The words “shake that thing” emanate from the speaker as a skinny white dude hops around in a demonstration of “How To Dance Properly,” complete with portrayals of how to awkwardly slow jam in a casual setting as well as quick pelvic thrusts in front of an audience. In the olde days of the Internet, one of the stand out characters of web video was Ze Frank, a white male of average stature who had become addicted to the huge attention he was getting for his filmed dance moves. Quitting his day job, Ze Frank began a five day a week web series, in which he commented on politics and social trends. By modeling his commentary on the likes of artists such as John Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Ze Frank quickly gained an Internet following. Additionally, he challenged viewers to pull off stunts such as making an “earth sandwich” by placing two pieces of bread on opposing poles of the earth and holding a contest for the ugliest Myspace page. Fans were drawn to his comedic and witty one liners, but ultimately many were attracted to his show because of the esoteric personalities and perspectives that it provided. They had never seen anything like it.
The sudden availability of internet TV has allowed many people to diversify their interest. Bandwith has increased exponentially and shows such as Ze Frank have popped up to fulfill a basic desire of many people, a shot at the lime light. Countless stars have emerged on YouTube and other web video look alikes, and the genre has expanded drastically. Although the Internet video scene happened mainly as an unscripted affair, a recent trend points towards increased input from directors and producers. Students at UCLA created a series about their residence hall, a no holds barred guide to college life. By organizing a team of writers and directors from among their friends, they were able to start producing a series of web series episodes that quickly gained popularity. “Through the internet, young people now have a way to see their visions realized from start to finish without corporate backing,” one of Dorm Life’s stars Nora Kirkpatrick said.
However, as internet video has become increasingly more popular, many shows have grown towards the TV network details that were once left out of most web series productions, such as full length scripting and editing. Mainstays of Internet video that were once largely improvisation, such as “Ask A Ninja,” a “Dear Abby” for Ninjas, have been commercialized and fine tuned; the aforementioned receiving notable quality changes as it gained in popularity likely by investing in expensive professional editing software and a high quality camera.
In conjunction with its success, web episodes are hauling in larger fish. By bankrolling web shows such as “Gemini Division,” featuring Rosario Dawson, a star in blockbuster hits such as “Sin City” and “Clerks 2,” NBC for one has begun a major media push towards the information superhighway represents a major strategy shift. With the backing of corporate sponsors, legitimacy is added to web video. Commercial success is being experienced by other series as well. Some, such as the cast of “The Lonely Island” (a web sitcom that has done spoofs on subjects ranging from Hollywood to a teeth whitening service called White Power), are using internet video as a path to main-stream stardom. For example, after garnering attention on the web, three of the four members of the cast were hired as writers for SNL, while the fourth was given a regular acting position on the popular broadcast show. Shows such as “The Lonely Island,” “Gemini Division,” and “Ze Frank” characterize internet Television. These shows have become so popular not simply because of their availability and quick speed of delivery to audiences, but also because of the ingenuity and esoteric qualities. Many shows are producing “content so that it is relatable to a lot of people, specifically college and high school age viewers,” said Pancho Morris, an actor on Dorm Life. Trite and forgettable shows provided by the main stream media do not address many people’s desires for entertainment, and web series are able to fill this void.
What is your favorite web series?
