Yahoo Gets Back on the Horse: Series VS Web Series

From Cynopsis:

Yahoo is at it again. The search giant plans to launch several original Web shows this fall. The Web destination has locked up Morgan Spurlock, Niecy Nash, Judy Greer and others for its lineup of eight Web series premiering in October, per Variety who first reported the story yesterday. Yahoo will sell the shows to advertisers targeting women on a "share of voice" basis using its data and insights tools to measure reach and targeting. Programming partners include Electus and others. Yahoo said its original video programming already reaches 26 million people per month. Yahoo has tried before to build a beachhead in originals, famously hiring TV executive Lloyd Braun to guide the company into online entertainment several years ago, but that effort didn't pan out. The site, however, is still a traffic juggernaut and has been successful with some original series such as its Primetime in No Time recap show.

New web series are always good. With stories this short, there's generally not a lot of information beyond the initial oh hai we have actors, but a lot of the issues that these "failures" have attached to them are the same things:

They hired someone who didn't have a background in Internet.

While TV and film are fantastic mediums, and most of us jump between TV, film and web, hiring someone who applies TV conventions to digital and hopes it'll stick tends to be the ongoing issue.

Also - the definition of success for many of the "traditional" medias may not be defined with web in mind - and this is always something that many fo the bigger companies need to be aware of.

Hitting the right demographic online is great - if you can keep them. Old Spice is fantastic, but did it grab the "right" demo? (Not really), but it's well known and people return... Which is another form of success.

These partners may actually reach that demo, so it will be interesting to see how the series work.

Which comes back to that pesky discussion that has been floating around - is it just a "series" or does one explain it is a "web series"?

TIFF Nexus: Moving Forward with Digital and Traditional

It's interesting that the preeminent "traditional" media in film is the one that's pushing this forward, but it's also what makes it pretty nifty.

The NEXUS program is hoping to create a bunch of "non-silo" focuses. Check out the press release on it.

TIFF announced today an exciting new initiative designed to equip a new generation of Ontario storytellers with the network, skills and partners that they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving and growing digital media landscape. Launching this fall, TIFF Nexus will support Canada’s film, game, digital and new media communities as well as foster integrations between academics, industry members and enthusiasts. Complementing such other TIFF programmes as Future Projections, Talent Lab and the Student Film Showcase that are dedicated to supporting filmmakers and visual artists, TIFF Nexus will encourage relationships between the existing and emerging sectors of film, gaming and interactive media and utilize the cinema, educational and exhibition spaces of TIFF Bell Lightbox as an opportune home for its activities.

All the best to everyone that is (and will be) involved!

How To Make a Hit Web Series

AKA - the questions you need to ask yourself before you start.

The ever fantastic Jason Leaver linked to this article from Felicia Day and I felt it should be linked to again - as most of what she says is still incredibly pertinent.

A lot of people are making web series now a days - they've replaced the short film as the attainable Thing To Do (TM).

But you often get the very common question banging out about - what will make a hit show?

Felicia pointed out four major questions to ask yourself.

1. How is My Project Unique to the Web?
2. How is My Web Series Unique to ME?
3. Who is My Audience and How Will I Reach Them?
4. Do I Know What I’m Getting Into?

I'm going to add two more questions to ask yourself.

5. Do I have an understanding of what success means to me?
6. Who is My Circle?


The first four Felicia covers on her blog, so I'm not going to tackle them here - other than to really hammer home the fact that you need to know who your audience is and where they live.

Unlike TV we're doing all the marketing ourselves when it comes to web - so if you don't know where your audience plays (beyond say, twitter and facebook) it's going to be almost impossible to find them and get them to come to you.

5. Do I have an understanding of what success means to me?

The extra questions I have here are important for a number of reasons - know what SUCCESS is to you. We all want a "hit" web series, but barring million view numbers what does success mean. Is success getting people to see your video in the industry. Is success getting a sponsorship deal? Or is it just making it and sharing it.

Knowing what success means allows you to have specific goals after you release it - which is incredibly important when you get stuck in the giant headspace that is marketing, interviewing, releasing and other billions of things that have to be done to release the show.

6. Who is My Circle?

Your Circle (hey, it's like Google+) of people - from family to friends - is your lifeline in web series. They can not only help you get the project off the ground - from donating to food, to other things (also, huge shout out to all the people that made Pretty In Geek possible - all of you Amazing People who donated cash, food or time) like time, you get a way to get things moving and continuing.

Each web series is a beast unto itself in making a show work - but, you're lucky. Because you have friends (right? Right!) that can help you, or make lasagna, or even, if you're really lucky, get you an interview to market things. Use your connections, and don't be afraid to ask. Chances are you'll get an opportunity to pay that person back in the future soon enough!

So, in answer to what makes a hit - anything, everything - but mostly perseverance . But to know if you have a hit, you need to know what "hit" actually means - because sometimes even if only five people watch something... if it's the right five people, that's all you need.

Pretty in Geek! At FanExpo!

It's been almost two years since I was originally working on Pretty in Geek. The concept was a little messier, the execution a pipe dream. But the team has been amazing, and we've got show that looks amazing!

For now, we still do have the fun teaser from our one male character...



And we'll be releasing a few more in the months following Fan Expo.

But for now - know that things are moving in amazing directions! We've even heard a really wicked song from our theme song band: Nerds With Guitars (shockingly, these fantastic cats are nerds! with guitars!).

So, keep us in mind, check us on Twitter, on YouTube and even on our very own web site.

But most importantly - come and meet our fantastic team at FanExpo. August 26th, Room 707 at 2 pm!

Brand Or Original: Web Series Chat with Carter Mason

Carter Mason is an actor/writer working down in LA. He's been working around there for a while, and he's got two projects on the go - one of which is a "racy" comedy focused toward the adult set - called "Threesome" appropriately enough.

Another project that is a branded entertainment application for - of all things - a bikini company (let's... combine? Or. Maybe not).

So Carter was kind enough to chat about the process he's gone through with his projects, and where he's hoping to go with them.

Carter is also one of the many you can catch on the Slebisode web series chat  often - this chat found here - is a great way to discuss the common (and sometimes not so common) problems afflicting web series creators.

 When developing your original project, as opposed to brand-focused projects what are the main differences?

With the brand, you have tighter parameters. There are things a filmmaker simply cannot do when working with a brand. For example, you have to keep in mind their target market and make sure your content would not be offensive. If the brand asks you to develop the web series, the entire creative process is influenced by what the brand wants or needs from the series. This is actually exciting for me, as it is a challenge to make a quality show which basically serves as a narrative advertisement. It would be difficult for me to develop a series for a brand which I did not believe in the company and the leadership/ownership.

- What's the most important part of making the series - for you? Is it marketing, writing, directing, etc.

Production! The best plans in the world mean nothing if you do not execute the plan well. I love writing, but directing and producing is where the final product is made or broken. It is difficult for me to not rush into production, but I force myself to plan and let the creative process blossom in its own time. So while I say production is the most important part of making the series, a good production happens with very good planning.

- How far along in the process are you and what are some of the snags you've found?

I'm in a 60-day period on my original series where if I do not find a sponsor or investor, I will be shooting the pilot with my own funds. I'm optimistic about getting a sponsor and have several good leads. But if it doesn't happen in my time frame, I'm going to make the pilot and take that as my pitch material to sponsors. For the branded series, we are months away from production. We are developing the parameters of the project now, and I probably won't even have the pilot script finished until the end of September.

- How have you been focused on raising funds to make the series?

Sponsorship. I love my series and will do it with my own money if necessary, but I'm a huge advocate of the business side of show business. I'm treating my production company as a business in addition to being a creative endeavor. That means a business plan prior to production! It's asinine to make a series then expect to figure out how to monetize it after the fact. If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.

- What are the edges of "how far" you can go with a racy comedy as you've described it? 

Well, I won't have nudity in the project, but it will be very close. I'm the lead actor, and most likely I will just have the sock on for the big sex scene. While the show is focused very much on the comedy, it is a sexy, racy comedy. People will watch for the humor and the hot people on-camera both. I'm talking about the actresses, of course. ;)

- Why web series as opposed to developing pitches for networks?

It's almost impossible to sell a series before you've made something. My idea for Threesome was originally going to be a Showtime spec. I realized I could showcase both my writing and acting by developing a web series, and I set the ball in motion. Now with picking up the development deal for the brand, I'm seeing more and more possibilities for earning real dollars in the new media market.

- How did you get involved with the brand you're working with to make their web series?

They were an old client with another business I owned at one time, and they contacted me for help with their entire online marketing portfolio. They were offered a deal for an animated show, but they turned it down as it would not model their product effectively. Based on my experience with marketing as well as the legal and business side of filmmaking, they were comfortable with me putting together an experienced team to develop a high quality series they could be proud of.

- What kind of advice would you give for someone developing their own series currently?

Prepare a business plan and have a strategy for monetizing your show before production. If you look at making money off of your show from the beginning, the directions it takes you in the development process can actually enhance rather than hinder your creativity. You will make a better show and have a better shot at paying back investors and/or making a profit from your show.

Key ways of working for success you've used with your own business models.

There are options for filmmakers to get their legal done affordably, but most don't know and think it is too cost prohibitive. My business with filmmakers is to help them use a product developed for a typical small business and works much like insurance or a co-op to get high quality legal work and business consulting at a fraction of the price. It's a different paradigm for law and consulting, and anybody who expects to be successful should have their legal ducks in a row and have the resources to create a winning business plan.

Carter Mason ( http://www.cartermason.com ) is a filmmaker in Redondo Beach, CA who also owns and operates the Carter Mason Group ( http://www.cartermasongroup.com/ ) which specializes in providing high quality legal and business consulting services for filmmakers and business owners.

This Day Sucks. Right?

This Day Sucks, a web series that may, shockingly, be a dude who's day was worse than yours.

These episodes follow around office workers, day to day, and even goes home with one of them.

Episode two, which starts off with a car crash and ends up with drama, is a fun office comedy.


This Day Sucks Episode 2 - 'The Hot Intern' from This Day Sucks on Vimeo.

Tom Schilz chatted with me about the process a little while back.

When developing the series what were some of the biggest issues you faced?Our biggest issue in the developmental stage was really creating the characters and the concept of the show.  We had the idea that we wanted to make a series and we wanted to base it off of some recent misadventures and wild nights out in New York City.  Then we faced the challenge of how to mold a few funny stories into a show, with interesting characters, that people would enjoy and truly become invested in.  We decided to base the two male lead characters off of ourselves, taking our more quirky traits and really pushing them over the top.  It would be much more relatable for us and real life is often the best source of inspiration, so we wanted to keep it close to home.
With that in mind we decided to go with Rudy and Rayzor as our two leads.  Rudy is a sensitive, ‘typical’ guy, looking for love and working for the man.  His counterpart is Rayzor, a much wilder and freer soul who loves weapons.  We didn’t want an Odd Couple of polar opposites, just two diverse friends with different outlooks on love and life, but also a very tight friendship.We knew the show would have to take place in New York City and really wanted to make the city a character in itself.  So much can and only does happen in the Big Apple.  Of course we wanted to create female leads as well and wanted to bring a female perspective to the series.  Since women find us creepy and we have few female friends we created 2 characters from scratch.  We created Brooke and Devon to mirror the virgin and the whore dichotomy, just not as extreme.  We wanted Devon to be a close friend of Rudy’s and have some conflict with Rayzor.  We also wanted Brooke, literally the “girl next door”, to become Rudy’s love interest. Next, we wanted an antagonist.  A comical, yet irritating fellow who could rival the good natured Rudy- so we created Nigel from our own imagination.  We blended in real life traits from our own friends and enemies into a Frankenstein of oddball traits.  We had the main cast!We also took into account how the real world works and chose to not introduce many of these characters until down the line.  As if the viewer is a ‘friend’ in this world and you don’t meet everyone all at once in the same day.
The fact that we’re in our mid-20s, playing people in their mid-20s and dealing with the dating, working, and the social scene was a real hook for us and something we thought hadn’t been done before.  Plus, we wanted to bring the spin to it that a lot of the time, things just don’t work out.  You’re not where you want to be, with who you want, or have the job you want.  A lot of people are unhappy with their current status.  We figured it’s relatable to everyone at some point in their lives and what better way to deal with it than by turning these circumstances into comedy.
With everything in place we thought we had developed a unique show, with a unique voice, and comedic style that would really appeal to a vast audience.  If nothing else at least I had finally found a hobby.

