As a follow up to the best web series piece I wrote last week, I wanted to share some quick tips and suggestions about how to keep up with this emerging industry:

Web Video Channels: is the network that hosts The Burg. They provide advertising from brands like Johnson and Johnson, Warner Brothers and Progressive Insurance. A few nights ago I got the chance to meet some of blip’s founders at a “bash” they held at Mocca Lounge in Tribeca. I first spoke with Dina Kaplan, blip’s COO, who explained to me how blip is very different from YouTube. While YouTube is known for viral videos, blip looks for great content from independent web series makers. She also said they often work with YouTube to provide content. She recommended Momversation and Smosh. Next I spoke with Tom Reynolds, a blip Content Relations Associate. He mentioned that the SAG strike from two years ago caused a surge in a new web series. Finally I chatted with Charles Hope, blip’s Director of R&D. He told me that the nature of Web series relies heavily on word-of-mouth and that when new pockets of people discover these shows, the business grows even more. He recommended Geek Entertainment TV. Revver, the network that hosts iChannel, is another important company to keep tabs on.

Making a Web Series: useful tips from Craig DiFolco, a speaker from my Producing class:

• You can make a web series overnight for no money.
• Don’t try to get investors from the start; you first need to be able to make something good for no money.
• Post each episode at the same time every week, similar to regular TV to give your fans a schedule and something to look forward to.
• Partner up with friends you know who are good at web design. The combination of web expertise and film expertise is what’s really needed to make something work on the Internet.
• Think money from the beginning. What product placement or sponsorship could potentially be built into your concept?

Keeping up with Web Series:

• 1. Newteevee, TubeFilter and Beet are the leading online news sources for web series. Add them to your Google Reader right now.
• 2. YouTube and Hulu each have dedicated pages for webisodes, stay on top of them.
• 3. Check out tubemogul, a platform that lets you upload your videos across mobile platforms and provides analytics on them.

Photo from Flickr user topgold under the Creative Commons License