tab|

As it stands now, Williams is working with three gaming companies that are considering the project. "My goal is to be done by spring 2005 and ready to start the production process," Williams said. "We hope to distribute it in late summer or early fall and definitely in time for Christmas."|ret||ret||tab|

Williams' target market for "Darkstar" is adult men, because 85 percent of men ages 30 to 45 are video game purchasers.|ret||ret||tab|

And Williams is ready if "Darkstar" is a hit. |ret||ret||tab|

He has a sequel in the back of his mind with more twists and turns. Also there could be a soundtrack album, and Rush will possibly use some clips from "Darkstar" in concert performances. "That's all been talked about," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

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