Meet Koro — a small, curious Martian scavenger who somehow ended up alone on Mars.

He's optimistic, stubborn, slightly reckless, and way too curious for his own safety. He spends his days fixing old equipment, digging through the Martian soil, and trying to build himself a life on a planet that really doesn't want him there.

He jokes about everything, especially when he's scared. He talks to his tools because, most of the time, they're the only things around to talk to.

But underneath all of that, Koro has one thing he really wants:

to find out if he's actually alone.

I created Koro as an original character in Cantina first, developing his appearance, personality, voice and backstory. I then used that character in Creator Studio to create the pilot episode.

The World

RED DIRT takes place on Mars, but not the Mars we've seen a hundred times in movies.

It's a strange, handcrafted world of enormous red landscapes, abandoned human technology, underground discoveries, buried machines and places that may have been forgotten for a very long time.

The idea is to combine real Mars science with an original fictional story. Scientific ideas like subsurface water ice and organic molecules become part of Koro's journey, while the larger mystery slowly unfolds around him. NASA has documented subsurface water ice on Mars and organic molecules in Martian rocks, but the characters and story surrounding those discoveries are fictional.

The Pilot — Day One

On Koro's first day digging into Mars, he expects to find absolutely nothing.

Instead, he discovers ancient water ice.

For the first time, Koro has a real water supply and a reason to believe he could survive.

Then he finds something buried beneath the ice.

Something human.

When the forgotten machine suddenly activates, Koro realizes that the thing he discovered may be much bigger than he expected.

And then lights begin appearing across the Martian horizon.

Koro may not be alone.

Why I Created RED DIRT

I wanted to make something that felt like a mix of a science documentary, an animated adventure and a serialized micro-drama.

I really like the idea of taking something scientifically fascinating and asking:

“Okay... but what would it actually feel like to be the little guy standing there when you discover it?”

Koro lets me explore that.

The science gives the world a sense of reality, while Koro gives it humor, emotion and a reason to keep watching.

Where I Would Take the Series Next

The pilot is only the beginning.

As Koro digs deeper into Mars, he'll discover more water, buried technology, strange underground environments and evidence that someone was here long before him.

The bigger mystery is:

Who came before Koro? Why did they disappear? And why does something beneath Mars seem to know he's there?

Each episode would reveal another piece of the mystery while Koro slowly goes from a lonely scavenger trying to survive to someone who may have accidentally uncovered the biggest secret on Mars.

What I Want RED DIRT to Become

A funny, emotional and visually cinematic micro-series where you can learn something interesting about Mars while still wanting to know what happens to Koro next.

I had a lot of fun making this one, and honestly, Koro has already made me want to know what happens next too. 🚀: