Question: How to develop a web series?
An Open Forum question from L. F.:
I’ve written a web comedy short (shooting tomorrow!) that I’m working on expanding into a series. I’m approaching it in terms of themes I want to explore and I have a decent idea of where I want to take it.
Do you have any suggestions or thoughts on developing and writing a series?
L.F., I assume by “series,” since you’re starting with a web comedy short, you mean a web series, not TV series. If so, my first piece of advice is familiarize yourself with successful comedy web series. I’ve covered a couple on GITS: “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” and “Kyle Piccolo: Comic Shop Therapist”. There are plenty of others including the Jon Heder-starring “Woke Up Dead”.
Study how each of the web series structure their webisodes and manage the story arc over the course of webisode season.
Second, I assume you’d like to source funding for your potential web series? The current economic model, such as it is, seems to be either (A) you self-fund, then seek to license content, (B) approach preexisting weblets and work out some sort of rights-fee deal, or © seek sponsor dollars from companies to advertise in conjunction with your web series. In almost any case, as you develop your story world and characters, you should be keenly aware of product placement opportunities. A good example of this is the Electric Farm Entertainment series “Gemini Division”. From the series’ Wikipedia page:
Gemini Division is an American science fiction series of five-to-seven minute long subliminal advertisements created by Electric Farm Entertainment which went into production in March 2008. Based on an original story by Brent Friedman the online series was developed by Joshua Stern, and is noted for it’s heavy product placement on a overt level with several products being advertised in any given frame. The show currently airs on NBC.com as part of their online content lineup. The series began August 18, 2008.[1] The series stars Rosario Dawson, who worked with Electric Farm Entertainment on the Webby nominated cult internet series Afterworld. J Alex Reed and Duane Loose will be showrunners, while Brent Friedman and Stan Rowgow serve as executive producers. The writing staff includes Brent Friedman, Andy Black, Lawrence Frank, and Jacqui Zambrano.[2] Stan Rogow is also credited as Director and is presumed to direct a number of the episodes with the rest being directed by Neal Israel. Web content development is being managed by producers Ben Raab and Deric Hugues web content producers.”
I’m friends with Jacqueline Zambrano and have talked with her extensively about her experiences writing for “Gemini Division.” Even better than that, the timing of your question is impeccable because Brian Walton who has been involved since its conception with webserials.com. From an email with Brian:
We started with two shows, a drama “Project X” about a creature attacking a power plant and “Cataclysmo and the Time Boys”, a sci-fi comedy in the vein of Buck Rogers (that I actually act in as one of the leads). After those were released, the were successful enough that we went on to make a sequel to Cataclysmo entitled “Cataclysmo and the Battle for Earth” and then finally “The Black Dawn.”
The Black Dawn was the first series I wrote, but I was involved in one degree or another with all of them.
So look for insight into web series from Brian probably to post next week or the week after.
Finally, and strictly from a creative standpoint, I would advise you to focus on the characters. From scripted to non-scripted entertainment, one narrative element common to virtually everything that’s working today is big, memorable characters who pop on screen.
If any GITS readers have been involved in developing / writing web series, please weigh in with your advice for L.F.
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