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Outreach

Last Monday, I released the pilot episode of my web series on four different platforms. I posted it on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter. For Instagram, I simply posted a screenshot of the video on YouTube and had the link to the episode in my bio of my profile page. For Twitter, I embedded the link and pinned the tweet to the top of my page. On Youtube, I uploaded with links to other social media, and on Facebook, I embedded a link to YouTube. On Tumblr, I posted it onto my blog.

The only platforms where I could really see the analytics of the video were on Facebook and YouTube, and I do believe those two platforms were where most of the views came from. More than 100 views were on the episode after a week of being posted on YouTube, and I am very pleased with that. On Facebook, a lot of my friends and family watched and commented on the video, so I could gauge that most of my audience were people who knew who I was. About 100 people did like my post on Instagram, so I know that they were aware of the episode. However, I’m not entirely sure if they went to my bio and clicked on the link. I don’t Twitter got many views because I don’t have many followers, nor am I very active on Twitter. Similar to Twitter, I’m not sure how many people view my blog, so I don’t really believe that people clicked on the link to the episode. 

Overall, I think the post went well. A lot of people did message me asking when episode 2 would come out, so there is definitely interest in the series. Unfortunately, I had to tell them that I only made one episode, but people were really pushing for another episode. In order to broaden the people would we see my posts, I did tag them to shows similar to mine, so I tagged “Thirteen Reasons Why” and “Pretty Little Liars” because those two shows are very popular right now. I did get a few people who aren’t my friends or family to get to my video, so that was surprisingly a smart move. 

If I were to this differently, I think I would post more promo videos before the episode was released. I wished I was able to make teasers and trailers for the video. In terms of production, I think I could’ve executed the shoot a lot better, though I didn’t think it was bad. If I didn’t a casting issue, I think I could’ve focused more on the actors’ emotions and movements, but my biggest priority on set was getting a shot without the actors messing up their lines. I also learned a lesson in blocking and long shots. I did struggle with trying to break up that really long shot during the editing process. I kind of regret having them only sit in one spot for most of that shot. I would love to have a lot more movement if I were to do a long shot or make the blocking a lot more interesting. Other than those obstacles I ran into, I am proud of what I created, and if I did have more time and money to create a whole season of this web series, I would love to do it. At this point, I do realize that there is an audience for my content, and if I could, it would be a matter of generating more videos for my audience to continue watching on my channel. The speakers in class really helped plan my release, and I really am looking at how to uphold an audience of people who want to see more because digital media is about constantly changing and uploading on a consistent basis. I think that’s one of the biggest things I learned from this experience. If there’s interest and it reflects current events or ideals in the world today, I think an audience would invest their time to watch that content.

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RELEASE OF PILOT EP

HELLO! THE PILOT EPISODE OF MY WEB SERIES, “EXPOSED”, IS OUT NOW!!!

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SAVE THE DATE! APRIL 17

Hello!

In less than a week, my web series, Exposed, will finally be released on my Youtube channel soon! IF you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to ChristienneC Productions on Youtube so you’ll know when the first episode will be released!

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Web Series Updates

Hello!

For more updates on my web series, “Exposed”, follow my Facebook and Instagram page!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chan.ces/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristienneCProductions/

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Rough Cut Viewing

Several days ago, I showed my rough cut, which can be a very nerve-racking process. I spent a lot of time editing the cut, and it affects the way I view my work because I remember wondering whether the cut was even good or not. I couldn’t tell at the point. 

The viewing went well than I expected. Some things worked out really well, but I did take notes for the feedback and suggestions I was getting from the rest of the class. My biggest issue was the long take, which I took so long to complete. It brought a long dull moment throughout the episode. Because of that, I will need to really look at that and make some adjustments to make it more interesting. Some other comments included putting a title sequence and an end card, which I plan to add to my next cut. 

I was pleased with the compliments from some of my peers. The fact that they felt hooked and interested in the story by the end of the episode showed that my work has paid off in preproduction and production. Now, it’s just refining it to something that will be released in the coming weeks.  

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Reflection

Last weekend, I had my very own directing debut. I had a shoot for my web series, and it went surprisingly well. I enjoyed working with both my cast and crew, and I am eternally grateful for their help in making this web series a reality. 

During the whole process, I had trouble casting my characters. Many actors had dropped out a couple days before the actual shoot, so I felt a little stressed and on edge. It was a little difficult finding people, but it worked out in the end. I was happy when people were willing to act in my web series, although it did pose problems during the actual shoot. The very first shot of the whole shoot was a long take with heavy dialogue. It took about 12 takes for the cast to get it down pat. It was a little frustrating because they kept forgetting their lines, but I held my patience and I was happy when they finally got it done. My only worry from this long take is whether it would make the episode seem slow since they are talking for most of the time. I hope that the dialogue is interesting enough to keep attention to the story. 

