Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/82522
DATING RULES FROM MY FUTURE SELF Tripp Reed is VP of digital production at the Warner Bros. Television Group-owned Alloy Entertainment (www.alloyentertainment.com), which produces books, films and TV series, like Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars. Their digital division has currently produced seven original Web series, including Dating Rules From My Future Self, Wendy, Talent, First Day, and Hollywood is Like High School With Money. "The digital division came about as another avenue to explore ways to get our properties out to the entertainment world," says Reed. "Web distribution is a great way to get different content out there, not just as a stepping stone toward a broadcast network." If you take a look at some of Alloy's Web series, you'll quickly notice the quality of the productions. Reed comes from an independent film background and felt strongly that he could bring that same look and feel to digital content for the Web. "The Alloy brand has a definitive look and feel that I wanted to continue on the Web. " For Alloy's Web series production, Reed chooses between Red and the Arri Alexa cameras, which are typically used on big-time features as well as television episodics. "We could shoot on lesser, more consumer type cam- eras," he says, "but we want to deliver the best quality we can." Alloy doesn't kid around. For Dating Rules From My Future Self, Season 2, they shot Red 4:2:2 and had a DIT on set to color balance the cameras and trans- code the footage. "We don't have the money for all the bells and whistles, but the technology is so advanced we get great images," Reed reports. The data is then backed up and handed off to assistant editors who take them into Avid Media Composer at DNx36. They file share off of an ISIS system so the editor and assistant can work simultaneously. Dating Rules, Season One, had more of a dramatic slant than the current season. "For the second season we wanted to go for a more comedic look and feel, so after talking with the DP, Greg Harrington, we decided the Red MX camera was the best fit for the show," says Reed, who is an executive producer on the series and directed five of the six episodes in season two. "One camera isn't necessarily better for comedy or drama, it just comes down to budget and aesthetic choice," he explains. "With sea- son two, we knew we were going to shoot it wider and light it brighter to push the comedy, and the Red MX gave us all the horsepower we needed while still being cost effective." After the edits are done and approved, it's sent to the post finishing team at Sonicpool. The color grading is done on the Da Vinci Resolve, and it gets a full stereo mix. "We have a great post team at LA's Son- icpool, who have been working on our shows for over two years; they have the workflow down to a science. We all feel very comfortable with the process." Alloy often calls on actors from broadcast TV to star in their Web series. Dating Rules, Season One, starred Shiri Appleby (Life Unexpected, Roswell), and this season features Candice Accola from the CW's The Vampire Diaries. "We brought them in as creative partners and we all pulled favors to build a strong cast around them," he explains. Alloy is able to get these prime-time actors, according to Reed, because in addition to producing high quality content, they can some- times offer actors the chance to flex their creative muscles behind the camera. "In season one, Shiri Appleby signed on partly because of the strong material, but also for the opportunity to prove herself as a producer. Candice was enticed into season two for similar reasons." She played a big role in terms of casting and script development. "Our digital series have evolved over the two years we've been doing them," says Reed. "No one knows what's going to make a digital hit, but the freedom of the Web gives us a chance to push the bound- aries creatively and continue to produce cool, entertaining content." 20 DOLLAR Matthew Ashburn, who runs Beverly Hills-based Morph Syndicate (www.morphsyndicate.com) with his partner/wife Athena Ashburn, calls their self-produced 20 Dollar a "digital series" as opposed to a Matthew Ashburn from Morph Syndicate, along with partner/wife Athena, use their "digital series" 20 Dollar as a calling card for the networks. traditional Web series. This modern-day Twilight Zone is a proof-of- concept sales tool for networks that might be interested in a sci-fi anthology series. The self-funded series consists of four episodes (each costing about $20K to produce) along with a dedicated Website (www.20dollarshow. com). According to Ashburn, the reason they consider 20 Dollar a digi- tal series and not a Web show is "because the show format is similar to a broadcast/cable show, with a beginning, middle and end to each of the episodes, as well as distribution across all digital platforms, such as HDTV streaming technologies, third-party Internet download and streaming and 4G Wireless." As opposed to, he points out, a Web series, which offers one sce- nario that is stretched out over 12 episodes. 20 Dollar's host, reminiscent of Rod Serling at the opening of the Twilight Zone, pops in at the beginning of the story to tell the viewer something about the upcoming episode. The storylines are pulled from today's headlines, but given a sci-fi twist. "At the end of the show the host comes back on to discuss nuances of that particular show. The host, played by Russell Rinker, is really the thread passing the 20 Dollar baton from person to person as the story starts to evolve in every episode," explains Ashburn. The shows, which range in length from 10 to 15 minutes, are shot on the Canon 5D because it gives Morph Syndicate the quality they want with the ability to be nimble. "We shoot about 15 pages over two days," he explains. "Sometimes we need to work in a low-light situation, www.postmagazine.com Post • September 2012 29