Webisode
Encyclopedia
A webisode is a short
episode which airs initially as Internet television
, either download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast
or cable television
. The format can be used as a preview, a promotion, as part of a collection of shorts, or a commercial.
A webisode can be an episode especially of a TV show that may or may not have been telecast but can be viewed at a Web site.
The word itself is a portmanteau formed by the words 'web' and 'episode'.
A webisode is simply a web episode – collectively it is part of a web series
, a form of new medium called web television
that characteristically features a dramatic, serial storyline, where the primary method of viewership is streaming online over the Internet.
While there is no set standard for length, most webisodes are relatively short, ranging from 3–15 minutes in length.
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
episode which airs initially as Internet television
Internet television
Internet television is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet...
, either download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
or cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
. The format can be used as a preview, a promotion, as part of a collection of shorts, or a commercial.
A webisode can be an episode especially of a TV show that may or may not have been telecast but can be viewed at a Web site.
The word itself is a portmanteau formed by the words 'web' and 'episode'.
A webisode is simply a web episode – collectively it is part of a web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
, a form of new medium called web television
Web television
Web television, also commonly referred to as web TV, not to be confused with WebTV, Internet television or catch up TV, is an emerging genre of digital entertainment that is distinct from traditional broadcast television...
that characteristically features a dramatic, serial storyline, where the primary method of viewership is streaming online over the Internet.
While there is no set standard for length, most webisodes are relatively short, ranging from 3–15 minutes in length.
Etymology
Origins:- 2009: Webisode is inducted as a word into the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.
- 1998-99: First public use of the word Webisode, attributed to Stan Lee MediaStan Lee MediaStan Lee Media was an Internet-based creation, production and marketing company that was founded in 1998, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2000, and ultimately dismissed from bankruptcy in November, 2006. In its early years, the company created Stan Lee branded super hero franchises...
in the marketing and promotion of The 7th Portal online superhero series created by Jesse StaggJesse StaggJesse Stagg is a trafficker in pop culture with a background in advertising, design, guerilla marketing.Born in New York, educated in London and Cape Town, he was raised in a commune in England....
and Steven Salem.
- 1996: Earlier usage by the textually-based seaQuest 2047 to describe their periodic publications, beginning circa 1996.
- 1995: Created by the first Internet serialized fiction called The SpotThe SpotThe Spot, or thespot.com, was the second episodic online story , after an earlier experiment by AOL's QuantumLink Serial, and pioneered the underwriting of bandwidth and production costs by offering paid advertising banners on the web pages and product placement within the journal entries...
created by Scott ZakarinScott ZakarinScott Zakarin is an American writer, film producer and new media entertainment pioneer.-Career:In 1995, while directing commercials and early interactive television tests for the Fattal & Collins advertising agency, Zakarin became fascinated by the Internet. He spent time in chat rooms and quickly...
It was used to describe the series. Derivational words also created at the time: Webisodic.
See also
- Original net animationOriginal Net AnimationAn original net animation is an anime that is directly released onto the Internet. ONAs may also have been aired on television if they were first directly released on the Internet. The name mirrors original video animation, a term that has been used in the anime industry for straight-to-video...
- VlogVlogVideo blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging or vidding or vidblogging is a form of blogging for which the medium is video, and is a form of Web television. Entries often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take...
- WebcastWebcastA webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
- Web seriesWeb seriesA web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
- Web televisionWeb televisionWeb television, also commonly referred to as web TV, not to be confused with WebTV, Internet television or catch up TV, is an emerging genre of digital entertainment that is distinct from traditional broadcast television...
- World Wide WebWorld Wide WebThe World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
- Webisode definition at WiktionaryWiktionaryWiktionary is a multilingual, web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in 158 languages...
- Mobisode definition at WiktionaryWiktionaryWiktionary is a multilingual, web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in 158 languages...