The New Orleans Video Access Center gave a party last month, and way too many of us missed it. Here’s the story:
NOVAC Web Weekend: Recapping A Memorable Beginning To An Important New Event For Web Series Creators
by Chris Hadley
Recently in New Orleans, a unique event brought together the best minds from the web series industry, along with some of the best creators of original content for the web. Web Weekend, a two day series of screenings and panels held by the New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC) in conjunction with the New Orleans Film Festival, provided attendees (this writer included) with ample opportunities to meet fellow filmmakers and to gain valuable insight on various issues relating to the industry, as well as ways to build audiences and to create quality content. NOVAC Web Weekend began on Friday, October 18th with Think Tank, which took place downtown at Launch Pad NOLA. Think Tank provided creators of many locally produced web series like SUNKEN CITY and LEAST FAVORITE LOVE SONGS ample opportunities to network with, and get valuable feedback from, their fellow filmmakers.
Later, those who gathered for Web Weekend got to see the third season premiere of the popular documentary web series BLACK FOLK DON’T, along with an in-depth discussion with the show’s writer/director Angela Tucker. From there, it was party time at the Bellocq Bar, located inside the New Orleans’ Hotel Modern. As the night went on, those gathered for Web Weekend celebrated the beginning of the inaugural event in style (and with plenty of cocktails to go around).
The next day (October 19th), I arrived in the city to attend the first of a day-long series of panel discussions that focused on many facets of the world of original digital content for the Internet. Each panel was held at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. The first of those was “Web Series 101”, an informative and insightful talk by Mike Tringe, the founder of CreatorUp, an educational resource for aspiring and current web series creators that features online-based classes on various subjects relating to the creation and distribution of digital content. (The full length videos of that panel, plus the later discussion with Charles Ingram and Ally Hord of FUNNY OR DIE, are both available via UStream at the link below).