CTU: Provo Available on Youtube

The below post was originally posted on one of my other sites “24fans.com” earlier in the year.

It’s been a while since we’ve had anything newsworthy to post, my apologies for not posting more regularly with news on the 24: Movie, unfortunately the only news is, their is no news, and it didn’t seem worthwhile posting until I have something slightly more up beat to discuss. So i’m pleased to tell you that I bring you news of “A ’24′ Film” (Just not “The ’24′ Film”).

A few years ago during the longer than normal break between seasons 6 & 7 due to the WGA writers strike, I posted several fan made efforts to help us all get our fix. By far the best of these was CTU: Provo, a feature length film which tells the story of a terrorist threat to Utah posed by Tree Hugging Eco-Terrorists & 70′s Teen Idols turned bad and the efforts of CTU’s regional office in Provo to stop them. (You can read my original review here).

CTU: Provo has in the last few days had something of a re-release on Youtube (after originally only being available via direct download and bit-torrent). You can watch check it out the YouTube channel here or the first part is embedded at the bottom of this post.

To get the full scoop on the re-release (and I have to admit to help push anyone who hasn’t already seen CTU: Provo to give it ago) we had a chat with Alan Seawright, one of CTU: Provo’s Stars, who also happens to have been it’s Director, Co-writer & Producer.

24fans: So Alan, Have I missed anything out?
Alan Seawright: Also editor, and I did 211 VFX shots!  Most of them are not good. ;)

24fans: Why the push to get people watching CTU: Provo now?
AS: The push to get CTU:Provo noticed now is this: it’s our first step to global domination!  My business partner (Daren Smith, CTU’s Sound Designer) and I tired of trying to get movie funding through traditional sources.  It’s been a 3-year slog with basically nothing to show.  So we’re going with the crowd-sourcing model.  We’re going to build a following on YouTube, and our next major project will be a feature that will be released initially as a web series.  We have some really exciting projects lined up for the future, and we’re now in an age where we don’t need big Hollywood studios to give us the go-ahead, then muck up our ideas.  And that’s really only gotten worse in the last year or three.

24fans: Did CTU Provo succeed as well as you’d hoped?
AS: CTU:Provo was hugely successful in some ways.  It’s gotten me a fair amount of work in the intervening 3 years, and the majority of people who I’ve heard from that watched it really enjoyed it.  In some ways it was disappointing however.  We didn’t end up distributing it the way we wanted because of some concerns we had with FOX, but YouTube offers us a handy way around that

24fans: What is your favourite part of CTU Provo?
AS: It’s hard to pick a favourite part of the movie.  We worked (played?) so hard on all of it, it’s kinda just amazing we pulled it off.  On the other hand I know how I would improve basically every single aspect of the film, so it’s hard to look at the movie and be satisfied…  if that makes sense.

24fans: Just about, are their currently any plans for a direct follow up?
AS: We don’t have any plans for a direct follow-up to CTU:Provo right now.  Especially since most of our cast has graduated from university and are spread out around the country now. Jono is still close by so if there are suddenly tens (or hundreds) of thousands of fans clamouring for it, there could certainly be further adventures for some of the cast.

24fans: What kind of positive effect has it had on your career?
AS: My career hasn’t exploded, but I’ve been lucky to work on some great local shows.  I’ve actually gotten much more editing work from it than I have directing work. I have been able to direct some local commercials, a short film that screened for 384,000 people at my alma mater’s American football games over the course of a season.  Nothing quite like hearing 64,000 people cheering for something you made!

24fans: What are Telekinesis up to?
AS: Telekinesis have a bunch of ideas for short films that we’re going to start releasing either every week or every other week starting in April.  I have a large project for a client I’m finishing up, and Daren is on tour with The Neon Trees (as their sound engineer).  Ryan Croker (my co-writer on CTU:Provo) lives nearby and will be contributing his golden pen occasionally.  Then the crowd-sourced funding, a few features, world domination, and a new golden age for human civilization.

24fans: What did you think of how the real show ended? & Season 8 in general.
AS: To be honest, I felt that ’24′ kinda went out with more of a whimper than a bang.  I didn’t watch Season 8.  Seasons 6 & 7 were such disappointments that after watching the 4 hour premiere for Season 8, I had no interest.  Sad to admit, I know…

24fans: Given that, are you eager to see a 24 Film?
AS: I’d love to see a ’24′ film that gets back to the show’s roots. But whatever direction it takes, I’m going to the midnight opening.

24fans: Finally, what’s your must see TV now 24 has finished?
AS: There aren’t any hour-long dramas I’m religious about now that ’24′ and ‘LOST’ are done.  My wife and I love ‘CHUCK’, but that’s a dramedy.  ’COMMUNITY’ may be the best show on TV right now.