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Fun Joel's Screenwriting Blog

(OR EL DUDERINO IF YOU'RE NOT INTO THE WHOLE BREVITY THING)

-- On Screenwriting and Related Topics

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Location: Los Angeles, CA

I moved from NYC to LA in October, 2003. And though I still think NYC is the greatest city in the world, I'm truly loving life here in the City of Angels. I'm a writer, reader, and occasional picture-taker.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Digital Storytelling

Still moving along with rewrites on the script, and with preparing for the move out of the apartment. So this will be a quick post.

While my main focus remains on writing for film, I have been thinking for a while about writing for online productions. It had been in the back of my mind for a while (I even have considered turning Hell on Wheels into a flash-animated web series), and thought more about it after attending this seminar. And recently I've spoken to a number of people about such things as web series and Alternate Reality Games (ARGs).

I'd be a fool if I didn't see these forms as at least part of the future of visual storytelling, and at the same time, not entirely different from what I do currently. And so I'm considering trying to do some writing in that arena as well.

So, for those of you who are already quite familiar with such things, I'd love to hear your thoughts on writing for the digital, online world. What is the same or different? And if you have any favorite web series (as opposed to a single, stand-alone viral video that you love) or ARGs, I'd love to hear about them. What's the best out there?

Leave your thoughts in the comments section, please!

Update: A few hours after I posted this, I read THIS POST on Kira's blog. Thought it tied in nicely!

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a few ideas for web series that I'm working on. There are a bunch out there now. http://thewestside.tv/ is a slow developing one. Young American Bodies by Joe Swanberg is another. It gets high grades from a bunch of people, but I think it just 20 somethings rubbing against each other on camera. People like it because it's "not fake" and "genuine" but I don't know anyone who does those things or acts like that. But apparently people do.

I haven't seen any that are "must see" but I think that's mostly becasue most web series are too short to get a good story going.

1:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Certain things being popular in niche markets, thus having lots of viewers, makes certain web series to seem better than they are. Nobody is used to having a really bad series have a lot of viewers just because there's a niche of people who happen to like the stuff.

12:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I developed a story for a web-distributed CG short movie (using pre-rendered world of Grand Theft Auto computer game), and also directed/edited it. My main problem is, that fans of that game may enjoy it (also demanding a sequel), but not much feedback from outside fanbase, despite that there's too much telling/showing at the same time. When making it, it doesn't felt like we're broking screenwriting rules, it somehow felt natural...

Anyway, here's the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOOBnZfil0

I'm already in works of developing another CG-generated movie for web - as a "real" movie it wouldn't be a most bright idea, but in THIS world it's groundbreaking...again, for the fanbase, not having wider appeal:(

3:28 PM  

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