This installment of Web on Web comes at an exciting time for Asylum,
a dramatic series that centers around doctors as they work to treat patients at a hospital for the criminally insane. A compelling storyline to start, creators have ramped up their promotional efforts by releasing a 3-part introduction to the series; shot as a documentary, it serves as more of an exposé that introduces audiences to the world within the story. Part 2 of that introduction just hit the Web this morning.
We touched base with Dan Williams, Asylum’s creator, writer and producer, to discuss his experience in the Web Industry and where he things the future of Web is headed. We’ve got to hand it to him, his insights are pretty impressive and it’s clear that he has a sharp handle on how to promote an independently produced series online.
Clicker: So, Asylum is almost out. How long have you worked on it and how relieved will you be once it hits the Web?
Dan Williams: Asylum is an idea I’ve been developing on-and-off for about four years now. Last Fall, we officially went into pre-production on the series, and shot in May of this year. It’s been a long time coming and, with our premiere right around the corner, I couldn’t be more excited to get our episodes online.
C: How do you expect you’ll measure your audience? What’s the best way to get feedback?
DW: The biggest appeal to launching on the Web versus television is the ability to receive instant feedback from our audience. When our trailer debuted in July, we immediately received blog reviews and news coverage. 
Viewers can leave comments on our website, of course, but one of the best ways we’ve received feedback is from posts on our Facebook page – which is a great way for fans to spread the word to all of their friends whenever we have an update.
C: What inspired you to make a Web Series in the first place?
DW: Last year, my good friend (and the director of Asylum) Scott Brown put together and had a lot of success with a web comedy called Blue Movies. The two of us were looking to collaborate on a project, and a web series seemed like a great way to tell an engaging story, distribute it to a huge potential audience, and hopefully gain momentum to produce more episodes.
C: What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced while filming? How did you overcome?
DW: Staying on schedule was probably the most difficult aspect of production. We shot over six days at three different locations with a large cast, so there was a lot of logistical work to be done. Our Director of Photography, 1st AC, and camera flew out from Florida, so we really could not go overtime with the production. Luckily, we had a very professional crew who worked hard and stayed organized so that we could finish production on time.
C: How much planning goes into ‘spreading the word’ once a series is released? Is this something you spend a lot of time thinking about, or do you plan to play it by ear once Asylum launches?
DW: We spent a lot of time during pre-production planning what kind of supplemental materials we could release to help promote Asylum. We took a lot of behind-the-scenes pictures, interviewed the cast and crew, and prepared “documentary” videos and a website about the hospital featured in our series. Our goal is to use all of this material to build a community of fans for Asylum. We will, of course, be thorough in our promotion of this project, but the most effective way to spread the word will be organically via our fans.
C: You’re jumping into the Web Series world at what seems to be the cusp of its growing popularity – where do you see this industry going in the next five years? Will it getting tougher or easier for creatives like you?
DW: Web series productions used to be exclusive to user-generated content and independent filmmakers. Major studios are now getting into the mix either by creating content to supplement feature films or television shows, and increasingly web-exclusive content is showing up as well. The space is definitely getting crowded with bigger players, but I think that is good news for independent creators. 
It means the web series audience has been recognized by mainstream media and, especially, by advertisers and producers. More money flowing into the medium means more opportunities, so I think the opportunities in the industry will increase. I’m very optimistic about the future.
C: How many episodes do we get to look forward to? What’s your next step after it launches?
DW: We have six episodes currently in post-production, averaging about 7 minutes each. There will be plenty of promotion efforts made after the launch, but I am most looking forward to engaging with our viewers. Asylum is a series that has a lot going on, a lot of mystery and questions to be answered. I’m looking forward to hearing what viewers think and what guesses they have as to the direction of the series. The episodes will hopefully be a conversation-starter for our fans, and I can’t wait to get talking!
