Tag: Spec Scriptacular Contest

6 Tips for Getting Your Web Series Off the Ground

There doesn’t breathe a one of us crazy, zany TV-lovin’ writers who doesn’t want to get her or his own web series up and running and viraling and garnering shit-tons of professional attention from executives, producers, agents, and future lovers, so here we are with the web series how-to of, oh, at least the week:

webseriessecrets

by Maddy Kadish

For indie filmmakers, the challenges of creating a web series may be the same as for a short or feature – slim funding, a crowded market, difficulties in building an audience and limited path for pricing models. But digital content has its own set of demands and requirements. read article

How Are TV Critics Handling Peak TV?

Peak TV is here! Like Peak Oil only more relevant because so many more of us care about running out of TV shows to watch and write for than we do about having enough oil to power our soon-to-be-obsolete civilization.

So, right now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty: What do the TV critics believe is going on? How are their concerns different from ours? How the hell can a whole lotta new TV shows ever translate into “too many TV shows?” Take it away, Pilot Viruet:

When did "57 channels and nothing's on" become "peak TV?"
When did “57 channels and nothing’s on” become “peak TV?”

by Pilot Viruet

Last week, I wrote about my personal experience of trying to keep up with peak television — the unfathomable amount of scripted programming airing right now, and all the other series available for viewing on any number of platforms — but I’m also interested in how fellow TV critics are handling the phenomenon. 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

Crowd Sourcing: How It Really Feels to Get Kickstarted

At last! A Kickstartee (?) comes forward to tell us what the crowd funding experience is really like. Not for the squeamish, nosirree:

angry_donkey_kicking

by Marc Alan Fishman

I freely admit that I am 33 years of age and have never been drunk, high, or anything more than over-tired. But over the last 33 days I’ve experienced inebriation in all its stereotypical stages – if only by proxy – as I managed what I can now declare as a successful crowdfunding campaign.

No, I didn’t drink any alcohol, smoke, toke, or shoot any whim-wham-wozzle into my ding-a-ling. I merely held my breath for 33 days as I watched 155 people trickle in to support Unshaven Comics as we embarked on collecting together our first independently published graphic novel. I’m somewhere between hugging the toilet and declaring how I love you all. read article

Cartoon: ONE PAGE AT A TIME

From the Fountain of Creative Wisdom that is Grant Snider:

grantsniderdoesitagainMore Grant Snider wit and wisdom at Incidental Comics