Create Your Own TV Series for the Internet-2nd edition. Ross Brown

pay-for-your-ad-time TV. Then Procter & Gamble had a better idea. People loved the commercials, so why not make more just for the Internet! Along with re-viewings of the original TV ads, these Old Spice spots have now received nearly 100 million views on YouTube, and the spots have been forwarded over and over again via social media like Facebook, all without Procter & Gamble spending a dime for airtime.

      It’s a brave new world for everyone, Hollywood hotshots and newcomers alike. We all sense that something big is coming, and coming soon. Nobody knows exactly what the Internet video future will look like, but everyone wants to be a part of it.

WHAT’S OUT THERE NOW, AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL

      Trying to catalog every web series on the Net is a bit like trying to count the popcorn kernels in the big bin at the multiplex. You’ll never get the job done because fresh new nuggets pop out of the machine faster than you can count. Seventy-two hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Before I finish typing this sentence, someone, somewhere, will post a new Internet-based TV series. On the Internet, time is measured not in months or years but in nanoseconds. Even when you bring two people together who are professional experts in the web video field, it’s likely that each will know about dozens of high-quality web series the other has never heard of.

      Daunting as the task may be, as an aspiring content creator it’s vital that you survey the territory to get a basic sense of the existing landscape and scope of offerings. Start with the video segments of Internet giants such as YouTube, Yahoo! Video, AOL Video, MSN Video, and Facebook. Then explore sites featuring proprietary, professionally created content like Crackle and Funny or Die. Finally, surf a variety of video hosting sites that feature user-generated content, like Vimeo. You’ll have to wade through a sludge pile of things that don’t appeal to you, but you’ll also be inspired by some of what you see and find some favorite new short-form shows.

      Here is a list of some of the leading video-sharing websites:

       YouTube. The numbers say it all: 72 hours of video uploaded every minute, billions of videos viewed per day, 800 million unique viewers per month, billions of videos per week monetized locally.

       Metacafe. A top site that bills itself as having “more exclusive, original and curated premium video content than any other entertainment site.”

       Google Video. They own YouTube, the 800-pound gorilla, but Google Video adds another 400 pounds of video chest-beating power.

       Dailymotion. The site attracts 106 million unique monthly visitors by offering advanced technology and high-quality video to users and content creators alike.

       Yahoo! Video. In addition to the usual boatload of amateur videos, the site includes Yahoo! Originals, high-quality, professionally created content.

       Blip. Their mission is to help people discover the best in original web series and to help web series producers make a sustainable living; they distribute videos on websites including YouTube, Facebook, and iTunes and to home TV sets via Roku, Google TV, Verizon FiOS, and others. Blip shares all ad revenue with producers on a 50/50 basis.

       Vimeo. Wired magazine calls it “the thinking person’s YouTube.” With a fresh batch of tech improvements and countless accolades from the tech press, Vimeo is a premiere destination for content creators.

      Another way to educate yourself about the world of web series is to check out the work of those considered to be the best in the field by their peers. Here is a list of nominees for the 2013 Streamy Awards, which touts itself as “the first and most prestigious awards ceremony devoted to honoring excellence in original web television programming and those who create it.”

       Best Drama Series

       Lauren

       Anyone but Me

       The Booth at the End

       Runaways

       Halo 4: Forward unto Dawn

       Best Comedy Series

       Burning Love

       The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

       Smosh

       MyMusic

       PrisonPals

       Best Action or Sci-Fi Series

       H+ The Digital Series

       Dr0ne

       Halo 4: Forward unto Dawn

       Bite Me

       Clutch

       Best Animated Series

       Electric City

       Dinosaur Office

       Dick Figures

       Oishi High School Battle

       Red vs. Blue

       Best Writing: Comedy

      Felicia Day, The Guild

      Peter Shukoff aka Nice Peter, Lloyd Ahlquist aka EpicLLOYD, Epic Rap Battles of History

      Spencer Grove, The Annoying Orange

      Bernie Su, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

      Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, and Team, MyMusic

       Best Writing: Drama

      Christopher Kubasik, The Booth at the End

      Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward, Anyone but Me

      Todd and Aaron Helbing, Halo 4: Forward unto Dawn

      Vlad Baranovsky and Yuri Baranovsky, Leap Year

      Tony Valenzuela, Black Box TV

       Best Direction

      Mike Diva, Mike Diva Presents

      Benny Fine and Rafi Fine, MyMusic

      Jon Avnet, Jan

      Drew Daywalt, Black Box TV

      Stewart Hendler, H+ The Digital Series

       Best Ensemble Cast

       Burning Love

       Cybergeddon

       Epic Meal Time

       The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

       Video Game High School

       Best Male Performance: Drama

      Xander Berkeley, The Booth at the End

      Ben Samuel, Battleground

      Jackson Rathbone, Aim High

      Olivier