Add a Comment

Comment by Chad Media on August 19, 2012 at 1:26pm

@Movie Seals, you totally glossed over Venus Spa which is based in Winnipeg!

http://www.youtube.com/watchvenusspa

Comment by Rich Mbariket on August 18, 2012 at 11:16am

Good seeing the WSC in Canada thriving. After nearly three years of trying to connect web series creators in the US to no avail, I'm shifting WSN away from the whole web series community ideaology and focusing on delivering news, training and analysis. The community features such as Forums will always be there for those interested, but not as prominent. 

Comment by Jean Paul Thomin on August 17, 2012 at 8:04am

Allow me to say Oh la la! That's quite a topic you've raised here. I've been involved at the time in Montreal in the productions of the first web series in French. Even the very first Internet Movie That was, if my memory is correct, back in 1996 and 'till 2000, way after The Spot, which got first public recognition for a body of work of significant proportion. I'm actually working as a columnist on content's monetization with le Lien MULTIMEDIA, which is the oldest and best known digital media covering multimedia activity in Quebec. And there is some points I would like to add my view to

- First, Americans are ''dumping'' web series here because it's easy and paying. Canadian, and among them, quebecois on top, consume lots of video contents. At a point where we can clearly beginning to talk about a virtual migration of population. I've seen the stats coming from Daily Motion Canada, for one, and Canadians activity there seems to exceed any local webcaster in comparison and that includes CBC. And I doubt DM is close to YouTube when it comes to canadian consumption of video online.

Several provinces are also offering financial support, usually tax credits, to international cinematographic productions that are coming to film locally. And that's includes web series. Which means, some canadian productions are not canadian at all.

So, in sum, you have a market of 35 millions people with a good chunk of them loving web videos plus financial support for productions. If you want to test your product or ensure that you'll benefit from a solid fan base and some publicity before lauching in USA, Canada seems a logical choice.

- I think I know of most web (and tv) producers in Montreal and around,and the web series productions in Quebec is, at best, sparse. Maybe there is thousands of people dreaming of making one but in fact, there is a handfull of fictions being done on a professionnal basis each year. Producers are all agreeing about the same facts:

Our own audience is being fragmented between the very few local contents, and France and USA web series. Apart a miraculous one shot deal that had yet to come, It's now simply impossible to achieve significant public success with a web series

The situation had reach a point where there is a real cash drain of Quebec advertiser's money going to French and Americain web sites.

Best thing to do is trying to get foot on the French Market. Or for English speaking people; on american market.

And as far as I know, Quebec is in a far better situation than Canada here.

Are  Canadians and Quebecois producing better web series that americans or more per capita? I think those point are meaningless. It's not the Americans that are at risk at losing their culture here.

Best Regards

Jean Paul (Yann) Thomin

Comment by Indie Intertube on August 16, 2012 at 9:54am

The first official web series was indeed The Spot in 1995 though there was episodic content in Vancouver in 1994.

Comment by Movie Seals on August 16, 2012 at 9:41am

I think the first "official"episodic web series was the Spot, which was shot in 1995. That was in the US.  But there was two guys in Vancouver who started as early as 1994 creating a series of web related episodes connected together with a loose plot.

Comment by Simon Fraser on August 16, 2012 at 9:35am

Movie Seals said, "The first web series was produced in Canada."

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the first web series was produced in LA in 1999. It was called The Royal Standard and distributed on Atom Films, directed by Randal Kleiser (Grease, Blue Lagoon).

At least that was the first time I'd heard the term "web series" applied to a piece of content received by a mass audience.

Comment by Aaron Garcia on August 16, 2012 at 9:14am

I think the only way web series will thrive is by fulfilling needs that movies and tv can't provide.  I think Canada is case in point.  They've really embraced the format and are doing programs that aren't being represented in the standard outlets.  They're passionate, creative, and supportive.  Definitely should be the model for all web series creators.

   I work in LA and overall the culture is a "Me" mentality.  Everything is segregated from tv to film, reality to scripted, hell we have even segregated it to what genre you do.  And in people's minds here, they don't mix.  You're looked down upon based on what section you're in.  It's kind of like an adult version of high school.  Its so competitive here that the feeling is you can't support others, because they probably won't and have not done the same for you.  Or that you're so consumed in your own stuff that you don't have time to acknowledge anything outside your bubble.  I have been to a couple of IAWTV get togethers in the past and you definitely could feel the cliques.  But its not like that everywhere in the U.S.  I have been to some events and have met web series creators based in LA where they're doing screenings of creators' shows in theaters.  I've discovered some amazing series that tend to get lost in the shuffle because of these events.   It was a great way to share with others. 

Overall I think its good that web series are beginning to prosper, anywhere.  The more that creators fulfill those needs for audiences, TV and Film people will finally get what web series creators have known for a while.  

Comment by Jill Golick on August 16, 2012 at 6:24am

@Jeff, what a great idea.  Let me know when you want guest writers!  

@IndieIntertube, I don't count IAWTV out by any means.  It's an organization in its early stages and it is doing a great job of meeting the needs of communities in New York and LA.  Having put the 'I" in their name those of us outside hte US borders are expecting them to reach out to us a little more.  But I think International in IAWTV is a lot like World in World Series, just a word...

Comment by Jeff Sinasac on August 16, 2012 at 4:30am

Regarding the collaboration aspect, for Season 2, Clutch has brought in guest directors from several different web series to direct individual episodes, as well as going well out of our way to bring in actors from different web series for cameos or even leading roles.  The thought on our end is that audiences don't view we series the way they do television - seeking out traditional genres, for instance.  Fans of web series seek out all web series, as if they were a genre unto themselves.  So fostering fans for one show aids everyone - the success of one show translates in a very direct way to the success of all.

Comment by Movie Seals on August 15, 2012 at 8:56pm

I just heard you joined the board of IAWTV - maybe this is what they need. Congrats in any case - I can't wait to see what you bring to it!  It should energize them for sure! :-)  And yes, there is a feeling that the individuals are creators in Canada, more than everywhere else so far.  Even the French claim to envy the Quebec guys innovation and sense of entrepeneurship in the space.  I think we are swimming in the right direction and we are doing it with collaaboration.   I agree with Indie Intertube that people outside of the big production centers are more in tune with the community - I personally had great contacts with people outside of the big centers - although there are cool ones everywhere too!

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page