Revaluing web series: The role of web series in creative careers
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
This chapter explores the value of web series to creators, drawing on in-depth interviews with Australian directors, writers, and producers. We identified two groups: those who made a web series as a career move once conventional pathways to success had failed, and those who used the creative control afforded by web series to make their narratives and crews more socially inclusive. Although a small sample, our study challenges the perception that the highly competitive, project-based nature of screen industry work is an obstacle to collective aspirations to make a social contribution. The study also refutes ideas of web series as primarily early-career works. Participants’ careers oscillated between long- and short-form media as they navigated funding schemes, platforms, and formats to progress their aspirations. The study supports and amplifies recent research on the debilitating health and social costs of working creatively in the screen industry.
Keywords
web series, screen industries, creative careers, digital media, content creation, social inclusion
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
The Web Series Experiment
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Arts and Humanities
RAS ID
99624
ISBN
[9781041012405, 9781041012412, 9781003613862]
Copyright
subscription content
Content Type
Metadata only
First Page
171
Last Page
191
Recommended Citation
Evans, N., Ellingsen, S., & Burkholder, M. (2026). Revaluing web series: The role of web series in creative careers. In S. Ellingsen, M. D. Ryan, & S. Turnbull (Eds.), The web series experiment (pp. 171-191). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003613862-9