Anatomy of a web series, with Jorge Rivera slide presentation PDF.

WELCOME TO THE ANTOMY OF A SUCCESSFUL WEBSERIES OR HOW THE REVOLUTION IS BEING DIGITIZED h8p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BAM9fgV-­‐ts © Jorge Rivera, 2013 WELCOME TO THE ANTOMY OF A SUCCESSFUL WEBSERIES OR HOW THE REVOLUTION IS BEING DIGITIZED WHAT’S THE TARGET AUDIENCE? © Jorge Rivera, 2013 © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Total Views 2012 >> © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Low End Earnings >> © Jorge Rivera, 2013 High End Earnings >> © Jorge Rivera, 2013 5.4 Million Dollars?!! What?! But how? © Jorge Rivera, 2013 The YouTube Partnership program... …pays qualified YouTube creators for running ads against their videos. CPM = Cost Per Mil (Laan for thousand) © Jorge Rivera, 2013 The YouTube Partnership program... Created in 2007, with more than a million creators from over 30 countries around the world earning money from their YouTube videos. Thousands of channels making six figures a year. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 770.5M/1000 x $.75 = $577,875.00 770.5M/1000 x $7.00 = $5,400,000.00 © Jorge Rivera, 2013 h8p://www.youtube.com/user/RoosterTeeth/about © Jorge Rivera, 2013 3B/1000 x $.75 = $2,250,000.00 3B/1000 x $7.00 = $21,000,000.00 © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Every second, 1 hour of video is uploaded. 24 hours of video every 24 seconds. A decade’s worth of video every day. A century’s worth of video every 10 days. YouTube reports 4 billion global views per day. That’s 120 billion views per month! That was in 2012! © Jorge Rivera, 2013 In 2014… 100 hours of video uploaded every minute. Over 6 billion hours viewed a month. 80% of traffic comes from outside the US.
Localized in 61 countries and across 61 languages. According to Nielsen, YouTube reaches more US adults ages 18-­‐34 than any cable network. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Over 6 Billion hours of video viewed every month! 360,000,000,000 minutes 684,463 years 48,890 round trips to Mars 60 mins each for every person on the planet 2,975,206,611 viewings of STAR WARS: A New Hope © Jorge Rivera, 2013 More video is uploaded to YouTube in one month than the 3 major US networks created in 60 years of Television. That is REVOLUTIONARY. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 What does this all mean? It means that YouTube and digital media in general are the fastest growing media plaoorms in human history. And, the li8le man (or woman) stands to make a lot of money from it… (if you know how). © Jorge Rivera, 2013 It’s not easy. But it is possible if… A)  You have the right concept. B)  And, the right strategy. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 STRATEGY?: A)  Know your goals. B)  Idenafy a target audience. C)  Create content on a consistent schedule (weekly, if not daily) for that audience. D)  Engage that audience (social media. Et al). E)  Keep costs way down. F)  Be bold, fresh and unique (audacious). G)  Prepare for the long haul. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 DEVELOPING YOUR SHOW CONCEPT WHAT’S MY GOAL? WHO’S MY TARGET AUDIENCE? HOW DO I REACH THEM? © Jorge Rivera, 2013 WHAT’S MY GOAL? -­‐ to make money? -­‐ to get to television? -­‐ to make a living on the internet? -­‐ to be famous? -­‐ to be famous on the internet? -­‐ to have a calling card for my work? © Jorge Rivera, 2013 h8p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grCTXGW3sxQ What does this have in common with the first video? © Jorge Rivera, 2013 CASE STUDY: FELECIA DAY’S THE GUILD © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S MILESTONES -­‐ 2007 the Guild premiers -­‐ currently on season 7 -­‐ available on YT, DVD, Amazon, Neolix, and Hulu, MSN Network, XBOX 360, and Zune -­‐  inspired by her own love and quasi-­‐ addicaon to online gaming -­‐ previously on Buffy © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S MILESTONES -­‐ 2008 she signs with Microsot and next four seasons are paid for. -­‐  cast and crew are now paid. -­‐ She has since appeared on House, Doll House, Eureka (series reg) SYFY Movie: Red the Werewolf Hunter Supernatural, Joss Wedon’s Dr. Horrible. