REMIX ISN'T THEFT - hitRECord.org - But is it a webseries?

Came across this web phenomenon, only after a few of years of trying to describe how people can collaborate on a series. It also proposes an answer to the question:
"How do you share 'points' or profits with contributors on works that are still evolving?"

-- They seem to call it The hitRECord Accord.

What is hitRECord?

HITRECORD.ORG is a project (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) started almost five years ago now, and in 2010, we evolved into a professional open collaborative production company. We create and develop art and media collaboratively here on our site. Even this introductory video is the remixed result of a great many contributions. So rather than just exhibiting and admiring each other's work as isolated individuals, we gather here to collectively work on projects together. Videos, writing, photography, music, anything -- we call them all RECords.

Now and then, when I think something we've made has come out especially well, I approach the traditional entertainment industry to turn our work into money-making productions; and then we share any profits with the contributing artists.

Are you RECording?

MORE HERE:- http://www.hitrecord.org/reel


What is hitRECord?




"Tiny Stories" Announcement



I've found one of the best ways to explain what we do here is just to show some of the "RECords" we've made together. So I've curated this small selection, many of which were recently screened at Sundance and SxSW. Now, the larger purpose of this place isn't merely to post and play the work of isolated individuals, but to collaborate as a community. So if you like what you see, check out our recently Featured RECords and Collaborations to join in and contribute to the next project.


JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT on twitter


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THANKS!

DATES LIKE THIS the webseries - @DLTSeries message to StoryGas Mailbag

Thanks to everyone who has contacted me via twitter and by leaving comments below the blog posts here...

The easiest way to plug your show is to leave a comment so everyone can see your link - and in the meantime, here are some of the messages from web series creators this month...

@DLTSeries Dates Like This
good morning! we'd love for you to check out our kickstarter page! http://ow.ly/6cIO2 - have a great day!!






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Why free webseries will be successful? - Favourite Posts: Chris Anderson and Freeconomics

This is the last of my reposting some of my favourite webseries posts this month...

------
(Original "Chris Anderson: why free works" - post here)


Been meaning to link to this for ages - under the
Recommended Reading
label.



From wired.com:-

Once a marketing gimmick, free has emerged as a full-fledged economy. Offering free music proved successful for Radiohead, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, and a swarm of other bands on MySpace that grasped the audience-building merits of zero. The fastest-growing parts of the gaming industry are ad-supported casual games online and free-to-try massively multiplayer online games. Virtually everything Google does is free to consumers, from Gmail to Picasa to GOOG-411.

The rise of "freeconomics" is being driven by the underlying technologies that power the Web. Just as Moore's law dictates that a unit of processing power halves in price every 18 months, the price of bandwidth and storage is dropping even faster. Which is to say, the trend lines that determine the cost of doing business online all point the same way: to zero.

MORE HERE:-
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free


Free! Why $0.00 is the Future of Business




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Favourite webseries posts: Lovedistance.jp - Real-time Japanese Online Drama...

Re-posting some of my best webseries links and posts through August.

Wanted to take another look at this, because it was so damn weird.

The video explains and ties up everything, but it was a real time journey webcast event, as narrative.

--------

(ORIGINAL LOVEDISTANCE POST HERE)



Okay.

This is *really* different. But you have to catch it quick, as it seems to end on December 24th.

It takes a while to load and click through, and I'm still not fully sure what it's all about.


From lovedistance.jp:-

From Tokyo to Fukuoka,
one long distance relationship.
The distance, over 1000km.

The relationship, 2 and half years so far.
A man from Fukuoka, a woman from Tokyo,
to prove their love, they run.

This documentary is, until the saintly night of Dec 24th when the reunion happens, broadcasting the two's running paths. Their text messages, blogs and video chats, are open to the spectators in real-time.

This documentary will, for about a month, continue living in real-time.
We the audience, is going to observe their love relationship for the next one month to reconsider this monster, "love".

In order to virtually experience their long distance relationship, a male is directed to "a man" site, a female is directed to "a woman" site, in other words, you will be separated apart. This takes away internet freedom.

To tell a truth, this documentary is an advertisement. On the saintly night of Dec 24th, the client will be revealed. CF will be produced through the next one month.

Here's a frame from the introductory video.

