Create a series, Create a Web series,
WHY DO THAT ?
This week, we’ll discuss the idea of launching a series or a web series. You are more to me contact me asking questions about writing, structure, characters, not to mention those who are engaged in the adventure and asked me for an opinion on their project.
What comes in mind first is : why create a new series or create a web series ? Why not a movie ?
This question may seem futile and yet it is quite legitimate.
Is this your story and your characters need to evolve over a long period of time ? To tell your story, have you need of 6, 8,12 or 23 x 45 minutes or 3 x 90 minutes ?
If the answer is : “I can’t find a producer for my trilogy or two long that I write, so I decided to split my movies in X episodes. “I have only three words to say to you : Go your way !
This will not be easier to sell your project to series your feature film.
On the other hand, if the characters and the universe that you have created are strong, dense, and that you have ideas and a narrative progression that can hold at least two or three seasons, I have only one word to say to you : Go for it !
All in all, the format of the series, or web series will allow you to have more freedom to develop your story, your main and secondary characters as well as the arches drama and sub-stories.
The series will allow you to develop and refine your universe. You will be able to take your time.
And the time it will take, as well as patience. If to write and ” mount “, (that is to say to find a producer to finance it and turn it) a feature-length film is long, “mount” a series is even longer. If you are in the case of a web series, you don’t have quite the same problem even if the financial side goes, whatever happens at one time or another, online account. But the stakes are not the same.
Anyway, if you write a web series, you, too, have strong characters, a strong concept that works, and just like a tv series, having a perfect balance between your universe, your characters and the structure.
Today, we are overwhelmed series. Personally, I’m not complaining about it. You can use ! No need for you to type in the 9 seasons of ” 24 “, 9 season of ” The office “ or the 8 seasons of ” Dexter “ !
But look at the 1er episode (the pilot) and analyze how it is constructed. How the author portrays the universe, the characters, how he has established the relationships of the characters to each other etc…
Once you have well understood the mechanisms of the driver, look at the first season. I’ll give you all on one of the secrets of these series in their first season as the driver is putting in place immediately :
There is no change to the universe and characters, put in place by the driver, throughout the season 1.
Why ?
Because you need to reassure the audience, give him the desire to know more about the main and secondary characters, their changing relationships and discover a little more, with each episode, the universe that surrounds them.
Produce a series costs an arm ! See two….have a hard core of characters and a universe that reveals itself, but does not change, the cost is also cheaper. So you’ll have an additional chance to find a producer, and most importantly that you trust. This will prove also that you know how to build a narrative structure that is efficient from in all directions.
ATTENTION : I do not want to say that your series does not need to contain only two or three characters. It is possible, according to your story, to have 15 characters.
You are the best person to develop the universe (this is your series right ?! ;o) ) use everything you have been fed so far, everything you have, so that today you are going to launch you into the adventure.
But a good series is a balance/ perfect balance between strong characters, and a universe of unforgettable and your narrative style. Take for example the series ” Game of Thrones “, all the characters have a personality and tremendous charisma, but what the sublime, it is the universe that surrounds us, this universe that we discover with each episode and that fascinates us. Everything is rich and dense, this fact that this series became a cult in his first season.
Of course, you are the best person to develop your series. But the first error, as are all the writers in the grass, is to rely only on themselves : AND THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE !
We can’t know it all and know everything. In the same way that your brain needs oxygen to work, your universe needs, in turn, of ” food “.
To “feed” your series, they will have to do research depending, of course, the concept and the theme of your series and universe. It is for this reason that one of the first articles that I posted and : see a movie…See movies because all the media are good to help you write.
You write a mystery series : read novels, watch thrillers, read newspapers and watch documentaries on the subject.
You write science fiction : read journals on the space, new technologies, look at series like this and read novels etc…
This way, you will be able to establish a mechanically strong and well-structured (consistent), but also to inspire you to your arches narrative (story arc or storyline). ;o)
REMINDER : The mechanics of a series, this is how each episode is constructed. All the episodes of all the series have their own mechanics, that is to say, of the points of choke points (a skeleton, if you prefer) that is, each time the same, regardless of the story or the investigation (if it is a police officer) who is told.
The arches is a narrative or Story arc (or storyline) describe how are your characters, their evolution and the evolution of their relationship with the other characters, whether it be on the first season or the time of their presence in the series.
And then your imagination and your passion will do the rest !
Don’t focus on what is done at this time or not. What is the series “fashion” of the moment and be original.
I always try to be as clear as possible in my explanations but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to leave me a little message.
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Soon,
Tom Weil