2026-09-21T07:06:35Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/810782022-07-26T16:34:46Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131023
Heather Hendershot.
Edgerton, Katherine (Katherine Carter)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Comparative Media Studies.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing
2013-09-24T19:41:25Z
2013-09-24T19:41:25Z
2013
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/81078
857834617
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).
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.
by Katherine Edgerton.
S.M.
133 p.
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. theses are protected by
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http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Comparative Media Studies.
Byte-sized TV : writing the web series
Writing the web series
Thesis
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