Convert your Book to A Web Series
You’ve finally written your book. Your very first creation, your child, the apple of your eye that makes you very proud. And like any author, it is your dream to watch your story spellbinding its viewers on the silver screen. Your love for web series impregnates the idea to transform your book into one but you’re completely clueless.
Web series is a popular trend these days and as much as one thinks making one is a cake-walk, it is completely the opposite.
Making a web series is similar to making a movie. There’s tonnes of processes involved. Let’s take a look at some of the processes in order of their execution.
- Screenwriting : A book needs to be converted into a script, a summary that would present the gist of the story to its reader, without actually going through the entire stuff.
- Casting : to portray the characters in your story, you would need actors that would suit the requirements of the script.
- Location : Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles in the production phase is getting the right location for your scenes.
- Principle photography : term used for highlighting the phase when you’re actually shooting your scenes for the web series.
- Editing : Chopping down clutter and enhancing finalized content. This is where you add background music, opening theme and credits.
- Promotion : get people to know and watch your creation using social media, events etc.
Following these steps would give you a blueprint of the idea inside your head and a planned order of execution. But there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Making a web series is a herculean task, even more so if you’re alone or with a handful of crew. No doubt your team will be inexperienced but that’s okay, we learn from mistakes.
Script is the hero for every story. Write a loosely bound script and no one would watch your web series. Make sure your script is appealing and provoking till the end. The viewer needs to remain hooked to the story. Read, re-read and edit your script to incorporate only the best content. If possible, take an opinion from someone who’s an expert. Remember, for a web series or movie or any visual media, a good story spells the ultimate success.
Next comes finances. Needless to say if you’re a newbie, you’ll be struggling with the finances for your venture. This is where budgeting comes in. Assign a specific amount to each process of your production since your camera setup, cast and locations would eat-up bulk of your money. Plan accordingly. See if you can hire your friends to act in for free.
Locations can be very expensive. Search in your locality and city for places that sit well with the description in your script and where you can shoot for free. Many times, people agree upon letting you shoot at the mention of a web series or movie. One needs to be a good convincer and you can get many good locations practically for free.
Shooting a video may sound fun and easy but it involves a lot of techniques that produce standard results unbeknownst to you. Cinematography is the art of narrating your story through camera lenses. Better learn as much as you can and practice what you’ve learned in small projects such as shooting a video portfolio for your friends, capturing someone’s wedding in your camera, making a video advertisement for a product, creating a web diary for your youtube channel or shooting a video of your pets.
Editing comes next. Self explanatory as to why it is so important. With the availability of free editing softwares online, it has become easier than ever. Cut, add, paste, overlap, do whatever it takes to make your story flow smoothly. Keep in mind the perspective of a viewer. Add background scores and effects to make it more appealing.
Promoting your web series. Perhaps can’t stress enough over how essential it is. The sole purpose of your web series is to entertain viewers and make money out of it which will be impossible if people wouldn’t even know about it. Use social media to your advantage. Promote your web series using stories and posts on Facebook. Make a small teaser trailer for youtube. Ask your friends to post about your web series. Let people talk about your content. If possible, use paid promotion to boost your web series’ presence.
Making a web series isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. People have managed to create astounding content, with little help and even little money. If they can do it, one can’t see as to why you can’t do it too.
Best wishes for your web series venture!
