In this current, albeit transitional, climate where for many working in new media is still a stepping stone to working in traditional TV and film, how will that inform the way traditional TV is made? We’ve already seen a great influence on the way TV shows are marketed and presented, but what happens when you have artists trained-up in drastically different schools of thought “graduating” to the mainstream big leagues?

Consider that most web writers have re-wired their conception of pacing, story structure, character development, and comic timing to fit into a much shorter window. Dan Harmon managed to cram all his ideas about story structure, masturbating, and what he would do if he had superpowers into one 3 and a half minute short, so why wouldn’t each of his 7 characters get their own arch in a single episode of Community? What’s going to happen when we see writers whose exposition is merely the title of the show, when their show takes place in real time, when it takes place across 5 different platforms, when it’s structured around real world “touch-points”– what happens when writers who are used to innovating, used to owning everything and used to working without any creative restrictions get handed cash and a TV slot? Ask Dan Harmon.

I think he’s on the toilet in this picture. Fitting, as I wanted to work in his sarcastic manifesto on making a shitty Channel 101 show. Also worth the read.

So I’ve started video journaling about my adventures in Squaresville. Hopefully, you guys can share a bit about yourselves, too. Like I said, I’d rather not look like an asshole.

Newteevee Live was yesterday, and most of us find it hard to slog through tech news about HTML 5 integration on the latest platform blah blah blah, NTVL always keeps things insightful, human, and inspiring. I found this conversation with Blip.TV CEO Mike Hudack especially great, as it distills a lot of the thoughts I’ve had about monetizing scripted content into one, eloquent little video. It’s worth your time if you’re at all interested in the future of independent media.

You guys have probably heard of Bajillion hits (.biz) by now, but if you’re not totally jacked into the web-o-sphere like the guru-ninja-strat-master/creator of the site Alex Blagg is, don’t feel too bad, he’s the most cutting edge person of all time. The site, which lampoons social media types, is headed up by Blagg, who’s taken on the personae of the biggest new media douche the world has ever known. We all know someone whose brash bravado and preoccupation with social media buzz overrides his self awareness and social grace, and Blagg has that person in the cross hairs. He’s a cross between Mark Zuckerberg and Mark Cuban, only on elephant viagra.

BH.biz has been all over the “blogosphere” lately, and as hilarious as I think BajillionHits.biz is, I have to admit, sometimes it hits too close to home. Some other bloggers seem eager to jump on his bandwagon, as if pronouncing their awareness of how duplicitous and, well, douchey this industry can be absolves them from embarrassing behavior. The fact is, you have to drop some serious strat to win at the internet. We all want all the hits, and we all need to max out our strat. There are people who really do need Alex’s help, and I go back and forth between laughing with him, and being annoyed at my own similarities to those he’s lampooning.

After all, Blagg has been jacking mondo strat in a serious, legit way for many years now, as a blogger for Best Week Ever, and later for Buzz Media. In order to do satire this accurate, you have to know the material intimately.  Even though Alex is making fun of this industry and basically blogs just like my own, his insight is peircing. Recommendation 7 on this blog post, for instance, bears a disappointing resemblance to my own Squaresville. That’s just one of many horrifying similarities I’ve found between myself and Alex’s over-the-top personae.

At the end of the day (which never happens occurs for Blagg — he’s a 25/8 machine of productivity) his edge betrays the truest insecurities of the web industry. If we’re all trying to grab the same eyeballs, then better strat is the answer to our prayers. Hiring a person who knows better than we do is the panacea to making a burgeoning industry flourish. We all want to believe the “experts” out there, because they represent the possibility that what we’re trying to achieve is attainable. And though Blagg is teasing us about our insatiable scramble for traffic, I can’t help but wonder how much he cares about the big hits himself. I’m embarrassed to admit that I do.

When you work in distribution, you see this sort of eagerness in other creators all the time. We’ve toiled on our show for so long, and the internet is so immediate, why not just through a few episodes up now? “We’ll whet the appetite of our “fans” ( really, more like your cast, crew, and parents) and then get the next batch up even faster”. And how do you build an audience for a show no one has seen?

Just wait. Make a roll out plan that makes sense for your show. Shop it around. Weigh your options.

Figure out other ways to generate interest in your show: blog, post photos, run a facebook campaign — be creative. And don’t stress about pre-awareness too much. Just finish your show, and stick to your strategy, and you’ll have plenty of time to build buzz, and release your show right.

*This advice is for me as much as it is for you. I want to release this show yesterday.

I thought it’d be fun to post the list here. Now you can hold me to these tenets when the show comes out.

