Tag Archives: online video

The webtélé explosion

La Presse on Saturday had a special feaure on “la webtélé”, or online video series. It also includes a piece from Hugo Dumas on a Vrak.tv series, one from Chantal Guy about how women are taking charge online (hello there, Jessica)

The piece from Nathaëlle Morrissette talks about the business model for online video, which outside of Têtes à claques doesn’t really exist. Even though it’s cheaper than television, online video series in Quebec are supported either by arts grant, television broadcaster/telecom company/internet provider or by the creator’s back pocket (usually a combination of these).

I’ve always been impressed with the state of Quebec cultural productions, especially when compared with English Canada. I wonder how much of that success is due to the heavy subsidies from provincial and federal governments, and how much is due to the fact that Quebecers crave music, television and movies in their own language and from their own culture.

Still, I wonder how much a population of six million can really support. The failure of TQS I think was due partially to this oversaturation of media. If hundreds of producers start making their own web TV series, they’re contributing to the fragmentation of what little advertising and other revenue they can hope to collect. Not all of them can get cushy deals with Radio-Canada or Télé-Québec.

But you won’t know if you don’t try, right? If they’re willing to bankroll these operations as a labour of love, who am I to tell them no?