Felicia Day took a pleasant, if troubling, addiction to World of Warcraft and transformed it into a successful and popular web series, The Guild. Now that show is back with an exclusive distribution deal through Microsoft’s Xbox and the game console’s Independent Video Channel.
"The Guild‘s partnership with Xbox is revolutionary," Day told Wired.com. "Our little non-industry show is literally made in my backyard with talented, dedicated friends. But, it’s getting equal status with network shows because of the millions of viewers we can reach with Xbox."
As online entertainment was beginning its 21st century emergence, Day was enjoying a recurring guest role as Vi on TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now she’s the latest in a string of creative types — from shoe-shoppin’ freak Liam Sullivan to Blue Velvet visionary David Lynch — to snag big bucks for a web show.
Day explains that she was looking for a way to utilize her downtime between acting roles while also weaning herself off a two-year addiction to World of Warcraft. She put that gaming experience and her passion for web design, online entertainment, fantasy and sci-fi to work and mixed it all into The Guild, a sitcom "written for gamers, about gamers by a gamer."
Day originally wrote the show as a pilot, but was told a series about gamers was "too niche" for TV. She partnered with Kim Evey (Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show), and the pair decided to produce the show as a web series. The first season of The Guild consisted of shorts that ran from three to six minutes. The popular show was supported by fans who made donations through PayPal.
"Online production and distribution evens the playing field," Day said. "I consider Hollywood a dammed-up lake. There are only a few release valves for all of that creativity to flow through — and that’s keeping talented people and good material from reaching the public. Online lets that creativity flow without middlemen dictating what the audience should like."
While its original season was available on YouTube (right) and drew more than 9 million viewers, The Guild’s second run premiered exclusively last week on Xbox’s newly launched Independent Video Channel — along with Horror Meets Comedy and other original content. The show will also air on MSN Video and Zune Marketplace.
"Our goal for Season 2 was to up the production values," Day said. "So partnering with Xbox and MSN was huge for us.
"Story-wise, viewers have been living with these characters for over a year. But they don’t know much about them and their lives — how the game and their real lives interact with their characters. That’s what we’ll be looking at in Season 2."
Day is the creative force driving the show, creating the story lines and getting notes from other professionals she trusts.
"It’s hard to create by committee — as we see from some network shows," she said. "My supporting cast were improv performers with me — and they’re the funniest people I’ve ever met. I trust them and created the characters specifically for them."
In the end, Day believes anyone making online content is forging a new kind of entertainment. She wants The Guild to be a part of that.
"I want the show grounded in truth — whatever the truth is," she said.
Image courtesy The Guild, Microsoft
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