What happens when you overshare?...

Six friends. Seven cell phones. When the gang gets back together on a school break, they decide to try out a supernatural party game. But when it works a little too well, they find themselves under the thrall of the terrifying Answer Man. Late to the party, Ed walks in and finds his friends in distress, and must find a way to face the entity, sever the connection, and save his friends. But can they really be as disconnected as they want to be?

What are we doing here?

I have always had a love for a group of friends facing off a terrifying creature. I grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it remains one of my favourite shows and inspirations. I've been writing since I was a teenager, and I have challenged myself across formats and genres, and Dial Tone is set to be my first project produced beyond my fingers writing the words. There's a sentimentality there already, and reassurance from the excitement I see my respected collaborators and friends exhibit about working on something I've written.

Set in this modern age, Dial Tone is a story of queer people fighting for each other. When faced with the (Answer) Man, Ed's concern and care for these people overcomes insecurities as the odds are stacked against him. Queer people can relate to the idea of chosen family, a group of individuals that you'd do anything for and in turn would do anything for you. This is far from an exception. The strength of Dial Tone is that the group's queerness isn't the primary storyline; it's the underlying thread that connects each of the characters. As a writer, I want to see that kind of relationship in queer media. While the entity may subtly represent patriarchal and heteronormative institutions, we have a group here that stand against it for each other. Even when it feels like we're alone, we never truly are.

The Answer Man has another aspect to its allegory. We live in a world where AI has taken the digital world by storm. So many people use large language models and give so many personal details, and we already know these AI LLMs use all that information to "learn" and make it part of the whole. I have a love for scary party games, and the Answer Man is what we get as a physical representation of a current, real-world thing.

As a collaborator, I have creatives attached that are as passionate as I am. Concept designs already speak to the cumulative nature of the Answer Man absorbing and feeding on its victims. I'm encouraged by my production team, artistic designers, and fellow writers that have been providing me invaluable help and feedback to make this script and production as excellent as we can. If you like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Talk to Me, Tim Burton type horror, and many other vibes... this is for you.

Will you get connected?

And let's talk about you. You, dear reader, are the one in the position to help me help everyone involved make this project a reality. Even low-to-no budget productions require something, and our base costs are for the special effects makeup design of the Answer Man, and to feed our cast and crew. Other expenses are inevitable, and your generosity will allow us to do more, and to pay as many people for their time and effort as possible. And because of the power you hold for us, I want you to receive awesome stuff for it. I'm grateful for any support, which is why the first tier includes your name in the credits. You should be showcased as a supporter of the arts, no matter what! But we have so much cool stuff already in the works, with more coming, and the higher tiers give you access to mementos and exclusive content we won't put anywhere else. You're in it with us, and for this service I thank you.

So give what you can, and we'll see you on the other side of it. In the mean time, don't forget to end the call (you never know who's listening).