Checking In with Kate Hackett on the New Season of Classic Alice!

We last spoke with Kate Hackett, creator/writer/star of web series Classic Alice, during the show’s Indiegogo campaign. Now Classic Alice is back with all new episodes, so we checked in with Kate about this season’s changes and where the show is heading!

Hey Kate! Thanks for speaking with us again! First: We saw that Classic Alice just passed a million views on YouTube. Congratulations!

Thank you!! I’m SO excited for such a huge feat — the cast and crew worked REALLY hard to get this little show to that point and I’m monumentally proud of us.

So, your new season has started! One of the first things we noticed is that you’re moving away from the vlog format and filming in multiple locations (and outside!). What opportunities did this give you to do new things with the story as you expanded Alice’s world? What challenges did it add?

This was probably our biggest “change” this season but I really love it. Moving away from ‘vlog’ lets us show the audience what’s going on, not just tell them. A huge challenge of the vlog style show is moving plot; if you can’t go with us on our heist or wherever, you’re stuck with a “recap” of what’s happening. That’s why so many shows use puppets or dioramas or costumes or whatever — we have to find a way to bring you into the world without leaving one room.

By expanding, we get to take you with us! It frees up our writing, opens up doors, and otherwise makes the whole thing more engaging.

But it’s more expensive (and louder – the outdoors is loud!) and takes more time. We had more camera movement, more permits, more everything. I think it’s worth it though.

Last time we talked, you explained transmedia a bit for our readers who are more familiar with traditional single-platform TV shows. You’ve got some new transmedia stuff going on this season, right?

We do! To celebrate our 1 million views, we launched a secret something… More details to (obviously) follow. We also have the podcast again, Twitters, Tumblrs, and so on.

[Sign up for the secret new transmedia piece here by Friday! – Ed.]

That’s a lot. Do you ever sleep?

Nah.

On several of the shows popular with our readers, like Bones and Castle, the main couple finally started a relationship after years of will they/won’t they tension, and then the show had to figure out where to go from there – and some made this transition more successfully than others. You’re in a similar situation, returning after Alice and Andrew finally kissed in the book seven finale. How did you approach writing this new phase for them? It’s natural for fans to want the characters they love to live happily ever after, but in reality that can be pretty boring to watch.

My characters are in their very early 20s. Conflicts come naturally because they still learning who they are, so I really focused on that this season. I don’t think that “happy” means boring necessarily, but watching people navigate their lives is more interesting than watching them be content with it.

All that said, one of the things I like about the show is that it’s NOT all about that romantic tension – Alice is very ambitious and cares a lot about her education and career. What’s coming up for her in those areas this season?

“Self Doubt”

You’ve announced a bunch of new cast members! (One our readers may recognize is Jonathan Emerson, who has appeared on Hart of Dixie, Castle, Happy Endings, and more.) Any hints you can give us about what’s coming up with any of the new characters?

I think everyone will be really happy to see two family members …and a love interest….

Anything else you can tease about the new season in general?

Buckle in; it’s not an easy show this time.

Okay, let’s end by talking TV for a moment. Now that they’re together, what shows are Alice and Andrew making each other watch?

The Returned. It’s so, so ridiculous. They’d love it.

And what are YOU watching this summer?

Wayward Pines! I am LOVING it.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Kate!

You can catch up with Classic Alice with the playlist below or via their Narrative page. New episodes appear on the show’s YouTube channel on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. PDT.

 

(Image courtesy of Kate Hackett Productions.)

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