‘eScape’ Engages Teens In A Conspiracy Thriller

What happens when you cross Lost with Kid Nation (and add a touch of Tron)? eScape, a new teen-focused independent sci-fi series which launched earlier this month. Created by Mike Feurstein of New York-based MovieQuest Productions and co-produced by Ben Alpi of Runic Films, eScape tells the story of a group of kids who wake up one day at summer camp to discover all the counselors have abandoned them to survive on their own—the only problem is, they’re now inside a video game. The young campers soon realize that the game grants them amazing powers and abilities, though they are unaware of a larger conspiracy in the real world that involves a power struggle between major corporations and mysterious military interests. It’s sort of like like Inception: Salute Your Shorts Edition.

The first two episodes, “Jooker” and “Aggro,” have been released on Vimeo, with four more new episodes scheduled each Friday culminating in a double-length season finale. Although distribution options are still being explored, Alpi tells us, the second and third seasons, which were shot in and around Albany, NY, are already in post-production.

MovieQuest Productions’ mission is to offer young people educational opportunities in the creation of quality films. Created as an educational project for Feurstein’s students, eScape featured a learning set where the grade-school level students could learn about the many roles behind-the-scenes as well as on camera. Feurstein added, “I’m glad we could create online content that parents can feel safe letting their kids watch. When I was young I had lots of shows I was excited to watch week after week. I want kids to be able to run home after school and watch eScape.”