How much in advance to shooting was everything written?
Almost everything is scripted out in advance.  Initially, we wrote out a loose arc of season one consisting of 10 episodes and a quick break down of what would happen in each episode.  We then started with episode one, obviously, and wrote out a full script.  The script for episode one was done (so we thought) about three months prior to the first day of shooting. As we began to really produce the initial episode we realized we may have been a bit lofty with our ideas and what we could realistically accomplish.  Tracking down certain props, permission to shoot in locations, and a limited budget really hit us when we wanted to turn our first script into an actual shoot.  We took it in stride and re-wrote a majority of the episode so it would be easier and more efficient to shoot. 
We took what we learned and applied it to writing the script for episode two, The Hot Intern, which went much smoother and was a lot more realistic as to what we could do.  This episode was written only about a week before filming began and made for a much quicker and concise shoot.  We also were able to do it with only three locations.
Even though we invest so much time on scripts we don’t always stick to them word-for-word and always leave room for improv.  Some of our best moments from the series come from on-the-fly adlibs or impromptu reactions during a scene.  If things stay loose and actors can get a genuine rise out of each other, the audience can sense it and the fun we’re having will translate on screen. As long as it’s funny we’re all about it, so even though we spend a lot of time writing and nailing down ideal scripts, once the cameras are rolling we don’t lock ourselves into them.
Was the season arc-ed out before hand, or was it an episode-to-episode basis?
It became a combination of the two.  We started developing the concept, tone, and characters for the series almost a year before we ever started filming.  We sat down and arc-ed out all the major events and storylines we wanted to happen in season one.  As mentioned, we hit a lot of snags when it came to actually shooting exactly what we had written, so we had to make a lot of changes and tweaks.  Now we do have a general arc for the main thread and driving storyline for season one, but a very loose episode-to-episode structure when it comes to sub-plots.  We have notes for each episode, but will write out an individual script and make sure we stay true to where we want the series to be.
What were some of the things you’ve learned since the pilot episode?
The main thing we’ve learned is to embrace the challenges of shooting with a low-budget or no budget.  We based a majority of the series off our own real life events and our love of alcohol has a lot of these scenes taking place in packed bars and restaurants.  When it comes time to shoot we need permission from these bars and then have to try and fill the place with extras-mainly friends who can come out and drink at 8am while the bar is closed.  Although our ideal scenarios may include a car chase or a scene on top of the empire state building we’ve learned that our “vision” may not come to fruition, but it doesn’t have to negatively impact the show.  In the end it’s the characters and story that will hook viewers, not grandiose effects or car chases.  Everything is out of pocket for us from equipment, to props, travel, tape stock, hard drives, etc.
In the end it’s not really about the money – it’s about the funny.  We have good laughs making the show and others enjoy watching the series just as much.  It’s even become fun to figure out ways we can get the same point across or make the same joke, just on a much smaller scale.  We’ve learned to be able to work with our limited funds and still put out a quality series that we can be proud of and makes people laugh.
Another thing we learned was how critical the run time of an episode is.  20 minutes might be great for television, but it won’t fly on the internet.  People want to watch and laugh, get in and get out.  Sure people can and do watch full episodes of their favorite shows on different websites, but that’s because they already like them and know they’re guaranteed entertainment.  Being a brand new web series we don’t have that luxury and need to keep our shows quick and jam-packed with funny.  The script for episode one was about 12 pages, but after assembling everything we shot it ran almost 20 minutes.  Way too long to keep our viewers’ attention- so we had to do a lot of editing and cut out any unnecessary scenes.  We’ve already taken this into account when writing episode two and now try to always aim for a target run time of 8-12 minutes.  Enough time to get into some detail in the episode and allow character and plot development, but also ensure we keep our viewers glued to their monitor.
What was the production schedule like?

