LonelyGirl15 Creators Not So Lonely Anymore

Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried Have Built Their DIY Web Series into a Million-Dollar Online Production Company
By Robert Gustafson and Alec McNayr

On an otherwise average Tuesday morning in September 2006, Greg Goodfried made an ominous move. An associate lawyer at Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, he walked into his boss’ office and shut the door behind him. He informed his boss that the following day he would be featured in both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times as one of the masterminds behind the popular YouTube video blogger known simply as “LonelyGirl15.” The articles, he explained, would confirm suspicions that the confessional-style videos were actually part of a fictional series created by he and co-creator Miles Beckett.

Lucky for Goodfried, his boss had actually heard of the Internet sensation and offered him a six-month sabbatical to finish the series, after which he could return to the firm. He never went back. Instead, he and Beckett turned their experience creating LonelyGirl15, now viewed over 100 million times, into an online production company called EQAL. In May 2008—just two years after uploading their first video—EQAL announced a $5 million round of venture capital financing.

We sat down with Goodfried and Beckett less than two weeks after moving into EQAL’s new offices in Sherman Oaks, California.

Doing It Themselves

Similar to Goodfried, writer-director Miles Beckett stepped away from a promising career to venture into online entertainment. Through fresh out of medical school, it was Beckett who originally conceived the idea of a girl on YouTube communicating via a video blog.

“He pitched me the idea,” recalls Goodfried about LonelyGirl15, “She would be an active part of the [online] community, and over a few months we’d start trickling in information: that she’s home-schooled, that her parents are in a cult, and that she’s being prepared for a ceremony. Then, after three months, she‘ll run away and you won’t be sure if she made it or not and we’ll be on the covers of magazines. And I was like, ‘that’s the best f-ing idea I’ve ever heard, let’s go do this thing.’”

They didn’t, however, intend the Web series to take center stage. “Originally, LonelyGirl15 was going to be a prequel,” adds Beckett, “We planned to shoot an independent feature film simultaneous to filming the online series and sell it to a DVD distributor or something.”

Unfortunately, they underestimated just how much effort launching LonelyGirl15 would take. “Just producing an online show is the most overwhelming experience anyone could go through,” says Beckett.

The duo spent a month prior to launching the first episode setting up YouTube and MySpace profiles for Bree, the namesake character of LonelyGirl15. In that time, “Bree” established a real relationship with the online community, so when “she” uploaded her first video, it had a built-in audience.

To build the mystique of the show, Beckett and Goodfried also created a fan Web site run by a fictional and nameless “superfan.” The site stirred conversation and offered a look into the mania the duo hoped to incite. “The idea was that a group of [real-life] fans— along with the [fictional] characters—were going to search for the missing girl,” Beckett says.

By the sixth video—just two and a half weeks into their venture—a LonelyGirl15 video received 500,000 views. Goodfried and Beckett decided to give up their feature film ambitions and focus their efforts on the online series.

The Show is Everywhere

EQAL’s tagline is ”The show is everywhere,” which represents Beckett and Goodfried’s view on the difference between online media and television. “It’s about breaking the fourth wall,” says Beckett, “All good writing is suspension of disbelief, and in TV, you suspend it within the walls of that television screen. It doesn’t extend into your living room. For an Internet show, it’s everywhere. The reality extends into your bedroom, into the real world, and onto other Web sites.” Adds Goodfried, “If you want to take Sex and the City and adapt it from a TV show into a movie, you wouldn’t string four episodes together and put it on a big screen: you would write a three-act structure and shoot it differently.”

Goodfried lists interactivity as the most important characteristic of any Web series: “An online show has three core pieces; the top layer is some type of daily or weekly consistent online content. Then there must be a community-based Web site where the hardcore fans can gather [and participate in] chat rooms, forums, and social networking. The third layer is then some sort of interaction between that community and content. It could be as minimal as American Idol fans texting in their votes, or as extreme as LonelyGirl15, where we might give out ‘secret coordinates,’ and, using them, the viewer can actually go to Central Park, dig up a flash drive, make a video of themselves, and upload it. Then the fan is in the storyline itself.”

To leverage Web interactivity into a story-based experience, the team had to think about all levels of online communication. “We think about [MySpace] profile pages, chats, messaging, and live video streaming like a feature film director would think about camera angles and set design,” says Beckett.

