Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie

 Chapter 56 – Changes and R.I.P. Net Neutrality
by Leesa Dean

I’ve been working on four projects this year that have been incredibly time-intensive. One is nearly done, two are in the planning (pre-outline) stages and I’m currently writing the fourth (which is Season Two of the Lele Show). It is VERY hard to do all of that, but I feel really strongly about each one.

I had originally thought I’d do 33 episodes of the Lele Show for Season Two which is an enormous amount of work and truthfully, I’ve been a little stuck. Mostly cause it’s a lot to do and my time is fairly limited (the one that’s nearly done, the TOP SECRET PROJECT, is very time intensive).

This week, I decided to bring that episode number down to 20 and also do some ancillary material. It’s still a lot to write, but just cutting the episode number down made me go over my season story arc and tighten it up, which felt great and confirmed the decision. It’s now leaner and juicier. And, more importantly, it takes some pressure off. I’m now looking at October for a relaunch and between finishing writing and production, I’m hoping that’s realistic.

So aside from that, the big news this week was the F.C.C. decision to, essentially, eliminate Net Neutrality. Net Neutrality is the principle that ISPs (and governments) should treat all data on the Internet equally. What the F.C.C.’s decision means is, ISP’s could strike charge major content provider companies like Skype or Netflix for preferential treatment (like faster access). As a result those additional costs could be passed down to consumers and worse, because startups and small guys can’t afford to pay for preferential treatment, innovation could be stifled and indie voices not heard.

It’s AWFUL. What it probably will mean is, it’ll just be tougher to find anything that’s cool and it’ll just be another tough road for indie creators.

The flip side of that also might mean that indie people band together and find a way for their voices to be heard. I mean, that’s happened historically, even before the internet. People might have to, gasp, meet in person, but I can’t imagine that everything will be quashed.

Tonight, I’m off to a screening at the Tribeca Film Festival which should be fun!

Author: ChilltownTV

I'm primarily a writer. Sold a few series to tv networks and production companies but never had anything get on the air. So I taught myself how to animate and completed 3 digital series, launching two. The first, Chilltown has been named one of "Five Web Series That Should Be on Your Radar" by ABCNews/Univision and a "Show to Watch" by Tubefilter. The second, Lele's Ratchet Advice Show, garnered a fanatic cult following. As a result, I now do Lele's 60 Second Wrap Up, a weekly comedic entertainment report (which I write & perform) that airs on urban radio stations Rhythm 105.9fm and the Just Wake Up Morning Show on WWRNfm. View all posts by ChilltownTV