Why Making a Web Series Is Easier Than You Think
Does producing a web series seem too hard to try? It might be time to think again.
Just look at The Outdoor Group. As well as producing YouTube channels Respect the Game TV and Elite Archery, it’s used Cinebody to create two different web series.
HomeLife, a behind-the-scenes look at the daily lives of some of hunting television’s most recognizable names, has quickly gained traction. In fact, it’s been so successful, and The Outdoor Group found the whole process so straightforward, that it’s opted to double down with Elite Dealer – a second web series being produced at the same time.
Cinebody caught up with The Outdoor Group’s senior producer Paul Biggs, producer Ryan Heuser and media director Larry McCoy to learn more about the importance of producing a web series, their production process, and how the software helped to reduce the pain.
Is creating a web series something you’d recommend other brands do?
PB: “Today’s consumer is pretty savvy to polished marketing. They see it for what it is. But we think raw, real content is going to continue to grow in popularity. We’re on the leading edge of this wave. If you’re committed to doing it, Cinebody takes a lot of the logistics work out of the process. No more uploading footage and clips. No more mailing drives. All of that goes away. There’s much more instant gratification when we use Cinebody, because we get the footage right away.”
How did you get your filmmakers to join and start filming?
RH: “We got them all on a call together to explain the basic premise. We walked through our idea for the HomeLife series and got a lot of excitement and buy-in from the team right away.”
LM: “We thought it would be a good idea to run a ‘hey, this doesn’t matter’ test project first. We just started a new project in Cinebody, invited our producers and just said: ‘Show us what you’re doing this Memorial Day’. This little test project was a great, low-risk way to get our producers started in using the app.”
Was it easy to direct them and encourage them to film?
PB: “It really was. Cinebody makes it really easy to follow along and walks you, shot by shot, through the production. Once we got them going in the app, it was great to see all the footage roll in.”
Is it easy to execute a web series using Cinebody?
PB: “The software shines when it comes to keeping the footage from multiple producers organized. It also really simplifies the logistics associated with getting content from a number of different producers. And it cuts down on the time we’re spending logging footage and allows us to focus on the fun stuff – telling a great story.”
How has this grown your YouTube subscriber base?
PB: “We all know that content is king. But consistent content trumps having content alone. This web series is certainly helping our subscriber base grow.”
What keeps your filmmakers motivated?
LM: “From episode 1, we got immediate feedback from our fans that this was something they really liked. The number of direct messages we received immediately after the launch was outstanding.”
What’s next for Cinebody content creation for The Outdoor Group?
RH: “The possibilities are endless. We have a ton of ideas. One of our biggest strengths is that we’re nimble and quick to adapt.”
