Ep. 71: Is the Future of TV not on TV?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TIFF Long Take</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Geoff sits down with Vanessa Matsui, the creator and star of the web series '</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ghost BFF'</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. A dark comedy about depression, '</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ghost BFF'</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">is yet another example of creators using the web series medium as an alternative to network or cable television. The show, which was recently greenlit for a second season, is distributed by WhoHaHa, a creative studio co-founded by Elizabeth Banks that celebrates and elevates women in comedy.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matsui talks about how she came up with the concept for '</span><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Ghost BFF'</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, the advantages and disadvantages of the DIY model, and why she hopes her show will follow in the footsteps of other web series–turned–cable shows like '</span><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">High Maintenance'</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, '</span><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Insecure'</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, and</span><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> 'Broad City'</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She also discusses the economics of making a web series, how difficult it is to sell a show about mental health, and her creative collaboration with Elizabeth Banks and WhoHaHa.</span></p>