WGA Strike's Affect On Webisodes

Sarah McBride at WSJ reports on the potential the WGA strike has to boost interest in webisodes -- the new online short-form movie/TV show. I think it's a bit optimistic, but you never know. If major Hollywood writers start penning webisodes they might catch lightning in a bottle and create a new fresh type of episodic movie-thing that draws an audience...like a serialized Blair Witch, except with reproducible results. Channel after channel, oh, sorry -- I mean site after site of cool cutting-edge shows that you watch whenever you're in the mood, that last 5-20 minutes, with no commercials, that you can pause or watch again, or see a whole 'season' at one time, or whatever.

There's already gobs of sites with original shorts and webisodes. There's FunnyorDie, Blip.tv, Spike, Fear.net, and GhostHousePictures -- and one or two (hundred) more.

Well, all these shows have to be written. From WSJ:

Some writers are indeed contemplating making the jump to the Web. Striking outside the Disney studio last week, Ed Bernero, chief writer for "Criminal Minds," talked a good game about the online future. "If we can't reach a deal [with the studios], I'll just call Google or Yahoo or one of those companies and make a deal myself," Mr. Bernero says.

So, is there money to be made by the writers?

Online video companies are hungry for more professional material than what typically arrives in over-the-transom videos.

Could be. Can a WGA scribe write webisodes without incurring the wrath of the guild?

Some writers believe strike rules preclude them from writing for anybody, even if it isn't studio content. But a spokesman for the guild said the rules don't prohibit members from writing for new media for companies that haven't signed agreements with the guild. "We encourage members, however, to consider trying to cover their new-media services by having the employer sign a made-for-new-media agreement," the spokesman said, "and we will continue signing such agreements even during [a strike]."

Would it be worth it? I think so. There's a lot of schlock online, but I've seen an increase in the level of craft of these webisodes lately. Like Goodnight Burbank. It's a little too 'TV' for me, but well done -- I can see this show holding a viewer's interest.

If any webisode demonstrates the potential of online movie/TV content it's Quarterlife. This show is nicely paced, shot, and edited, and the acting is very good. Quarterlife is a 36-episode show produced by Edward Zwick (Traffic, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond) and Marshall Herskovitz (thirtysomething, Legends of the Fall, Blood Diamond).

The pedigree of these two producers says something about the future of original online content.

Here's episode 1 of Quarterlife.