I had never seen a web series until the summer of 2008, and it was during some web surfing while I was chillaxing and trying to get to sleep, that I found an episode of Quarterlife.
A series that I can watch in tiny easily digestible parts at the click of my mouse pad? Fantastic! I loved the characters, the story lines, the acting…
Then I found the first episode of 2009: A True Story.
It was gritty, artistic, and innovative. I was hooked.
Fast forward to today: July 20th, 2011…
I am a member of the IAWTV (International Academy of Web Television), and have had the privilege of working with some of the web’s top talent including Tony E. Valenzuela who was the mastermind behind 2009: A True Story and is blowing the internet wide open with Black Box TV. While I’m still relatively new to the web world, I have completed 4 seasons (99 – soon to be 100 episodes) of my vlog which was geared towards other up and coming actors learning from my experiences while documenting my own pursuits in the entertainment industry. I have also produced 4 different web series in order to dip my toe into the web waters and help me be seen as a comedic actress.
My goal was to open the doors of the traditional Hollywood landscape and get my work in front of people who might not otherwise have seen it. And it worked.
Most actors dive into new media because they want to work instead of wait for the phone to ring, I was and am, no different.
Without any further ado, here is my “New Media Resource List” version 7.0
Warning: Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. It’s a long one…
What is this?
This list began as a way for me to compile all of my favorite resources that I’d been accumulating over the past few years for my own research.
About a year or so ago a few friends asked me to help them understand the world of the web series, so I shared this with them.
Note: There is a TON of info out there, this is just my list of favorite resources/information etc…
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A couple of good places to start:
“Web Television for Dummies” by Daryn Strauss
A good article on the beginning of web tv for actors/those new to the medium:
International Academy of Web Television:
IAWTV: http://www.iawtv.org/
A place to learn the “how tos”:
- Creator Up: Online Web School Specifically Brian Rodda‘s Course: “How To Get Your Show’s First 10,000 Views.”
- TOP 5 YouTube Tips by Lissette Schuster (producer – FreddieW/Rocket Jump)
New Media News:
Web Blogs/Podcasts etc…:
New Mediacracy:
Digital Chick TV – Daryn Strauss:
Liz Shannon Miller from NewTeeVee:
- How to Pitch Your Web Series:
http://lizlet.tumblr.com/post/201089381/how-to-pitch-me-your-web-series - The Basics:
http://newteevee.com/2009/05/02/how-to-showcase-your-web-series-on-a-web-site/ - Exposure: The Non-Monetary Benefit of Making Web Content?http://gigaom.com/video/exposure-the-non-monetary-benefit-of-making-web-content/#more-47870
Indie Intertube:
Web content creator blogs:
Mark Gantt: http://www.markgantt.com/Blog.html
Bernie Su: http://compulsions.tv/2010/06/promoting-a-web-series/
Taryn O Neill: http://www.tarynoneill.com/
Felicia Day: http://feliciaday.com/blog
Taryn Southern: http://taryn-southern.com/
Jenni Powell: http://www.jennipowell.com/
Blake Calhoun: http://loudpictures.blogspot.com/
Collaborative Communitites:
Raising money to fund your project:
from Kristyn Burtt of The Web Files:
good stuff to know…
3 Tips for Producing a Red Carpet Event:
http://redcarpetcloset.blogspot.com/2011/07/3-tips-for-producing-red-carpet-event.html
Guide to PR
http://redcarpetcloset.blogspot.com/2010/04/publicity-and-web-series.html
Meet Ups/Festivals/Competitions/Awards Shows/good places to network:
FilmBreak Mixers: http://www.filmbreak.com
Big Screen Little Screen: http://www.meetup.com/bigscreenlittlescreenla/
VidCon: http://vidcon.com/
ITVfest http://itvfest.org/
Streamy Awards http://www.streamys.org/
