My New Web Series has landed!

Head Space is up! The first episode, "Oh Canada" is playing now.

This is an article I was asked to write a couple months ago for a screenwriting newsletter. I thought I'd reprint it here. The series is running at www.HeadSpaceTheSeries.com

“Getting It Out There”
Article by: Writer – Producer – Director, J. Elizabeth Martin

If you‘re not on the internet, you're missing an opportunity to get
your work seen and you can do it yourself. As a Writer / Director /
Producer, I wanted to showcase my work and have complete control over
the project, so I created HEAD SPACE.

I wanted HEAD SPACE (HS) to run 2-3 minutes per episode and be
inexpensive. It’s critical to only write what you can afford to
shoot.

HS is about two funny, head-strong women on a road trip. Each
episode takes place at pit stops on their journey and it’s all
outdoors. No lights, few props, few locations. THE FILM IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT. Find the right resources (aka willing victims). It sounds easy but it’s a challenge.

I teamed up with Elle de Champagne, a talented filmmaker, to
co-produce and edit. We found our fantastic actors, Daniela Torchia
and Barbara Cole through their coach. A note: Be sure to investigate
SAG rules regarding internet series if you use SAG talent.

I needed a skilled Director of Photography with equipment. There are
sites like Mandy and Craig’s List where you can post for lo/no cost
crews but you’re better off finding someone in your network. We’re
lucky to know Perry Payne. His expertise, good humor, Panasonic HD
camera and sound equipment were just what we needed.

There were a grand total of five of us on the shoot and I can fondly
remember one shot where I kept the script notes, cued the actors and
held the boom pole – all at once. Good times!

Consider the technical aspects of your series. What format will you
shoot on? Tape, Digital or *gasp* Film? What resolution will it be?
For HS, we shot 16x9 aspect Hi Def on P2 cards. I knew it would end
up a lower resolution on the web but the master footage will be
fantastic for a DVD later on.

It’s also important to plan your content delivery. HS has its own
site. You can post your series on free services like You Tube but on
your own domain, you can put supplemental material, cast and crew bios
and collect e-mail addresses, etc. After all, this is a calling card!

Most web hosting companies have tutorials to create simple websites.
We shot six episodes over two days. Rehearsals were the key to
shooting 12 pages a day. The budget was $450 including the web-site
and media storage ($170). Everyone worked “in kind” (for free).
I’ve been asked, “How do you make money with it?” The answer is: You
don’t. It IS possible to make some money on web series through
advertising but this is not going to replace your day job. The whole
point is to have a place where people can go and see what you can do.

It’s infinitely more interesting than watching a reel.

HEAD SPACE is in post production and will be premiering in June on
www.HeadSpaceTheSeries.com.
J. Elizabeth Martin can be reached at headspace@pierat.com or via
www.jemartin.net