The LonelyGirl15 experience extends past the confessional-style episodic videos. “Each character has their own profile page and can submit their own videos,” says Goodfried. “It’s as if these are two [real] kids. This could actually happen,” adds Beckett, “And there were repercussions of each one uploading a video.”

The series, therefore, is subject to the rules inherent in someone broadcasting their life and thoughts online. LonelyGirl15 is, by its nature, interactive in a way that could never be done on TV. Says Beckett, ”The hardest thing is to be able to think in a linear narrative, but then take that linear narrative and explode it outside the walls of everything.”

Restructuring The Definition of a Series

“Since our initial concept was a feature film, it had a three act structure. It was two or three pages with major beats, inciting incidents, and so forth,” says Beckett.

But as LonelyGirl15 became an online-only experience, the team had to rethink their definition of a series. “The pace online is much faster than TV,” says Beckett, “Every week on the show, something dramatic happens, and then the next week again, and then again and again. You literally burn through plot.”

Goodfried continues the questioning of the status quo: “What is ‘an episode?’ Well, we make videos five days a week: on Monday, we introduce the conflict. By the middle of the week there is heightened dramatic tension, and then by Friday, there is resolution and a cliffhanger. So there are beats each week that fans can get excited about and talk about.”

Just because the show is interactive doesn’t mean that there’s no writing involved. “It’s all scripted. One hundred percent,” admits Beckett, ”As we’ve expanded the team to include a director who isn’t writing and an editor who isn’t directing, we’ve found we have to be even tighter on the script.”

The experience of writing LG15 for almost two years sharpened their skills. “I had written a few screenplays for fun, and also wrote a few articles for my college’s humor magazine, but doing an online show where I literally I had to break story every week made me a much better writer. It’s like writing boot camp!” says Beckett with a chuckle.

You Don’t Have To Do It Alone

“Over the past couple of years, there really haven’t been that many shows online that have achieved really, really big viewership. I don’t thinks it’s due to a lack of creativity or talent; I think it’s a lack of a company like ours,” says Beckett.

“Sure, you can do it by yourself,” explains Goodfried, “Put something together, get something out there, and maybe it gets popular, but to make an online show into an actual business where you can quit your day job, you need something else.” Beckett inserts, ”The bottom line is you’re not going to get anywhere unless you collaborate.”

“We wanted to do more interactive shows, and we knew we would need financing, ad sales, legal, accounting, and someone to build our website and run it,” says Beckett, “But there was nobody who could offer that. Some people offered pieces, but nobody offered the whole solution.”

With the formation of EQAL, Beckett and Goodfried now have the resources to build large-scale interactive Web series. They recently signed with CBS to help the network expand the online experience of their flagship TV shows. But as they reflect on starting a simple Web series, they admit that the basics of storytelling are what really matter.

“Honestly, we were lucky that we did [LonelyGirl15] when we did it. We hit at the same time as YouTube, and that’s a hard thing to replicate, but we’re a perfect example of not needing the ‘right’ equipment to do the job. I didn’t have a Mac or Final Draft, because we didn’t have enough money to pay for it,” admits Beckett. “We shot with a Logitech Webcam plugged into a laptop,” follows Goodfried, “We had no lights, just a desk lamp and a window.”

Beckett summarizes, “the truth is you don’t need it. You just need a good story, and in this case, something that will work in the medium.”

If two guys with a Webcam can turn a story into a multi-million dollar, industry-changing production company, what can you do with the tools you have at your disposal?

Tricking your customers can add to the mystique of your product or brand, but it’s important to not overstep your boundaries. While people like to uncover a mystery, they don’t like to be the butt of a corporate joke.

The video mentions a viral video by Parrot, which manufactures hands-free Bluetooth cell devices, where a kid records his drivers ed sessions while he talks on the phone. With 485,000 views on YouTube, this video did a ton better than the other Parrot vs. Quail Parrot-backed viral campaign we mentioned a while back.

The video showcases a debate between a parrot and a valley quail, who argue over which should be official state bird of California (currently the quail).

The video refers to the upcoming legal deadline for California drivers: that they must use hands-free devices for their cell phones starting July 1, 2008.

The video encourages the viewer to check out ParrotNotQuail.com, and only after visiting did I realize that the video was an attempt at localized viral humor, and backed by hands-free device maker Parrot.

The site itself is as good a satirical political site as I’ve seen online. It features a parrot holding babies, walking wing-in-hand with a racially diverse group of people, a open letter to Arnold, and even a chance to win $10,000.