The Ten Most Important Things About Squaresville:

1. It’s effortlessly cool and fun.
2. You care about it. You watch it over and over. It is not disposable. It sticks with you.
3. You fall in love with each performer.
4. You don’t have to be a kid or an adult to love it.
5. The design, cinematography & web experience are one, interwoven, seamless, visceral experience.
6. I love making it. My crew loves making it. My cast loves making it.
7. The moments are real and true. This is a show about human beings.
8. It’s simultaneously romantic and goofy.
9. It’s short, sweet and concise.
10. You love it the most.

Squaresville: You love it the most

I recommend making a list like this at the onset of any meaningful endeavor. It kept me focused and grounded when production got gnarly.

What do you do to make sure your projects turn out the way you want them to?

Cross posted on SquaresvilleSeries.com, Squaresville’s official site.

I think we all dream of being the type of casting director that’s open and imaginative enough to find that diamond in the rough. We want to believe we have the vision to recognize the next star when they walk through the door (or at least, the next web star). Maybe it’s just my naiveté, but my mentality about casting is the last bit of “you can break the system” thinking I’ve managed to cling to.  But here’s the deal, for as much as we all want to keep an open mind and be creative in the casting room, we don’t have the time or resources to dilly dally. During yesterday’s session I kept thinking a few things to myself over and over. Things I wish I could’ve told all the talented young hopefuls that came in.

So I reached out to two friends of mine, Stephanie Thorpe and Jenni Powell, experts who I knew had a thing or two to say about casting…

Keep in mind, these guidelines are mostly true for independent films, student projects, local theater — anything where time and money are strapped and the people in the casting session are also the producers/writers/director/whatevers. This by no means holds true for every CD out there, or every project. Really, these are the things I’m looking for, guidelines I recommend, and the circumstances I’m casting under.

1.  Look Like Your Headshot

This is a general rule that applies to all auditions, but it’s so commonly broken, and so important, it’s worth reiterating. There’s not a single casting director out there with too much time on their hands. Don’t pick the shot that’s the coolest or prettiest from your headshot session, pick the shot that looks like you. When I call in an actor, it’s because I saw something in your headshot that I thought could work for this specific role. If you don’t deliver on that, then you’re wasting both our time.

When Jenni isn’t writing for the web trade blog Tubefilter, she’s working for shows like “The Guild, Streamy Award-nominated With the Angels, Poor Paul, The Crew and Comedy Central’s Atom.com standout The Legend of Neil.” When asked, this was the number one thing Jenni brought up…

This may seem like such a small thing but it’s so important: make sure your headshots really look like you.  There have been so many times I’ve loved an actors look based on their headshot but they come in the door and it’s a completely different person and I’m immediately thrown off.  Especially if you don’t have a reel yet (which sadly, some casting directors won’t even look at), your headshot is the casting directors first exposure to you, so make it an honest one!

2. Be Friendly  The Second You Walk In The Door

I’m not just looking for a great actor, I’m looking for someone I can work on a series with for a long while, so It’s really helpful if that person has a good attitude. If I’m building the show as a sustainable business and you’re going to be the lead, then you need to be a good business partner and embassador. It’s going to be yours too. You’ll be making comments, tweeting, facebooking, making appearances and behind the scenes videos. You have to have a great personality.   Exude that in the few seconds we have together, and that will make an impression.

3. Be Social Media Savvy

I may not have found my leads yet, but as I start to narrow things down, I’m going to be doing some serious google research. Remember, your website, facebook, twitter — that’s all public information, and frankly, it’s now part of your job. In web series, social media pull is the same as star power. You don’t have to have a huge number of followers or friends to start with — but I need to know that when the show takes off, you’ll be capable of engaging with people on that level.

4. Do Some Online Research

If you really want this part, go ahead and do a little research. If you googled my name, or the name of the series I’m casting (Squaresville), for instance, you’ll find this very blog* (which I’m overtly trying to imbue with useful information). This is a very special circumstance, but that doesn’t mean what you’ll regularly find isn’t helpful. Sometimes you’re going in for a show that’s already running. Often times shows have websites up before they launch. On my breakdown, for instance, you can see that we’re casting multiple characters for roles in the scene. In reading those breakdowns you’ll know more about who you’re acting against. I’m not saying go overboard, but doing a little homework never hurt.

5. Take Web Series Auditions Seriously

Stephanie somehow manages to split her time between acting, producing hit shows (Apocalypse Wow, Asylum, After Judgment & Hurtling through Space) and as a Casting Director for films, tv, and yes, webseries. As an actor, Stephanie’s “had the opportunity to tackle roles that mainstream media would over look me for, and now I’ve built a name for myself”. She cautions actors to remember what a huge opportunity a web show can be.

