Last Thursday, October 2, Tubefilter presented at the Screen Actors Guild as a part of the New Media Panel for union talent excited about getting involved in web television. Over 200 participants packed the James Cagney Board room of SAG’s Hollywood branch to hear from a panel of industry professionals which included David Burns, producer of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, A.D. Miles, creator-star of Horrible People, Melissa Hunter and Jenn Crohn, producers and stars of Let’s Get Laid, and Hollywood Web Television Meetup co-organizer Tyler Malin, founder of Secret Fun Time. I was honored to be included among a group of such veterans of web TV.
The evening started with presentations from the web show creators with three very different path to success–Dr. Horrible took a “big budget” independent route that landed them with an iTunes contract and prompted plans for a DVD release, Horrible People made an up-front deal with My Damn Channel, and Let’s Get Laid went for a totally scrappy, passion-driven approach with no initial monetization strategy but with enough momentum to capitalize upon. All the creators shared the same passion, bravery, and perseverance crucial to creating a successful web series.
The panel then fielded questions from the audience about what makes a great web show, how to stand out in the crowd, and whether there is a way to make it rich. If any conclusion can be drawn from the evening’s panel, the world of web television is gaining more traction by the day, and the audience’s enthusiasm reflects the growing interest in this unique and exciting medium.