And here's a screengrab of the live feed.
The pink and the blue show the progress of the couple getting together.

And you can track the two 'runners' on a live interactive map.

===

UPDATE:
*This* is what it was about...



A brand integration. Ad-funded programming web series!


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CLICK HERE for all posts on web series funding

Favourite posts: Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long-Blog - Joss Whedon's Online Comedy Musical...

Spending August revisiting some of my favourite posts and web series.

This one isn't a webseries - it was a one-off web event - which, in itself is an interesting take on how to use online release to create a buzz and possibly a community around your project?

---
(Original post here)



From wikipedia:-

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 43-minute musical film, initially produced exclusively for Internet distribution. It tells the story of Dr. Horrible, the aspiring supervillain alter ego of Billy; Captain Hammer, his nemesis; and Penny, their mutual love interest.

The movie was written by writer/director Joss Whedon, his brothers Zack Whedon (a television writer) and Jed Whedon (a composer), and Jed's fiancée, actress Maurissa Tancharoen. The writing team penned the musical during the WGA writers' strike. The idea was to create something small and inexpensive, yet professionally done, in a way that would circumvent the issues that were being protested during the strike. On October 31, 2008, Time Magazine named it #15 in Time's Top 50 Inventions of 2008.

MORE HERE:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Horrible%27s_Sing-Along_Blog




So... What's it about, and why is it special?

From NewTeeVee:-

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Joss Whedon’s web series, is a bold experiment in online distribution — the series will be available for free for just one week before becoming available on DVD and possibly download — but it’s also damn entertaining.

The tale of an aspiring supervillain told mostly in song, this WGA strike-spurred project treads an odd line between the professional and the amateur, making full use of Whedon’s considerable resources while still carrying a whiff of we-don’t-need-no-stinking-permits filmmaking. The end result is kinetic and inspired, while still bearing the trademark wit and pathos of a Whedon project.

MORE HERE:-
http://station.newteevee.com/2008/07/11/dr-horrible-preview-whedon-rocks-the-blog/

MORE ARTICLES HERE:-
http://www.drhorrible.com/press.html

SHOW HOME PAGE HERE:-
http://www.drhorrible.com/

OFFICIAL FAN SITE HERE:-
http://doctorhorrible.net/

From doctorhorrible youtube channel:

The story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he's too shy to talk to.

Starring Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible, Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer, Felicia Day as Penny, and a cast of dozens!

AND HERE'S A SONG:-




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CLICK HERE if you need to see some more webseries 'you must see'

Still think this is my favourite webseries - THE GUILD

Re-posting some of my favourite posts through August.

Partly to pick out useful ones, partly because some have gone missing from my blogger search box. Think Google might have forgotten me.

This is still my favourite web show.

I once read a post where a blogger said that they had seen the creator, Felicia Day, putting up a flyer for her webseries in a coffee shop somewhere in LA, even though it was a couple of years after the launch of The Guild, and well after it had many many followers.
Such is the dedication of a successful web series creator.

-------

(Original post here)

This is The Guild.

The Guild - Episode 1: Wake-Up Call

Cyd Sherman's online gaming addiction brings more than she bargains for...

THE GUILD HOME SITE HERE:-
http://www.watchtheguild.com/.

The Guild is a independent sitcom web series about a group of online gamers. The show started in the late summer of 2007, and for the first season was financed solely by Paypal donations from LOYAL FANS. Since season 2, The Guild has been distributed by Xbox Live and Microsoft and sponsored by Sprint.

Episodes vary from 3-8 minutes in length, and follow the Guild members’ lives online and offline.

Click here for the story behind The Guild.
Seems like a bunch of writers and actors got together... and just made it, and uploaded it themselves...

From wikipedia,

"The guild was inspired and written by Felicia Day, an avid gamer, who until 2006 had been playing World of Warcraft.

After a 2 year gaming addiction Day decided to make something productive from her experiences and wrote the series as a sitcom pilot. Day hoped to show that the stereotype of a man living in his parent's basement is not the only kind of gamer.

Due to concerns that a wider (television) audience would not be receptive to the comparatively niche setting, she decided to follow through with it online with Jane Selle Morgan and Kim Evey. Day already knew Sandeep Parikh and Jeff Lewis from the Empty Stage, a Los Angeles based comedy theatre, and their roles were written for them. The rest of the cast was filled through auditions.