Comic-Con http://www.comic-con.org/
LA Web Fest http://www.lawebfest.com/
SXSW: South By Southwest http://sxsw.com/interactiv
Webby Awards: http://www.webbyawards.com/
New York Television Festival Independent Pilot Competition http://www.nytvf.com/
NATPE LATV Fest http://latvfest.net/latvfestival/natpes-nexttv-competition
New Media Film Festival: http://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/
New Media Vault: http://www.facebook.com/groups/newmediavault
New Media distribution/listing channels to see what’s going on online:
http://andromeda.thewebtvdb.com/
Great shows to watch:
Squaresville: http://squaresvilleseries.com
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: http://www.lizziebennet.com
Burning Love: http://screen.yahoo.com/burning-love/
Black Box TV: http://www.youtube.com/user/blackboxtv
One Shot (Freddie W short): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Iey0wDqBE
Mortal Combat: Legacy (Machinima): http://www.youtube.com/show/mortalkombatlegacy?s=1
Bite Me – The Gamer’s Apocalypse Series (Machinima): http://www.youtube.com/show?p=fA2SwtVFdsY
Quarterlife: http://www.youtube.com/user/quarterlife#g/c/E8E7640240ECA6DA
The Ladies and the Gents: http://theladiesandthegents.com
2009 A True Story: http://www.2009atruestory.com/
Harper’s Globe: http://www.harpersglobe.com/
Dr. Horrible: http://drhorrible.com/
Compulsions: http://www.compulsions.tv
The Guild: http://www.watchtheguild.com/
Riese: http://www.riesetheseries.com/
The Bannen Way: http://www.hulu.com/watch/190473/the-bannen-way
Odd Jobs: http://oddjobnation.com/
Squatters: http://www.squattersseries.com/
Epic Fu: http://epicfu.com/
Continuum: http://continuumtv.com/
Angel of Death: http://www.crackle.com/Angel_of_Death
Pink: http://www.pinktheseries.com
Solo: http://watchsolo.com/
Camera Obscura: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/Camera_Obscura
Prom Queen: http://www.promqueen.tv
Valemont: http://www.mtv.com/shows/valemont/series.jhtml
Dirty Bomb Diaries: http://www.dbdtheseries.com/
Apocalypse Wow: http://news.tubefilter.tv/2010/08/11/apocalypse-wow-trailer-wow/
The Best Friend: http://thebestfriend.tv/
Man Teen: http://www.man-teen.com/
Whacked: http://www.vinnyandtony.com/
Subway Sessions: http://www.subwaysessions.com/
After Judgment: http://afterjudgment.com/
Urban Wolf: http://www.urbanwolf.com
Elevator: http://www.youtube.com/user/ElevatorShow
Gold: http://www.goblinsandgold.com/csp/gold/
The Temp Life: http://www.thetemplife.tv/
Private High Musical: http://www.youtube.com/user/privatehighmusical
ElfQuest: http://elfquestfantrailer.com/
Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show: http://www.kevinpollakschatshow.com/
Web Therapy: http://www.lstudio.com/web-therapy/
TIPS ON CREATING WEB CONTENT:
tips on “serial web content” (from the livestream chat on NYTVF.com during “Digital Day” Sunday, November 28th, 2010):
1. Hook them (the audience) from the first moment of the first episode
2. Get them to “trust you” ie) have a good product
3. Leave them wanting more so they’ll tune in next week
4. Write for the “act break”
5. What is your brand? Who is your audience? Target and write for them.
6. Facebook fan page, twitter, blog etc…and make sure to build buzz long before you release online
7. Do you want to delve into the world of branded entertainment? If so, think about being “advertiser friendly”… if you are going for hard “R” content it might be difficult later on b/c a lot of brands are worried about their image
8. Don’t over extend yourself (financially or otherwise) on your first project. Keep it simple and small and build your team from there. No rush to be J.J. Abrams yet 😉
9. FYI: The people making money for the web space are the people that have already created projects. Put something out there that is good that you can be proud of, and opportunities will follow.
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Now go and make stuff!
Xoxo
Helenna Santos-Levy