A web series (also known as webseries, short-form series, and web show) is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet (i.e. World Wide Web), [1] [2] which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single instance of a web series program can be called an episode or a webisode. The scale of a web series is small and a typical episode can be anywhere from three to fifteen minutes in length. [3] [4] Web series are distributed online on video sharing websites and apps, such as YouTube and Vimeo, [3] and can be watched on devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and Internet-connected television sets. They can also be released on social media platforms. [5] Because of the nature of the Internet, a web series may be interactive. [6] Web series are classified as new media.
Web series are different from streaming television series, as the latter is purposed to be watched on streaming platforms such as Hotstar, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video [7] [8] (though the term is occasionally used to refer to streaming television [9] ). Although the designing of a web series can be similar to that of a television series their development and production does not entail the same financial investment required for a television series. [3] [lower-alpha 1] The popularity of some web series, however, have led to them being optioned for television. [3] [12] [13]
As of 2021, [update] a number of awards have been established to celebrate excellence in web series, like the Streamys, Webbys, IAWTV, and Indie Series Awards, although the Streamys and IAWTV also cover programs on streaming platforms. Most major award ceremonies have also created web series and digital media award categories, including the Emmy Awards [14] [4] [15] and the Canadian Screen Awards. There are also several web series festivals, most notably in Los Angeles and Vancouver. [16] [17]
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In April 1995, "Global Village Idiots", an episode of the Bloomington, Indiana-based public access program Rox , was uploaded to the Internet, making Rox the first series distributed via the web. [18] The same year, Scott Zakarin created The Spot , an episodic online story which integrated photos, videos, and blogs into the storyline. Likened to Melrose Place-on-the-Web, The Spot featured a rotating cast of characters playing trendy twenty-somethings who rented rooms in a fabled Santa Monica, California beach house called "The Spot". [19] [20] The Spot earned the title of Infoseek's "Cool Site of the Year," an award which later became the Webby. [21] [22]
In January 1999, Showtime licensed the animated sci-fi web series WhirlGirl , making it the first independently produced web series licensed by a national television network. In February 1999, the series premiered simultaneously on Showtime and online. [23] The character occasionally appeared on Showtime, for example hosting a "Lethal Ladies" programming block, but spent most of her time online, appearing in 100 webisodes. [24]
As broadband bandwidth began to increase in speed and availability, delivering high-quality video over the Internet became a reality. In the early 2000s, the Japanese anime industry began broadcasting original net animation (ONA), a type of original video animation (OVA) series, on the Internet. [25] Early examples of ONA series include Infinite Ryvius: Illusion (2000), [26] Ajimu (2001), [27] and Mahou Yuugi (2001). [25] In 2003, The Spot executive producer and head writer Stewart St. John revived the brand for online audiences with a new cast, and created a separate mobile series to air on Sprint PCS Vision-enabled phones. [28] St. John and partner Todd Fisher produced over 2,500 daily videos of the first American mobile phone soap, driving story lines across platforms to the web counterpart, The Spot (2.0).
