Being At Sea
Ever since moving to a retirement community — after having just built my own home in a dreamy woodland — I have myself been at sea. The term refers to being lost or adrift, physically and emotionally, although articulating my feelings has at times been a challenge. Some of my friends "get it"; some don't. I spent my first couple of years here searching for a creative outlet, as most of my prior activities were impractical for a variety of reasons, mostly due my failing health.
After settling on animation as my new main "hobby" (plus some music-making on the side), I struggled to find material that really captured my interest. After grinding out almost 150 episodes of Dicks Retirement Trailer Park, I struggled to find something that "fit" me well. Most were short-lived — some mercifully. Then one day the television series The Orville came to mind. While it was competently produced, it was aesthetically a misfire, IMO. Its creator was attempting to make a mix of parody and homage, which was at times embarrassing to watch. But it occurred to me, why not fix it? Do a straight-up comedy that skewers the original series' premise, and skip the homage part by avoiding any direct references.
I was quite convinced I'd found "it." Being a sci-fi fanatic, and a lover of the original Trek, I had no trouble producing material. But the show quickly morphed from an episodic comedy to a serial dramedy. I was constantly experimenting with new directions for the series, and as it slowly drifted toward more drama, it seemed to get more interesting.
I produce the episodes in batches I call "seasons," as if the program was running on some media outlet, like a cable channel or whatever. I was approaching the end of Season Four, and devised a major cliffhanger: one of the main characters was in jeopardy. And that's when it hit me: create a "spin off" series to follow the jeopardized character.
But I saw more than just a new series... I saw opportunities to experiment with animation techniques and storytelling styles. I saw a vehicle for going in many new, creative directions. Creativity is potent fuel for my imagination, and I instantly began testing my new ideas, producing a number of short shorts to see what worked.
At first I'd no idea what the main character's fate was other than falling into an uncharted wormhole and ending up very far away from home. Beyond that, it was for some time a blank slate. Eventually a story coalesced that had a "stranger in a strange land" vibe. Our main character, Felini (a member of the Catalien race — no explanation required) crash-lands on a desolate planet, accompanied by a love-sick robot. Ultimately it plays out much less comic than it sounds on paper.
Since that time, I've developed a complete story arc, from beginning to end, with many little details laid out like an appetizer board that I can pick and choose from as needed. Indeed, I even have the ending pretty well visualized, and the direction it takes just might be a bit of a surprise. I like twists and turns, sudden changes in direction, and the unexpected. I work hard at being unpredictable, although I confess it is not quite as dark and twisty as I'd prefer. True surprises are really tough to engineer.
And the title? The reference of someone being "at sea" means they are emotionally adrift, or possibly suffering an existential crisis. Using it in the context of someone who is stranded is kind of a play on words. It was easy for me to identify: my move to the retirement park was more of a necessity than a choice, and so I felt forced to abandon my home and "strand" myself in a strange, unpleasant place. Much navel-gazing followed, some of which has become material for the series. Thus the episodes have been easy to write.