Ahead of the inaugural Melbourne Web Series Festival on 20 July, we’re profiling all 30 series that made the Official Selection list. Next up is SYD2030 created by Tatjana Marjanovic, Alex Barnett, Suzie Smith, Annika Drew and Alex Cayas.
In SYD2030, Cameron Hunter lives the perfect life – heir to a legal legacy, top of the class, beautiful girlfriend – but even he has his secrets. So when his past comes back to get him, how long will it take before the truth’s revealed?
Welcome to Eastern suburbs… where the competition is fierce inside and outside the lecture halls, seduction and love know no boundaries and trust and betrayal go hand and hand. This years law students aren’t just making their mark in the classroom; these Eastern Suburbs socialites will stop at nothing to get what their hearts desire.
What inspired your series?
We realised that so many Australian series created about young people are so obviously written and made by people from older generations. At the same time the DSLR revolution had well and truly taken hold, making almost cinema quality cameras accessible to budget filmmakers.
We also wanted to showcase our beautiful city and provide a platform for Sydney based artists, to show the world what young people can do.
Why should people watch your series?
With 12 episodes, approximately 5 – 10 minutes each, SYD2030
is a perfect way to enjoy bite-sized entertainment without indigestion! The show offers a snapshot into a world of privilege and scandal; the trials and tribulations of the harbour city’s young elite.
What do you want people to take away from your series?
We hope it inspires other young filmmakers to get their stories out there.
Go and do it, don’t over think it, don’t wait for the right time – it might never come, then its yours and no one can take it a way from you.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome in production?
Factoids: We filmed in Sydney’s wettest summer in history, one shoot was interrupted by a helicopter rescue, we almost lost half the opera house footage on a corrupted data card, we broke our sound recorder and our longest shoot day was 21 hours! And all this with virtually no budget – we learnt there are no problems, only solutions.
How do you reach your audience?
Youtube, Facebook, blip, ABC iView, festivals, press.
Why make a web series?
We are seeing a massive shift in content viewing habits, with more people watching online than ever before.
Unlike traditional short films, a web series allows you to develop characters and narratives at a length normally reserved for feature films.
Web series are a viable way for young people to get heir stories made, and allows content creators to develop and sustain audiences, and respond and interact with their fans.
SYD2030 on the web:
www.syd2030.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/SYD2030
Melbourne WebFest is on July 20, and tickets are on sale now. Keep up to date with the festival on Twitter: @MelbWebFest
La Trobe University is an official partner of Melbourne WebFest