After filming the first 3 episodes in just two and a half days they faced the problem of funding. After putting a donation link to Paypal the 4th and 5th episode were almost solely financed by donations"



"THE GUILD" on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/theguild

"THE GUILD" on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/theguild

"THE GUILD" YOUTUBE CHANNEL
http://www.youtube.com/watchtheguild

"THE GUILD" COMMUNITY AREA and FORUM
http://community.watchtheguild.com


The Guild - Episode 2: Zaboo'd

Cyd Sherman's imaginary world becomes all too real when a gnome warlock shows up on her doorstep.

The Guild - Episode 3: The Macro Problem

Codex's problem with Zaboo gets sidetracked by a crisis in The Guild.

I probably can't recommend more highly following Felicia Day, if you're interested in creating a web series. Try these links below.

Click here for Felicia Day's BLOG

FELICIA DAY on twitter


ALL POSTS labelled THE GUILD here:-http://storygas.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Guild


All posts mentioning FELICIA DAY here

Click here for all my links to the biggest and most NOTABLE WEB SERIES

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Click here for all links to ONLINE COMEDY web series


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BIG THANKS to everyone getting this by email already!

comedysale​.com - Is this a UK based web comedy series? #webseries

While we're all wondering how to monetise web content... have a look at how Sanderson Jones is web-contenting his monetised live event.

Maybe we could technically look at this as a form of web series?

It's a blur between the brand and the content - the idea is the content.

FROM www.comedysale.com

Hello I’m Sanderson Jones, and this is the first step in my mission to personally sell all the tickets to a massive gig in October. The idea started at the Edinburgh Fringe festival last year, when I sold tickets to my own stand up show on the street. Having once been a door-to-door salesman in the South of France (considerably less like a porn film than you’d think), chatting to festival goers enjoying themselves in the sun was a cinch and, even better, was playing to a crowd of folk I’d met before.

Doing gigs where I’d personally begged/persuaded the vast majority of the audience to come, crossed some weird boundary of intimacy (not weird like that). Clearly mystical juju takes place when the balance of power is altered, like a million souls crying out at once. As the festival continued a few thoughts coalesced into this idea (creativity in action!): if I could sell that many tickets to 25 shows, wouldn’t it be even more ridiculous to sell all the tickets to one big show?

Yes. Yes it would.

MORE HERE:- www.comedysale.com

ComedySale.Com: An Introduction



This is me explaining ComedySale.Com. It's part-website, part-mission as I try to personally sell all 500 tickets to a one off stand up show (performed by me) at the Union Chapel. I have to personally sell all the tickets: no internet sales, no venue sales, no phone sales.

Sanderson Jones on TWITTER @comedysale

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Sheffield Childrens Media Conference 2011 #tcmc - Great links for Apps

Here are some useful links that came up at the Sheffield Children's Media Conference 2011 #tcmc...

CHILDREN'S APPS - INNOVATION SHOWCASE: A Tale of Three Apps
3 examples of small companies doing it for themselves, and getting their apps/content out there directly rather than via broadcaster. Or being commissioned by the broadcaster to build the app.



Charles Kriel on Twitter
A Bear Ate All The Brussels Sprouts, Handmade Mother Goose, Pigment's Play Pen



NOSYCROW on twitter

Nosy Crow: The 3-D Three Little Pigs iPad app






TAG GAMES
Doctor Who App

Doctor Who - The Mazes of Time





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Why FREE works? A Case Study - Sita Sings The Blues

I'm posting this again -- partly because its one of the most useful articles I've watched on the issue of making money from eyeballs vs. scarcity, and mostly because it is one of the articles that has disappeared from the 'search this blog' box at the top of this blog...
(My original post is here...)



Came across this awesome article by Michael Masnick on techdirt:-

"Earlier this year, we wrote about the ridiculous situation that Nina Paley faced in trying to release an amazing film, Sita Sings the Blues.

Basically, some copyright holders of the music used in the film put positively insane terms on the use of their music. This made no sense, considering that the music (from the 1920s) was mostly unlistened to these days -- and the only thing the movie would likely do is increase demand for people to get legitimate versions of the music.

