big, dumb plane. WHOLE new world.
— WELCOME IN. Here’s the gist: So Far Bound is a scripted, live-action, TV series about a few strangers from around the world whose international flight must land off-course, stranding them in a far off place. We’re raising funds and finding people to make the first episodes of the project. Please browse around for information on the series story and production goals, and, if it interests you, please consider supporting by using any of the campaign boxes on site or with the SUPPORT link at the top. Thank you!
THE STORYLINE — Half the way on a long-haul flight, a faulty plane is forced to land off-course, leaving a few passengers from around the world stuck in a far off place. Over a few days in a small hotel, those passengers connect - and then decide - to stay and start a life and surprising business together during what becomes a historic time in that different land.
the top ten
— things to know about Bound.
1 The Shape
+ Scripted
+ Live-Action
+ Half-Hour
+ Ongoing
— First things first, what are the basic forms of the project? It’s a narrative, fiction series with an ensemble cast and episodes that run between 30 to 40 minutes long. Though the series has some weightier themes, which are often associated with longer runtimes, we want Bound to be more in the bucket of our personal, favorite shows, which are all half-hour and feature lighter tones and less serialized storytelling. Finally, the plan is to build a recurring series that plays yearly and on schedule — like the good ‘ol days.
If we could only pick one reference series for Bound - out of the history of television - it would be MASH, the classic series about a group of Army doctors, nurses and crew during the Korean War. It was a “sitcom,” but also much more - in fact, at times, the very opposite of a sitcom. It was about strangers away from home, together. It was a story-of-the-week show but with the long, thematic thread of the war in the background. For its time, it was something different. — What could that recipe look like today?
2 THE IDEAS
(The stories in a name).
Bound (for) adventure.
The first interpretation of the So Far Bound title is the idea of going somewhere or heading toward some thing. The inciting action for the entire series would be that the characters all decided to catch a flight to someplace new to them, and that action of traveling shapes an overall series theme of expedition. Over time, we’ll see the characters discover, explore, settle and then advance or fall in their new world.
Bound (to) others.
A second interpretation of the title is the idea of being tied to or connected with others. Once the characters get stranded, they’ll each make way to the same hotel, and from there, we add a second shape to the story: the evolution of a found family. Within the walls of their hotel, the strangers will cross paths, attach, and soon, they’ll bind. — Who’s gonna do what, with who, and why, and what next?
The Bound Book Club: Two plot references for Bound are The Sun Also Rises and One Hundred Years of Solitude, both for their travel and discovery storylines and their larger, ensemble character structures.
3 THE SETTING
* Above, a rough sketch of the fictional street layout.
The local spots.
“The Wild Horse” — With limited hotel rooms in the city, a few of the stranded passengers end up at a smaller hotel that’s quaint but that has seen its better days. It’s envisioned as a property with less than 50 rooms, in a downtown/central setting. … For the passengers who decide to stay, they’ll call The Wild Horse home, for a time.
“The Lime Tree” — A cafe by day and a bar by night. While in waiting, the passengers get most of their meals here and those who stay will continue to treat it as both a kitchen and a living room. It’s envisioned as next door to or down the street from the hotel. Late at night, there’s music and dancing, among other vices.
* The above photo is just for reference; the final setting and filming location is tbd.
The larger world.
“Lina” — For now, the story is written in a fictional setting, called Lina (lee-nuh). It’s envisioned as a smaller city, whose airport would struggle with the large, grounded flight. It has great features in both the urban (varied architecture) and the natural (hills and sea). It’s pretty, but it’s written with a bit of edge and social dynamism.
“The Aras” — If the city remains fictional, so too, may the region. Think of The Aras like “The South” in the US - a kind of distinct, cultural area within a greater union of land. The plan is to embrace the societal qualities of a real location but to take advantage of a fictional name and play with some of its elements.
4 The characters
“Devika”
— A hair stylist by day and a musician by night. She’s the most “normal” one; she has big sister energy within the group.
“Mei Ling”
— A pediatric nurse who used to practice ballet. She’s a little dorky but has some spunk to her. She brings sweetness.
“Samirah”
— A sous chef who draws comics in secret. She has a regal manner but still likes to get down. She brings stature to the room.
“Valya”
— An engineer and decorator of random things. She’s a little weird but only because she’s curious - and the most blunt.
“Al-Haj”
— A plumber with a passion for skate-boarding. He’s streetwise and lively. He makes others laugh but by accident.
“Dwi”
— A beekeeper who likes to write and paint. He’s the “chill” one; easygoing but also aloof. He takes spaces in between.
“Gustavo”
— A roofer who used to play guitar in a band. He’s sort of a brute but with some sincerity. He can bring the bash.
“Jonathan”
— A bin man who can make damn near anything by hand. He’s sunny, smooth but with bite. He connects with anyone.
* The main cast (above) are the flight passengers and the supporting cast are city locals. The main cast would operate in a co-lead format, like that one show from the ‘90s. The support cast would float in and out, with intention to add variety to the story and depth to the setting, on occasion.
The Supporting Cast.
“Fernanda”
— 60s. Owner of “The Wild Horse” hotel. A former teacher; has a worldly quality.