I’ve heard actors say “oh, it’s just a webseries audition” And that’s the wrong attitude. The web still allows actors to break outside their type, and book a role outside their wheelhouse if you rock your audition. We are looking for talent and are less concerned about your resume. And there are so many juicy roles out there…

Treat a web series audition in the same way you would any other audition. Be professional. Be prepared. Often the writer and creator of the show are in the room so have respect for the material. We want to see you bring the character to life. Strong choices are always appreciated and the ability to take direction is a must. We also want to know that you’re going to be a friendly pro on set and tend to steer clear of difficult or high-maintenance actors.

7. Remember, We Want You To Succeed

No matter how someone ends up a casting director, it’s always at least partially because we love film, TV and web.  We’re all in that little room for the same reason. Everyone wants to have that “aha” moment, we all want to cast you. There’s no antagonism in the room, so relax and do your best work. If you’ve come prepared, and do a good job, we’ll remember, even if you aren’t right for the part you’re reading for.

* I wouldn’t recommend this for other casting directors, but if you’re reading this, and you come in for an audition, go ahead and let me know. It’ll score you points. Again — that’s not necessarily the case for other people. Not everyone is so open about these things.

Early on I realized that the show’s social and interactive elements were going to be too big for the web solutions I’ve had before. Though in many ways I’m approaching Squaresville’s story as primarily a passive, traditional experience, it’s a much bigger project than I’ve tackled before. Sure, I could try and do all this junk myself, but with all the pointing and talking and lifting I tend to do on shoot days, I knew I wouldn’t have the mindshare to make sure everything gets done the way it needs to.

Here’s what my wed producer will be doing while I’m off pointing cameras and shouting action:

- Conceptualizing site structure and wire frames with me

- Sourcing and hiring a web designer (e-mail me up if you’re interested in helping out)

- Coordinating with our web developer to wire up the back end

- Mapping out the social media and marketing strategy for the series with me (and then executing it with me)

- Coordinating with the set photographer to grab both on set and publicity photos of each cast member while they’re together and in costume.

- Shooting behind the scenes set footage

- Shooting behind the scenes interview footage for multiple behind the scenes vignettes (both pre-planned and improvised)

You’ll notice that most of these tasks are limited pre-production and actual production. Once all the assets are gathered, tagged, uploaded and implemented, the web producer’s job is far from done, but most of the heavy lifting will be taken care of. At that point we’ll reassess what it is the Producer is getting out of the gig (it’s that old money vs. time thing). At that point, we’ll see whether it makes more sense for me to take things over or not.

As the medium grows (or should I say, as I grow up in this medium), the specialty aspects of a showsite are going to grow ever more complex. I hope that in the near future, just directing a URL to your show’s youtube channel doesn’t cut it anymore. Moreover, I hope that we find the cash and resources for our filmmakers to specialize more. Yes, I could  write the show, produce it, shoot it, and then build it’s web-site  (I know many of my uber-talented peers do) but I’d rather leave the coding to the pro’s and try and become a better filmmaker and producer.

What about you? I know there a ton of great shows that use out-of-the-box templates that look and work great. Is a specialty site necessary? Is it over kill?

That’s plenty for now.

For the immediate term, I’ll be blogging more from the perspective of a second term web creator. Certainly there are a number of great blogs that track the production of a first time series creator, but not too many of us are blogging about our second spin. What did I learn on Mountain Man, Engaged and at Atom? What mistakes did we make last time, and what am I repeating? How do you transfer corporate experience into the independent world? It should be fun, informative, and probably too self indulgent (this is my blog, right?). So stay tuned.

Have you guys seen A.V. Club’s Undercover series? I think it’s probably the best example of branded content I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty obsessed with it right now. As the video states, AV club invites touring bands to cover seminal songs in their studio. Great bands sing great songs, and Budweiser pays to be associated with an awesome project. It’s simple, clean and perfect.

Thankfully, Budweiser had the wisdom to keep themselves out of these videos, trading instead, for a mega-branded site to host them. Sure, the site itself SCREAMS Budweiser, but the videos are pristine. Though it would have been tempting to slap a Budweiser logo on the wall in the background, these videos get to be themselves. As a result, Bud benefits from untouched, effortless videos, and so I forgive them all the branding elsewhere.

I  really hope we see more series like this one and more brands with this sort of forward thinking. Though brand integration can be a great revenue stream for independent content creators, there’s real value in regular old brand association. Too often, series become encumbered by all the branding a sponsor brings to the table; not so here. It would have been easy to have each band chug a Bud during each interview, but I appreciate that the brand had the presence of mind to recognize that integrating their product into the videos would’ve made the series lose credibility. The power of these clips is in their simplicity, and I’m genuinely entertained and grateful for a series like this.