Eventually, Paley worked out a plan to release the film under a Creative Commons license and put in place a business model like the ones we've talked about for years: give away the infinite, sell the scarce.

And apparently, it's working. Pistol points us to a talk that Nina Paley just gave revealing some of the results. You can see the video here (it's a bit over 20 minutes):"

MORE HERE:-
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090824/1723375986.shtml


DIY DAYS PHL NINA PALEY TALK VIDEO HERE



"SITA SINGS THE BLUES Distribution Project Report
If it's free, how do you make money?? 5 months after the Creative Commons Share Alike release of her animated musical feature Sita Sings the Blues, Nina Paley presents the first round of hard data from the project.

Contrary to MPAA propaganda, the more the audience freely shares the film, the more they purchase DVDs, theater admissions, and merchandise; witness the $$ numbers that prove it. Nina Paley is the creator of the animated musical feature film Sita Sings the Blues, which has screened in over 150 film festivals and won over 30 international awards including the Annecy Grand Crystal, The IFFLA Grand Jury Prize, and a Gotham Award.

Her adventures in our broken copyright system led her to Copyleft her film, and join QuestionCopyright.org as Artist-in-Residence."

"SITA SINGS THE BLUES" SHOW HOME SITE HERE:-
www.sitasingstheblues.com

"SITA SINGS THE BLUES" YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/user/drakar7002


Sita Sings the Blues Part 1 / 10




I think Nina Paley's comments are fascinating.
The content is free.
"Containers are not free... And that's what we're selling."

So they earn money from... Donations, Merchandise, and Broadcasting.

Containers related to the content.
NOT from the content itself.

"The more people who get to see the film... the more they will want to buy the film-related stuff."


(Plus, I have never come across the term "Copyleft" before).


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YouTube NextUp scheme to back UK digital talent #webseries

YouTube is to invest €500,000 (£441,000) in a scheme to support UK digital talent.

The YouTube NextUp fund will allow up to 25 people to win a €20,000 grant to develop their content on the video-sharing website, as well as a place at a "creator camp" that will give training in production techniques.

To apply, creators must be YouTube partners – content producers who earn revenue through their accounts. YouTube said they could include singers, dancers, actors, producers, musicians or makeup artists who create their own video content.

This was via Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/14/youtube-nextup-scheme-uk-digital-talent


But... in all the news articles about this launch, am I being dim?

I can't find the official link to sign up or find out more...

The only youtube nextup links I've found are for the program in the states?

http://www.youtube.com/creators


Anyway, here's what it seems to be about.

Becoming YouTube Stars Event - London 2011




Learn how to become a YouTube star




NextUp for European Youtube Partners (ENGLISH)




BECOMING YOUTUBE STARS ROADSHOW!! (YTO 118/365) 04/08/11



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Writing for Multiplatform - Cardiff, Wales Thursday 15th April 2010

In Wales, or the UK?

On Thursday?


FROM CYFLE:-

An unique event to Wales which will be an opportunity to increase awareness of the effects of multiplatform developments on the media’s creative and commissioning processes.

"The Multiplatform Symposium 2010 is an event for those who want to be leading the pack in the competitive, ever-changing world of content production in the 21st century" Iona Williams, Chief Executive of CYFLE

A chance to –
•Interact with forward-thinking individuals
•Listen to and interact with speakers of the highest calibre
•Develop ideas, make contacts, and be inspired
•Expand your understanding of the changing multi-platfform world

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS...



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KateModern on The Money Programme - Media Revolution

Mentioned this almost exactly a year ago here!http://storygas.blogspot.com/2009/03/katemodern-and-me-on-money-programme.html

Here's an extract.

KateModern Mention on TV




From BBC News Money Programme:-

A decade ago, the UK was a net importer of television programmes. Now we're one of the most powerful players on the international television stage, exporting more than half the world's TV "formats".

Consumers are changing the way in which they watch television
But a transformation in the way viewers consume television is turning the industry's business model on its head and threatening the long-term future of this, one of the UK's most significant creative industries.

'Profound' changes
All the UK's major broadcasters have set up websites to allow viewers to watch their programmes via the computer, while social networking sites such as Bebo are carrying television content and even originating their own shows.

As the lines between television, the internet and social networking sites blur, this presents exciting but controversial new opportunities to bring advertising revenue into programmes.

