How to Craft a Successful Web Series

Most content creators around the globe are focused into the internet to have their work seen and heard.
Let's face it: Web Series and video marketing go hand in hand. Both follow the same rules as outlined in the YouTube Creator Playbook.

However, since putting across your long-form story in small bursts is not an easy task; a web series takes more time, patience and concrete planning. Plus, you'll be targeting a much more specific audience who should/must stick with your tale for a long run.

YouTube, the world's largest video distribution podium uploads over 100 hours of videos every passing minute. It's the saving grace for all digital content creators. Whether it's short films, a feature length documentary, TV series pilot, YouTube is the ideal place to have your content showcased and spread.

Here's a scenario: what if you are a budding content creator and new to the digital sphere, but not yet sure how to offer your first video to the Internet Gods?

Despair not, as we list the major principles that will help you to craft a successful web series.

Have a story:



You always start with a story. What is it about, how do you want to portray it? Have a clear understanding before taking a dive in the web series world. It’s imperative to understand that a worth watching episode should contain a three-act structure, even it lasts only for 4-5 minutes. The episode must have a strong content that's easy to be followed by the next episode, as the story moves forward.

Find your target audience:



This has been talked about a lot times before. Finding a target audience for your show is basically THE important factor to consider before you direct your content to the world. Keep in mind you will never be able to please everyone on the web, and that's okay. If your web series could manage to fetch a limited amount of appeal and a select group, you and your show will get the acclamation that it deserves, eventually. If your story is based on crime and drama, it must be shared with blogs and sites dedicated solely to that specific genre. If you are heavy into comedy, the same theory must be followed here in order to find specific target audience. Do your homework to find people who go to advertise and share your content.

Budget:

Here's fact: A production house spends 33% of the ENTIRE budget of the film in PR/Marketing. You are not likely to get supremely wealthy working on a webs series. A successful web series however is not different than a movie and requires same amount of dedication. We suggest you release an episode every two weeks or at least one every week. Create a backlog of episodes before publishing your first video. This ensures that the episodes are released without fail and also gives you the liberty to still produce/work on more episodes on the go. Remember you are not doing it for the money but for the opportunity to get seen and heard.

Use the resources around you :



Find people who are more than ready and eager to help you and just want the experience in return. It helps if you live in a filmmaking hub, but even if you don't, you can certainly find talented people around who in order to boost their resume are willing to work for free. You can opt to put an ad up on Craiglist in the area of production and just be amazed to see the number of responses you get.

Curate a plan:
 


You're the boss of your show. Curate plan and lay down to the casts and crew. People will follow you if you are a decisive leader.

Ensure quality of the show:



Your show does not necessarily have to appear slick like a high budget Hollywood movie, but it should at least tell the audience that you as the creator know what you're doing. Other than perfect casting, you also have to make sure that you have the best sound and light design. They need to hear and see you crisp and clear. You have to move the mass and create a mood for them.

Research is the key:


Do your research extensively. It's always better if you can collaborate with other web series stars in an episode to garner the much hyped attention. Internet is FREEDOM, people!

With web series all you gain is a valuable experience. You'll be showcasing your talents and possibly heading to a brighter future ahead.

Go ahead, follow these golden steps and brace yourself to enter the world of stardom! :)

Interview With Streamy Award Winner Mark Gantt

Awhile back I had the opportunity to interview Mark Gantt who is the executive producer and lead actor of the web series "The Bannen Way". The Bannen Way killed it at the Streamy Awards and went on to win four awards, and has attracted over 14 million views. Mark is now passing down his knowledge of the web series business as a teacher through his workshop, so if you're looking to learn from one of the best in the web series space be sure to check that out.

Enough of kissing Mark's butt, below is our interview.

1. Did you create your web series workshop to pass on the information and knowledge you gained from creating and producing "The Bannen Way" to other aspiring video creators and filmmakers?
Yes. I have met over thirty people for coffee to discuss my experience with The Bannen Way and have done over twenty panels in the last five months and realized that with the limited time available, there was little 'nuts and bolts' being talked about. One attendee of the NATPE panel I was doing called "Anatomy of a Hit Web Series" was very frustrated afterwards and I overheard her saying, "I still don't know how to make a $#&@ web series!" I heard that, I heard that from several people. In the workshops, or on a panel, or at coffee, I explain that creating a web series isn't brain surgery but it feels like that if you don't have all the tools. You don't need to be able to do everything, you just need to be able to work very hard, research like crazy, and build a team to help you with your vision.

2. Do you expect any of your students to go out and create a hit web series like you did?
Absolutely. I want them to create something that will empower them as artists, and give them a little extra leg up in the industry. It's really about giving people a jumping off point. Enough information to get in trouble as I always say.

3. What's the best book you're read, or video you've watched that inspired you to create entertainment at a high level?
LOL. uh... I'm not really a book guy, everything is from experience. I have just worked on a lot of sets, so if people were doing a project I was there listening and learning... for free.

4. What do you think of web series creators and producers turning to crowdsourcing platforms like KickStarter and IndieGoGo to raise funds for their production projects?
I think it's a HUGE resource. It's an interesting model for a couple reasons. I think it allows the investors (ie: mom, dad, uncles, dentists, viewers, etc.) to feel that their money is actually going into a production, and helps force the filmmaker to FIGURE OUT how they are going to make it. It's a great pressure on you to get things made.

5. What advantages do web series creators have over TV producers?
There are about 30 people that have to approve of you doing a TV series, not including agents, managers, and lawyers. To create and distribute a web series... you can be the boss. We worked with Sony (on The Bannen Way) so it wasn't just us, but it was a lot easier than working with a studio AND a Network.

6. How is collaboration benefiting the new media production landscape?
Filmmaking by definition is a collaborative art. I love that you get a chance to work with a group of people with different talents to complete a common goal. People want to create. A director of photography wants to shoot, actors want to act and with technology improving, you can now actually shoot for very cheap. So instead of talented people without the money to shoot on film, they can now shoot on the Cannon 7D or rent the RED camera and end up with a great looking project in the end.

The explosive trailer for Mark's hit web series, The Bannen Way.