Flicia Day's comedy web series about a group of online gamers and how they interact online and offline WatchTheGuild.com - Winner of they YouTube and Yahoo best web series awards in 2008, winner of three Streamy Awards in 2009by Josh JacksonIf fans of The Guild's creator and star Felicia Day can be considered a cult following, that cult is quickly growing into a full-on religion. Her web series has been streamed more than 25 million times, and she's already eclipsed the million-followers mark on Twitter. Not bad for a show about a group of online gamers that was considered too niche when the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress originally pitched it to the networks.
"I wrote it as a half-hour pilot because that's the format I know," says Day, a real-life gamer. "And I showed it to producers and network people I know. They were like, 'Oh yeah, there's some really great stuff in there, there's some really great characters, but I don't know what the hell is going on.'"
So she headed online, where the show found a devoted underground audience. About six months into the project, her former Buffy boss Joss Whedon cast her as the female lead in another web sensation, Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog. Meanwhile, her shoestring production got a boost from Microsoft, who added it to their Xbox Live offerings. This September, Day launched The Guild's third season with the unlikely comrades facing a new off-line enemy as it waits in line outside a GameStop.
"The thing about web video is that we're not rolling around in money like most TV and film," Day says, "and by necessity we have to wear a lot of hats. So not only do I write all the episodes, but I star in them. And I co-produce them. And I manage the web and fan correspondence. And I go to conventions and meet our fans. ... But it's a completely new genre that's being invented, which is really exciting."
Music video for The Guild:
More episodes at: http://www.youtube.com/user/watchtheguild
