Been thinking up creative ways to increase projects on Spidvid, provide some extra incentives for video creators, and get the Spidvid community more engaged with new opportunities.
So today we are launching an initiative for current and future Spidvid creators where we act as a video project producer.
Here’s how the Spidvid Creator Initiative works:
- A video concept or script must be submitted to us and pre-approved.
- Each created video should be 1-5 minutes in length.
- Each video needs to have good original entertainment and production value.
- Each video must be ad-friendly for brands.
- Since collaboration is at our core, each video must be created with at least one Spidvid community member. A team member can quickly and easily get a free Spidvid profile.
- $50-$500 will be provided for each project budget.
- The video creators and his or her teams will be given 25%-50% of the content ownership.
These are the key points of our Spidvid Creator Initiative as of today. There will be likely changes over time, and so updates will be well communicated here on our blog, in our newsletter, and via Twitter and Facebook. If you have any questions please contact us, or post a comment below.
We love collaborating with web series creators and producers! We have been working with Nick Blake and his team on their series “Once Upon a Time In Brooklyn” and so far have attracted 10,791 views across their initial 6 episodes. Each episode is embedded below, so if you haven’t seen the series yet, be sure to check it out and get entertained. We promise it’s well worth your time investment!
If you are a web series creator or producer we can help you too on the promotional side of things, send us an email with a link to your series, or let us know the story for your future project, and we will let you know if we see a beneficial partnership opportunity to explore.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Mark Gantt who is the executive producer and lead actor of the web series “The Bannen Way”. The Bannen Way killed it at the Streamy Awards and went on to win four awards, and has attracted over 14 million views. Mark is now passing down his knowledge of the web series business as a teacher through his workshop, so if you’re looking to learn from one of the best be sure to check that out.
Enough of kissing Mark’s ass, below is our interview.
1. Did you create your web series workshop to pass on the information and knowledge you gained from creating and producing “The Bannen Way” to other aspiring video creators and filmmakers?
Yes. I have met over thirty people for coffee to discuss my experience with The Bannen Way and have done over twenty panels in the last five months and realized that with the limited time available, there was little ‘nuts and bolts’ being talked about. One attendee of the NATPE panel I was doing called “Anatomy of a Hit Web Series” was very frustrated afterwards and I overheard her saying, “I still don’t know how to make a $#&@ web series!” I heard that, I heard that from several people. In the workshops, or on a panel, or at coffee, I explain that creating a web series isn’t brain surgery but it feels like that if you don’t have all the tools. You don’t need to be able to do everything, you just need to be able to work very hard, research like crazy, and build a team to help you with your vision.
2. Do you expect any of your students to go out and create a hit web series like you did?
Absolutely. I want them to create something that will empower them as artists, and give them a little extra leg up in the industry. It’s really about giving people a jumping off point. Enough information to get in trouble as I always say.
3. What’s the best book you’re read, or video you’ve watched that inspired you to create entertainment at a high level?
LOL. uh… I’m not really a book guy, everything is from experience. I have just worked on a lot of sets, so if people were doing a project I was there listening and learning… for free.
4. What do you think of web series creators and producers turning to crowdsourcing platforms like KickStarter and IndieGoGo to raise funds for their production projects?
I think it’s a HUGE resource. It’s an interesting model for a couple reasons. I think it allows the investors (ie: mom, dad, uncles, dentists, viewers, etc.) to feel that their money is actually going into a production, and helps force the filmmaker to FIGURE OUT how they are going to make it. It’s a great pressure on you to get things made.
5. What advantages do web series creators have over TV producers?
There are about 30 people that have to approve of you doing a TV series, not including agents, managers, and lawyers. To create and distribute a web series… you can be the boss. We worked with Sony (on The Bannen Way) so it wasn’t just us, but it was a lot easier than working with a studio AND a Network.
6. How is collaboration benefiting the new media production landscape?
Filmmaking by definition is a collaborative art. I love that you get a chance to work with a group of people with different talents to complete a common goal. People want to create. A director of photography wants to shoot, actors want to act and with technology improving, you can now actually shoot for very cheap. So instead of talented people without the money to shoot on film, they can now shoot on the Cannon 7D or rent the RED camera and end up with a great looking project in the end.
The explosive trailer for Mark’s hit web series, The Bannen Way.
I’ve spoken to video creators and filmmakers who have created a video or film either by themselves or with one other person, and while it’s possible it’s normally anything but ideal. The fact is most of us are good in just one area, and mediocre at the other important elements which round out the entire process. This is usually apparent when the final product has been completed, and the decision isn’t where to distribute to, but rather if distribution actually makes sense at all.
In order to create an entertaining video or film, it typically takes a few people on the team to really pull everything together in a successful way. Sure there are exceptions out there with solo talents such as iJustine, and some other young YouTube talents, but for the most part the “game” is a team sport.
Make it easier on yourself and partner up with the talent you need to make your next production project a success. Grab a free Spidvid account, post your project, and let us help you build the team you need to create some quality entertainment you can be proud of.
Or if you are looking to join a team, then grab an account, and keep your eyes open for interesting projects led by our talented community of creators and filmmakers.
Collaboration for film producers, directors, screenwriters and other video production talents has never been as easy as it is today. With the advent of Google Wave, the new generation online collaboration tool, film production individuals can now easily share ideas, scripts, video and music clips and other items with just a few clicks, dragging and dropping.
Google Wave features and extensions help visual artists, screenwriters and writers to paint, draw and plan projects in real-time and collaborate with team members with revisions and improvements right away. We think that this collaboration tool will be really helpful for talented individuals at Spidvid for faster and much more efficient file sharing, drawing, designing and editing in real-time.
There are various bots (or robots) such as the scriptwriting bot which aids scriptwriting in faster editing of scripts. Video makers could now take advantage of easy file sharing in submitting their videos. Gone are the days when a scriptwriter has to worry about his scripts exceeding the file size limit with emails. Directors and producers can now easily share music, video clips and other necessary files for the film production and even play some games with their team while simultaneously generating and processing the video production. Making films and videos through the help of Google Wave and Spidvid as collaboration tools drives the production costs dramatically lower. Video production has never been this fun, interactive, cost-effective and all in real-time.
Spidvid’s platform continues to attract music talents, graphic designers, producers, directors, screenwriters and video creators while it’s currently in private beta testing these individuals realize that creating and sharing video ideas and scripts has never been this organized, cost-effective and interactive. It also proves that through collaboration of many talents around the world, there has never been a better time for producing quality video content.
* Check out the Candler blog by Jonathan Poritsky to get more information on the filmmaker’s wave.