The same year, Microsoft launched MSN Video, which featured the original web series Weird TV 2000, a spin-off of the syndicated television series Weird TV . The web series featured dozens of shorts, comedy sketches, and mini-documentaries produced exclusively for MSN video. The video-sharing site YouTube was launched in early 2005, allowing users to share television programs. [29] YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim said the inspiration for YouTube first came from Janet Jackson's role in the 2004 Super Bowl incident, when her breast was exposed during her performance, and later from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Karim could not easily find video clips of either event online, which led to the idea of a video sharing site. [30]
From 2003 to 2006, many independent web series began to garner and achieve significant popularity, most notably the series known as Red vs. Blue by Rooster Teeth. The series was distributed independently using online portals YouTube and Revver, as well as the Rooster Teeth website, acquiring over 100 million social media views during its run. Rooster Teeth would eventually create RWBY in 2013. In 2004, Salad Fingers was created, which amassed a cult following. Sam Has 7 Friends , which ran in the summer and fall of 2006, was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award, and was temporarily removed from the Internet when it was acquired by Michael Eisner. [31] In 2004–2005, Spanish producer Pedro Alonso Pablos recorded a series of video interviews featuring actors and directors like Guillermo del Toro, Santiago Segura, Álex de la Iglesia, and Keanu Reeves, which were distributed through his own website. [32] [33] [34] lonelygirl15 , California Heaven, "The Burg", and SamHas7Friends also gained popularity during this time, acquiring audiences in the millions. Lonelygirl15 was so successful that it secured a sponsorship deal with Neutrogena. [35] In 2007, the creators of Lonelygirl15 followed up the series' success with KateModern , a series which debuted on social network Bebo, and took place in the same fictional universe as their previous show. [36] Big Fantastic created and produced Prom Queen , which was financed and distributed by Vuguru, and debuted on MySpace. [37] These web serials highlighted interactivity with the audience in addition to the narrative on relatively low budgets. In contrast, the web series Sanctuary , starring actor/producer Amanda Tapping, cost $4.3 Million to produce. Both Sanctuary and Prom Queen were nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. [38] Award-winning producer/director Marshall Herskovitz created Quarterlife , which debuted on MySpace and was later distributed on NBC. [39] In 2009, the first web series festival was established, called the Los Angeles Web Series Festival. [40]
In 2008, major television studios began releasing web series, such as the ABC show "Squeegies", the NBC show Gemini Division , [41] and the Bravo show The Malan Show. [42] [43] [44] Warner Bros. relaunched The WB as an online network beginning with their first original web series, "Sorority Forever", created and produced by Big Fantastic and executive produced by McG. [45] Meanwhile, MTV announced a new original series created by Craig Brewer that brought together the indie music world and new media expansion. Joss Whedon created, produced and self-financed [46] Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog starring Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day. [47] Big Fantastic wrote and produced Foreign Body , a mystery web series that served as a prequel to Robin Cook's novel of the same name. [48] Beckett and Goodfried founded a new Internet studio, EQAL, and produced a spin-off from "lonelygirl15" entitled "LG15: The Resistance". [49] Dedicated media coverage of the web series debuted with organizations such as GigaOm's NewTeeVee and Tubefilter News. [50] Mainstream press also began to provide coverage. [51] In the UK, KateModern ended its run on Bebo. That site also hosted a six-month-long reality/travel show, The Gap Year, produced by Endemol UK, who also made Kirill, a drama for MSN.
During MipCom, in October 2008, MySpace announced plans for a second series and indicated that it was in talks with cable network Foxtel to distribute their first series on network television. Additionally MySpace spoke of their plans to produce versions of the MySpace Road Tour in other countries. [52] The emerging potential for success in web video caught the attention of top entertainment executives in America, including former Disney executive and current head of the Tornante Company, Michael Eisner. Torante's Vuguru subdivision partnered with Canadian media conglomerate Rogers Media on October 26, securing plans to produce upwards of 30 new web shows a year. Rogers Media agreed to help fund and distribute Vuguru's upcoming productions, thereby solidifying a connection between old and new media. [53]
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The rise in the popularity of the Internet and improvements the accessibility and affordability of high speed broadband and streaming video technology meant that producing and distributing a web series became a feasible alternative to "traditional" series production, which was formerly mostly done for broadcast and cable TV. In comparison with traditional TV series production, web series are less expensive to produce. This has allowed a wider range of creators to develop web series. As well, since web series are made available online, instead of being aired at a single preset time to specific regions, they enable producers to reach a potentially global audience who can access the shows 24 hours a day and seven days a week, at the time of their choosing. Moreover, in the 2010s, the rising affordability of tablets and smartphones and the rising ownership rates of these devices in industrialized nations means that web series are available to a wider range of potential viewers, including commuters, travelers, and other people who are on the go.
