THE STORY GOES that one night on a long-haul, international flight, a faulty plane is forced to land off its course, leaving a few passengers from around the world stuck in the same, far off place. Over a few days at a troubled hotel, the passengers connect and then decide to stay and start a life and (hotel) business together during what becomes a historic time in that new and different place. // That’s the idea for So Far Bound, an original, scripted series, and we’re here to try to raise funds to make it. I’m Evan Sandoval; I’d be a writer and actor on Bound and, for now, it’s me writing in the first (and also third) person on the website. I really appreciate that you’re here. Please read on for more on the project ideas and goals!
series overview.
Scripted
Half-hour(ish)
Comedy/Drama
Ongoing Series
— So Far Bound is a comedy and drama idea with elements of adventure. It’s inspired by travel experiences in my early 20s as well as shaped by a life-long interest in fields such as geography and sociology. The series is built around an eight-person ensemble of characters and a hotel in which they live and work. It’s currently envisioned as an ongoing series with a five-year (season) outline. Episodes would run between 30-40 minutes. The show would be less serialized, with threads through longer story arcs, sure, but also room for one-off, “adventures of the week” and recurring specials.
Big, dumb plane. Whole new world. — For Bound, we used the setup of a “long-haul, international flight” as a chance to create characters of not just varied personalities, but also of varied backgrounds. For one, the banter between them should be great, and also, so should the tension. By featuring people from different worlds who would together - but each in their own way - try to build a new life in a dynamic and exotic (to them) setting, the opportunities for both drama and hi-jinks are abundant.
The Main Characters.
“Devika”
A laywer from the Jaipur region.
“Mei Ling”
A nurse from the Chengdu region.
“Samirah”
A farmer from the Lyon/Lu’bashi regions.
“Valya”
An engineer from the Yekaterinburg region.
“Al-Haj”
A binman from the Alexandria region.
“Dwi”
— A teacher from the Bandung region.
“Gustavo”
— A roofer from the Puebla/DC regions.
“Jonathan”
— A cop from the Abuja region.
seRIES objective.
4 Episodes >
60+ People
$250,000 Scale
2027 Production
— The goal is to make at least four episodes (or Block A), to start, with stretch ambitions all the way to a full season. The target budget for episodes is $250,000 (avg) per episode, after taxes. To arrive at that, we planned out production from a number of angles and considered past experiences on projects at larger and smaller scales and what those final products became. This particular level would afford more than just the basics; it can also include a fuller complement of design and production team members and the chance to build up inventory and infrastructure on-location. Also, importantly, it can allow funds to better promote and sustain the project.
At present, So Far Bound is a wholly independent project. The intention is to produce the first episodes as a stepping stone for a larger scale on later episodes, whether through partnerships or continued, independent growth. The goal is to raise funds through 2026 with an eye toward pre-production (like location scouting, set designs, et al) by the end of the year. We’ll try to raise funds through crowdfunding first, while also trying to build awareness of the series to open up opportunities to pitch the project.
Season 1 Outline.
Block A / Episodes 01-04 / “Winter”
— In the days after the plane makes its emergency landing, the characters form cliques and, while in waiting, each is drawn out into exploring the setting in some way. Meanwhile their hotel is in disarray behind the scenes and the city itself is about to have a meaningful event.
Block B / Episodes 05-08 / “Spring”
— A few weeks after the opening days of the story, we jump to a time of greater exploration and a bit of carelessness. The group is in full “on holiday” mode, further bonded by the momentous events prior and further boosted by having come out on the other side of it all.
Interlude I / “Wedding”
— The “interludes” are an idea for a recurring special each season at midpoint. They would feature the characters taking a trip outside of the setting. It can tie into the main story in some ways, but mostly, it’ll be a self-contained adventure. It would be feature length (60-80 min).
Block C / Episodes 09-12 / “Summer”
— The fever dream / honeymoon period is ending and we’ve got to address some practical concerns. As they keep pushing back their leave dates, what of the characters’ strings back home? And what of the more logistical, lifestyle and, uh, legal concerns of staying longer abroad?
Block D / Episodes 13-16 / “Autumn”
— After almost a year the characters stand as makeshift citizens in their new world. The Wild Horse (hotel) is central to their lives and the city continues to shift around them. They’ve become incredibly tied to this place and to each other and now, it’s time to really try to build something.