“Katayoun”
— Teen. A housekeeper at “The Wild Horse.” She’s in her bad attitude phase.
“Paz”
— 70s. Runs a small, city newspaper. She’s luminous; she has a killer smile.
“Vicky”
— 40s. The district, delivery driver. She has a kooky, screwball manner to her.
“Boo”
— 60s. Owner of “The Lime Tree” bar/cafe. A former soldier; a real straight arrow.
“Godwil”
— Teen. A security guard on the block. An aspiring policeman. More reserved.
“Jimmu”
— 80s. A bartender at “The Lime Tree.” Used to build ships. A charming guy.
“Red”
— 50s. A hustler and a frequent taxi driver for the hotel. Spiritual; strange.
NOTE — The next section uses references from projects in the 1950s to ‘60s. I ended up there through my mother. When I was a kid in the ‘90s, we had one TV and when it was her turn I had to sit through whatever was on Turner Classic Movies. The first (non-kid) movie I remember watching through was Some Like It Hot (1959). — It’s funny; we stay who we were as kids or teenagers, as far the things we like. So, my affinity for that time in movies and TV endures and it’s projects from that era that have inspired Bound’s style elements. … And I know; I should be Marvel-izing or Friends-ifying the references for Bound, but, what I should do isn’t the truth.
5 THE screen
Pictured — Fun in Acapulco, 1963. A “romance” movie not only in its story, but in its sense of style and place.
How Bound could look.
— What’s the general design style? The answer: Like the “Elvis Goes Places” film sub-genre. Presley starred in a dozen movies in which he went off to some place, sang songs and got the girl. The movies, God bless ‘em, aren’t good, but hanging out in Hawaii or Acapulco in technicolor ain’t a bad way to spend some time. Bound also aspires to create a “destination” feel to the place in which the characters are stranded. It doesn’t mean we won’t get into the grime of a setting, but overall, we’ll try to promote colors and nature and a bit of flair.
Another cool quality that separates the Elvis movies from other, impressive location or fashion movies of the time (like Contempt or L’Avventura) is that they’re kitschy but in the best ways. For example, on the one hand, the sets and the styling in Fun in Acapulco or Blue Hawaii are “tres chic,” and on the other hand, they look like a Margaritaville. — Either way, you like to be up in there.
Pictured — North by Northwest, 1959. Two people radiate while on a reckless escape/adventure.
How Bound could move.
— What’s the general filming style? If you’re into movie history this is going to be, like, so basic but the answer is in Alfred Hitchcock. His movies are more methodical first, with moments of mania second. It’s a consequence of the time, sure; cameras couldn’t swing like today. But still, it’s pretty the way he pans and tilts and blocks in a scene before dropping a dramatic zoom or cut. It’s a like boxer jabbing, jabbing, jabbing - boom - then throwing a blow. Bound will also present as more “standard” at first, but still take its share of swings.
Another great thing about Hitch is this: Movie stars were never more movie-starrin’ than when they were in a Hitchcock movie. Why? Because Alfie was a freak, often obsessive over his stars, and so he glorified them in the frame (even if he did not behind it). In Bound, too, it’s got to be all about the people - the characters. As such, expect a good dose of faces in closer frames and wider angles that gaze.
* To be clear, Bound is set in the present day and the references above are just guidelines. For now, the actual texture of Bound on screen may look like the adjoining picture, with a “photo-journalism” feel. The budget dictates that, as shooting on film (the dream) is far too expensive, and access to artificial lighting may be limited. But, that “photo-real” look can work for the story and the times, too. It’s very modern, plus it does help inform a Nat-Geo-social-science angle that exists within the story (more on that later).
NOTE — One, last word about that mid-century pocket of time I was introduced to as a kid is that directors and showrunners (and musicians) in that era were all becoming more empowered, stylistically. And so, films and series, like The Twilight Zone for example, started to become more and more “unconventional” but still within the sandbox of traditional pictures. The results are projects that are both old and new wave at once. … It’s a nice ideal for So Far Bound, as we want to pay homage to past loves but still seek new things in style, in production and in distribution as well.
6 THE DELIVERY
12.19.26
— The target, premiere date for the series is December 19, 2026. That allows this year to raise funds, assemble a great team and begin prep. Then, a year to finalize the story, sets and more (in the Winter and Spring) before moving on to filming and finishing the episodes in the Summer and Fall.
Wait, what is TAR?
— Since we’re on our own, it’s important to consider the totality of a series. Not just the story and the episode production, but also the ecosystem in which a series exists. So, while building the first episodes, we’ll also work to build a small platform (TAR) that can act as an engine for Bound (and other projects) and also, if needed, serve as a streaming home. … TAR is named for my [Evan] hometown of Rocky Mount, NC, divided by the Tar River.
How would the series be delivered?
— For now, the episodes would stream for free on the show's home platform, called TAR, as well as on public spaces like YouTube at the start. Episodes would distribute weekly, or twice a week, at set times. The goal would be for any season to wrap in no more than two months (or 8 weeks).
