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FEATURESeason Two For VENICE
With episode two of VENICE ready to go on December 18, Crystal Chappell (Carly, DAYS) is already looking forward to season two. "The fans have been amazing and that's what has made this thing," she says. "They're buying subscriptions, which I think is unbelievably generous and then there are groups of people who are buying subscriptions to give away to other people who can't afford it. I knew these people were loyal and I knew they were very vocal and I trusted them all along the way. I never felt they were going to bail and they knew I wasn't going to bail on them, so that's motivating. Because of what they bought in the [online] store, it funded season one, so it's their investment in this and it's been strong and solid. We made the money for season two on the first episode, so it's going to move forward." Chappell admits she was overwhelmed by the response. "I hired a company in Colorado and they're putting us on four servers to handle all the traffic because we've had 24 million hits since September and 225,000 unique visitors since the first of December through the 5th or 6th; just in about a week," she marvels. "You look at that and you think, 'That's a good rating,' and it makes you want to keep doing it. I'm going to be able to give my actors some money, a little bonus for Christmas and then next season, I'm hoping to have sponsorship. Fortunately, because of the fans' response, we've had people contact us about meetings about sponsorships, so we're heading into that next phase."
She's especially pleased by the reaction from the "Otalia" fans. "They got to see what they wanted to see," she smiles. "And honestly, I didn't know it was this much work! I'm happy to do it and I like doing it a lot, but because of the 'Otalia' story, the energy that was poured into that from the fans and how important it is to them, it's not just a show for me, because at this point I'm not making any money. But it's amazing because people tell me time and time again that they have nowhere to go on television or any medium where they can watch a true depiction of themselves and their lives, so I feel really good that they feel they have a place to go now and I know my partners do as well." The actress already has some changes planned for next season. "We've had some really good feedback and some really great criticism," she says. "I value all of it. Story-wise, the first season was written as a script, so it's been interesting and challenging to find those tag and edit moments. Next season, it will be written probably a little but longer, like 8 minutes or 10, but we'll write it with definite arcs." For more, visit venicetheseries.com.
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Looking foward for season 2!!! The love and respect from CC ti us fans is the same we have for her.. we will continue support her and Team Venice :)
I love her, CC is amazing. I have never seen someone who interacts more and cares more about theirs fans then her. She is awesome. So looming forward to the second season, hell I'm looking forward to the second episode:o). I will continue to support Crystal and Team Venice.
CC is amazing, everything she does for us is just full of love and that is why her fans are so loyal, we know that whatever happens she values each of us individually and will take the time to get to know us. It is a mutual relationship that I doubt you can find anywhere else in the mainstream. Love TEAM UK
The audience that is devoted to Venice: The Series will be extremely loyal as long as they get what they want - good story, accurate depictions of lesbian characters, and respect from the actors and execs involved. So far, so good. Crystal et al are awesome. There is $$$ to be made here. That's a fact. For lesbians, the median household income is $80,000 per year. Yep, that's correct. And, they are technologically savvy. A Web series is a great fit. I've got the laptop hooked up to the HDTV and the view is amazing!!!
Love CC for this enormous undertaking. I've never known anyone to give so much to their fans. Wow! I am overwhelmed, and will support CC and Venice always! It blows my mind the time and energy she and team are putting into this on a daily basis. I hope they are getting as much joy and fulfillment out of this as we are. Blessings to the entire Venice Team and a special thank you to Crystal for starting it in the first place. xoxo
Crystal, you are the most amazing person ever. God bless you!
venice rocks thanks team Venice we love you!
Crystal, I have never seen a web series that I wanted to watch until Venice. It is amazing just like you. What a fantastic cast you assembled.
KUDOS to EVERYONE involved with VENICE! From the day I met Crystal, during her 1st stint on DAYS in 1991, I knew she would be a fan fave for years to come! She has proven that time & again. She continues to listen to her fans and work harder than most would even dream of...for her dream & ours! Crystal is on to something here and I believe VENICE will be around for many seasons! Thanks again Crystal, Kimmy & Hope...you're all AMAZING for sharing your story with us and for keeping us invloved! M*E*R*R*Y C*R*Y*S*T*M*A*S & H*A*P*P*Y N*E*W Y*E*A*R!!! xoxoxo
I am so happy that the ball is rolling at the rate it is . Yours and Kimmy's vision is looking so mighty beautiful. It's all good!!
I am so happy that the ball is rolling at the rate it is . Yours and Kimmy's vision is looking so mighty beautiful. It's all good!!
That CC is one smart cookie. Of all the start up web series lately, I felt Venice had the greatest potential for success, because CC was trying to fill a niche that mainstream TV refuses to address or when they do, they do it horribly wrong. Lesbian romance (emphasis on romance) is a huge sell point and I think finally somebody got it. Go CC! Also nice to hear that they're going to fix what I viewed as 2 major weaknesses of the project, the website crashing and writing this like a movie script and then just hacking it up into segments. That it appears CC is listening, makes me more then happy to spend some $$$ to support the project. Hope they release a season 1 DVD with CC doing audio commentary, because I'd love to buy that too.
Venice is a gift that keeps on giving in more ways than one. I absolutely love the show and most importantly the MOTIVATION for it..these people are amazing, this idea shouldn't go overlooked by anyone because it's completely genuine. Subscriptions as christmas gifts? who woulda thunk it.
