Webseries as a whole can garner attention for multiple reasons. They could be super hilarious viral sensations, well thought out, highly stylized works of cinema or used to generate some kind of revenue.
Websites that host user generated content, such as YouTube and Vimeo, have opened the door for aspiring filmmakers to showcase their work for the world to see. It has also created a new way for companies to advertise their products to consumers.
Clearly, massive corporations have access to a lot more resources than the average amateur moviemaker. However, the unpolished content generated by these lesser known film makers bring something that corporate establishments cannot and that is a sense of authenticity and genuineness.
The webseries Oh, Inverted World is an example of this. Created by young adults
from Long Island, this series chronicles the story of a group of friends who have just graduated from college and instead of worrying about trying to find a job and moving out of their parents’ homes, are faced with a world of zombies and the threat of the moon falling to the Earth.
The series is low budget, shot in black and on location, reminiscent of a film noir. The four awkward, but endearing characters feel familiar and true. Something that is undoubtedly linked to the fact because of the restrictions of small budget, all parties involved have to, in some form, work closely together to produce and promote the miniseries and make it a success.
“It’s cool. It’s like anyone can do it, “ said Oh Inverted World viewer, Elsa Saatela.
A larger corporation, such as, The Better Sleep Council, doesn’t particularly have this same effect. It certainly wants to create a successful webseries, but more from the perspective of trying to sell something. It uses high profile actors such as Milo Ventimiglia and Shannen Doherty to gain viewers instead of unknown actors that viewers might be able to connect with better. In BSC’s case, the message of the importance of getting enough sleep is what’s being promoted (versus the promotion of creative content as entertainment).
The Council has launched Suite 7 an attempt to use the webseries as a tool for advertising. However, the series falls short of actually making a connection with viewers. Its overdramatized scenarios seem false and drawn out. BSC should just stick to commercials and leave filmmaking to the amateurs.
