NYWIFT Blog

Three Takeaways from NYWIFT’s Web Series Panel

By Mellini Kantayya

This past May, NYWIFT member Martha Williams (Creator, Run for Your Life ) produced and moderated a panel “Web Series: From Creation to Distribution” with guest speakers Nick Borenstein (Head of Scripted Content, Topic.com), Sam Schlaifer (Director of Development, Refinery 29 Scripted Originals & Comedy), and Laura Turner Garrison (Executive Producer, Original Programming and Development at TruTV), sharing best practices for making your online series a success.

Here are three takeaways from the evening:

You do you: As “you’re only as good as your body of work,” the digital space is a fertile place for emerging talent. Content buyers are looking for author-voiced storytelling with an honest point-of-view that are simultaneously unique and relatable. If you’re an actor, writer, director or producer, instead of waiting for permission or a chance break, creating short-form content will show what you’re capable of and help you shine.

Keep your mind on your money and your money on your mind: Just because it’s short-form, doesn’t mean it’s cheaper to produce. Just like long-form content, budgets vary widely. Though the industry is still struggling to pin down how to monetize content, there’s ample potential in branded content. If this route interests you, start by ascertaining which brands thematically align with your project.

Werk it: That said, every project has a different path to being made. When approaching networks, a solid proof of concept helps you sell up the chain of command and the more packaged the project the better. If you get a general meeting with a network or production company, be sure to have lots of ideas and not be too precious about any of them. Remember, short-form content is all about sharing (and selling) you.

The event was hosted by Adorama.

PUBLISHED BY

Mellini_Kantayya

Mellini_Kantayya Mellini Kantayya is an actor, author of "Actor. Writer. Whatever. (essays on my rise to the top of the bottom of the entertainment industry)", contributor to Huffington Post Comedy, and an active NYWIFT member. www.mellinikantayya.com

View all posts by Mellini_Kantayya

Comments are closed

Related Posts

Cracking the Code on Film Fundraising: Insights from NYWIFT’s Winter Film Festival Panel

On a brisk February afternoon, I found the perfect escape from the cold—diving into an eye-opening discussion at the 2025 Winter Film Festival. One of the standout moments? Navigating Film Fundraising with NYWIFT, a must-attend panel for any filmmaker tackling the most daunting part of filmmaking: raising money. Leading the conversation were Easmanie Michel, NYWIFT’s Director of Artists Programs and Finance, and NYWIFT Member Joanna Rudolph, executive producer of Burning Annie and The Co-op: The Kids of Dorie Miller. Their wealth of knowledge made for a powerful session, packed with real-world success stories and actionable strategies. Marchelle Thurman summarized some key takeaways to help you fund your next film.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Melody Gilbert

Welcome to our new NYWIFT member, Melody Gilbert! Melody is an Emmy-nominated and Alfred I. duPont award-winning documentary filmmaker. Over the course of her career, Melody has directed and produced 20 documentaries that have been screened at several film festivals and distributed internationally. Melody is also an educator committed to teaching new and emerging filmmakers. She has been on the faculty at several universities (including the American University in Bulgaria), teaching documentary production, multimedia, and journalism. Currently, Melody is traveling the world and spreading her love for film by teaching pitch training workshops and conducting her “Documentary Boot Camp” while working on her new documentary about the scandalous topless monokini bathing suit in 1964. The most recent documentary she helped produce, Queendom, was shortlisted for an Oscar in the feature documentary category. In our interview, Melody discusses her move from chilly Minnesota to NYC, her unconventional documentary subjects, and key lessons she shares with film students.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Amanda Deering Jones

Welcome to NYWIFT, Amanda Deering Jones! Amanda Deering Jones is the director of the new short film Little Mother Lies. She is also the Producer of the Academy Award-nominated animated short film Borrowed Time. She has over 20 years of experience working with Dreamworks Animation and Blue Sky Studios and is currently at Pixar. Her career began in Cooperstown, NY, as House Manager at Glimmerglass Opera before transitioning to film. Amanda is a zero-waste advocate and a published writer for the Producer’s Guild Magazine. She is an active member of the Producers Guild of America, Women in Film, Women in Animation, a Governor of the Emmy’s Northwest Chapter Board, and now a NYWIFT member. Amanda discusses her theatrical roots, getting into animation (without drawing!), and how she creates work that elevates our thinking and highlights the complexities of being human!

READ MORE

NYWIFT Program Recap: “Daughters” at Hamptons Doc Fest

In December 2024, NYWIFT was proud to co-present a screening of the new documentary "Daughters" at Hamptons Doc Fest, followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Angela Patton and Natalie Rae moderated by NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez. In this powerful documentary, four girls prepare to reunite with their fathers through a special dance at a DC jail in this moving documentary about the healing power of love. We offer a recap of the conversation plus a video of the Q&A to watch after you've seen the film, which is now available on Netflix.

READ MORE
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php