Note:
this page is under construction as we review the pledge
system and test response forms. When we are ready to
activate the pledge drives a notice will be posted on the
message boards and the response forms below will
function.
Squadron DVD Pledge Projects
In the past, Serial Squadron
pledge drives have made possible the first existing DVD of
ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION (yes, ours was
the first ever produced, anywhere), the PHANTOM EMPIRE restoration and more,
including other serials previously thought lost forever.
Our current pledge project THE MASKED RIDER is still in
restoration but will be finished soon so now is your
chance to choose which rare serial will be available on
DVD from the Squadron next -- with your name in the
credits!
THE HOPE DIAMOND
MYSTERY
(1921) Kosmik (Kleine Films); 15
Chapters; all exist
Featuring Grace Darmond, George Chesebro, Boris Karloff
3 Volume DVD set (6 DVDs)
Hope
Diamond Mystery Pledge Form
Current pledge total for Vol. 1: 0 pledges. Goal: 100
Current pledge total for Vol 2: 0 pledges. Goal: 100
Current pledge total for Vol. 3: 0 pledges. Goal: 100
THE LIGHTNING RAIDER
(1919) Pathé;
Reconstruction including 9 existing chapters
Featuring Pearl White and Warner Oland
2 Volume DVD Set (4 DVDs)
Lightning
Raider Pledge Form
Current
pledge total for Vol. 1: 0 pledges. Goal: 100
Current pledge total for Vol 2: 0 pledges. Goal: 100
TRAIL OF THE OCTOPUS
Hallmark
1919; 14 of 15 Chapters
Featuring Ben Wilson and Neva Gerber
3 Volume DVD set (6 DVDs)
Trail of
the Octopus Pledge Form
Current pledge total for Vol. 1: 0 pledges. Goal: 100
Current pledge total for Vol 2: 0 pledges. Goal: 100
Current pledge total for Vol. 3: 0 pledges. Goal: 100
Why is a pledge drive necessary?
Acquisition and transfer of rare 35mm nitrate silent serial
material is approximately ten times as expensive as the
same kind of work with 16 or 35mm sound serial chapters. We
need to know enough people will want to see these serials
before we can make the major investment to acquire the
source material and plan the time to restore it. It's as
simple as that.
How will this process work?
Pledges for these serials will not require payment in
advance as we have done in the past. Instead, we will be
releasing the serials as pledges make it possible -- in
volumes of 5-6 episodes each. We encourage you to fill out
the existing forms for the serials you would be interested
in seeing restored and owning, and when enough pledges have
come in to fund a full volume (2-DVD set of 5-6 chapters),
you will be notified that the pledge total for that volume
has been reached and requested then to send payment only
for that volume. This way the serial that most people want
to see the most will be released first, and since it will
be released in installments, you will only pay for what it
is possible to produce, and be able to receive and see more
of it sooner than if we decided to let pledges go on for a
long time and not begin work on a serial until its pledge
total has been reached (this is what doomed the original
HOPE DIAMOND pledge drive).
How do I participate?
1. Click on any of the rare serial titles to read more
information about the serial and how many of its episodes
still exist and are available to the Squadron.
2. Choose which serials you would like to own copies of and
fill out the pledge form for that serial which will send us
an email with your information. You may decide to pledge
for only Volume 1 of a 2 or 3 serial set at $20, or the
complete serial all at once. You may pledge for only a
single serial or all three if you know you would be
interested in them all. At this time we will only accept
single pledges for each volume of each title, no multiple
pledges.
3. Include with your pledge how you would like to be
credited on the DVD. This can be simply your name (we
frankly prefer this), such as JOE SMITH, nickname such as
ACE DRUMMOND, or company name, such as JOE'S DELI. Please
keep your credit short, though, to three words if possible.
Long name/nickname combinations such as J. CLARENCE "THE
PURPLE MONSTER" SNODGRASS will not be accepted because they
often prove too wide for title crawls. Domain names or
other advertising is also unacceptable.
4. Do not send money with your pledge. We will collect
emails only at this stage of production. You may also
pledge by mail but again, do not send money at this first
stage, only your Name/Address/Phone, how you'd like to be
credited on the DVD, and what title or titles and volumes
of each you'd like to pledge for.
What happens next?
We will post pledge goals for each volume of
each serial and update this page or a forum page with
current pledge drive results as they come in. Then,
whichever DVD volume of the three serials below receives
the most pledges soonest will be put into production first.
Pledges for only one volume will be called in at a time,
though you may pledge for as many volumes and serials as
you like; volumes will be produced in the order and at the
rate that advance pledges determine.
For example, if 100 pledges are necessary to release volume
1 of HOPE DIAMOND MYSTERY, when 100 people send in pledges
for THE HOPE DIAMOND MYSTERY Vol. 1 DVD, if that title has
received the most pledges first, the project will then be
green-lighted and you will then be notified that pledges
are being called in for that title and asked then to send
in your $20 by check, money order, or PayPal for Volume 1.
Once pledges have been called in for a volume, transfers of
original master material for that volume will be produced
and delivered to the Squadron for restoration, and, in a
few months, once the material has been restored and scored
your DVD volume will be shipped to you, and you will see
your name listed in the credits alongside others who have
pledged for the title.
We have chosen the following three serials for restoration
because of their rarity, state of completeness, and cast
members. We believe all three are also entertaining
stories. Only HOPE DIAMOND MYSTERY exists in complete form.
TRAIL OF THE OCTOPUS is close to complete, missing only one
chapter, and LIGHTNING RAIDER, perhaps the liveliest serial
of the bunch, regretably is missing six of fifteen original
episodes, but features two major stars: Pearl White and
Warner Oland.
DVDs of these serials will be encoded at high speed and
extra-high quality, with 2-3 chapters on each disk. (Silent
serial chapters were often longer than sound serial
chapters, usually running about 25 minutes each rather than
17)
Please look over the serial description pages and make your
pledges now to help us make it possible for these lost gems
to once again be seen. Your pledge decisions will determine
which one we see next!
Note: Pledge goal totals as posted are approximate and will
be refined as more information becomes available to
us.