Other than the first shot, most of the shoot went smoothly. There were moments when everyone enjoyed each other, and I would say that all of us had fun putting it together. After the shoot, I was relieved to have it run as smoothly as it did. Now, my worry moves toward the actual footage, wondering if I got enough inserts or shots. Because I had a small crew, I had to do a lot of stuff such as camera work, etc. It was a lot to worry about aside from my primary job of directing. The worry is more rooted in things such as not checking the focus of the shot or continuity errors because I was more in charge of that than the crew who helped out with production design and sound. Other than that, I’m curious to see the end result of this whole thing. 

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Visual Style

My web series, “Clarissa’s Log”, tells the story of two friends finding their best friend’s video diary. For the past few weeks, I had to explore different options to define my look and style for the series. When thinking about location, lighting, and shot design for the series, I found a similar vision and tone to my ideas  in another series, “Carmilla.”

Since my web series has a somewhat dark and dramatic tone, I would like my lighting to have some sort of distinct contrast between light and dark, meaning I do want shadows to appear on the subject. Contrary to more lighthearted and comedic series, the shot wouldn’t be lit too brightly. Most likely, the story would be set at night. If I decide to shoot during the day, I may rely more on natural lighting. The foreground will have more lit in comparison to the background. This is because the camera is meant to act as a webcam or camera that sits on the protagonist’s desk. The light would be used to imitate a desk lamp lighting the characters’ faces. I am also considering lighting that would imitate the lighting that diffuses from a computer screen.

I wanted my shot designs to be fairly simple. In the opening scene of the pilot episode, jump cuts will be used to quicken the pacing, which means the scene will require more than one camera angle. However, most of the series will be shot “vlog style.” It will consist of one static shot with longer takes since the main characters are directly speaking to the camera. Although the shot design is simple, I wanted to bring more focus and attention to the blocking of characters and objects in the shot. In terms of location, I want to utilize the entirety of one location. For most of my scenes, they will be shot in a dorm room since the characters are undergraduate students in college. For production purposes, it would be easier for everything to be shot entirely in one place.

As for my audience, I am catering this web series towards young females from the age or 13 to early 20s. I think girls would really want to watch female leads who reflect similar characteristics to girls in reality. I also think the themes that are within the series are very relatable to the life experiences of girls such as the idea of friendship and trust. Social media is a powerful tool to reach this niche audience, and I would like to use both Facebook and Instagram to reach out to the audience. However, the posts that I would create regarding the web series would have my own personal touch to show people my journey throughout this production.

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Table Read

During last week’s class, each student went around and heard their scripts for their first time in a table read. Like most people, I was nervous hearing my script read out loud. Table scripts capture every mistake and moment of awkward dialogue. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised during a few parts in my script. According to my professor and peers, I was able to deliver a clear tone of the story, which I had trouble with in development. Without a doubt, the script held a dramatic tone throughout the whole read. Another aspect that worked well was the dialogue between the two main characters of the story. I was happy with the dialogue between the two. Likewise, my peers complimented me on the dialogue as well, and I believe that is important to making sure the audience is heavily invested in the characters. Of course, there were issues within the script. There were moments of awkward dialogue and writing errors. The big issues were more on trying to establish information for characters such as Clarissa. Clarissa is a girl who died in a car accident. Many people in my class didn’t feel that she was concrete, so I plan to revise the script to make sure she was an actual person. I need to develop Clarissa a bit more so the audience can care about her and feel inclined to keep watching the series for Clarissa. Personally, I wanted to revise the beginning of my script. I didn’t feel that there was a hook at the beginning, so I might rearrange a couple scenes in order to have a strong hook in my script. 

Here are my character bios for the main characters of my series. 

Erin (18): Currently, she is a senior at a high school boarding school. She is close friends with Amy and Clarissa. She hopes to become a journalist in the future and uncover the truth about different events and people. Often, she is direct and stubborn in addressing conflict. She isn’t afraid of breaking a few rules to get what she wants. Although she can be judgmental of other people, she does it to protect the hearts of herself and the people she loves. 

Amy (18): A gentle spirit who avoids conflict. Currently, she is a senior at a high school boarding school. Unlike Erin, she acknowledges her limits and lives life by the rules she is given. Often, she is a cautious and careful person who doesn’t seek to offend or hurt anyone’s feelings. When she is with Erin or Clarissa, however, she isn’t afraid to let loose every once in a while. Although non-confrontational, she is willing to stand up for the people she loves, even if it goes against her normal behaviors. 

Clarissa (18): A girl who passed away in a car accident when she was driving home late at night after a party. She was going to graduate high school with her friends, Amy and Erin. To most people, she is often acknowledged for her shy and quiet nature. However, those closest to her will see a more fun and humorous side. She loves making her friends laugh. More so, she loves making fun of her friends as a way to show how much she loves them. She truly cares for the people she loves and she can often be found listening to whatever they have to say. However, she holds a very private life and does not speak about herself very much. 

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Web Series Concepts

While trying to think of ideas for a web series, I wanted to make sure I had a range of stories to pick from. Thus, this led to interesting ideas for a possible web series that tries to appeal to young teenage audiences.

