Overcoming obstacles to guarantee the future is worth living for, while also not passively accepting defeat in the present, is an inspirational narrative that society needs to see in the media in modern society. But that message is even more gratifying as it’s being presented in the latest installment of the celebrated sci-fi adventure series, ‘Space Command.’

The franchise is honoring its long-standing philosophy of preserving the future’s integrity through empathy and compassion in its latest film entry, ‘Space Command: The Great Solar War.’ The project’s creator, Marc Zicree, is also continuing his commitment to interweaving inclusivity into the series by featuring performers of all genders, races and acting background in the new movie’s ensemble cast.

Film Factual was generously offered the opportunity to participate in a set visit at Space Command Studios in Los Angeles in August to view the filming of ‘The Great Solar War.’ During the first day of the set visit, several of the actors generously took the time to sit down for exclusive interviews while the crew rearranged the set design of the space ships for the next scene.

During the set visit, Marc and his wife and creative partner, Elaine Zicree, who also wrote, produced and directed the movie, were in full supervision of the project’s production. But as the actors all mentioned during their interviews, the Zicrees also encouraged their cast and crew to offer suggestions about the production’s shoot.

The ‘Space Command’ franchise takes audiences on an unforgettable journey across the cosmos. It follows the epic journey of Captain Jack Kemmer (Ethan McDowell), who sets in motion a revolution that changes galactic history.

‘The Great Solar War’ follows the series’ first film installment, ‘Space Command: Redemption.’ The initial entry debuted on Tubi, such VOD platforms as Amazon Prime Video and Google Play, and physical media this past spring. The movie was released via Space Command Studios, the the Zicrees’ independent production company, which was launched via a highly successful Kickstarter campaign. 

Among the actors who generously participated in interviews during the set visit’s first day were David Snyder, who plays Ed Kemmer, the son of Jack Kemmer, and Bryan McClure, who portrays Cpt. Bradbury. Jacob Charlot, who plays Combat Synthetic, and Nathaniel Freeman, who portrays Cpt. Charles Chilton, also discussed their time starring in the franchise during their interviews.

Snyder, who participated in the first interview of the day, described his experience of being cast in the series as “a really crazy story. I ‘ve been living in L.A. for about eight years now. I’m originally from a farm in the middle of nowhere in North Dakota, and I kind of got discovered by this agent who said, ‘I’ll sign you as an actor and model if you move to L.A.’ I said, ‘Okay, sweet, I’ll do it.’

“So I graduated from high school and moved to L.A. when I was 18. As it typically is with actors, I started working at a restaurant. So I was serving tables while I was auditioning for acting roles and modeling,” the actor continued.

“Then one day while I was serving tables, Marc and Elaine were the people I was serving! They were actually regulars at this restaurant, so they would come in often, and I would be like, ‘How’s it going? It’s good to see you!,” Snyder divulged.

“Then one day Marc asked me, ‘Are you an actor?’ I said ‘Yes, I’m an actor.’ He said, ‘You look just like one of our cast members, Ethan McDowell, and we’re looking to cast his son on the show.’ So he basically invited me to audition, and I was chosen. The rest is history!,” the actor enthusiastically added.

McClure, who took the time to sit down for his interview after Synder, also shared what he described as an interesting casting process for the franchise, as well. “I became involved in ‘Space Command’ through a talent search, actually. I think I first auditioned for the franchise about 12 years ago. Marc opened up auditions to anybody in the world. He posted the sides online, and anybody could pick those up and audition for it.

“I think there were about 2,000 people who submitted auditions for two different roles. It was about a year later when we had the call-back audition for it. Ultimately I got the role of Bradbury,” the actor added.

The next interview of the day was with Charlot, who revealed that he became attached to play Combat Synthetic in the series “almost two years ago. I started off in ‘Space Command: Redemption,’ and since that project, my character has been promoted to captain. So now I’m the captain of my own ship!

“On this project, he has a bit more of a military mindset. Since he’s the captain now, he’s taking care of the crew, and making sure everyone is okay at the end of the day, with all of these ships coming at us,” the actor added.

The last interview of the day was with Freeman, who started off by explaining why he was interested starring in the ‘Space Command’ franchise. He noted that he was intrigued by the fact that the story “takes place many years in the future. Whenever I’m associated with a story that features people of color in the distant future, it’s a very positive thing,” he shared.

“What I also liked about my character of Charles Chilton is that he’s second-in-command on the space ship. So he has a lot of responsibility, as he’s second to only the captain, Jack Kemmer,” the actor noted.

“In ‘The Great Solar War,’ the story takes place 20-25 years in the future after the previous installment, ‘Redemption.’ So I went from being a lieutenant in the previous episode to a captain in this one. So there’s a significant amount of extra responsibility, and there are more lives at stake,” Freeman pointed out.

