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Hollywood Making Push Into Web Series... Should Indie Creators Be Worried?

Major Hollywood studios, production companies, brands, A-list actors and celebs are making a big push into the web series space. And we all know why... the Internet is the present and future! Essentially, quality content with a solid/broad overall plan and financial backing gets the most eyeballs and traction.

Personally, I need Hollywood in the game so I can use them for energy!. You?

Tags: Be, Creators, Hollywood, Indie, Into, Making, Push, Series..., Should, Web, More…Worried?

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Permalink Reply by Elisar Cabrera on October 18, 2011 at 5:13am

First off to use the term "Hollywood" to mean anything non-independent is wrong and misleading in my opinion. Any discussion about studio vs independent seems to only be discussions around what so called "Hollywood" does. The US TV business is not just based in Los Angeles, its also in New York, Maryland, Chicago, etc etc. Plus studios are international companies and there are many studios that are not American, eg RTL in Europe and then you also have the mega-indies eg Fremantle.

For TV its not just a new thing - they have been experimenting for a few years now with the web. Broadcasters in the UK I can tell you look favourably at TV pitches which come in if they have a "360 degree" element. You have more chance in getting your TV project commissioned by a broadcaster if you have a transmedia angle to it.

For advertisers and brands it makes sense to work with a production company with a TV project that has a web element as well because the exposure is far greater. They get more bang for their buck.

The true indie probably has only the web to look to - the TV game is a closed book for most production companies especially in the age of the mega-indie where other indies have been bought out.

I look to web content from indies to be making original stories and ideas that you can't find on TV. The ideas that the mega-indies won't make or the broadcasters would ever commission. This is the edge that real indie has over mainstream TV.

As Sal says other web series are not your competition. People here should be promoting each other as well to their audiences. One retweet of a Twitter link doesn't count either. There is so much about this type of promotion that web series creators can learn from popular YouTube channels. Get Partnership and get the advice that YouTube offers to official partners about this.

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Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on October 18, 2011 at 7:19am

@Elisar said: "First off to use the term "Hollywood" to mean anything non-independent is wrong and misleading in my opinion."

Elisar, What's your definition of Hollywood?

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Permalink Reply by Cal Nguyen on October 18, 2011 at 12:29pm

I started my web TV series with the intention of going to TV I have to admit. Seeing as how all those silly B-movie types are out there on the tube today, I figured I had a shot :) Certainly I'm on the web (http://blip.tv/dayzerotv), but I don't want to just stay there, I want to be everywhere.

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Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on November 2, 2011 at 8:15pm

I like this. Expanding to other mediums (and making money while at it) should always be the goal. Starting online shouldn't mean staying exclusively online, but its important to build a strong online presence though.

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Permalink Reply by Cal Nguyen on November 2, 2011 at 9:36pm

Exactly. By showing your series for free online (with ads) you can get something in return, however small, but it creates excitement and exposure for it to the point of hopefully "viral". Once that happens then the other side (aka TV, web content sponsors/distributors, or whoever) will have to notice. So I'm starting that push with adverts to bring me over the top, and once I know that works somehow, then I'll start looking to push it elsewhere (print, TV, etc.) if I can find the right connections with timing, etc. while at the same time you have to make things available for purchase to include accessories. Build a brand around it (if not franchise).

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Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on November 3, 2011 at 9:15am

How will ads make you go viral? I don't understand.

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Permalink Reply by Cal Nguyen on November 3, 2011 at 6:37pm

Well, lots of sites where you have a domain (like my http://www.dayzerotv.com) gives you free money to start testing Google Adwords. I was even selected to advertise on LinkedIn. So using that has increased views to my webseries on blip.tv! :)