We sat down with the Production Team for a Q&A on the new series. Part one of a multi-post series.
What are some of the ways that the web series is different than the novel?
Producer: The novel was written for a young adult reader so the protagonist is a teen and both of the characters are inexperienced. The web series is intended for an adult audience (that mature teens may also enjoy), the characters are older and experienced, Chloe is engaged in fact. The setting has changed. We are a Canadian company who shot the teaser in winter so it was natural to set it in a northern climate. We tell you the captor’s name and have changed his motivation. We have also changed the ending and explore what happens after her captivity ends.
Writer: Probably the biggest difference in the web series is the addition of Stephanie Flemming, the investigator who works with Chloe to essentially de-program her. By making a police investigation a cornerstone of the series helped put the mystery of what is going on with Chloe and this group she is involved with very much at the forefront of the series. I changed some aspects of the characters and story to create a bigger story. Edeet did such a great job of creating this unusual relationship between Chloe and her captor — we just fleshed it out a bit more.
Tell us something about how the story grows beyond the novel in the web series?
Producer: Well we don’t want to spoil and secrets but we got really interested in questions around what might have happened to Chloe after the story of the novel. Our writer is really good at playing with structure so we’ve got multiple timelines that allow us to explore what happened to Chloe in captivity and what happened after – some of which is pretty surprising!
Writer: Stay tuned for the web series and you’ll find out!
What questions would you like audiences to be left with after watching the teaser?
Producer: What could have led to Chloe to not want to leave Damien after he had held her captive? What happens next? What does this say about what people are capable of doing to survive?
Writer: Who is Damien, of course. What is he doing with her? Why was Chloe kidnapped? What’s going on with her? Are her feelings real? And ultimately — what’s going to happen next?
Is there anything you’re still working through in the webseries?
Producer: We’re still working through lots of details about the plot and arc of the series. One of the character details that we are still thinking through is around what kind of athlete Chloe is. We think it is really important that she is a physical person as exercising is one of the main ways that she takes care of herself in captivity. In keeping with the Canadian setting, we made Chloe an Olympic freestyle skier but now that we’ve cast Alanna, who we think is incredible, we’re toying with the idea of making Chloe a dancer, which seems more natural for the Chloe in our web series.
I’m fascinated by Stockholm Syndrome and always have been. And the idea of then needing to be de-programmed once you’re helped (when you don’t want to be helped cause that means you can’t stay with your captors). Thought you did a really strong job in the teaser of leaving questions unanswered which means we need to see more to find the answers. So yes please, more.
Thanks Heather. We’re interested in that too, a big part of the full series explores the deprogramming of Chloe after she is fully invested in the goals of her captors. We’re excited to share the full series with you.