The production schedule can be pretty crazy for us.  We shoot everything on location in New York City, usually without permission.  On average we will have long shooting days anywhere from 8-12 hours.  We also find ourselves at the whim of anyone willing to help us out.  In episode one we shot at a local watering hole we love and the owners said we could get in from 7am until 10 am.  We were up late the previous night shooting some babysitting scenes, but were still there early to shoot Rudy and The Girl on the date.  In those cases whenever we get permission to use a place, regardless of how inconvenient the hours might be, we’re always thankful and make sure to make the best use of our time there.
What were some of the snags that were found?
One big snag for us was scheduling.  We all work full time jobs leaving only nights and weekends to film.  We’re a small crew of five guys with Pat and me usually on camera as Rudy and Rayzor.  We need one of us behind the camera and another to operate the boom mic, so it get’s tough if two or more of us are unavailable.  Mind you we have had to multi-task, booming a scene and running camera simultaneously, but we try to get the core group together to facilitate production.Another major snag we’ve hit is using our friends in the cast.  As stated we don’t have much dough for the show so we usually hit up our friends for various roles and pay them in pizza and beer.  It works great a lot of the time and usually we have a good idea of who would fit what role.  On the flipside, we find it’s a lot easier for a friend to bail on you at the last minute or go M.I.A., where a real actor would be more committed and professional.  It gets tough because although we take the show seriously and now have two episodes out, a lot of our friends thought it was just a “funny movie” we were making and no big deal if they show up later and can’t do it today.  A lot goes into getting all the gear, setting up lighting, etc., and nothing was a bigger pain then when we all locked up a date, time, and place, got the gear and then had a friend tell us they couldn’t shoot.
This often made me want to shoot my friend.
 What kind of crew do you use to make a webisode?
As mentioned we’re a small, tight crew. The core group of This Day Sucks is made up of myself, Pat, Tim, Kyle L. and Kyle B. Pat and I are usually the main writers and portray the main characters.  We then have three other friends, Tim and the Kyles, who will rotate between camera operator, boom mic operator,  etc.  We all have our say and input on everything taking place in front of and behind the camera and all have a lot of production experience.  It comes in handy that we’re all versatile in what crew roles we can film.   Similarly we all take turns when it comes to editing the show and will usually take shifts or break up the episodes to expedite the process before coming together for a group ‘final master mix’ of an episode.
We also have our own musical composer who creates all the original music for This Day Sucks.

What does the web exist as for you?
To us it’s our medium to get our content to the world.  We’ve gotten great feedback from fans and even met people and made new friends who have seen the series.  We have fans from many different countries and of all different ages and a large part of that is thanks to the internet. We just launched and are only two episodes in, yet are already entering some festivals and creating a loyal following.  The good thing about the internet is that anyone can use it, and we have no real barriers or censorship.  We get to call all the shots and have complete control over every part of the series.  Nothing is better than creative freedom and the web gives us that.  We don’t need to answer to anyone or have outside pressures on when the show is due, what is acceptable, etc.

Monetization? How does it work for you?
We’re a brand new series, so thus far we haven’t had the chance to really make any cash.  We’re hoping that as we continue to enter festivals, produce episodes, and generate more and more buss for the show, that we’ll have more opportunities to partner up with sponsors and begin to generate revenue.  It seems to me that internet series’ and web television is the wave of the future and more and more TV/Film producers and production companies are starting to take notice of that.  Hopefully, one day This Day Sucks will be able to get some financial backing to ease some of the burden on our side or maybe even get picked up and become something bigger.