Experts predict a future in which broadcasters gather substantial amounts of information about viewers and sell this data to advertisers who target their messages much more precisely than at present.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE


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Favourite Posts - EASY TO ASSEMBLE

Started StoryGas just over a year ago, and now going through the blog archive to pick out notable shows and favourite posts.

I'll try to update some of the entries along the way too, and don't forget you can CLICK HERE to get these posts sent direct by email.


From February 2009...

This is EASY TO ASSEMBLE - Original Post here.



From easytoassemble.tv:-

Easy to Assemble follows Illeana Douglas as she quits her Hollywood career and goes to work at IKEA Burbank in an attempt at a ‘normal life.’ However your past is often more difficult to leave behind than you think. Especially when Hollywood craziness with its gossip columnists, stalkers and celebrity friends follows you. Can Illeana assimilate in "civilian" life and prove that "art is where you make it?"

There seems to be two home sites for "EASY TO ASSEMBLE".

Season One seems to be here:-
http://www.easytoassemble.tv


EASY TO ASSEMBLE YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE:-
http://www.youtube.com/user/EasyToAssembleTV

EASY TO ASSEMBLE - Episode 1 - Training Day

Episode 1 of Easy To Assemble. Illeana Douglas's first day on the job. Can she survive?

Easy To Assemble costars Jeff Goldblum, Tom Arnold, Justine Bateman, Jane Lynch, Craig Bierko, Kevin Pollack, Robert Patrick, Ed Begley jr. and others.

EASY TO ASSEMBLE - Episode 10 - Art Is Where You Make It
(billed as Ep9 on home site because the pilot is counted as ep 1?)

In the Season One finale of Easy to Assemble, Ed Begley helps Illeana realize that "art is where you make it."

Article here:
http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2008/ikea-easy-to-assemble-online

IKEA is promoting the line, “Easy to Assemble” with an online video series starring director Illeana Douglas and co-starring Jeff Goldblum, Tom Arnold, Justine Bateman, Jane Lynch, Craig Bierko, Kevin Pollack, Ed Begley Jr. and Robert Patrick. Twenty co-worker training videos, initially rolled out online on the SVX channels at YouTube and Metacafe, feature playful if slightly embarrassing moments for staff and guests at an IKEA store in Burbank, California. The campaign is supplemented by a specially designed site, www.easytoassemble.tv.

DMW Vlog: Illeana Douglas On Writing, Acting and Producing for the Internet

Los Angeles Actress Illeana Douglas has moved from starring in big productions such as Cape Fear, Seinfeld and Ugly Betty to try her hand at writing and directing. Most recently, she is the creator of an original web series called Easy To Assemble, sponsored by Swedish furniture giant IKEA...

...It has now been picked up by CBS's online component TV.com. In this interview, she talks about why she thinks that branded content is the way of the future, her vision for Easy To Assemble and the quirky band Sparhusen as well as what it means to be an artist in a digital age. Interview by Jay Baage.

Easy to Assemble Premiere Party- via Current.com





EASY TO ASSEMBLE Season Two Home Site - seems to be here:-
http://www.easytoassembleseries.com




Easy To Assemble Cast Interviews




Illeana Douglas's Web Series




Easy to Assemble: Flying Solo (Part 1)

The winner of IKEA's coveted 'Co-Worker of the Year' is revealed, but that's only the beginning. Illeana, Justine and their fellow IKEAns are on a plane bound for Sweden, where new co-workers, new relationships and 'bitter' rivalries combine to re-define 'in-flight entertainment.'

Easy to Assemble: Flying Solo (Part 2)

Illeana realizes who her real friends are, while Store Manager Erik (Eric Lange) makes a possible love connection with Sam (Mia Riverton)

Easy to Assemble: Flying Solo (Part 3)

The special Flying Solo miniseries concludes with what else? A groovy disco dance number. Shake your groove plane and boogie down to Sparhusen's new single: 'Mile High Club' (available for download at http://www.cdfreedom.com/sparhusen)

EASY TO ASSEMBLE series blog here:
http://www.easytoassembleseries.com/blog


*****STORYGAS INTERACTIVE RATING*****
EASY TO ASSEMBLE
Can you embed? YES
Can you comment? YES
Also on youtube? YES
Forums? not found
Blog? YES
************************************

What do you think?
In 3 words? Or score out of 10?
See COMMENTS below

CLICK HERE for all links to ONLINE COMEDY web series

CLICK HERE for all my FAVOURITE POSTS

Favourite Posts - THE GUILD

Started StoryGas just over a year ago, and now going through the blog archive to pick out notable shows and favourite posts.

