In late 2012, Grant Sorbo (University of Rochester ’18) and Charlotte Lillie Balogh (Syracuse University – Newhouse ’17) initiated formal talks about creating a student-run online video series. Through multiple brainstorming, planning, and writing sessions, and the addition of co-writer Matt Cruz (Champlain College ’17), Wasteland was born.
The ambitious project entailed the production of a full 8-episode drama series. The show follows Chris O’Riley, a rising high school athlete, who loses everything after a shocking betrayal. Sentenced to attend group therapy sessions, Chris finds that there still may be time to clear his name – with help from a group of unlikely friends. The writers drew inspiration from many sources including high school dramas from the 1980s (such as The Breakfast Club), TV shows from the present day, and iconic songs, like Baba O’Riley by The Who.
In the summer of 2013, the team announced the project publicly on the Wasteland Facebook page. In the following months, the Wasteland team grew as musicians, video editors, and additional producers joined the project. After meetings and a formal casting process, production began.
Wasteland‘s pilot episode premiered online on January 12, 2015 at 8:00pm. The premiere is available on the Wasteland YouTube channel.
