The evolution of the web movie

By Marc Cieslak
Reporter, BBC Click

Broadcast on Bebo, Kate Modern is in its second series

The success of last year's teen web drama Kate Modern has spurred creative types, TV production companies and now movie studios into thinking seriously about attracting an audience on the web, rather than relying on TV, cinema and DVD.

In the scramble to add new features to social networking sites, outfits like Bebo and MySpace are dipping their corporate toes into the world of drama and feature film commissioning.

"The critical thing for film is being seen. The web and social networking allows you to reach a group of people who are interested," says Michael Gubbins, editor of Screen International.

"You can maximise the audience in a way that I think is very profound," he adds.

'Younger audience'

Bebo's offering, Sofia's Diary, builds on the success of Kate Modern. The drama follows the exploits of Sofia as she tackles typical teen troubles - boys, parents and blowing up her school science lab.

Each web show last three minutes and includes interactive elements where the audience votes to choose an episode's outcome.

"The web is an attractive proposition for these sorts of shows because of the audiences that it reaches: a younger audience that is used to multitasking, " says Serena Cullen, executive produce of Sofia's Diary.

"It's also a new form, so the bureaucracy in getting drama to screen is very fast. The turnaround means you can be quite experimental, you can take risks," she adds.

Reborn horrors

Aiming for a completely different market, MySpace has penned a deal with the newly reborn horror specialist Hammer films.

Beyond The Rave was released on the web as well as DVD

The pair are sending a chill through the web with a blood drenched vampire flick, Beyond the Rave, which is split into 20 episodes, each just three minutes long.

"I think what excited Hammer about the project is that it gave them a chance to re-energise the brand and to find a new audience," says Ben Grass, producer of Beyond the Rave.

"Hammer hasn't made a new project for 30 years now. Doing something online allows you to tap into a new generation of horror fans," he adds.

Social networking influence

To date, a lot of the drama which is made to be watched via a small window on a computer has lacked the polish of TV shows and movies.

"I would say that the production values for most of that online drama don't really exist," says Mr Gubbins.

"There is now a group of people who are producing high level drama but there is no business model which will enable them to make the kind of money that's required to create really high level content," he adds.

We were always thinking this has to play well on DVD and on TV Ben Grass, Beyond the Rave

In the case of these examples, social networking sites are footing the bill. Financing these productions, has helped pay for the new technology that makes a difference to the way these projects look.

Changing image

Sofia's Diary episodes are compiled and transmitted on UK channel Fiver, and the producers of Hammer's web horror have an eye on broadcasting beyond the web.

"What we were determined to do with Beyond the Rave was to create something that felt cinematic," says Mr Grass.

Every single Hollywood studio right now is fascinated if not obsessed by the web Michael Gubbins, Screen International

"It's actually being released in high definition online. It's a very new thing even for an online series because you are able to blow it up and fill your entire computer screen.

"We were always thinking this has to play well on DVD and on TV," he adds.

So, fast turn around times, lower budgets and new technology are helping to change the image of drama made for the web. How long can it be before Hollywood comes calling?

"Every single Hollywood studio right now is fascinated if not obsessed by the web," says Mr Gubbins.

"Film is an extraordinarily expensive way of reaching audiences, even DVDs are physical products. They cost a lot of money to ship around and they are completely prone to piracy.

"If Hollywood could find a way to create a critical mass of audiences around the world to whom they could distribute digitally, that's the Holy Grail right now," he adds.

Microsoft has signalled its interest in original web drama by hiring producers to create comedy, horror and Sci-fi shorts for distribution via its video game console service Xbox Live.

Maybe in the future, films and drama will no longer be funded exclusively by Hollywood's heavy hitters. The new movie moguls could be technology companies.