While the local film and TV industry wrestles with a well-documented slowdown, scrappy talents from both sides of the camera aren't twiddling their thumbs or staring wistfully at their smartphones.
Instead, many are applying their ample abilities to a segment of the biz that's experiencing rapid growth: the brave new world of web-based serials.
In the online entertainment sphere, Vancouver is a bustling frontier town, and our homegrown filmmakers are creating some of the most popular series on the net.
"It's exciting because we're in the beginning stages [of web series], and the people that are involved are really passionate and keen and helping it grow," said Krista Rand, a film and TV actress turned web series advocate and producer. Rand is a founding member of Vancouver Web Series Community (VAN WEB COM), a networking/cheerleading/support group for local creators of digital content. (You can find their page on Facebook.)
In June, VAN WEB COM screened teasers and trailers from 16 locally produced web series for a packed house of creative types and online entertainment aficionados. The passion in the venue and the stellar quality of the work screened left Rand breathless with excitement for the future. "Everybody was really keen to meet everybody, and unlike your typical networking event, people weren't in it to get a job," said Rand.
Beyond the fact that web series can be creative jungle gyms for underemployed artists and film students — and that there's something freeing about working outside of a traditional studios sphere of influence — there's a demand for web series from viewers, too. "There are so many people out there who don't have cable anymore, who just use the internet," said Rand.
Increased demand means more creators entering the fray, but Rand says competition is good for business. "With new people coming into this format, it's challenging everyone to do quality work. It's only going to grow bigger and better."
It can be costly to bring a web series to fruition, but local creators are pooling their resources and skills to make the most of meager budgets. "Everyone pulls together and leans on each other and says, 'Well, I'm not doing a show right now, you can have my camera,' and 'Hey, I'll volunteer and be your sound person for the weekend,'" said Rand, whose next project, entitled Last Fall of Ashes, will make its online debut later this year. "The lean times can be the best times to create."
Rand offers this shortlist of locally shot web series:
The Actress Diaries: With a downtown Vancouver restaurant as its setting, this uber-popular comedy follows the misadventures of two aspiring actresses.
True Heroines: This unique sci-fi dramedy explores the lives of three seemingly normal 1950s housewives who happen to have superpowers. (Bonus: the cast can often be found performing live cabaret shows around town).
Divine: The Series: The age-old battle between freewill and determination is given a comic book-style treatment in this award-winning action thriller.
Yoga Town: A mockumentary about the ragtag staff of a struggling yoga studio.
The Runner: Social activist, parkour traceur and skateboarder Josh Rundell runs, flips and climbs while striving to prove he's innocent of murder.
These projects are only the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg of Vancouver-made digital content. Watch for the Vancouver Web Fest — Canada's first film festival dedicated to web series — to make its debut in May 2014.
