The End...for real this time?

Starryeyedgirl09 · Post by **Starryeyedgirl09** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:29 pm

Ok, so I know any time something dramatic happens we all say "Oh, this must be the end of LG15" but seriously, do you think that after the announcement today that the creators will soon be ending our beloved series?

raigne · Post by **raigne** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:37 pm

Mind posting a synopsis for those of us who aren't registered for an account there?

theratdiva · Post by **theratdiva** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:33 am

Lonelygirl15’ spawns sister series
Savy spinoff set to debut in July on Bebo.com.
By Deborah Netburn, Times Staff Writer
April 16, 2007

Last Thursday the creators of the original YouTube phenomenon Lonelygirl15 signed a deal with the social networking site Bebo.com to create a second interactive drama told in short seemingly home made video clips.

The series, titled "Lonelygirl15 Presents…KateModern," is the story of a LonelyGirl-esque 19-year-old British college student, her friends, and the mysterious dark forces that permeate their life (the same forces featured prominently in recent LonelyGirl episodes). The creators say the show will be "edgier" than LonelyGirl15 and will appeal to a slightly older demographic than their original web-drama. It will debut on Bebo in early July.

"We're definitely excited," said Miles Beckett, one third of the LonelyGirl15 creative team that includes Greg Goodfried and Mesh Flanders, in a telephone interview. "As Bree would say, we're really, really, really, really, really, really excited!"

Famous but broke. That has been the position of the Lonelygirl team since it was revealed last September that the web series--which appeared to be the video diary of a precocious home schooled teen named Bree--was in fact a work of fiction created by aspiring filmmakers.

Investigative journalists spent three frenzied weeks trying to figure out the truth behind the videos, and when the news broke that the videos were fakes, the story played out on the front-pages of in newspapers like this one. Jessica Rose, the New Zealand actress who stars in the series, was featured on "The Tonight Show" and every news show on Earth and the creators, already signed to CAA, were quickly taken on what they called "the tour of Hollywood"--meeting with various studio heads.

"They were very enthusiastic, and some offers were made, but we felt that the Internet is a different model than TV, and it would be limiting if we got tied into the studio system," said Goodfried.

Defying predictions of a brief Jessica Rose bubble, over the past seven months Lonelygirl15's fanbase has continued to grow. The character was voted #1 web celeb of the year by Forbes Magazine and won VH1's "Big Web Hit of the Year." On YouTube, the videos continue to draw six-digit audiences.

But the creators still weren't making any money. And since they had financed the LonelyGirl15 production with savings, credit cards, and some help from their parents, they were getting desperate.

"With the internet, you can be on the cover of magazines and interviewed by Brian Williams, but at the end of the day you still go back to your 1997 car with 100,000 miles on it, and it's like, 'Oh well,'" said Beckett.

"The line we tell our family and friends is it is way easier to become famous on the Internet then to become rich," said Goodfried.

So they are happy and relieved that the deal with Bebo comes with the promise of cash (although they wouldn't say how much). "We know we have money to do this project. That alone makes me happy," said Beckett. He added that the actors had been paid from the start.

Bebo.com is a MySpace like social networking site that is especially popular in the UK. It has 31 million users, more than 90 percent of which are under 35.

The plan is for the characters on "KateModern" to each have a profile on the site where they blog, put up photos and videos, and interact with Bebo's users.

The LonelyGirl team has not yet cast the show, and they are currently looking for London based writers and directors as well. But the big plot decisions and many of the episodes will be made and written by the original LonelyGirl15 team and Beckett said he will live in London for the duration of the shoot.

Joanna Sheilds, president-international for Bebo said the site is looking for six to eight top brands to sponsor the show with product and/or name placement. For example, one of the characters could talk about working at an H&M, or mention having bought an amazing new lipstick from CoverGirl in a video blog. "This level of interaction just hasn't been done before," said Shields.

Beckett and Goodfried said they have no reservations about inserting product placement in their narrative. In fact, this month they integrated their first product placement in the Lonelygirl15 story line with Hershey's Icebreakers Sour Gum appearing in an episode.

"Like in 'The Office' when they all went to Chilly's. As a consumer that felt more authentic and real to me that they went to a real restaurant that could go to. That's wasn't that invasive," said Goodfried.

Beckett added: "To not integrate brands would be weird. The fact that we have to crop out logos and keep things out of the frames is awkward. To do something like have a live event at a store and a piece of plot that unfolds there, I find that creatively liberating."

Or maybe they have to say that, since what the filmmakers really want is for the success of product placement in "KateModern" to inspire advertisers to start paying to have their products used in LonelyGirl15.