I'll try to update some of the entries along the way too, and don't forget you can CLICK HERE to get these posts sent direct by email.


From October 2008...

This is The Guild - Original Post here.

The Guild - Episode 1: Wake-Up Call

Cyd Sherman's online gaming addiction brings more than she bargains for...

THE GUILD HOME SITE HERE:-
http://www.watchtheguild.com/.

The Guild is a independent sitcom web series about a group of online gamers. The show started in the late summer of 2007, and for the first season was financed solely by Paypal donations from LOYAL FANS. Since season 2, The Guild has been distributed by Xbox Live and Microsoft and sponsored by Sprint.

Episodes vary from 3-8 minutes in length, and follow the Guild members’ lives online and offline.

Click here for the story behind The Guild.
Seems like a bunch of writers and actors got together... and just made it, and uploaded it themselves...

From wikipedia,

"The guild was inspired and written by Felicia Day, an avid gamer, who until 2006 had been playing World of Warcraft.

After a 2 year gaming addiction Day decided to make something productive from her experiences and wrote the series as a sitcom pilot. Day hoped to show that the stereotype of a man living in his parent's basement is not the only kind of gamer.

Due to concerns that a wider (television) audience would not be receptive to the comparatively niche setting, she decided to follow through with it online with Jane Selle Morgan and Kim Evey. Day already knew Sandeep Parikh and Jeff Lewis from the Empty Stage, a Los Angeles based comedy theatre, and their roles were written for them. The rest of the cast was filled through auditions.

After filming the first 3 episodes in just two and a half days they faced the problem of funding. After putting a donation link to Paypal the 4th and 5th episode were almost solely financed by donations"



"THE GUILD" on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/theguild

"THE GUILD" on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/theguild

"THE GUILD" YOUTUBE CHANNEL
http://www.youtube.com/watchtheguild

"THE GUILD" COMMUNITY AREA and FORUM
http://community.watchtheguild.com


The Guild - Episode 2: Zaboo'd

Cyd Sherman's imaginary world becomes all too real when a gnome warlock shows up on her doorstep.

The Guild - Episode 3: The Macro Problem

Codex's problem with Zaboo gets sidetracked by a crisis in The Guild.

ALL POSTS labelled THE GUILD here:-http://storygas.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Guild


Click here for all posts labelled NOTABLE WEB SERIES

Click here for all FAVOURITE POSTS

Click here for all links to ONLINE COMEDY web series

Article - Beyond Bebo Originals

bebo originals were pretty much the only show in town for proper 2-way web series commissioning in the UK and Ireland... until it was axed last year.

Was emailed this article which picks up on what might happen next...


From C21Media:-

Restructuring at AOL last year hit its social networking site, Bebo, with staff being lost and its Bebo Originals initiative axed. So what's next for original online youth content?

Bebo pioneered the model for online youth drama with ground-breaking content such as KateModern, Sofia's Diary, The Secret World of Sam King and The Gap Year. The demise of its web production arm, Bebo Originals, in November will make it tougher for indies in this sector to survive, according to Nuno Bernardo (left), the man behind Sofia's Diary.

"It makes what was already hard even harder. Bebo was one of the few outlets that commissioned content," says Bernardo, adding that apart from the BBC and new Virgin Media channel Liv, few other UK portals offer scope for online content commissions.



Zad Rogers, formerly creative director at RDF Digital and founder of Atomized Entertainment... worked with Bebo on series including the site's community review show B-Box... "Bebo Originals was absolutely a catalyst for a whole new way of creating content. What they created in a short period of time, from KateModern (above) to B-Box, was really impressive and it falls to some of the broadcasters to pick up that mantle and start working with brands to commission original content," he says.

FULL ARTICLE HERE:-
http://www.c21media.net/resources/detail.asp?area=79&article=53850


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RTE STORYLAND - Online Drama contest entries for 2010

Based in Ireland?