“The character of the young actress who plays my daughter, Aungelique Scott, now has the position that my character had in the previous installment; she’s now a lieutenant with her own ship, which is quite exciting,” the actor emphasized.

Freeman then shared that he “became associated with the entire project (because) I’m a member of a roundtable networking organization that started many decades ago by Marc and Elaine Zicree. They meet on Thursday nights up, I think either in Sherman Oaks or Burbank.

“When I moved there (to L.A.) 20 years ago, one of the first things that one of my then-manager did was bring me into the table reading on Thursday nights. I met Marc and Elaine, and told everyone that I was from New York and was new here. They all welcomed me with open arms,” the actor divulged. “Through the people there, I became associated with ‘Space Command,’ and the rest is history!”

Further speaking about the Zicrees later in his interview, Snyder praised the filmmakers for their welcoming nature on the film’s set. “Marc is so cool, and he has such heart. He does everything with such passion, and he’s so kind and understanding. It’s so cool to see him chase after something that he has such a vision for, and that’s probably my favorite part about him. He also gets everyone excited about this awesome project.”

McClure agreed with Snyder about how much he enjoys collaborating with the Zicrees on the series. “They’re fun. Marc and Elain are so sweet and inspiring. Independent projects aren’t easy to get made, and this particular one is a showcase of their love for this story.

“This project also shows their determination to not give up. We’ve certainly run into some challenging times in filming this franchise over the years, but Marc and Elain haven’t let those hard times get in their way. They’ve just found ways around them. I find that to be really inspiring as a filmmaker myself,” the actor admitted.

“They don’t necessarily take no for an answer. Instead, they think, what other avenue is a better path for us to go down?,” McClure also shared.

Working for the filmmakers has also “been an awesome experience” for Charlot, he revealed. “They’re very creative and the nicest people and very down-to-earth. So working for them has been a real blessing and fun.

“I’m also an investor on this project. One of the reasons why I wanted to do that is because they have very creative ideas,” the actor explained.

Freeman also shared his co-stars’ sentiments about working with the Zicrees. “It really helped that I had 10 years of being a table member before we shot any footage for the show. So I got to know Marc and Elaine over the course of that decade in many different situations. They also got to see me act in other people’s projects and knew about my work. I guess their sensibilities meshed with mine, which made our union so much stronger,” he noted.

“They’re what I would call actors’ directors. Many directors have a vision of what they have in mind, and can be very unyielding in their approach,” the actor explained.

“This is my 40th year in the business, and I’ve worked with a lot of directors, both here and in New York. My work seems to be really elevated when I work with directors who have been actors or at least have an actor’s sensibility. They allow the collaborative process to take root,” Freeman continued.

“I’m an ideas person. So when I’m going over my character analysis, I may find something about the character that the director might not have seen, but may want to incorporate into the story. Marc and Elaine are very open about taking suggestions from their actors, and sometimes incorporating them into the overall narrative,” the actor revealed.

Besides working with Marc and Elaine, Snyder has also embraced his experience working with his co-stars on the project. “Today is actually my first day on set,” the actor divulged. “So today’s actually the first day I’m meeting the rest of the cast. I was previously in another episode that was shot during COVID, so I filmed my scenes at home.

“So this is the first time I’m meeting the other actors in person. So I can’t quite speak to what it’s like to work with everyone here on the set yet, but everyone has been so sweet so far,” the actor revealed.

McClure also shared his enthusiasm for working with the rest of the cast on the series’ latest installment. “Overall, the whole ‘Space Command’ team is like a family. Since we’ve been making the series over the course of a number of years, we’ve all become close. So having the opportunity to come back and be a part of it with every new installment, I feel like I’m coming back to my people,” he noted.

The actor also called the rest of the cast “close friends at this point. So getting to goof around with them on set between takes is fun. Some of the stuff we’re capturing on camera is very serious at times. But between takes, we’ve gotten to the point where we can goof around, and we all know it’s in good fun.

“Ethan is like a brother to me. We’re also close with Nathaniel. This project is also the first time I’m on set with Aungelique, which is a joy; she’s so sweet. So getting to be on set with both people I’ve known for years and new people I just met has been great,” the actor added.

Charlot also shared his praise for his co-stars on the franchise. “Ethan, Nathaniel and Aungelique have all been great. Everyone I’ve worked with on ‘Redemption’ and this project have been amazing,” he shared.

“I’ve embraced all the techniques that they use, while also incorporating my own techniques into my acting. They’re also really helpful in pointing out things I may need to work on, and vice versa. I really love that process, as everyone gets to achieve what they want to achieve, while also having fun doing it,” the actor added.

Freeman also echoed his co-stars’ sentiment that he’s fortunate to be a part of the ‘Space Command’ cast. “Some of the cast members have moved out of L.A. throughout the production of the franchise, but we all manage to come back together on each new installment because we enjoy together. I’m bicoastal myself, as I’m from New York and still go there to work from time to time.