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S MILESTONES -­‐ 2009 Rolling Stone Magazine names the Guild one of “the Net’s Best Serial Shows”. -­‐ 2009 she’s elected to the board of directors for the Internaaonal Academy of Web Television (yes, that’s a thing). © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S AWARDS 2009 Streamy Awards – 4 wins Best Comedy, Best Female Actor, Best Ensemble Comedy Cast, Audience Choice © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S AWARDS 2010 Streamy Awards – 11 nominaaons and 2 wins Best Direcang for Comedy, Best Wriang for Comedy © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S AWARDS 2012 IAWTV – 6 wins Best Comedy Series, Best Wriang Comedy, Best Direcang Comedy, Best Female Performance, Best Website Design © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S MILESTONES -­‐ 2012 launches Geek and Sundry as part of the $100M YouTube premium channel iniaaave © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S MILESTONES -­‐ 2012 launches Geek and Sundry as part of the $100M YouTube premium channel iniaaave -­‐  Madonna, Shaquille O'Neal, Amy Poehler, Ashton Kutcher, Rainn Wilson, Deepak Chopra © Jorge Rivera, 2013 FELECIA DAY’S MILESTONES GEEK and SUNDRY = Revenue from about 10 shows (and growing), instead of one…that sall targets basically the same core audience. 1.4 millions subscribers. h8p://www.youtube.com/user/geekandsundry © Jorge Rivera, 2013 © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Felicia has a lot going for her… © Jorge Rivera, 2013 WHO IS MY TARGET AUDIENCE (NICHE)? HOW DO I CONNECT WITH THEM? WHY DO I NEED TO INDENTIFY A NICHE? © Jorge Rivera, 2013 UNLESS YOU HAVE THE $$$ …AND THE EYEBALLS OF... THE MAJOR STUDIOS, NETWORKS, OR BRANDS… © Jorge Rivera, 2013 IT’S THE EASIEST WAY TO… …PIN POINT, ENGAGE, AND GROW …YOUR AUDIENCE. AND, AUDIENCE = REVENUE. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 HOW DO WE DO THAT? -­‐ Find where they live online: websites, blogs, facebook, forums, twi8er. -­‐ Idenafy bloggers, writers, group admins. -­‐  Email the editors and bloggers / send them a press release. -­‐  Ask for a interview or a review of the show. -­‐  Ask about adverasing and/or video embedding opportuniaes. -­‐  Engage your audience directly through real conversaaons in forums, and groups eventually coaxing them to check out the show or to join your own social media lists (twi8er, facebook, youtube subscribes). © Jorge Rivera, 2013 A WORD OF ADVICE… BE SINCERE. FANS CAN SMELL A FAKE A MILE AWAY. FELECIA IS REALLY A GEEK AT HEART. ROOSTER TEETH REALLY DOES LOVE MACHINAMA. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Scripted Narraave vs Vlog: SCRIPTED NARATIVES PROS: -­‐ Creaavely saasfying for story tellers and cinephiles VLOG NARRATIVES HOSTED STUDIO SHOWS HOSTED FIELD SHOWS NON-­‐SCRIPTED NEWS SKETCH COMEDY GREEN SCREEN SHOWS VLOG STYLE SHOWS PROS: -­‐  A be8er calling card for a “ TV Personality” -­‐ A be8er calling card for S.N. Television writers -­‐  Possibility of selling the idea or personality to TV -­‐  The possibility of using the experience to develop the concept for S.N. TV -­‐  Much cheaper to produce CONS: -­‐  More content equals more revenue -­‐ expensive -­‐ producaon intensive -­‐ harder to sustain -­‐ lower churn out -­‐ therefore lower revenue and profit margins -­‐  Can potenaally produce one a day -­‐ Potenaally higher profit margins CONS: -­‐ Potenaally less saasfying for story tellers and cinephiles Mortal Combat: hDp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQv-­‐kYsclSM