Bullets: A Web Series – Success of the Underdog

At first, it seemed as if the “web series” was purely a trend. Like boy bands, crop tops and scrunchies, it felt like the next decade might wipe out this latest online fad. But when Lorne Michaels decides to develop his own web series, The Real Calypso, this social platform is obviously here to stay. 

It’s a chance for just about anyone to produce their own material and put it out there for all to see. There’s not only YouTube, but also now platforms like Vimeo where you can donate money towards quality shows. But the real question is: how do you compete? Online shows are becoming more and more like TV, with networks and names vying for more viewers. But for those independent, self-funded shows, there is hope!

In order to examine the success of the underdog in the web series world, let’s take a look at a show like Bullets. It’s not Being Brendo, where actors like Geoffrey Rush guest star. It’s also not The Ropes, which is produced by big-named Vin Diesel. These kids did it all themselves. Bullets is an intellectual thriller, based in the world of gambling. It centers on Hugo (Clint Keepin) and Mark (Zach Silverman), two bank employees who conspire to steal funds from a wealthy man in order to participate in an underground poker tournament. But the plan goes sour when the victim realizes his money has been stolen and is being laundered for the mafia kingpin who’s running the same poker game. Bullets asks, ‘Is the buy-in worth it?’

The first question filmmakers typically ask when deciding to move forward with their project is, “How do I get the funds?” Bullets director and screenwriter Ty Leisher assured me, “There are a few ways to fund and create a web series.” Selling to a major network is always a goal, but then you have the added anxiety of whether or not the series will be renewed. Ty explains that Bullets used “Kickstarter to try to remain as independent and true to our vision as possible. I think Kickstarter and crowd funding in general is a fantastic approach to help independent filmmakers working in any medium to reach their audience and deliver a story that is unique and true to their intentions.”

Producer Alexis Edelman explained that the series “had a 30-day fundraising window, from start to finish. The allotted budget, $18,000,” was raised by April of last year. There are plenty of platforms now that do offer monetization opportunities such as pre or mid-roll ads, pay-per-click, pay-per-view (purchase per episode), pay for the season, mobile platforms and iTunes, etc’ Bullets continues to raise their funds with JTS.TV, which allows a subscription for viewing like Hulu or Netflix.

It’s one thing to raise the money, but you also have to out to your donors? Ty used Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social platforms to connect with Bullets’ fans and keep them updated. He also stresses the importance of being human in these technological interactions: “They have to know that you aren’t just a robot and there is a real person behind the keyboard. It makes people feel more connected to the people creating the stuff they love to watch.” Alexis urges to “engage in conversation with your viewers and if someone follows you, thank them for following you and follow them back.”

Once you’ve got the funding and the followers, you’ve still got to have a script. With many shows aiming to please their fans, this means keeping an audience on their toes is priority. Bullets delivers a psychological, character driven appeal similar to House of Cards and Homeland.

I asked Ty: How do you go about writing the series?

“I created a basic beat sheet for the series and a flow chart of characters, how they interacted with each other and who kills whom. From there, Alexis and I would discuss characters and plot points. Once we were both happy with the way the story was going, I would go off into my cave and write an episode.” This network of communication proves crucial in keeping the through line of a series intact, especially when you’re not under the guidance of studio or network executive. Many web series write as they go, with a more audience-interactive format, but Bullets has an entire season written before production. There is a certain amount of solidification, but Ty says that once the actors were brought in, he was open to change. “You never stop rewriting. Even in the edit room.”

Independent films gain exposure through festivals like Sundance and Cannes. Web series are finally starting to have the same opportunity. Los Angeles Web Series Festival was created in 2010 by award winning writer-director-producer Michael Ajakwe Jr. in an attempt to showcase the vast array of online content. The fest takes course over three days, screening the series in theaters and handing out multiple awards in each category. It’s a way for the filmmakers to not only connect with one another, but also offer support. The HollyWeb Web Series Festival has a similar aim, acknowledging that film festivals across the world are beginning to include new media based categories. They offer cash prizes to the winners ranging from “Best Score” to “Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series.”

But how exactly do you navigate this web festival scene? What are the benefits for an underdog series like Bullets?

Ty explains that festivals “can introduce people who otherwise didn't know about your show before,” He also jokes “Why would people go to a festival, pay for parking and a ticket and sit in a room with people when they can watch it for free online in their underwear?” He’s got a point. But then there’s the benefit of winning an award. Perhaps people won’t pay for a screening, but they’ll pay attention to a prize. Bullets already took home the Outstanding Producing in a Dramatic Series award at the LA Web Fest last week. Producer Alexis agrees, “Unless some studio rep or network agent comes to the festival, likes your show, and gives you an opportunity to pitch, it is really more of a place to network with other web show creators. It is always better to tell someone you are an award-winning show or your series was nominated than to have nothing, so at the end of the day, it is valuable.”

Most people making web series today have a loftier goal than purely having an online presence and following. Show creators hope to get noticed as potential feature film directors, actors to get their big break and writers to get hired for gigs with an actual paying salary. Bullets is already garnering the attention it needs for all of the above to happen. It’s broken 5,000 views on its first episode and placed in the top 10% of the NexTv Indie Film and Web Series competition. They’re also an Official Selection at the Hollyweb Festival this month. But there’s still that question on everyone’s minds: Are web series just a means to an end?

Ty explains that “filmmakers now have multiple canvases like painters do. Rather than trying to [make a] crime a story into a web series, or trying to make a short into a film, you can tell your story on whatever canvas you want to tell it on. I think that the story you are trying to tell should dictate where it ends up.” TV is becoming more and more popular for this very reason. Characters like Tony Soprano, Don Draper and most definitely Walter White can’t be contained in a single film. But Alexis admits their goals with Bullets are more than just about finding a media platform to best cultivate their story. “My ultimate goal is to produce films or narrative series for a network like Showtime or AMC. Bullets is a stepping stone for me in the direction I want to head.”

That’s precisely the potential that creating a successful web series offers. It exercises the DIY (do it yourself) version of filmmaking that is being popularized by indie directors and Youtube sensations alike. Bullets encourages that with the support of a plethora of social media platforms, programs like Kickstarter and Indiegogo and a hungry team of supporters, you can truly make your own material. And if things go as planned, someone will notice.