Online TV, Webisodes and Jihad

I’m on a mission to scour the interweb for the best of indie-produced, episodic, online TV. 

I’m currently designing a new course for the Australian Film TV and Radio School (AFTRS) - a Graduate Certificate in Webisodes (the first of its kind in the world we believe) - and thus the mission I have assigned myself; to find the best examples of what is possible in online tv and episodic storytelling.

Speaking to both professionals and prospective students I’m encouraged by the high levels of enthusiasm for the idea of engaging with Webisodic online TV; an alternative to the traditional short-film route for emerging filmmakers. I’ve written before about the dwindling currency of the Short Film as a career or project calling card (the short film is dead). But aside from the increasingly viable and significant role of the web as an holistic delivery medium unto itself, the other great sphere of opportunity is using a webisode series, and an iterative development model, as an apparatus for rich development of a project with a view to traditonal media delivery (ie broadcast or feature)

I was always struck by the irony that a screenplay will go through numerous drafts but the making/shooting of the film only happens once. We draft the script why don’t we draft the film? A storyboard is all well and good, and previs is very useful, but niether amounts to a true notion of visually drafting a movie. 

This is an area where the immediacy of the web-series, its direct delivery and flexibility is perfectly suited. The webisode is highly conducive to drafting, testing and discovery rather than the singular finality of traditonal screen media. Moreover the webisode allows for such drafting to be undertaken in direct contact with global audiences; audience building as the work is drafted.

So these are the thoughts that roll as I scour the internet for the best shows around. Certainly there is quality aplenty. One need only look at the dedicated Web TV channel Koldcast to see a massed concentration of high quality fiction episodic web content. Similarly BlipTV hosts a particularly good array of non-fiction and comedy.

I’ve been intrigued and excited by shows like Riese, Pioneer1 and Cell.

But one show in particular has stood out to me as not just superb in its own right but also a show that exploits the unique opportunity to circumvent the inherent conservatism in mainstream traditional media. 

Living With The Infidels is a biting satric comedy about a group of English Pakistani youth training for violent Jihad. 5 boys, devoted to suicide bombing struggling with hormones, sexy female neighbours and the temptations of cable TV and the ManU football team. Hijinks and laughter ensues. 

The show is laugh out loud funny. It has a very succinct and compelling structure that engages a single focused idea in each 5min installment and sets up a clear compulsion to watch the next ep.

Living with the Infidels is also a show that is, by its very nature controversial, edgy, confronting in its absurdist treatment terrorism and suicide bombing. In short it’s a show that would find it hard to get onto inherently conservative mainstream TV. Living with the Infidels is a show that in a pre-internet world would have no means to be seen save for at best 3-figure audiences at fringe theatre festivals. Its a show that represents everything the web can do for episodic story-telling - develop free without having to dumb-down or appease distributors or broadcasters, and find a significant audience online from a global cross-section. On the more personal level it also provides real opportunity to launch a career - something most short films fundementally fail at. 

If you havnt seen it, do yourself a favour and watch below.

Comments

[Rob Shaver]

You always make me think.

If you're still searching for webisode series, here's my contribution: Mr. Diety is an ironic look at the ideas we western Christians have about the "Supreme Being". They are in their third season at 35 total episodes.

http://www.mrdeity.com/

[Mike Jones]

Thanks heaps Rod. If you come across or know of any other shows pelase let me know.

Cheers

Mike