Byte-sized TV : writing the web series
Name
857834617-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
6.33 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
47471200e3d64b29009fbd981816a218
Author(s)
Edgerton, Katherine (Katherine Carter)
Advisor(s)
Heather Hendershot.
Alternative Title
Writing the web series
Date Issued
2013
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Web series or "webisodes" are a transitional storytelling form bridging the production practices of broadcast television and Internet video. Shorter than most television episodes and distributed on online platforms like YouTube, web series both draw on and deviate from traditional TV storytelling strategies. In this thesis, I compare the production and storytelling strategies of "derivative" web series based on broadcast television shows with "original" web series created for the Internet, focusing on the evolution of scripted entertainment content online. I begin by reviewing of the relevant academic literature in television studies, production studies, transmedia, and television storytelling to situate web series in a theoretical context. I then undertake an exploration of web series storytelling strategies. I compare the types of narratives told by derivative and original web series, investigating how the form has evolved to date, and which genres dominate the landscape. Finally, I focus on web series production, using John Caldwell's concept of "aesthetic salaries" as a lens to investigate creators' motivations for creating online content. I look into original web series production, exploring the aspirations of creators, as well as how they measure success. I also investigate the politics involved in the production of derivative web series-particularly the tensions between guild writers and non-union marketing "creatives," both of whom stake professional claims on web content.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Comparative Media Studies, 2013.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. "June 2013."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 128-132).
Subjects
Comparative Media Studies.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing
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