Webseries and Internet Television

What are webseries?
Webseries are short-format video series (0.5-15 min per episode) meant for online distribution.
 
Why do webseries exist?
With the introduction of Youtube and other video-sharing platforms, a market opened for creating engaging content that could reach both
niche and broad audiences around the world. While most webseries were initially amateurish, the U.S. screenwriters' strike in 2007 allowed professional writers to have their own ideas produced on the side. Since television is a 'push' technology with limited watchable hours, and the Internet is a 'pull' technology with unlimited time restrictions, many people started looking to the web for content they could watch at convenient times, in convenient locations, that related to their specific interests instead of having to wait for a show to be broadcast at a specific time on a specific day. Later, the global recession of 2008 made it enticing even for large corporations to produce webseries (that can be 10 to 100 times cheaper than TV series) for marketing and advertising.
 
Who watches webseries?
The market for webseries is quite diverse, with people ages 15-35 being the core. I guess in a way it's like asking who watches movies or TV; you cannot pinpoint it specifically. A lot of webseries are made by young adults for young adults, while the major studios are increasingly targeting teenagers. Because of the universal nature of the Internet, many niches can also be served that are not normally targets of other media channels.

How is the quality of a webseries assessed?
Quality is a relative issue, but there are many points in which most would agree. An excellent piece aimed at the young adult would have a multi-leveled script with characters that are believable in their actions and reactions. It would have a professional cast that understand their roles. It is shot by a professional crew led by a director who can show the dimensions contained in the script both visually and stylistically; and is further edited to show what is relevant and important to the plot and the psychological impact of the story on the audience. By my own standards, a webseries' quality also depends on the effect it has on the viewers.

How are webseries a business?
Webseries are primarily monetized through advertisement, although sponsorship also plays a large role. Many series either have pre-, post- or mid-roll ads and crawls, are placed on a website with advertisement, or depend on product placement. Authors and producers usually receive a flat-fee for their efforts; distributors may re-sell the series for a flat amount or sign a revenue share deal; publishers keep whatever is left from paying for the licenses. Some webseries have made a jump to TV (mostly unsuccessful attempts), while a few have sold DVD anthologies and ancillary merchandising.

What is the role of webseries in education?
Webseries sponsored by educational institutions can reach millions of people. Unfortunately, the costs involved in a serious production are still well beyond the reach of non-profit organizations. One example of a less successful but quite entertaining educational webseries is The History Channel's Great and Telling Tales. Make Magazine makes some great commercial podcasts of an educational nature. Low-budget podcasts, whether video or audio, offer a much better alternative.
Webseries aimed at education would only have an impact in people who want to learn more about the topics covered therein. That is to say, self-learners would benefit immensely, but the majority of people would overlook them the same way it happens with film and television educational programs. At a personal level, it is clear to me that the role of webseries in human development has more to do with the subtle sharing of experiences done through story-telling than with explicit teaching.

Why this blog?
The purpose of this blog is to give insights into the industry behind webseries, and to publish news that do not have a place in our company blog.
 
Who are you?
I was born in Mexico, studied college in the U.S., and live with my family in Germany. I work for a webseries production and licensing company, where I research U.S. and world-wide productions, negotiate content acquisition, and suggest ideas for new material.