iJusLne: hDp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWCMIolvyAA © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Scripted Narraave vs Vlog: SCRIPTED NARATIVES -­‐ Mercury Men -­‐ Husbands -­‐ Compulsions -­‐  House of Cards -­‐  the Burg -­‐  Sam Has 7 Friends VLOG NARRATIVES HOSTED STUDIO SHOWS HOSTED FIELD SHOWS SCRIPTED NEWS SKETCH COMEDY GREEN SCREEN SHOWS -­‐ The Guild -­‐  LonelyGirl15 -­‐  Lonely Island -­‐  Wri8en by a Kid -­‐ Gemini Division -­‐ Web Therapy -­‐ Mark Malkoff -­‐ Epic Meal Time -­‐ Epic Rap Ba8les -­‐ Auto-­‐Tune the News -­‐ Between Two Ferns VLOG STYLE SHOWS -­‐ Ze Franc -­‐  Phil De Franco -­‐  Ray William Johnson -­‐  Shane Dawson -­‐  the Flog © Jorge Rivera, 2013 WHAT’S MY GOAL? WHO’S MY TARGET AUDIENCE? HOW DO I REACH THEM? © Jorge Rivera, 2013 h8p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAVU-­‐Z32sWI © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Total Views 2012 >> © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Low End Earnings >> © Jorge Rivera, 2013 High End Earnings >> © Jorge Rivera, 2013 h8p://www.youtube.com/user/PewDiePie/about © Jorge Rivera, 2013 3.4B/1000 x $.75 = $2,550,000.00 3.4B/1000 x $7.00 = $23,800,000.00 © Jorge Rivera, 2013 What does PewDiePie have in common with the Guild and Red vs. Blue? © Jorge Rivera, 2013 For short form video, comScore reports… April 2011 Average Length of Video = 5:12 mins June 2012 Average Length of Video = 6:30 mins Dec 2013 Average Length of Video = 4:12 mins © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Most click aways occur in the first 10 seconds. Willingness to watch in short form viewing behavior drops off considerably ater 6 minutes. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Brevity… Short, Sharp, and Engaging. Hit the ground running. Write for a Target Audience Interacavity Structure for Mulaple Plaoorms © Jorge Rivera, 2013 The Seven Dirty Words You Can’t Say on Television …but can on Web TV © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Write for a Target Audience …or just write what you love, and idenafy the audience ater. Creaang viewer centric content builds a very specific and powerful kind of loyalty. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Interacavity People are drawn to online video and web series because they can interact with a show and its creators in a way they can’t with tradiaonal television. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Structure for Mulaple Plaoorm Distribuaon (scripted narraave strategy). -­‐ Foreign market theatrical release -­‐ Foreign market TV release -­‐ DVD Sales -­‐ Long form Online (Neolix/Hulu) © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Act 1 Ep1 Ep2 InciLng Incident Act 2 Ep3 Ep4 Ep5 Act One Climax Act2 Ep6 Ep7 Mid Point Reversal Ep8 Act 3 Ep9 Ep10 Ep11 Ep12 Act Two Climax Crisis Climax ResoluLon © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Structure for Mulaple Plaoorm Distribuaon -­‐ Foreign market theatrical release -­‐ Foreign market TV release -­‐ DVD Sales -­‐ Long form Online (Neolix/Hulu) © Jorge Rivera, 2013 © Jorge Rivera, 2013 Lizzie Bennet vs Compulsions h8p://www.youtube.com/user/compulsionstv h8p://www.youtube.com/user/LizzieBennet h8ps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/
pemberleydigital/the-­‐lizzie-­‐bennet-­‐diaries-­‐dvdand-­‐
more © Jorge Rivera, 2013 CONCLUSION: A)  Know your goals. B)  Idenafy a target audience. C)  Create content on a consistent schedule (weekly, if not daily) for that audience. D)  Engage that audience (social media. Et al). E)  Keep costs way down. F)  Be bold, fresh and unique (audacious). G)  Prepare for the long haul. © Jorge Rivera, 2013 JORGE RIVERA Twi8er: @riverag3000 FaceBook: jorgerivera.screenwriter Email: [email protected] IMDB: www.imdb.me/jorgerivera YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/jriveradigital © Jorge Rivera, 2013