“I believe in this project enough that I’m willing to get on a plane to come back here to L.A. and work with everyone again,” the actor revealed. “I like the collaborative process between the cast. Everyone is friendly with each other on set, even if we’re not friends outside of work. We genuinely enjoy each other’s company, which is reflected in the work that we do.”

Snyder also shared his excitement about being able to finally shoot scenes in person at the Space Command Studios. “I love that I’ve been able to really create this character here in the studio. I feel like being able come here to work, I’m going to be able to use my imagination and play pretend, which is the coolest part about my job!,” he noted.

“I love that about the sci-fi genre. I feel like I’m able to fully immerse myself in a world that doesn’t truly exist in a studio like this. That’s an actor’s job with every role, but with the sci-fi genre, it’s accentuated even more,” the actor added.

McClure also expressed his appreciation of being able to film at the Space Command Studios. “Being on this set is really fun. They built all the space ships, so it’s really cool to see that process. When you’re up close to the sets, you can see all the details that the audience can’t. They do look pretty high tech on screen, though, even though some of them aren’t really high tech,” he revealed.

“Marc says that a lot in the videos he makes. He actually acquired a lot of these pieces from other prolific sci-fi sets. I think he acquired a missile from ‘Alien.’ He acquires the sets and props when other filmmakers try to get rid of them after they finish filming their projects,” the actor noted.

“He thinks about how he can repurpose them, which I think is a brilliant thing to do as a filmmaker,” McClure admitted. “He thinks about how he can incorporate these pieces that are already created into his sets.”

The experience of shooting the project at the Space Command Studios lot was also one that Charlot cherished throughout the production. “Marc and Elaine have done an awesome job here, and it’s awesome to work for them. It’s also been great to work with all of the other cast and crew members, and they all make it fun. When we’re on set together, we make it fun while we’re working,” he shared with a laugh.

“At the end of the day, there are a lot of different variations when it comes to the different planets and ships. It’s a very creative process, and I really enjoy it,” the actor added.

Freeman revealed that working on set at the Space Command Studios “is very different from other sets I’ve been on. Some of the other projects I’ve been on have had bigger budgets, so you have different accommodations.

“But this project reminds me of where I started, in grassroots, guerilla-style filmmaking. We’re not working with a big budget on this project, so we’re relying more on the comradery and the compatibility of the people involved, on both sides of the camera. I like working with people who care more about the end result than one person having more lines than another, or somebody getting more press than another,” the actor divulged.

“We check our egos at the door. That way, we can focus on the product we’re putting out,” Freeman emphasized.

Another aspect of the sci-fi genre that Snyder revealed he cherishes is the stunt work that he’s able to create for each project. “I have a stunt in this project that I’m so excited for. Basically, we’re fighting these aliens and our ship gets destroyed. I’m basically floating, and then my (character’s) dad comes and saves me. So I’m pumped for that, and can’t wait to see how that goes,” he divulged.

The actor concluded his interview by saying, “Overall, I love creating the physicality for my roles, especially in the sci-fi genre. I think it adds so much emotion, realness and rawness to the character.”

McClure also shared his enthusiasm for creating the physicality for the series’ latest film. “There have been some stunts that I’ve gotten to do over time. On this project, we have a great stunt coordinator, Steve Huff, who we get to work with on set. On certain projects, we’ve also gotten to coordinate some stuff beforehand with him and his stunt business. We’ve gone to his studio and worked some stunts out.

The actor concluded his interview by adding, “So Steve is always there for us. He actually steps in sometimes on the other end of the stunt.”

Charlot has also embraced his experience of approaching the physicality for his roles in the sci-fi genre. He noted that creating stunt work “has a mental aspect to it. When you’re on set, it can be really hot, for instance, so I’ve been training to contend with that, as well…We also have to take into consideration the cameras.”

“But we do embrace the atmosphere, which is the biggest thing. Once you embrace the atmosphere as your character, it makes things a whole lot easier. Then you can just have fun with it. That’s how I embrace it from an acting standpoint,” the actor noted.

While discussing the topic of creating the physicality for ‘The Great Solar War,’ Freeman divulged that he feels “very fortunate to be able to work with people who are very good at what they do. Our stunt coordinator, Steve Huff, has years of martial arts training and experience creating stunts. So he was teaching us how to take falls so we don’t have any accidents on the set.

“I have a stunt later today in which my (character’s) ship sustains damage from another vessel. It begins to crumble around me, and a piece of equipment falls and pins me to the wall,” the actor revealed.

“So my (character’s) daughter and first officer come to my aid and save my life. My (character’s) first officer deliberately defies an order to evacuate the ship to come back to save me. So that was very touching,” Freeman also shared, which added an extra sense of sentimentality as the first day of the ‘The Great Solar War’ set visit came to a close.

Check back on Film Factual soon for the coverage of the second day of the ‘Space Command: The Great Solar War’ set visit.