The emerging potential for success in web video has caught the eye of some of the top entertainment executives in America, including former Disney executive and current head of the Tornante Company, Michael Eisner. Eisner's Vuguru subdivision of Tornante partnered with Canadian media conglomerate Rogers Media on October 26, 2009, securing plans to produce over 30 new web shows a year. Rogers Media will help fund and distribute Vuguru's upcoming productions, solidifying a connection between traditional media and new media such as web series. [53] Web series can be distributed directly from the producers' websites, through streaming services or via online video sharing websites . [54]
A number of web series incorporate interactive Web 2.0 features on their producer's websites, the show website, or other online fora. These Web 2.0 features enable viewers and fans to post comments online about episodes and link or "tag" favorite shows, episodes or video clips. These activities help to build viewer and fan engagement. Some producers use social media and social networking websites for the promotion of their web series and seek new viewers. As well, some producers monitor social media and networking comments as a way to obtain fan feedback on their shows. A web series is simply a series of web videos, usually in serial form, posted on the Internet, that first appeared in the late 1990s and gained popularity in the early to mid-2000s. In this new digital millennium, a web series can reach a wide international audience just by making a quick and cleverly produced video. A web series can consist of an ensemble cast who create their own online characters to tell a story over the Internet. Some shows may use special computer-generated technology to create a virtual world filled with interactive interfaces and visual effects.
The Webby Awards, established in 1995, and the Indie Series Awards, established in 2009, recognize top web series in the comedy, drama, and reality TV categories. In 2009, the International Academy of Web Television was founded with the mission to organize and support the community of streaming television creators, actors, producers and executives. [55] It administered the selection of winners for the Streamy Awards, (which awards streaming television and web series content,) in 2009 and 2010. Due to poor reception and execution from the 2010 Streamy Awards, the IAWTV decided to halt its production of the award ceremony. [56] The IAWTV followed this decision by forming their own award presentation, the IAWTV Awards.
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as television series and films, as over-the-top media service (OTT). Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable television, and/or satellite television systems.
Kathryn Felicia Day is an American actress, singer, writer, and web series creator. She is the creator and star of the web series The Guild (2007–2013), a show loosely based on her life as a gamer. She also wrote and starred in the Dragon Age web series Dragon Age: Redemption (2011). She is a founder of the online media company Geek & Sundry, best known for hosting the show Critical Role between 2015 and 2019. Day was a member of the board of directors of the International Academy of Web Television from December 2009 until August 2012.
Michael Justin "Burnie" Burns is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian, host, and director previously based in Austin, Texas. He is a co-founder, former chief executive officer, and former chief creative officer of Rooster Teeth. He is noted for his contributions in machinima, a form of film-making that uses video game technology in its production, and also works with animation and live action. Burns is also known for his work in the hosting and podcasting field.
lonelygirl15 is an American science fiction thriller web series created by Miles Beckett, Mesh Flinders, Greg Goodfried, and Amanda Goodfried. It was independently released on YouTube from June 16, 2006, to August 1, 2008, and was also briefly released on Revver and Myspace. The series revolves around the initially mundane life of homeschooled 16-year-old Bree Avery, who uses the username Lonelygirl15 online. She goes on the run with her friend Daniel after her parents' mysterious religion is revealed to be The Order, a blood-harvesting operation that wants her "trait positive" blood. The series is presented through video blogs, or vlogs, originally recorded solely from Bree's bedroom.
Jessica Lee Rose is an American-New Zealand actress who first gained popularity after playing the role of lonelygirl15, a fictional teenage homeschooled character named Bree who appeared in YouTube video blogs, beginning in June 2006. In September 2006, the Los Angeles Times outed the character, destroying any mystery surrounding the possible fictionality of lonelygirl15, which thrust Rose into the mainstream spotlight while also increasing the viewership of the series. In 2007, Rose won a Webby for this role.
