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The Business of Web Series/Commercial & Mainstream Programming

When I first started WSN no one really knew what a web series was, not even people in the entertainment industry. Back then, describing a web series to someone was like describing a color they've never seen. It was frustrating because you knew what it was, but the other person doesn't, and you try as much as you can not to confuse them into thinking it was television online.

The Internet, technology, the industry, and my point of view has evolved since then, and a web series isn't as foreign to people today as it was back then.

Frankly, I would like to see web series evolve toward being more commercialized and mainstream like network and cable television. What has made TV successful? TV's success lies in giving the audience something they can't get enough of: The Kardashians anyone? Bravo programming anyone? Mad Men anyone? TV's success lies in finding people with a name and making something innovative with them.

A web series could benefit from following the business model of television programming.

By the way, a web series is still not television on the web, a web series is a web series, its what it is. To be successful a web series doesn't have to be the second coming of television, it just needs to be more commercialized and mainstream like television, meaning out with the snackable 2 minute webisodes and in with the half-hour and hourlong (commercial and mainstream) programming.

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Comment by Rich Mbariket on December 5, 2012 at 11:09am: + 1 Pentene.

Comment by Pentene Woolen on December 5, 2012 at 10:55am: I agree. It doesn't matter what form of entertainment it is the audience wants to see more commercialized material. Just wish that great content was valued more. The quality is extremely important given that television programming is also provided online so the same is expected for anything else that is on the web, that being a web series.

Comment by Cal Nguyen on September 19, 2012 at 5:06pm: Yep, sweet justice ;-) Critics did pan it, specifically for the short form -- nobody knows what's going on and you can't have feelings for the characters. When this happens, one can only resort to quick cuts that turn it into "artsy fartsy". lol

Comment by Rich Mbariket on September 19, 2012 at 4:34pm: But Electric City (with Tom Hanks) flopped though!

Comment by Cal Nguyen on September 19, 2012 at 4:09pm: Thanks Rich. Yes, they did... they said a lot of things, mostly that they wanted short form (like Tom Hanks' Electric City that they own). They wanted name actors. And it's possible it could be political, I don't know. lol

Comment by Rich Mbariket on September 19, 2012 at 3:21pm: Nice Cal. I never followed up. So they turned you down? :)

Comment by Cal Nguyen on September 18, 2012 at 11:34pm: As for "snackable", Yahoo! said that to me when they turned me down (yeah, Rich, unfortunately). But my metrics on blip.tv shows that the most played device for my show -- outside of a computer -- is "Apple iOS". Is that not mobile? So they're watching my 22 minute average episodes on that :)

Comment by Cal Nguyen on September 18, 2012 at 11:30pm: Rich! You nailed it :) Yes, that's why I view my own webseries as a "web TV series" as you know, because I believe it is a transition, a bridge to fill the gap between TV and the "typical" webisode types. People are looking for stuff like mine, episode 6: Dementia was 30 minutes while my next one is 13 1/2 minutes (ranges - but most are hovering around 22 or so average) because we don't produce for commercials per se, but there are gaps in there that work for ads.

You're right about commercializing. I always wished I could have had a name actor, but that's not the case for season 1 as we have no budget (and there's no way a SAG actor would work for free for unknowns). But then again, I've never really asked, and they'd have to live here in my state for their convenience (and mine). lol. Web series have gone a long way and you have to stick out from the crowd...people are still making dinky 5 minute "episodes" that end up more artsy than anything (as opposed to traditional narrative storytelling). People who cut the cord go to Hulu and Netflix -- to watch the very same 1/2 hour to 1 hour TV shows they were used to. :P

Comment by Rich Mbariket on September 18, 2012 at 7:28pm: Well you need the content to attract an audience. Content first always. The audience decides if you keep making the content unless it's a passion project then you really don't need an audience.

Television is a business that's what most creative people don't realize. They think it's art, but everything functions thought the business side of things. Hence no matter how creative or artful a program is, without an audience the network pulls the plug. For the web series maker looking to make a business from his series he has to embrace and educate himself on the business side of this industry.

Comment by Clancy Bundy on September 18, 2012 at 1:43pm: I mean I suppose a key difference would be a web series autonomy. They are creator distributed (unless Hulu gets involved) and don't deal with networks (at least traditionally). Most 'TV" originated web series serve to reinforce the parent media (Parks and Rec, Mortal Kombat: Whatever Its Called).

But we can see the beginnings of online 'Networks' already. Groups like Zombie Orpheus Entertainment (who feature our show), actively seek out programs to fill their sites. But I am sure some level of quality or content control exist to be a welcomed addition.

Maybe it's the transitional appeal of webseries? Lotta people, projects and IP seem to use use web series as a bridge to other media or to garnish a fan base for established entertainment.

Or maybe it is even about Crowdfunding. The fact that the fanbase keeps it alive. I agree that its a tenuous and terribly dependent way to exist, but maybe a key aspect of webseries is that a lot of them rely pretty heavily on the people they are serving specifically, and in return supply them with exactly what the fans are asking for. From what I understand, television which is more of a crap shoot, creating content first, betting an audience exists.