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[mediamonday] The Art of the Webseries

Posted on February 18, 2013 | 1 Comment

I was browsing Twitter the other day

Yeah, I know, BFD. But really, it was. Because I clicked on this. Having recently participated in the making of a webseries, it was easy to appreciate the points expressed in the article. The three that I’d have to agree with most are:

  1. Audition your writers
  2. Get a good sound guy
  3. Get a funny editor

1) Audition your writers

*Warning* I’m going to brag for a second. So in high school, I went through an intensive creative writing program, and in college I minored in Creative Writing. I have recently applied for MFA in Creative Writing programs. Writing’s kind of my thing. BUT I still don’t feel like I can just sit down and write something good. It takes effort and a lot of good editing time.

Needless to say, it frustrates me when people assume “anyone can write”. You may not have to be formally trained, but writing is a difficult and time-consuming process. AND relying on your actors to come up with good dialogue is a cop-out. Take the time to write something good. If you can’t do it, find someone who can. It’s not easy.

2) Get a good sound guy (or girl)

All the good acting, writing, directing and editing in the world won’t improve the quality of a web series with poor sound. Especially when your room tone is off (ie the background noise noticeably changes when the camera angle changes).

3) Get a funny editor

Disclaimer: I am not an editor. Ok, that’s not entirely true. I used to edit promotional film for the U of Richmond Business School. On iMovie. Yeah, super complex. Not. HOWEVER, even I can appreciate the importance of a good editor. For example: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS = amazing. DJANGO: UNCHAINED = not as amazing. Fun fact, DJANGO was the first of Tarantino’s films not edited by Sally Menke, who unfortunately passed away in 2010. Coincidence? Maybe not.

Happy little guillotine studios

The author of this article was none other than Yuri Baranovsky, pioneer in new media and co-founder of Happy Little Guillotine Studios. One of his first web-series, BREAK A LEG, gained a cult following and was even aired on San Francisco public Television. The Baranovsky brothers actually entered it into a sitcom contest inspired by IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. One thing that sets this series apart from others is its length. Unlike most webseries, which tend to be between 5 and 10 minutes long, BREAK A LEG is the length of a full sitcom. Check out the first part of the pilot ep below.

congratulations, you now have another reason to waste time on the internet.

If you’re into time wasting, I’d suggest you also watch this:

Other cool stuff

My old roommate worked on this webseries a couple of years ago with mostly SCAD students. It’s called Greg Prime, and I found it incredibly entertaining. Perhaps you will too.

This group of filmmakers in Charleston, SC have created a promotional webseries that chronicles the making of their film, WARRIOR ROAD. Check it out below.

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Posted in Culture, Opinion, The Internet

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Reclaiming Valentine’s Day + Online Dating Adventures

Posted on February 14, 2013 | 6 Comments

All the Single Ladies

I remember back in high school, my single friends and I proclaimed Valentine’s Day an international day of mourning and sported black clothing to school when February 14th rolled around. (Ok, so this may have only happened once, but you get the idea). Meanwhile, girls with boyfriends (or overzealous parents) strolled the halls with balloons, flowers, candy and stuffed animals toted proudly on their shoulders or clipped to backpacks like prizes won at the fair.

As I face another Valentine’s Day as a single lady, I have to ask the question: why is it that we so often measure our self-worth by who we’re with? I have spent so much of my life trying to prove I can survive on my own that it’s difficult to see a relationship as anything but a step back into the comfort zone.

We owe it to ourselves

I strongly believe that before we can commit to someone else, we have to first discover who we are. I hear so often, “He/she completes me.” Or, “He/she is my other half.” Since when were we not complete people on our own? I get it, you love each other, you complement each other, but shouldn’t you be able to complete yourself?

So I recently joined Match.com

I know, this seems odd considering what I just wrote above. But I do think it’s about time we all got over our squeemishness and just admitted that online is a good way to meet people. Now, I could give you all kinds of excuses as to why I joined the site, but I see enough of them on guys’ profiles. It gets old. Bottom line, I’m interested to see what’s out there, and I’m not going to limit myself because some people think online dating is weird.

The beauty about Match is its simplicity. There is no guesswork involved. No looking for wedding rings. No wondering if he’s interested in you, and no mustering the courage to talk to him. You can confidently assume that all of the guys and girls on there are single. And if he sends you a message, he’s interested in at least meeting you. It’s that simple. Who knew such a complicated thing as dating could be streamlined so nicely?

The Catch

I think where people go wrong on Match is by using it as a “last resort”. If you’re desperate, you’re not going to find a good relationship anywhere, least of all online. This brings me to my earlier point. Have you figured out who you are? If you’re unsatisfied with your life, chances are it has nothing to do with who you are (or aren’t) dating. Maybe you should start with you.

Reclaiming Valentine’s Day

Having never been on a Valentine’s date ever, I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of the holiday (although my bitterness has evolved into a twisted sense of pride). Valentine’s Day has become a contest in a lot of ways: who got the most cards, flowers, stuffed animals, romantic dinners etc. Competition on a day that’s supposed to be all about love? That’s a little backwards, no?

Here’s an idea: as an alternative to buying all of those useless things, why not donate that money to a charity? As Americans, we are (mostly) an incredibly selfish culture. We so often rely on material goods that most people in the world only dream about. So on this day that you would normally spend money on your honey, how about letting him/her pick a charity instead?

In the Meantime

This is still a day of love. Let’s show appreciation for all of the people who are important in our lives. Give somebody a hug. Reconnect with an old friend. Say thanks and count the multitudes of blessings in your own life.

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