Category: Peer Production

Web Series: “Every Woman’s Dream “

TVWriter™ is overcome with joy at being able to present this announcement from our Very Talented Friends at Comedy High. (No, really, we are. We love these peeps):

jeseniaby TVWriter™ News Service

It’s the modern-day Cleopatra-Meets-Freaky-Adina-Howard, as Valerie Whaley (played by comedian, Jesenia) enjoys feather fans, hot men, and massages in the very sexy season finale of “Shlongologues: The Web Series”, with episode 10: brag. Watch here:

???Shlongologues: The Web Series is a provocatively refreshing MALE twist on The Vagina Monologues featuring NY’s best up-and-coming talent created by Comedy High. read article

Leesa Dean Gives Thumbs Down to ‘Thumbs Down’

Middle-Finger-Button

Adventures in Digital Series Land – #112
by Leesa Dean

Been so so busy I haven’t had time to do anything, which is why this post is late. Aside from everything else going on (animating/production work on new series, promos and writing a pilot), I just signed a deal with fledgling streaming VOD company Kweli TV.  They fell in love with Chilltown and now it will be on their platform in HD!! So I’ve been redoing all the episodes in preparation for the launch. A ton of work.

But something really big is brewing in the digital media world and I felt I had to address it.  That’s right, Facebook is planning on adding a dislike button (thumbs down) and people are going berserk.  And for a good reason. Given all the trolls, schadenfreude-mongers, ill-wishers and general sh*theads that populate an average timeline, people are bracing themselves for their videos to get tons of thumbs down. To make things worse, Facebook says it’s planning on DELETING any video that has more than 10 dislikes.  Talk about pressure.

When I first read about this I had, what can only be described as, a social-media take on the classic comedian’s nightmare: I dreamed I posted my latest radio show segment and all the hosts from one of the radio stations that carries the segment gave it a thumbs down.  Not only by clicking the button, but also by posting a huge image of the FB thumbs down.  To be fair, that joke did kind of suck. read article

Wonder What It’s Like to Make the Transition from Not-a-Pro to, um, Almost-a-Pro

This teaser for the upcoming Hulu original series, ROCKETJUMP actually teased us. So:

Get an inside look at our next show with Lionsgate and Hulu!
The full show will be up on Hulu, but you’ll be able to see the shorts later this year right here! read article

“Why I Make Films & Don’t Just Write Them”

whoa
Not Hank, but a cleverly constructed emotional facsimile

by Hank Isaac

There is absolutely no way you can guarantee that someone listening to your pitch will see the same film in his head that you do. No way. Everyone comes with preconceived notions about most things. How can you possibly know what they are? Answer: You can’t.

A decade ago, I pitched a high-adventure aviation film featuring a young female protagonist. Five words into my pitch, the producer said, “Nah, that’s just like [name of film].” Well in fact, it was nothing like [name of film]. The only similarity was that the lead was a young female who happened to fly something at some point, and there were also other humans in the story. That’s it. And yet, the producer had categorized all films within that exceedingly narrow spectrum as “the same.” No, actually, “identical.”

It would have been easier to talk my way out of a Middle Eastern border dispute than to convince him otherwise. read article

Leesa Dean’s Tale of Promotional Woe

promotionAdventures in Digital Series Land #111
by Leesa Dean

First, I’m finally over the hump. Meaning, about to start production on the last part of this new series. Something that should take about 6 – 8 weeks. Yes, I’m psyched! Also, a little scared. Not only about putting myself on the line again, but just the sheer volume of work ahead just promoting it is intimidating. I’m prepping so much stuff with so many plans I can barely see straight. But, it’s necessary. And I’m taking my cues from the big guys (even though I’m doing this on a minuscule level).

So what are the big guys doing?  Continuing to blur the lines between cable, tv and digital. If you’ve been on another planet (or, ahem, haven’t happened to read this blog where I rant and rave about it), things are now in full effect with execs and creatives from digital moving into cable and tv positions and visa versa.  And what that means for shows and series is: more and more content is being produced online to help promote shows. I thought it was really telling that The Daily Show with Trevor Noah hired Baratunde Thurston as a Supervising Producer for Digital.

Thurston has been at the forefront of all things digital content (he was the Director of Digital at The Onion) for many years plus, he did this which forever earned him my respect. It’s a big step for a show that’s that high profile, especially since all eyes will be watching Noah to see if he fills Jon Stewart’s shoes, to hire somebody with those specific internet credentials–someone who easily straddles both worlds but really and truly understands promoting on the internet–to set things up on twitter, instagram and snapshot. read article