Problems for Web Series Creators? - HOW TO MAKE A HIT INTERNET SHOW #5

Attended a forum held at BAFTA organised by NyAC last week, where Producer Phil Parker chaired with a very simple question...


With which key issues do you struggle when creating online interactive narratives?


It's a good question for any web show creators.

Here's my response -- feel free to add your own in COMMENTS below!


DYNAMIC UNIVERSES - the choices made when writing an Online Show?

TALE OF TWO NARRATIVES
- HOLDING THE FAN'S HAND?
Linear roll-out of story/narrative developments, in easily understandable guided sequences
or
- JOY OF DISCOVERY (MYSTERY, BROKEN NARRATIVE)?
Do you put content out there, for fan to engage by pieceing together aspects of story from what they find -- fans help each other out in comments, forums, wikis etc. alongside the creator's stream of content?


TIME, SPACE & DIMENSION
- single closed, completed narrative - using the internet as a TV transmission mast
(e.g. Clark & Michael, We Tell Stories)
or
- "live show" = open,ongoing narrative played out in real time
(e.g. lonelygirl15, katemodern)
or
- Mini closed narratives, with "live" ongoing communities around the writer, or performers
(e.g. The Guild, Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog)


FANS AS AUDIENCE,
or EVERYONE AS FANS?
Technology allows Everyone to comment on Everything.
Is that conversation encouraged by 'the show', or even acknowledged by the characters?


COMMUNITIES
- Controlled mothership ("Protect the brand!", geoblocking),
or
free-for-all?
i.e. 'Do you try to drive everyone to your home site, or do you put everything everywhere'


'HONESTY'
The two extremes:
- Having a backstage area which isn't on view to the public
or
- Putting *everything* out there - storyboards on youtube, works in progress scripts, behind the scenes blogs
= Hugh McLeod wrote his book 'How To Be Creative' on his blog, and it has been freely available for years. It hasn't had a negative impact on sales, if anything, is acting as years and years of pre-publicity.


FUNDING AFFECTING THE CREATOR'S CONTENT
- Sense of Community - paypal tip jar to pay for the next series
- or Micropayments, Advertising/Sponsorship,
- or selling 'containers' - DVD's, Live shows, Live screenings, Music tracks, Books
- or all these options



Leave a COMMENT below!


CLICK HERE for more posts on HOW TO MAKE A HIT INTERNET SHOW

http://storygas.blogspot.com/search/label/HOW%20TO%20MAKE%20A%20HIT%20INTERNET%20SHOW



And CLICK HERE for the entire post on HOW TO MAKE A HIT INTERNET SHOW

http://storygas.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-make-hit-internet-show.html