Vuguru is an American independent multi-platform studio founded by Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company in March 2006. The company has produced content including the web series Prom Queen, The Booth at the End, Little Women Big Cars, The All-for-Nots, and Back on Topps. The company has signed content deals with AOL, HDNet, Yahoo!, Hulu, YouTube, Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment, and FremantleMedia. Its shows are distributed in over forty countries, on the Internet, mobile phones, and linear television platforms.
Prom Queen is the first web series produced by former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner's new production company Vuguru and veteran production company Big Fantastic, the creators of Sam Has 7 Friends. The series, consisting of 80 episodes of 90 seconds each, is one of the best-funded entrants into the world of original programming designed exclusively for online video.
Larry Tanz is an American entertainment industry executive. He has held executive positions with AOL Time Warner, and previously served as president and CEO of LivePlanet, as well as the president and CEO of Vuguru. He is currently the VP of Global Television at Netflix.
Dinosaur Diorama, also known as DioramaTV, is a production company that focuses primarily on the creation of serialized online video. Their major releases include the first scripted sitcom-length web series, The Burg, the Michael Eisner-produced The All-for-nots, Greg & Donny, and All's Faire. The company consists of Thom Woodley, Matt Yeager and Johnny North, and was founded by Woodley and Kathleen Grace.
The YouTube Streamy Awards, also known as the Streamy Awards or Streamys, are an awards show presented annually by Dick Clark Productions and Tubefilter to recognize excellence in online video, including directing, acting, producing, and writing. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented takes place in Los Angeles, California. They were the first ever awards show dedicated entirely to web series.
Tubefilter, Inc. is a privately held company based in Los Angeles, California that operates media businesses focusing on the online entertainment industry. It publishes Tubefilter News, a blog targeted at the fans, creators, producers, influencers, and distributors of streaming television and web series content.
The 2nd Annual Streamy Awards, presented by the International Academy of Web Television, was the second installment of the Streamy Awards honoring streaming television series. The awards were held on Sunday, April 11, 2010, at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Paul Scheer served as the host of the presentation. Over 1,300 audience members were in attendance and the show was broadcast live online.
Grace Anne Helbig is an American comedian, actress, and internet personality. She is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast This Might Get Weird (2018–present) alongside frequent collaborator Mamrie Hart and is the voice of Cindy Bear in the Max animated series Jellystone! (2021–present).
React Media, LLC is an American reacting, digital media and entertainment company founded by brothers Benny Fine and Rafi Fine, creators and media entrepreneurs. React Media produces the React video series, their several timed-spoiler series, narrative web series, and created a "transmedia" sitcom on YouTube, MyMusic.
Chris McCaleb is an American film editor, director and producer best known as the co-creator of the web series Prom Queen and co-host of the Better Call Saul Insider and New Mediacracy podcasts. McCaleb was nominated three times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series, once for his work on the AMC neo-western crime drama series Breaking Bad (2013), and twice on the AMC legal crime drama series Better Call Saul (2015–2022).
React is a media franchise created and owned by React Media, LLC, consisting of several online series centering on a group of individuals reacting to viral videos, trends, video games, film trailers, or music videos.
Scott Zakarin is an American film producer. He is known as the creator of the Web series medium due to his introduction of the first internet episodic website The Spot.
The IAWTV Awards is an annual event hosted by the International Academy of Web Television, currently based in Los Angeles, that honors web series creators and talent in more than two dozen categories.
BlackBoxTV Presents is an American horror anthology web series created by Tony E. Valenzuela and Philip DeFranco. The first season, which featured a cast of YouTube creators including DeFranco, iJustine, and Shane Dawson, was self-funded by Valenzuela and debuted on the BlackBoxTV YouTube channel on August 17, 2010.
Today, many consider the term "webseries" to be outdated and instead use "short form series".
This programming is sometimes referred to as "short-form or web series".
Series must have a minimum of six episodes with an average length of 15 minutes or less, and be shown on traditional TV or via the Internet.