One problem. The video only has 3.328 views on YouTube.

What went wrong? The video is high-quality. The site design and satire is top notch. Perhaps the target market is too niche: Californian drivers who use cell phones and are paying attention to upcoming laws that affect them.

Or perhaps the “just upload it and it will get a million views” strategy doesn’t work. You can have all the right elements, but if you don’t generate conversation and marketed attention to your media, you will end up with just over 3,000 views. (3,000 is the friends-and-family viewcount, btw)

Some advice for Parrot in the days leading up to July 1 (your viral video’s deadline as well): pitch bloggers on the site. Contact your distributors and give them brochures that will drive traffic back to the site. Stage a PR stunt. Go to local zoos. Generate a conversation.

It takes time and energy (and money) to draw an audience. Otherwise, you’re just taking a low-odds risk. You should work just as hard at generating traffic as you did making your content. There are too many other birds squawking in the online video market for you not to.

The story was leaked to blogs and traditional press, and has apparently gathered some big attention for the German auto-maker, and for a fraction of the cost of a traditional 30-second TV commercial.

More than the film itself, which is a Guffman-style mockumentary about a independent film director discovering the strange event called Rampenfest, the creators continued to build out the world in which the events transpire: creating Web sites for the film The Ramp, the filmmaker Jeff Schultz, the event planner Franz Brendl, and the fictional Bavarian town of Oberpfaffelbachen. Many characters also have Facebook profiles.

What’s more, a store on cafepress actually sells the T-shirts and other merch featured in the movie. With a big enough viral push, this “commercial” could even turn profitable.

Last September, Meth Minute released “Internet People”, an animated video compilation of all the viral hits over the past few years. It was amazing the number of ones I recognized (and was guilty of forwarding around: even the dramatic chipmunk about a thousand times).

In a similar vein, Weezer brought in a bunch of internet viral video “stars” to participate in its latest video for the song “Pork and Beans.” They lip sync the lyrics to the song while recreating the videos that made them famous.

It’s very creative and laser-targeted at my demographic, but it gets me angry for two reasons:

• These “viral stars” are offered up as the most memorable examples of web entertainment. There’s no scripted video stars. No LonelyGirl. No Ninja. No Prom Queens. What’s more, none of them have crossed over into bigger or better things. Like reality TV stars, they are ready and available to re-up their 15 minutes of fame. That’s not promising for the future of online entertainment.
• This video reminds me that traditional entertainment is SO BIG that just ONE BAND can create ONE VIDEO with a MEDIUM-SIZED BUDGET and bring together the BIGGEST ONLINE STARS out there. Talk about a David and Goliath. It feels like a knock-out punch in the first round. (but wait for the next few rounds, my friend…)

And with that, I offer you: the Weezer video “Pork and Beans” on YouTube (after the jump):

We interviewed Felicia Day, Jane Selle Morgan, and Kim Evey from The Guild for Script Magazine for their work in launching the series quickly and effectively. They used every trick in the book: from building a good-looking (but easy to manage) website to pitching bloggers to picking a subject matter with an already ravenous niche audience. Their show really reaches an active online audience, and they are reaping the benefits now.

The Guild Racks up the Votes

I got a tweet from Felicia at 10pm at night stating that they had been named a finalist for the Yahoo Video Award for Best Series, and that the other shows were kicking their butts. However, just 10 hours later, they were winning the user-votes contest by over 600 votes (and now are leading with over 1500 votes!).

The Guild also just won the Greenlight Awards at SXSW and is a finalist in the YouTube Video Awards (for Best Series). They’re getting big exposure and slowly growing their fanbase. For an independent online show made on the cheap, that’s a huge win. Congratulations!

Side note about the Yahoo Video Awards: they make their videos and playlists embeddable, but why not make their voting mechanism embeddable, too? It would make a lot of sense to truly syndicate/distribute the ability to vote across the web to further draw in web viewers to establish their brand as a video leader.

What About Abigail?

Couldn’t help but mention that our friend Hayden Black’s show Abigail is also up for the Yahoo Video Awards, but isn’t doing well in the votes (212 votes, 4th place).

I wonder why this is? Abigail has gotten a lot of press and praise from the online video community, but I would imagine that its real core audience isn’t into going to “go to Yahoo and vote” (all the more reason to make the voting embeddable). They probably don’t see Abigail as a series, but rather an experience… almost with a real person. Hayden is really good about twittering, facebooking, myspacing, etc. as Abigail… so I wonder if the allure of his series actually keeps fans from interacting with it like a series… just a thought.