From RTE.ie:-

Would you like to make a web drama series for StoryLand 2?
Closing date is midnight on 1 November 2009.

- A very good idea to appeal to 18+ web audience
- A producer, director and writer attached to the project
- Scripts of the 1st and 2nd episodes
- 200 word synopsis of the rest of the series
- Budget that does not exceed €8,000 per episode
- A marketing plan
- 30” pitch of you or your project on DVD

MORE HERE:-
http://www.rte.ie/storyland/index.html


RTE STORYLAND INFORMATION NIGHT VIDEOS HERE:-



http://www.rte.ie/storyland/finalists/info_evening.html


RTE STORYLAND APPLICATION FORM HERE:
http://www.rte.ie/storyland/rte_storyland2_submission_form.doc



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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!


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Why FREE works? A Case Study - Sita Sings The Blues

Came across this awesome article by Michael Masnick on techdirt:-

"Earlier this year, we wrote about the ridiculous situation that Nina Paley faced in trying to release an amazing film, Sita Sings the Blues.

Basically, some copyright holders of the music used in the film put positively insane terms on the use of their music. This made no sense, considering that the music (from the 1920s) was mostly unlistened to these days -- and the only thing the movie would likely do is increase demand for people to get legitimate versions of the music.

Eventually, Paley worked out a plan to release the film under a Creative Commons license and put in place a business model like the ones we've talked about for years: give away the infinite, sell the scarce.

And apparently, it's working. Pistol points us to a talk that Nina Paley just gave revealing some of the results. You can see the video here (it's a bit over 20 minutes):"

MORE HERE:-
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090824/1723375986.shtml


DIY DAYS PHL NINA PALEY TALK VIDEO HERE



"SITA SINGS THE BLUES Distribution Project Report
If it's free, how do you make money?? 5 months after the Creative Commons Share Alike release of her animated musical feature Sita Sings the Blues, Nina Paley presents the first round of hard data from the project.

Contrary to MPAA propaganda, the more the audience freely shares the film, the more they purchase DVDs, theater admissions, and merchandise; witness the $$ numbers that prove it. Nina Paley is the creator of the animated musical feature film Sita Sings the Blues, which has screened in over 150 film festivals and won over 30 international awards including the Annecy Grand Crystal, The IFFLA Grand Jury Prize, and a Gotham Award.

Her adventures in our broken copyright system led her to Copyleft her film, and join QuestionCopyright.org as Artist-in-Residence."

"SITA SINGS THE BLUES" SHOW HOME SITE HERE:-
www.sitasingstheblues.com

"SITA SINGS THE BLUES" YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/user/drakar7002


Sita Sings the Blues Part 1 / 10




I think Nina Paley's comments are fascinating.
The content is free.
"Containers are not free... And that's what we're selling."

So they earn money from... Donations, Merchandise, and Broadcasting.

Containers related to the content.
NOT from the content itself.

"The more people who get to see the film... the more they will want to buy the film-related stuff."


(Plus, I have never come across the term "Copyleft" before).


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DIGITAL JUNCTION - UK Online Production Live Event -24 Sept

Always keen to promote live events and conferences on Online Writing and Production held here in the UK - but these guys are especially worth supporting.

Worked with EM Media earlier in the year - and Digital Junction looks like a great event.

From EM Media Talent Network:-

EM Media’s Talent Network presents Digital Junction

"This half-day mini conference features a fantastic line-up of regional and UK digital media industry experts exploring the future landscape of content production.

Plus for the region’s writers there is the opportunity to submit story ideas to discover how they could translate across the film, games, TV and interactive sectors.

A panel of producers working across these industries will provide feedback and food for thought in an informal and informative session.

Digital Junction takes place on Thursday 24 September at Antenna, Beck Street, Nottingham, NG1 1EQ between 3pm and 9pm."

MORE HERE:-
http://www.em-media.org.uk/pages/talentnetwork


FULL EVENT and BOOKING DETAILS HERE
for Film and/or Digital Content Producers, Writers, Directors and crew.


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How to become a YouTube Partner.

I'd wondered recently how the YouTube Partner Program works.

Found this video from mixcatcom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV7E3YmMeas

Want to be a Youtube Partner?
The Youtube Partner program is a great way to make some extra money
from the Google ad sense ads.

And this one from Jon3800




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