My first idea is a comedy about a young girl who has just grown comfortable living as an independent adult. Just as her life of normalcy comes together with a new home and new friends, she confronts her weird past when her odd-ball cousin unexpectedly moves in with her. When her cousin embarrasses her in front of her friends, their relationship becomes tense. On the other hand, her cousin is disappointed with the girl’s insecurity about being judged. Thus, they embark on a journey to help the girl find the strength to truly be her odd self like her cousin. 

My second concept is a light-hearted drama that touches on a dark subject of death. When two friends look through the belongings of a friend who just died, they find her personal video diary. As they watch the videos, they feel sympathy and decide to resolve her “unfinished business” to help her live life to the fullest as a way to honor her. Little do they know that her videos would take them on interesting adventures and reveal clues about who their friend really is.

My third idea, I believe, is the most interesting. It deals with the idea of love and religion. When two people meet each other, they develop feelings for each other and eventually fall in love. The twist is that both are seriously considering the religious life. One thinks about becoming a nun and the other is believed to be a priest. They both are conflicted with the relationship, yet their love for each other is undeniable. The series follows their process of discernment as they come to know whether they are meant to be married to God or married to another. Using the vlog style, both main characters would pray to God. With the camera, it would seem that they are actually speaking to the viewer as if he or she was God listening to their payers. Another idea was filming in a confessional to show that they are in a space to “confess” their thoughts throughout the whole plot. 

Out of the three concepts, I am most excited with my concept of two friends discovering their dead friend’s personal video diary. The concept would most likely appeal to the teenage demographic and possibly the young 20 year old demographic. I plan to use the vlogging style with scenes of the dead friend speaking to the camera. Aside from the pilot episode, I wanted to use a similar structure to “The Guild” where Felicia Day’s character speaks to a webcam as an opening. This is a story I really want to tell. I think it could really capture the idea that people are not who they seem

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Web Series Critique: Season 1 of The Guild

From personal experience of the online gaming addiction to World of Warcraft, Felicia Day was inspired to create the web series, “The Guild.” The series follows Day’s character, Codex, an online gaming addict whose life turns upside down when one of her online teammates, Zaboo, unexpectedly shows up at her door, even though they’ve never met in person in the past. Although shocked by Zaboo’s arrival, another issue arises when one of her other teammates, Bladezz, sabotages the group and steals the group’s online valuables. Thus, this prompted the online group to finally meet each in other in person and work together to stop Bladezz outside of their online identities. 

Common to many Youtube web series, “The Guild” utilizes the use of a “vlogging style” as Codex is often found speaking into the webcam of her computer at the beginning of every episode. As a way to show Codex’s connection to technology via the webcam, it is important to note that Codex shares her personal issues and struggles. Even though the use of the web cam seems to be a personal diary for her, the audience is put in a place where Codex is actually having a conversation with the viewers, exposing the viewers to her thoughts as events unfold. Even though the use of a character speaking directly into the camera seems simple, I find it more interesting and useful to have an online gaming addict use technology for her everyday life aside from gaming. It emphasizes the gaming addiction through her excessive use of technology, but also brings a more personal perspective in the eyes of the audience into the life of Codex. 

The dialogue between the characters holds clues to the niche audience that Day was trying to target. With the usage of online gaming lingo within the conversations of the characters, Day seems to be targeting teenage gamers as her niche audience. She refers to aspects of gaming and incorporates them into the conversation with characters. Although I could not understand the references since I’m unfamiliar with the online gaming world, the average World of Warcraft gamer may find pleasure in understanding the references. Along with the references, the writing also compares the online world and the real world, noting that you can’t “log out” of the real world or that it would be better to measure growth and life with experience points in reality. These instances bring the story to a much deeper level, presenting the characters with a mental dilemma. Thus, this gives the characters more development in the progression of the plot. 

In addition, Day incorporates humor into her script, specifically crude humor. With the occasional joke to male genitalia or Robin’s breasts, the teenage audience would most likely find amusement in this type of humor. The light-hearted comedy presents itself in a way that relieves the stress that comes with the frustrations of social life. Most teenagers are in the stage of their life where they are not completely comfortable with having a social life. Thus, the comedy found in awkward conversations relates back to the audience who can understand what it’s like to be introduced to new people and struggle with being themselves. 

Although the dialogue is well-written and captured my attention with its portrayal of awkward and quirky social interactions, some actors were unable to deliver the lines well. Major leading characters carried their dialogue well, but smaller supporting roles and extras fell flat on their dialogue such as Bladezz little sister. However, it is understandable since this web series relied on a low budget, and Felicia Day had to work around the budget and ask people, possibly non-actors, to act in smaller roles with little to no pay. 

Though overall execution of the series shows apparent signs of a small budget, this series promotes the importance of the story. The storytelling within the series has enraptured the hearts of many viewers, which is why the series continued for five more seasons. With a little budget, Day was climb her way into a successful content creator. Although the series did not have a full crew on set or the best video quality, the series has a story that relies more on the social and mental development of the characters as they begin to live in the real world than on their online reality.