"Hopefully this new show 'KateModern' on Bebo will be a model and example, and drive people to have a bigger interest to advertise on the original show," said Beckett.

heyiknowsyou · Post by **heyiknowsyou** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:59 am

ooo, this is good. I already have a bebo account! haha.

and i don't see this as the end. this is like, second wind. apparently katemodern will be in the breeniverse, so perhaps they can interracct briefly. That'd be cool. Can't wait for this to come round!

longlostposter · Post by **longlostposter** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:27 am

Frankly, I'm tired of worrying about it. As the Beatles sang, "Let It Be".

Oh, and Starry, it would be nice if you went to tinyurl and made the URL smaller. It's length is distorting the page.

Starryeyedgirl09 · Post by **Starryeyedgirl09** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:18 am

Sorry, I just had to take the link off because I wasn't sure how to make it smaller.

missmadness · Post by **missmadness** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:27 am

They seem to focus on this being not only a paralell, but draw more attention and money to LG15. So I don't think there are any plans to end the series in the near future (as for cast changes, that might be another story)

On another note.

I think I'll really like KateModern, for some reason. Maybe because they mentioned that'll be "edgier" and I'm thinking "older" audience, might include having to be less censored (among other things of course). At this point, I don't WANT to see LG15 end, but I have faith in the creators that I'll see have some form of entertainment in this form. I feel like there's no longer that question to whther or not, this'll all just be dropped and The Creator's will go back to whatever it was they were doing before this...

Post by **Broken Kid** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:51 am

According to The Creators, the LG15 story will continue indefinitely (there are no plans to end it). The KateModern story will run concurrently (they made references to Buffy and Angel running simultaneously in the same world and sometimes overlapping).

Scrawnyfish · Post by **Scrawnyfish** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:02 am

Could Kate be the new girl?

Post by **Broken Kid** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:06 am

Scrawnyfish wrote:Could Kate be the new girl?

I was wondering that too...but if the series isn't going to start until July, it's hard to imagine she'll show up now......

Jamidru · Post by **Jamidru** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:12 am

I was wondering the same. So then if not her, and it doesn't seem she is..... TWO new girls?

It seems they really are wanting to branch out into a network of girls.

nowherepixie · Post by **nowherepixie** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:52 am

Maybe they need a different girl for a different country?

*is clutching at straws*

only1 · Post by **only1** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:09 pm

I like this spin-off idea. I think KateModern will be good....

...but, I was thinking about spin-offs... I think Jonas could stand alone... t least for a while. Have Bree and Daniel continue Bree's adventures... and have Jonas go of seeing if what Alex said about his parents was true...

I think it could work. Jonas has already proven he can be "edgier"... lol

mincartaugh · Post by **mincartaugh** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:16 pm

only1 wrote:I like this spin-off idea. I think KateModern will be good....

...but, I was thinking about spin-offs... I think Jonas could stand alone... t least for a while. Have Bree and Daniel continue Bree's adventures... and have Jonas go of seeing if what Alex said about his parents was true...

I think it could work. Jonas has already proven he can be "edgier"... lol

While I think that Jonas could probably stand on his own, I don't think Bree and Daniel can stand on their own. The characters as they stand are: The martyr, the damsel in distress, and the firecracker. You can get rid of a martyr or a damsel, but if you take away the firecracker you usually take away the conflict. The Order, while it is a conflict, is too ephemeral to count as immediate.
I wouldn't mind Daniel deciding Alex was still salvageable (boneheaded idea, but he's proven himself in the past) and making an attempt to save her. He would fit the profile handily.

He tends to talk things out, doesn't jump to conclusions
He has been enamored with her in the past
He started drinking heavily, and is pretty unstable when drunk
Neither Bree nor Jonas are all that high up on his friend scale just now
It is likely he will begin to feel like a fifth wheel sometime soon (regardless of the "reality")

It would make good theater especially when the two teams begin talking to each other over the net. The LG saga was always more dynamic when that happened. It would also allow for a powerful breakdown scene when Daniel finally comes to the realization that his drinking is out of control and endangering them all. I'm betting Yousef could handle a scene that strong.

I think it moot as to weather he actually finds Alex again. That would be up to the contract discussions, I suppose. All the action--and the acting--would be in the search anyway. And hey! The fight scene when Jonas catches up with Daniel? Yep! I'm liking this idea more and more.

JustAnotherLonelyGirl. · Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:33 pm

This will be interesting.... but why KateModern? She should be like SecludedChick15 or something. Unless modern is her last name. But that's weird. It's like "I'm MODERN." say what?

Anyway, I never even heard of Bebo.