“Broad City,” “Insecure,” “High Maintenance”: Did you know some of the best TV shows of the past 10 years started out as web series? You may think the medium is merely a cheaper way to make a sitcom or a long-form YouTube show, but it has the potential to be so much more. If you’ve ever been curious about what a web series is and why creating one can be beneficial to your career, read on!
These short-form video series are usually episodic in nature, with each installment or episode lasting anywhere from a few minutes to as long as a traditional half-hour sitcom episode. The shape and scope of your web series are entirely up to you. Because it is generally a shorter form, you can subvert and/or mess with traditional storytelling formats. Do you need three acts? A cold open? A/B storylines? It depends on the story you’re trying to tell.
“When you first get an idea for a project, you really have to think of what length and platform will serve it best,” explains Emmy-nominated director and producer Ana Bretón, a development executive at 3Pas Studios.
In 2024, Bretón and her team completed postproduction on the independent web series “Rat Czar” and were very specific on why they turned the idea into a web series. “Because episodes tend to be shorter, you can try out unconventional ways of storytelling; you can dip in and out of a story fairly quickly and not have to explain the rest,” she says. “You can really play around more and take more risks with a web series than anything else.”
Why make a web series?
Selling an idea in Hollywood is hard. However, things get a lot easier when you have a proof of concept to use as a calling card. A web series is a visual element that shows off your voice, shooting style, and storytelling skills. You’re in control of the finished product; you have the power to take risks you might not have otherwise.
“Because most web series are independently made, you have full creative control of them,” notes Bretón. “You’re not working with a studio or a network, so you can make every single creative decision.”
Making a web series is a far more scrappy, DIY affair than creating a TV show or film with a studio. You generally have a smaller budget and timeframe, as well as fewer shooting locations. You have to make the most out of every step—and you really need to plan everything out. What does that look like? Here are some basic steps:
1. Ideate and write your script
This may seem like an obvious first step, but it’s really important! You can’t just wing it when it comes to making a web series, even if you’re envisioning a Christopher Guest–inspired, mostly improvised affair. You always need to have outlines, general ideas, and ideally a fully scripted narrative ready to go by the time you begin preproduction.
How to Write a Sitcom: From Creating a Concept to Finishing Your Script (and Making It Funny)2. Preproduction is your friend
“Preparation” means many things when it comes to preproduction. First things first, you’ll need the funds. This is where the communal aspect of creating things really comes through. It’s not all about getting on set as quickly as possible; one of the most overlooked aspects of making your own stuff is networking. “Since web series tend to have lower budgets, there is a really big aspect of community in making one happen,” Bretón told us.
How to Raise Money for a Movie, Play, or Other Independent Project“When my co-producer and I started telling our friends that we were making ‘Rat Czar,’ so many people across our networks reached out to help. And we really could not have done this without them. From friends wanting to be production assistants and background actors to people who worked professionally in production saying they loved the project and wanted to work on it for a lower rate than they’re used to, we are so incredibly grateful for everyone who came out to support this production. Every helping hand truly, truly helps.”
You need to hire actors and set a schedule within your budget. You must think of every single shot, design, location, and character element that will be on screen. (A shot list is an invaluable tool for this!) To make it all come to life, you’ll have to hire a crew. None of this can happen on the fly.
Ready, Set, Action! How to Hire a Film Crew“Preproduction for ‘Rat Czar’ took about four months of planning and scheduling—just making sure every single detail was organized,” says Bretón. “We had an absolutely killer team of producers working (myself, Maggie Scudder, and Jake Huff) for four months until the morning of shooting.”
3. Shoot, edit, and be ready for anything!
OK, so you’ve organized your locations, finished your shot lists, and even made a call sheet to send out to your actors and crew. (If not, here’s a handy call sheet template.) It’s time to shoot your series!
Whether you’ve rented cameras from a service like ShareGrid or are simply using your iPhone, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. A calm demeanor and a professional attitude will ensure things go smoothly on set. And hopefully they will! But as with most things in life, you must expect the unexpected. “You can plan every little detail in advance, [but] much like any production, there are always challenges and surprises,” says Bretón. “If you panic, your entire crew panics—and you really don’t want already anxious people freaking out.”
On ‘Rat Czar,’ a main cast member dropped out the week before shooting. “Not a problem, because we had a wonderful actor step into the role and just kill it,” Bretón notes. “We also bought an inflatable rat from China for the shoot (you know those ones you see at union protests?) and it didn’t come with a pump to inflate it. So one of our producers (shout-out to Jim Mauro!) had to source a generator overnight, and he did! There was also a prop that never arrived on set that was a main focus of one of our scenes. So in the moment, Maggie (co-producer and writer who plays the eponymous Rat Czar) suggested a line on the spot that turned out to be one of the funniest lines in the episode.”
Bretón also recommends taking a close look at SAG-AFTRA’s shooting guidelines: “This was our first SAG project, and we learned a lot about SAG-specific documents and considerations.”
4. Distribute your series
You have a finished product. Now what? It’s time to get it out into the world!
There are several routes you can take. You can submit to short film festivals (take a look through FilmFreeway or independently host it on your own website). One tried-and-true method is social media, such as YouTube, or even micro-platforms like Instagram Reels or TikTok.
Whatever you decide, it should make sense for the audience you’re trying to reach and what your intentions are. Is this a personal project just for you or a wide release you’re hoping will go viral? Does the series stand on its own, or do you see it more as a proof of concept that will lead to bigger projects? It can be tempting to hit “upload” as soon as you’re done, but really take the time to reflect on your goals.
A web series doesn’t have to be a scary, overwhelming process. As Bretón told us, “This sounds extremely cheesy, but you have to remember why you’re making the thing in the first place. ‘Rat Czar’ was a side project for Maggie, Jake, and I (who all have full-time jobs), and even though it added stress to our lives, once we were shooting, we kept remembering why were making the series in the first place—because we wanted to make something funny,” she says. “Oh, and don’t forget to feed your crew, which is working hard to bring your vision to life. “They’ll always be grateful for a hot lunch and coffee.”
