AustLit

'The web is breaking down barriers for diverse narrative screen content creators in Australia, enabling them to bypass screen gatekeepers such as television commissioners and film funding bodies. Diverse web series creators can develop memorable characters and stories and build audiences that may lead to subsequent funding. Australian screen commissioners are risk adverse so when a creative team have a successful web series with a loyal audience, doors may open a little more readily for them. The web has allowed for more diverse narrative screen stories in Australia as female, multicultural, LGBTQIA+, indigenous, disabled and marginalized creators have been empowered to create low budget and successful web series. Further, Australian federal and state film funding bodies and several television networks have now recognized the need for diversity on Australian screens and have developed diversity statement requirements within their charters and initiatives that aim to support work from diverse writers, currently under-represented on screen. Using multicultural series, Superwog, along with popular female series’, The Katering Show, Skitbox, Starting From Now and Homecoming Queens as examples, this article discusses how the web series provides a viable proof of concept for diverse creators, potentially leading to web or television series commissioning.' (Publication abstract)

This article argues that, for Australian comedy series creators, the web platform has opened a new space in which the 'rules' of script development are being expanded, enhanced or othenoise refashioned through having direct connection  with and input from their audience. With the audience's potential as a 'comedy gatekeeper, the web series audience becomes integral to the ways in which these texts are developed, namely skipping the erstwhile second-guessing of demographic tastes by more traditional broadcast development executives and commissioners. Referring to a range of well-known Australian comedy web series, such as Bondi Hipsters (2011-2017) and The Katering Show (2015-2017) — including what their creators, writers and audiences have said about them — we investigate the processes behind the success of these series...'  (Publication abstract)