Let me take you WAAAAYYY back to the dinosaur years of web video, 2007, when MySpace was far more mainstream than Facebook, and everybody was trying to get on the front page of YouTube. That was the year I launched my web series, The Retributioners, with my husband.
At the time, the web video world was a wild west town like Deadwood, its biggest star was Jessica Lee Rose. Since then, hundreds of web shows have popped up. Channels such as Blip.tv, and even big name celebrities have rushed into the space to push their pilots and keep themselves busy between projects. This quaint wild west town has now been settled and domesticated by the pioneers bringing in bigger tools, bigger names and bigger budgets.
When I set out to stake my claim on the web, I was really just trying to get my acting career off the ground, by taking control of the means of production. But now that so many other actors, filmmakers and other partisans have caught on to this idea, we face a whole new set of challenges in this Deadwood we’ve made. How do we stand out? How do we brand? What is the ultimate goal of our shows—to get more acting work? To get more production work? To sell a TV show to cable? Is web fame an end in itself, one that will bring the Holy Grail of profits? Or, is it still a bridge to other places?
My original goal was to get into television, and my husband, who writes and directs, insisted that we must stop waiting for other people to make our careers happen—stop waiting for TV casting directors and agents to find me among stiff competition. I knew it would be a lot of work, but then I got the idea for my show, The Retributioners, about a woman who wants revenge on her enemies and have it documented on video. The idea seemed perfect for the new medium—a pseudo documentary about a woman seeking validation by grabbing the same means of production. The idea came to me almost fully formed, and was so perfect for the Web format that we couldn’t not do it. We immediately threw down our many other projects and jumped in.
I simplified things for myself by establishing the following rules: 1) the story had to be simple; and 2) the character I would play had to be something I would realistically be cast in. So I decided to just play a really mean, vindictive, insecure version of myself. My ultimate goal was to show folks in the television industry that I was capable of doing a series regular role. The motto was: “Dream big.” But I also had to wear a lot of hats. Even as I continued to toil in a demanding part-time day job, I taught myself producing, creating inventory lists, learning about (cheap!) equipment, gathering conspirators and figuring out contracts. My husband and I used our own money, and bought the basics in equipment and computer software. We were a two-person shop, with the help of an assistant director and one regular production assistant. The medium was still so new, we were creating our own rules, making mistakes, and learning from them.
From December 2007 to August 2009, we shot and launched 16 episodes. We were very inconsistent. We tried to launch one episode a month, but our schedules were a little unpredictable, as was life in general. We never reached thousands upon millions of views. However, we did build a very loyal fan base. After 16 episodes we decided to stop and take stock. Should we continue with another “season” of the show, launch another show or pursue a feature film?
We get a lot of answers to these questions. Some people say, “The Retributioners is great, but what have you done for me lately? How about a new show?” Others say, “You have a brand, now burnish it with continued work and build on it.”
I wasn’t “discovered” on the internet. However, I did create something I am really proud of, and we continue to hear from fans old and new about how much they love the show. That in and of itself is a good thing. I sometimes feel like I’m getting more attention as a producer than as an actress. That’s a mixed blessing. But inevitably, people want to know my secrets. So I tell them this: Have a goal, and have a plan. Do not come up with a show that’s overcomplicated. You don’t have to go broke doing it if you do it wisely, and if you are going to shoot for the moon and spend lots of money, you want to find other people to share the risk with you and bankroll it. My husband and I found it very, very affordable to make our own cheap comedy on the web, and there’s nothing to keep us from doing it indefinitely if we want. If the goal is simply to do it, sometimes that’s a worthy goal in and of itself.
Stephanie Faith Scott
Producer/Actress, The Retributioners
Watch The Retributioners here.
I like this!
Stephanie, I enjoyed every word of your article, especially the advice about setting a goal and keeping it simple. As you know, I’m one of your top Retributioners fans, and I love all 16 episodes. The project has been very inspiring, and I love how you summarized the whole project in the article.
Steph,
Enjoyed the article. I’ve often thought about doing a web series. Problem is, all my ideas are epic. lol. Have you considered going to MediaBistro and offering to teach a class in this medium?
Say hi to Eric for me.
Ed
Great advice from a great producer. Stephanie not only knows web video but shares resources and is a very generous member of the National/Global online video community.
Great article Stephanie. Especially since I’m in the same process now of figuring out a webseries. Yes it definitely is challenging for all the reasons you list and more. Since, from when you started to now every little tweener knows how to manipulate social media and why it’s important to have a following to get a series anywhere
Nice, very informative.
Similar to Nike, “Just Do It” applies to web video.
Waiting for justification or monetization or accolades or “the right time” or “the right cast” or “the right crew” only moves you forward in time with no episodes to show for it.
Actually doing something… ANYTHING.. sets you up for the future where you can say “I did my thing in acting, I did my thing on television, I did my thing in films and I did my thing on the net”. If someone wants you to be involved in their next project or they want to back you and your team to produce something new for them, that’s lovely, but it’s icing on the cake.
The CAKE is doing your show, enjoying yourself and having something to show for your time instead of just IDEAS of what you WOULD have done… but didn’t.
I love your analogy to Deadwood–very apt. I love hearing your thoughts on all of this…perhaps you should write a book next!
Wow, I love this article by Stephanie Scott. Very wise words starting with grass roots experience and ending with professional production. Dream big, make it simple with a goal in mind. Love it love it…..and will implement it in my artistic career. Thanks Stephanie.
Stephanie, our virtual paths crossed as I was doing my own political punditry show: Gab’s V-Blabs. I get it … I peaked just as established names started utilizing those same outlets.
Like you, I entered the game with the intention of using my online videos as a tool to get me to the next level. For me, that is what I used it for: a tool. I was lucky enough to receive hundreds of emails from people doing or wanting to do the same thing. They were confused! They thought it was the ONLY means to an end. Luckily, like you, I have an extensive background in theater, so I knew the ropes.
As such, I imparted what I learned after 20 some years of performing. Nothing is the ONLY means to an end. They are all just tools that we stick under our belts, along with our resumes, headshots, demo reels, demo tapes, networking skills, and lightsabers if the audition calls for them too.
In a nutshell, fantastic article! I couldn’t agree more! Just do it … jump in the deep end and learn as you go. Early followers appreciate the rawness of it … that’s what makes it endearing and enjoyable! And, honestly, there’s no other way! As performers, we all just need to remember, there is no magic bullet.