A NEW FANTASY SERIES CREATED BY KATE MADISON AND CHRISTOPHER DANE REN is a new exciting fantasy drama series, with high-end TV production values, created for the ever growing online audience.
It tells the story of a young woman who, after an otherworldly encoun- ter in the woods, is marked by an ancient spirit.
Cast out from her small village, she is forced to leave behind the family she has spent her whole life protecting and journey across the country to find the real meaning behind the mark she now bears.
The aim for the now completed Season One is to create the basis for a long lasting new fantasy franchise.
As a made-for-the-internet feature my first project Born of Hope has been a major success story. Over 35 million views on platforms like YouTube and Daily Motion has made it the most watched Lord of the Rings tribute film. The entire team honed their skills attempting to create a world that could easily sit next to Peter Jackson’s trilogy... and succeeded.
With Ren it was important for me to create a NEW world, where nobody has ever been before, to make it exciting for both our loyal Born of Hope fans and a whole new group of fantasy fans.
It was also very important that we did not compromise on the quality of what we were creating, so every member of the team aimed for high-end TV production values... and succeeded.
Bringing out the first season is obviously the big test, but I’m in no doubt that this is only the start of an amazing journey!
Kate Madison These are some of the reactions to Season One from the fans
It is indeed. . one of the best things. . ever to be featured as web series.
I’ve been very impressed with the show’s visuals, story, lore, music, all of it. Big budget quality on a low budget. Fantastic work.
Wow this is HBO quality work!
Am loving this series. I was looking for something to replace Merlin. I found it!
You really should try and approach a major TV channel with this. Maybe the BBC?
Ren has the beginnings of a really great heroine and I look forward to her journey.
That is seriously awesome. The production value is fantastic,the acting, direction, sets, costumes excellent and I must say I am in love with Ren!
Beautifully done. From the beginning, I felt immersed in the world. The cast is fantastic and I loved the costuming.
The locations are so intricate they really bring this to life. I love the attention to detail. It helps this series overcome the majority of flaws most web series have.
Really like the way the relationships are established so that you care about the characters and the tension is well done too!
Holy crap, it looks amazing guys. Well done you should be proud.
Stunning cinematography, beautiful locations, excellent casting and brilliant costumes! Been waiting for a web series like this!
Fantastic! Big studio quality in every category.
Incredible series definitely deserves to be on TV.
More please!!! Ren lives in a small protected village in the land of Alathia with her younger brother, Baynon, and her crippled father, Dagron. Growing up she has tried to come to terms with the disappearance of her mother, and helped by her mentor, Karn, she manages to keep her family fed. But on this day her life will change forever.
Soldiers from the ruling order of the Kah’Nath arrive and put the normally quiet village on edge. When Dagron discovers a forbidden book in Ren’s bag, a huge argument ensues. Dagron throws the book in the fire and Ren runs away to find solace in the forest.
There she encounters two fugitives, Hunter and Lyanna, chased by the Kah’Nath. CONFIDENTIAL In the ensuing fight Ren is exposed to an ancient spirit, a Mahri, and in a state of Please avoid spoilers shock she returns to the village. Hunter follows her and when the spirit takes hold of Ren he enlists the help of Baynon. Sheltered in her house Ren discovers that she is now a Nuh’Nahri and a ‘Marked One’, the ancient enemy of the Kah’Nath, and Hunter urges her to flee with him at once. But Dagron comes back and chases Hunter out of the house. Ren pleads for her father to find help, while Hunter is captured by the Kah’Nath.
Ren’s prayers to the goddess Nirith falls on deaf ears and her father hands her over to the Kah’Nath Commander, who swears that they will extract the evil from his daughter. The only one who doesn’t believe the Commander is Baynon, and he frees Hunter from prison in return for Hunter’s help.
But when the Kah’Nath Master, the supreme ruler of the province, arrives at Ren’s trial, Hunter goes back on his promise and abandons Baynon. In a last ditch attempt to save his sister, Baynon pleads with the villagers to go against their beliefs. But the Master plays a trick on Ren to expose her potential evil powers to the frightened people, and the trial continues.
At the very last minute Karn returns with Hunter and together they fight off the Kah’Nath. Dagron faces the Master in a fatal attempt to free Ren. His sacrifice gives Ren enough time to free herself and stand up to the Master. The victory is short lived and Ren has to flee into the unknown with only Hunter at her side.
THE SHOW’S FUTURE The team is looking at several ways to bring the series forward. One option is to keep Ren as a digital series and continue the colaborate nature of the show as it moves forward. Another option is to colaborate with a broadcaster/producer and expand the scale of the series to a full blown TV series on par with Merlin, Atlantis and Legend of the Seeker. In the title role of REN we have cast the wonderful up and coming actress Sophie Skelton. Already accustomed to the international stage (she has just been cast as Brianna in Starz’s Outlander series), she brings both the strength and vulnerability needed for the part.
Hunter is the mysterious character Ren teams up with at the end of Season One. Another up and com- ing actor, Duran Fulton Brown (Jekyll & Hyde, BBC’s Musketeers), brings an edge to the character that ensures that the audience is constantly torn about the true nature of his motives.
