- There are some series that are geolocked and, unfortunately, that has been officially endorsed by the Academy. Sad given that we are talking about web series here. Does the “web” not stand for World Wide Web?

On another note… Within three hours of my previous response above I started receiving private message solicitations from strangers for my vote.

Of course, this is ultimately a flawed solution in itself and will then spawn a series of blog debates such as “how should series select their representative? If they send their strongest and they die, what does that mean for the next session of the show? If they send their most expendable crew member, they’re just shooting ourselves in the foot. Or wait, will there be guns?”

But beyond my sick sense of humor: there is some really fantastic discussion going on here. I think it really boils down to this: we are a web-based community predominately made up of indie-spirited creators who enjoy the thrill of being able to do things our own way because the conventions of other forms of media have not satisfied us. So hopefully we can channel that energy into new and creative ways to showcase the fruit of our labors. And maybe that don’t have to involve bloody murder. :)

That is my challenge to you all: get your shows out there creatively. I’m thinking of maybe organizing an online live screening where the characters of the show are in the room interacting with the viewers as they watch.

I am one of those broke web producers putting on the FYC screening Friday, Dave Beeler and I thought we should do something, anything rather than get quietly ignored again this year and we thought having a screening would help get some eyeballs on our work and perhaps get it acknowledged with nominations.

The OPPOSITE thing I want to have happen is to have the fact that I spent my hard earned cash to screen Safety Geeks with the other friends series that night means it’s bizarrely held against us or hurts our shows chances at getting nominated for anything. That would stink. That’s upside down. I will not believe that would happen. Would it?

I am proud of our show and of the shows we are screening with because each show was an act of will.

If I streamed the show from a T1 line to the projector would that make it more legit? :-)

Do we not vote for a film if it’s seen on DVD instead of in a theater? Seeing it on the web no longer means “at a computer” anymore already and it’s blurring more and more. It’s the show not the delivery system. Is it any good? Does it do what it set out to do? With no other means of reaching out and competing with high profile web series what more can we do but try something like this?

Want to get criticized? Stand up and do something.

I would love to to meet you Casey, I like your work and I imagine we might be friends given our interests. Hope so. Have you seen our show? I have seen yours.

I have been at so many events where I am sure you were there but for whatever reason we haven’t been introduced or had a chance to talk. I hope we will at the screening Dave Beeler and I are hosting tomorrow. We want it to be a fun celebration of us…the little guys.

We don’t have the chances and backing that the front runners have, maybe you’ll see a show that night and think it deserves a nod. I hope so, because we might not have been on the list you got of shows to look at online from the IAWTV.

We don’t even know how to reach the group that is supposed to be judging us and that I am a member of myself. I would say that 50 to 60 percent of the websites I was directed to watch a show and pre-judge did not have a title sequence with character names and who played them nor did they have a cast and actor listing printed anywhere so literally, I had NO idea who the actress or actors were who were playing the role.

I had a suggested actor name on a list and a show and page with no indication who that actor was or what character. because the show page didn’t tell me and the show didn’t either. At the screening we can at least put a few faces to roles, we put main characters with the actors face in the titles and maybe we will get some hard work acknowledged. I felt bad spending up to an hour poking around trying to see if there was a picture or something of an actress I thought was good to see what her name was or if I had a name who she played. I combed the site or googled to see who she might have been playing or what she looked like. That’s GOT to be hurting the nominations.

Maybe that’s why “UNNAMED BIG TV ACTOR IN A WEB SERIES” might win, even without a title sequence or cast list they can win because we already know what they look like from TV and movies.

But then, doesn’t that defeat discovery and encourage voting for the same ol people cause at least I know who played the character because they had years of studio’s PR working to make sure I knew who they were?

Great debate everyone. We’ve always been the little guys not getting noticed so its surreal that we are putting on something that any “little guys” object to. We are you. Funny world.

Hope you have fun and at least give Safety Geeks, GOLD, Redemption, Life with Kat and McKay, and Space Hospital a chance to have their moment. This night might just be all there for us. At least, we tried something.