If you thought the last four advantages to creating a web series were good enough to get you started, here are seven more reasons to turn your film idea into a web series:
- No Rules – The only rule is to please your audience, and don’t break the law. Make a violent comedy, or a PG horror movie. No industry exec is going to tell you “That won’t work”. Which brings us to our next point…
- No Gatekeepers – There is absolutely no one between you and your audience. No one decides whether or not your series is released except you.
- Time of Return – If you make a movie, it might take you two years to get distribution, and then another 6 months before you see a cent…if you see any money at all. What if instead, you had actual cash in your hands only a month after you’ve released your first episode?
- Synergy – Lets say you really like this idea of making a web series. What if you make a new series with a different concept? You could advertise it at the end of the episodes of your current series. If your first series has run for 6 months, then you can capitalize on six months of promotion, and give your new series a huge jump start. Taken to the extreme, you could create a multitude of different series, and start your own internet tv channel.
- The low cost of “failure” – You are definitely going to get some views. If you keep your production expenses as low as possible, then there is a much much greater chance of breaking even….even with a total flop. Not to mention there is no intrinsic loss of face. If you got a movie green lit by a studio, filmed it, and it was a flop…you’ll have a tough time working in the industry again. On the net you’ll just be some person who made a crappy video, and if you make something better everyone will completely forget about it.
- Feedback – The key to success in any business is knowing your audience. The beauty of the web is the ease of organizing data. With a little web savvy, you can keep tabs on your fans and their interests. Not to mention, all of these video sites offer the ability for people write comments. You can interact with your audience, and find what they really like. If they like a certain character, your subsequent episodes could include more of them.
- Getting bought – As I mentioned in my article on the
Writers Strike , even though the WGA strike is now over, the studios will still be looking to the net for new content. They’ve already been doing so, and its only going to increase. What if you could have the studios coming to you? Imagine having the studios begging you for your product, where its you and not the studios who have the bargaining power.