7 The people
— To start, Bound aims to create roughly 60 jobs. In addition to the bare essentials of camera, sound and key performers, we’ve also included design and production team members (and their tools) in our funding goal to elevate what’s on the screen and behind it. Plus, we’ve considered team members to focus on the platform and outreach around So Far Bound as well. In the end, the main cast and crew will be made up by a network of people across cities/countries. Then, once a setting is finalized, the majority of the supporting crew would be local to the filming location. — There are so many things that go into a series or movie that get so little attention. Please use the chart below as an imperfect-but-close idea of the elements needed, and thus the people needed, to make Bound at a certain standard.
8 THe production
08
— Right now, the goal is to make eight episodes of the series, or Part 1. The choice for eight derives from both story and the team. For story, it’s about greater proof of concept, allowing time to better set up the structures of the larger story and to smooth out the variety of tones, notes and characters. For the team, simply, eight episodes is a greater and more consistent work opportunity to be had.
Why 8, specifically? The scripts are written in sets of four, with a broad theme for each set. Episodes 1-4 are “First Days,” in which we see the chaos and excitement of the passengers in waiting. Episodes 5-8 are “On Holiday,” or the first weeks. By the end of episode four, characters have either decided or been told to stay a little longer. Then, starting with episode five, there’s a boom period of learning more about each other and the setting and then, ultimately, ideas on staying more permanently.
* We can always scale back, as needed. But while we’re here - on Earth - we’ll go for a little more.
2.2
— The estimated budget for the eight episodes is $2.2 million, breaking down to about $275K, per episode. At least half the budget (and likely a little more) goes toward fair pay and reasonable travel expenses for the ~60 team members above. The other half of the budget can be boxed into four, primary categories. In descending order from most expensive, they are:
Main Sets — At a similar cost are the options to rent out a smaller hotel and bar for an extended time to stand in as “The Wild Horse” and “The Lime Tree,” or the preferred option of securing space to build smaller, custom sets.
Taxes & Fees — As sure as death, there will be large taxes to pay on fundraising and fees around every corner for filming (insurance, permits, rentals, etc).
Equipment — At the start, we’ve budgeted about 20% more for gear in an effort to buy pre-owned, professional pieces upfront, to cut the costly rental loop early, and to allow greater flexibility in when and how we can film.
Platform — There’s no point in making this if it never plays or if no one knows. So, we’ve considered costs for streaming and promotion after the episodes are finished.
NOTE — Seven out of ten people surveyed said that, at some point, there’s got to be a name and a face attached to this thing. So, I’m Evan Sandoval; I’ll be an actor and writer on Bound. I’ve been in and around film/tv for a decade, doing grunt work on larger productions and still grunt work - but with a leadership tag - on smaller ones. All along, I’ve written scripts/stories across genres and self-studied in filmmaking, and for now, it’s me writing in the first (and third) person on the site. — Anyway, it’s nice to meet you; I appreciate that you’re here.
9 THE CONTEXT
Pictured — Young bucks abroad in the early 2010s.
The inspiration for the series.
— Let’s go back to the start. The basis for Bound is time spent traveling abroad in my early 20s. There were short-term trips, with nights in hostels where a few of us strangers would become quick friends and have a little adventure. But, I also had the opportunity to spend extended time in Brasil and Spain, which offered insight into what it might be like to “re-settle” in a different world from mine. At the time I was traveling, I wasn’t thinking on those terms, but later, as I got into writing, those travel experiences were all there to build from.
The pieces of the story.
The earliest version of Bound was focused on an individual, before morphing into the ensemble piece it is today. The reason for the shift is a long held interest in social sciences. Because of the travel aspect, I at some point started to see Bound as a vehicle for those geography or anthropology fields that I love and as an opportunity to dive further into them. By building up more characters from different worlds, who are all - in their own way - trying to make a new life in a dynamic and more heavily featured setting, the project could take structure and ideas from those social sciences. Then, the really fun challenge is finding entertaining and human stories within those structures.
0 the mission
Something for the times; something against them.
— In the end, with Bound we’d like to make something that’s fun and with a few ideas, and to do that for both the people who would work on the project and for the public at large.
***
To achieve that, we turn to crowdfunding. It’s out of necessity, sure; there are no connections here to any networks/streamers or intermediaries. However, it’s an exciting endeavor because it means that, for now, the rights and resources of the series can belong to the people on the ground making it. Also, crowdfunding - or acting on our own - means we’ve got to get creative. It’s a power to try (and to be) new things. — So, let’s revise the original ambition: With Bound we’d like to make something that’s fun and with a few ideas for both the people involved and the audience, plus we’d like to make use of a grassroots stature to explore what’s possible in working toward that.
Listen, there’s a lot of TV (and Tik Toks) out there to compete with. No matter what, it’s gonna be a real, son of bitch to breakthrough. On our end, we’ll just work to craft a cool story and to use our status (or lack thereof) to get a little funky. With that attitude and opportunity in tow, we believe So Far Bound can be something that both stands up and then stands out, in some meaningful way. — We appreciate any and all support in getting it started.
One Night, Over There — Until there can be video, here is an illustration of a scene, currently in Episode 2, that sees two of the passengers enjoying a night out in Lina while a couple of locals watch on.