A host of both newcomers and seasoned professionals join the two leads in the first exciting Season. Amongst them are Nick Cornwall (Davinci’s Demons, Outlander), Richard Zeman (Stargate, The Day After Tomorrow), Grace Parry, James Malpas, Dita Tantang and Christopher Dane (The Four Warriors, BBC’s Dr Who). PR STILLS FROM FILMING ON MAIN STUDIO SET
Available on request.
PR STILLS FROM FILMING ON LOCATION
Available on request. BEHIND THE SCENES PRODUCTION STILLS
Available on request.
Kate Madison Christopher Dane Creator – Producer/Director/Writer Creator - Writer/Actor Kate has been pursuing the dream of creating Christopher is an award-winning actor and fantasy films for the past ten years. Her feature screenwriter with more than ten feature scripts Born of Hope won ‘Best Micro Budget Feature’ at and several shorts to his name. As well as his the London Independent Film Festival 2010, was acting abilities, set designs and builds he brings awarded a 4 star review in The Times and has an eye for action and structure to the script as since been seen by over 35 million people online. well as a genuine passion for the fantasy genre.
Michelle Golder Neil Oseman Co- Producer Director of Photography Michelle is an independent creative arts Neil has worked in the USA, Europe and consultant, writer and director who has produced Japan. He has photographed 10 independent or co-produced nine short films and one feature feature films, countless shorts, music promos as well as radio plays and theatre productions. and two of the web’s most exciting new She is a member of the board for the Cambridge series. Neil has also lensed his own feature Literary Festival and Classworks Theatre. films, been long-listed for a Bafta, and dubbed “The Spielberg of Hereford” by The Guardian.
Miriam Spring Davies Costume Designer / Supervisor Miriam’s experience is an eclectic mix from costuming for new writing and experimental theatre to styling couture fashion shoots. Her flair for colour and texture, her attention to detail and her vivid imagination have all been instrumental in bringing Ren’s fantasy world to life. 3 Brackyn Road, Cambridge, CB1 3PL www.rentheseries.com mail: [email protected] +44 (0)7947 791657 P R E S S R E L E A S E 2 / 2 / 1 6 F O R I M M E D I A T E R E L E A S E
NEW FANTASY SERIES ANNOUNCES RELEASE DATE The latest unmissable fantasy series vying for the Game of Thrones audience is not the product of a vast US TV network, Hollywood studio or VOD streaming service. Ren: The Girl with the Mark is a brand new short-form series financed through Kickstarter and created by a committed team of experienced industry professionals and enthusiastic volunteers. The show stars newcomer Sophie Skelton, who set the internet buzzing last week when she was cast as Claire Randall’s daughter Brianna in the hit series Outlander. “Ren is a free spirit and not your typical damsel in distress,” Skelton remarks of her title character. “This strength of character makes her a desirable role to play and a role model for young girls!” Skelton leads a cast well acquainted with genre fare, including Duran Fulton Brown (Jekyll & Hyde, The Musketeers), Nick Cornwall (Outlander, DaVinci’s Demons), Richard Zeman (Stargate, The Day After Tomorrow) and series co-creator Christopher Dane (The Four Warriors, Doctor Who). Ren: The Girl with the Mark tells the story of a young woman who, after an otherworldly encounter in the woods, is marked by an ancient spirit. Cast out from her small village, she is forced to leave behind the family she has spent her whole life protecting and journey across the country to find the real meaning behind the mark she now bears. Despite a price tag one hundredth that of Games of Thrones – less than £40,000 per hour vs. an estimated £4,000,000 per hour for HBO’s international epic – Ren: The Girl with the Mark has aimed for big-budget TV quality every step of the way. The show is the brainchild of director Kate Madison, whose 2009 Lord of the Rings fan film Born of Hope has been viewed over 35 million times on YouTube. “We already have the attention of some major players in UK television,” says Madison. “They've never seen anything like this before. They’re blown away by what can be achieved when creativity and passion drive a project." Filming in the tiny village of Caxton, Cambridgeshire, the crew built a highly detailed medieval market square in the car park of their makeshift studio. Leading this Herculean effort was series co-creator Christopher Dane. “When the idea of building a set on our budget was first suggested, I thought it was insane,” Dane confesses, “but I soon realised it was the only way to get the level of control we needed to tell our story.” Over a five month period, over 200 volunteers helped to construct the set, props and costumes needed to fill the fantasy world of Ren - as well as serving as extras - some of them travelling from Germany, the Netherlands and even the US to be involved. “The premise of the series, and Kate’s incredible success with Born of Hope, inspired a huge following of loyal fans,” explains co-producer Michelle Golder. “Without the time and talents they gave in abundance, Ren would not have been possible.” Season one of Ren: The Girl with the Mark begins on Tuesday March 1st at 8pm, free online at www.rentheseries.com, and a trailer can already be seen on the site. E N D S . 5 3 4 W O R D S
N O T E S T O E D I T O R 1. Press invitations to the big-screen premiere of the series on February 28th are available, where many of the cast and crew will be in attendance. Please contact [email protected] 2. Photos, online preview screeners and EPK video material are also available on request. 3. Born of Hope can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qINwCRM8acM 4. Backstory and extensive behind-the-scenes information can be found at www.renthseries.com
Mythica Entertainment Limited 3 Brackyn Road, Cambridge CB1 3PL Phone: 07947 791657 [email protected] Company ref no: 8506842