Category: Indie Film & Video

Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie

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Chapter 61 – Death and Writing
by Leesa Dean

This has been an insane week.

It kicked off with an old friend, one of my Bronx homeboys, suddenly and unexpectedly dying. Which, aside from the obvious (grief, funeral, reconnecting with people from back in the day), shifted things for me.

I’m normally a total workaholic. But, I wasn’t in much of a work mood. I cancelled my weekly radio show, so both stations played reruns. I only took a few meetings; ones that couldn’t be rescheduled. Spent a lot of time with his family. And a few days ago, went down to the park handball courts to practice tennis, smash a few balls around and take my mind off of things. Of course, as things turned out, this happened: read article

Peer Production: MY LIFE AS A VIDEO GAME

Who doesn’t think that? At least sometimes?

Certainly not us. When you work at TVWriter™ in showbiz everything’s more than a game. It’s a war!

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Peer Production: X-PETS

AKA X-MEN (CUTE KITTEN VERSION).

There’s absolutely nothing we can say about this little gem that will do it justice. If you love kittens, or the X-Men, or just plain well-done productions, WATCH:

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Peer Production: SILVER LAKE DETECTIVE

At last! The interwebs have their own BORED TO DEATH, with SILVER LAKE DETECTIVE, a web series that combines film noir (00h, it’s in black and white) and hipsters in L.A.

A great example of creative film making on a miniscule budget. Director Aaron Toft obviously remembers every movie shot he ever saw, and uses them wisely. read article

Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie

ChangeChapter 59 – The More Things Change, The Less They Stay the Same
by Leesa Dean

Everything is in so much flux right now, not only with yesterday’s horrifying (yet expected) ruling on Net Neutrality, but with broadcast and cable tv, web series and film, it’s hard to plan. A year and a half ago, right before I officially launched and jumped into the fray, my path seemed pretty clear: launch my first series, get immersed in social media and take advantage of a ton of free resources and networking opportunities for web series creators like the events YouTube, Big Screen Little Screen and the IAWTV held. The goal was (and is) to build my brand/audience. And the way to do that seemed pretty clear cut.

Well, things change don’t they?

A year and half in, I’m no longer (mostly) participating in Big Screen Little Screen and the IAWTV. Why? For Big Screen Little Screen the answer is simple: They’re charging now. And not an insubstantial amount. It’s pretty easy to get venues to fork over space and get free speakers–I know; I used to do it all the time when I was producing panels for NY Women In Film and Television. Perhaps if Big Screen Little Screen had a different format that I found was invaluable, I’d pay the $20 or $25 to attend. But not after a number of years of getting nearly the exact same experience for free. read article