One thing that most web series have in common is that they almost exclusively take place in a closed or limited setting. They’re not in their living room one week and Istanbul the next. Consider the television counterpart of the sitcom. There’s a reason these productions have historically been indoors, often in a family’s house each week. It keeps production costs low. The set is always at the disposal of the production. There’s no need to worry about scouting locations each episode or going through the mounds of work necessary to accommodate a writer’s wildest whimsy for setting. It’s a practical decision.
The first thing a web series creator should take stock of is the sets they have available. It could be their backyard, their living room, a café, whatever – but if they have regular access to it (and, obviously, can film there) it’s fair game. Worry about this detail first and dream big when you have the means later.
For example, consider The Guild. This series started with a few people in front of their computers, but as it grew in popularity, as did the means available to it. It was able to expand following the first season and accommodate new locales. But, notably, this came after it had established its success. Start small.
Most of the first season of The Guild is the characters talking to their webcam. NOTE: It's extremely useful to your series if the camera is constantly on you and you're Felicia Day
In my web series, The Zombie Inconvenience, we didn’t have a lot at our disposal. My co-conspirator was doing construction at his house, and we certainly didn’t have a closed set available to us anywhere nearby. I had a house next to a major road that I shared with a few roommates, which was far from ideal, but the best we could muster. I also had a roommate fresh from England – which meant he didn’t have a lot of furnishings in his room. Which, to me, translated to a relatively empty room I could use (with his permission), on top of the communal areas.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.