Web Series Showcase - The Adventures of Superseven, Tap It! & Black

Web Series Showcase – The Adventures of Superseven, Tap It! & Black

Reviews by Justin T. Bowler
@IndyFilmTwittic

Creating content for people to watch on the web is an uphill climb. With literally millions of choices, how on earth does one go about standing out?

For arguments sake, let’s assume that you have a great idea (well, so does Netflix, and so does Hulu, but you don’t have their money). Let’s say you can execute it reasonably well without sinking a ton of money into it, is that enough? Not really. There are lots of great ideas out there, and lots of well executed ideas. So, how do you stand out? It turns out there are a few ways to make your stake in the web series world.

Show persistence, commitment and follow through, then create so much content that you can’t be ignored. For example, Andy Palmer, Jerry Kokich, and Scott Rhodes created the web series The Adventures of Superseven.

“Super7even is an international man of mystery and the top agent for T.H.E.M! (A secret organization, sworn to battle the world wide forces of evil!). Superseven’s code name is DANGER! His passport…to HELL! Follow the masked, crimson avenger and his lethal, beautiful and reluctant partner, “Sandra West” (A former agent of T.H.E.M), as they battle villains, femme fatales, monsters, robots, invading aliens, henchmen, assassins and criminal masterminds bent on world domination…And destruction!”

That is quite a description, with a lot packed into it. And they do not lie. It ran for three seasons over four years and had thirty-nine episodes. That’s enough content to illustrate several more paragraphs of description, by the way. In addition, each episode is ten to fifteen minutes long. That is an exceptional commitment and a hardcore amount of content.

Their hard work certainly paid off. They won twenty-one awards and were nominated for forty-four over several different festivals, garnering enough of a following to create a successful Kickstarter campaign that completely funded the third season.

It is a really fun ride. Using professional stunt persons and professional producers, they create a story line that is interesting, humorous, and full of surprises. Check it out, but get ready for a majorly addictive time commitment.

Or, if you want to stand out, and this is your first season, then you can take a higher-end idea that requires, specifically, a bar, then tweak that, so it can be justifiably shot in someone’s garage. You have just created something new, and saved yourself an expensive location fee. That is exactly what Joe Koch and Ryan Willer have done in creating Tap It!, premiering September 1st, 2016.

“In this original web series, Andy and Jules Woolever decide to build a bar in their garage, unaware that it will soon become refuge for their friends to come over and vent their daily problems. Andy and Jules now find themselves playing real life bartenders, serving (free) drinks and dishing out life lessons in true barkeep fashion in an attempt to keep their friends’ relationships and personal lives in good standing. But with all their time being put into this new-found position, will they be able to keep their own relationship afloat?”

Shot pseudo-documentary style (similar to the The Office), action and testimonials are interspersed to create a visually interesting story.

This series is shot entirely on location, with the exception of the bar that was set up in someone’s garage (however, it is justifiably so). The use of it as a location is excellent, I never felt tied to it, yet they used it a lot. The production quality is high, as is most of the editing. For my taste, a few jokes could have come a lot quicker, not every punchline needs a slowburn, or the same header. That being said, there are still plenty of laughs.

The acting is a mixed bag, some are a little better than others, but over the course of the series, nearly everyone has their moment to shine. Leading lady, Kari Kurti, is a particular stand out in many episodes. She is subtle, sexy, and sweet, in addition, she comes across particularly charming in nearly every episode.

You can see the seeds to something really fantastic here. With a seasoned producer, and a bit more money, this could be something produced by Hulu. With twelve episodes approximately ten minutes long, this new gem is definitely a cut above the average web series today. They have captured originality, humor and playfulness in every episode. If you are going to create a web series yourself, make sure you check this one out first.

The final way to get yourself noticed, is to be incredibly ambitious. Create content that is just plain awesome, then, gather sponsors to give you money. In addition, make a list of dream locations and items for your series (e.g. A FULLY LOADED AND FUNCTIONING MILITARY HELICOPTOR), then call everyone you know and find out if you can get it within your budget. This is an exceptionally long and arduous task. It requires a very special type of producing team. You must be determined, likable, and highly convincing. If you can do all of these things, then you can create an independent series that looks like an expensive Hollywood production. Thus, I give you…

BLACK

“The US Government is forced to create a top-secret black ops group due to a series of attacks that target the CIA on American soil. The series was created by writer/director Frank T. Ziede and features several real military veterans such as marines, army rangers and even US navy seals. Black is a high action web series crafted in the style of the feature film Act of Valor, the highly successful video game franchise Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the hit Fox television series 24. The first season of BLACK was shot over five days in two states for roughly $10,000.00, Season Two was shot over ten days in three states and two countries on a crowd-funded budget of roughly $57,000.00.”

The production value is exceptional. The stunts are outstanding. The acting is authentic. Leading man Mikal Vega stars as the head of our Special Ops team. Using actors with real military training was a must for the series to make sure the show offered as much “true to form” combat and story elements. Since he actually served in the Armed Forces, at no point do you need to suspend your disbelief. Every moment of action is 100% believable. Actual veterans, fighters, and stunt persons round out the cast. Kimberly Fox is a particular stand out, even though she is only in a few episodes. But, the biggest stand out, by far, is Peter A. Kelly, a highly decorated officer from the Chicago Police Department and completely natural on screen. He is wonderfully scary, the likes of which I have not enjoyed since Breaking Bad. It is only a matter of time before he starts landing starring roles in television and film. I would love to see him play a heavy against The Rock.

The direction and script, though formulaic at times due to the genre, are impressive. I simply cannot say enough good things about this series. Executive Producer, writer, and director Frank T. Ziede is in the early stages of a very prominent career. This is very surely a stepping stone to a much larger budgeted feature film or television series.

If you are a fan of militaristic dramas, then this is an absolute must see. If you have ever dreamed of making a web series, then this is an absolute must see. If you enjoy watching web series, then this is an absolute must see. Basically, I’m saying you must see this!