I have no idea, but am interested in exploring what drives one audience to vote 1500 times, and one audience to do 212.

Between the mega-celebrity and the average day-job worker, especially here in Los Angeles, is a entire continuum of semi-pro quasi-professional artists and creative-types. Struggling for the “big opportunity.” Hoping that one day, Hollywood (or Wall Street, or whoever) will call their name and elevate them to riches and fame.

But until that time, everyone struggles to make a living. From producers to writers, actors to painters. And if art is subjective and if being lucky is just as important as being talented, it can be very easy to pack up shop when the riches never seem to come.

Kevin talks about a threshold for making a living. 1,000 True Fans. If you can nurture relationships with 1,000 people, who, in some way, will give you money for what you do, you can make a living.

It’s almost simple math: 1,000 x $X.XX = a sustainable living.

These are passionate fans, mind you:

They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work.

For me, it is a goal worth striving for — not some unattainable mirage. I can get there by doing my work, remaining passionate, and bringing people closer to my inner circle.

Instead of trying to reach the narrow and unlikely peaks of platinum hits, bestseller blockbusters, and celebrity status, they can aim for direct connection with 1,000 True Fans. It’s a much saner destination to hope for. You make a living instead of a fortune. You are surrounded not by fad and fashionable infatuation, but by True Fans. And you are much more likely to actually arrive there.

Build your audience. Kevin just built his with this post: +1 (Alec McNayr)

Imagine a not-too-distant future where you, for a nominal fee, can have instant access to every piece of content ever created on any device, no matter its size or portability. Just like “home video” revolutionized distribution in the 1980’s, the current “digitalization of media” means that great changes are on the horizon for all sides of entertainment: consumers, producers, and writers.

Over the past few decades, consumers have been the beneficiaries of an ever-expanding number of choices. Television moved from three channels to three hundred, then added on-demand and DVR services. Movie fans now have different types of theaters to frequent, as well as reasonably priced home theater equipment. The Internet offers all levels of media, from amateur fare to studio-produced hits.

The “future of distribution” lies on the Internet, which will ultimately offer all producers—big and small—a relatively inexpensive (if not free) means to distribute their content. By sidestepping broadcast fees and retailer middle-men, producers will be able to connect directly with the consumers of their media. The days of projects gathering dust on a shelf will be gone, as will the countless number of unseen feature films waiting for distributor attention at festivals. There will be an unlimited amount of digital space in which for projects to live, and consumers’ choices will become infinite.

Herein lies the problem. With an infinite number of choices, the “future of distribution” will shift from simply a means of physical delivery to the tactics employed to stand out from the crowd.

As every movie ever made becomes available for purchase (or rental) online, the attention of “new distributors” becomes essential. Already, thousands of titles are available via the Internet from Apple, Amazon, and Netflix. Even TV set-top box makers like Tivo and Vudu are making digital distribution deals, allowing their customers easy access to different types of previously unavailable media. All of these services feature a user interface—no matter the device—and because the majority of consumers do not dig too deeply into menus and options, it is crucial that content be highlighted or featured.

Sure, blockbusters with budgets big enough to buy name talent and special effects will also buy big marketing campaigns. Independent producers, however, will be able to compete by gaining the approval of site editors—employees scouring the Web looking for videos to highlight. Whether on YouTube or NetFlix, MySpace or NBC/FOX/Hulu, these content editors will become the new “filters,” providing the same service to consumers that movie theaters and TV networks do today: featuring the best and most relevant content available.

Read the rest of the article by buying the magazine on your local newsstand or at ScriptMag.com!

See our other work from the March/April 2008 issue of Script Magazine:

• The Future of Attention Spans
• New Media: Launch with a Bang!

He outlines the criteria for the death threats (plans, motives, feelings afterwards) and the prize for his “death threat of choice” (a restraining order). The video has been viewed over 150,000 times (150,001 if you watch below).

Talk about viral. There are 293 response videos to his request, detailing the many ways he can expect to be maimed, tortured, and even killed.

What an ironic commentary on our time that Neil, an internet celebrity, uses YouTube to encourage pseudo-stalking for purposes of comedy, statement, and/or publicity.

If nothing else, it’s an interesting case study on engaging user interaction.