So glad to hear season 2 is paid for and a new server to accomadate all the traffic as that was a major flaw. But huge kudos to the Venice 3 Crystal ,Kimmy & Hope who have taken on this project which has grown and taken flight. Thanks for all the hard work I can't wait to see where this journey takes us
Uh, to the person who said lesbian median income is 80K a year: I'd like to visit that planet. Honey, not even for couples, unless they're both white-collar. Lesbians are always, statistically, the BOTTOM of the earnings scale. They have kids, they have expenses like everyone else, & as women yes they do earn less. Perhaps you were mistaking us for gay men--who indeed top the disposable income scale. 'Selling' us this way won't magically convince corporations they can market to us at a profit. Wishful thinking doesn't change the facts. This is a small, very loyal fanbase, but for an experiment like this to work, it has to have a breakout success, which means finding *multiple* audience bases. The success of many 'cult' TV shows suggests: audiences respond to a show where the writers & actors demonstrate a willingness to take risks with the format--& not pander. Let Venice give us something we can respect and it'll do just fine.
The little web series that could...love Crystal.
God bless you, Crystal, for respecting us and loving us. That respect and love come back to you a million-fold. Hearing how much work this is for CC makes me want to give more money. Seriously, they were very generous in requesting only $9.99 for the season. We love you, CC, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts... and wallets. ***I think I'll go buy several more subscriptions for Xmas presents!*** No mall required, no standing in line, no rude shoppers!
on ne peut assez remercier madame Chappell et son équipe pour le mal qu'ils se donnent; étonnants par ces temps qui courent; je les suivrai avec grand plaisir dans tout ce qu'ils feront et les supporterai inconditionnellement mille mercis de France et bon courage .
It was great to see Crystal say she is going to extend the episodes to 8 to 10 minutes. She definitely is thinking of her fans. I knew she would apply the subscription money to make the show even better, especially by expanding it. We believed it would be well done and once it came about the results were even better than imagined. CC is capable of creating a viable place for soaps to go if networks bail and she'll be establishing the standard. I would love for the ultimate goal to be 30 minutes but at least she's moving in the right direction. Thankfully within that standard is the inclusion of everyone. Keep up the great work CC,Kimmy, Hope, and others and we'll be there for you.
APPLAUSE and CHEERS for announcement that there WILL be a Season 2!!!! I knew CC would not let us down, because we, her fans, have not let HER down, and we have to KEEP supporting her, not just for what WE will get out of it, but because SHE DESERVES it! And so does everyone else involved in this masterpiece! I stopped watching soaps 25 years ago (AMC), and only started watching GL because of the OTALIA story! And NOW I have bought my first computer EVER, JUST to watch VENICE! Never even wanted a computer UNTIL...I found out that CC was reteaming with Jessica Leccia but on the WEB! Is THATt a tribute to the overwhelming nature of this whole phenomenon that began with Otalia...or WHAT?! Thank you CC, JL, Kimmy and Hope, and all the fans and artists who are in their corner!
The medium income info is correct. At least it is for me and many of my friends. We are definitely an untapped market and Venice will reap the benefits because CC knows that! But let us not forget that for her, this is also a huge labor of love, which is what makes her a wonderfully unique celeb and is the reason why the fans are responding so massively to Venice! I will support this great lady happily! :)
Great article. I'm a huge fan of Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia, and I am happy to support Team Venice. Happy Happy Holidays!!
Crystal, The love, appreciation, respect and loyalty that you have for us (lesbian community) is so much more appreciated than you can ever know. Thank you, thank you, thank you! No matter what projects the future holds for you, we will always remember how much you've worked for us. Meanwhile, we are eagerly awaiting each and every episode of Venice!! Much love, Debbie
This is terrific. I totally agree with Stephanie. Check out the new website discussing lesbian culture, including venice and otalia: http://www.pinkchronicles.com
How exciting! Awesome to hear how many unique visitors have been on the site, wow, 225,000 is pretty amazing and glad to hear that the series is moving into the next phase with sponsorship. Love Venice!
It is great to hear that Venice will defo be back for season 2 and that it is getting plenty of attention. Hope, Kimmy and Crystal have given us a great show and LOTS of their time, which you don't see often! Amazing job ladies Viva Venice!
Does any one of the faithful followers actually say anything but blind praise for CC? Just curious, most comment threads I see in regards to Venice usually just have the pages of blind praise. I find the business model curious where a few weeks ago the subscriptions had to happen in order to have season 2, and now there's money to pay the season 1 actors. SInce the fans were willing to hand over their wallets anyway, why not keep season 1 open to everyone in order to get a wider audience and make this a viable project, not a small group of fans spending their money to see some straight women make out. I think the project has potential but there's not been enough for me, someone who doesn't bleed Otalia, to want to pay to see more. And I think that will be the downfall.
I love what crystal and team venice have done. Venice is awesome and i cant wait for season two, I am enjoying season 1 so far, but i want to give a shoutout to team venice and cast and crew for all there hard work. Crystal thank you for giving us fan venice it is amazing.
aNon, the planet is Earth. Many lez couples are white collar. Now, I know that many lez couples are blue-collar, unemployed, with kids, etc. but the stats are for the MEDIAN lez household. Gay men do make more money - duh. But, lez couples median income is $80K per household (mediabuyerplanner.com) Marketing experts know this too. The targeted ads for a lez audience are evident of this - Subaru, Sweet cruises, Olivia cruises, Showtime and the L Word, and now, (wait for it!) Venice the Series.
Median household income of $80k? ie US dollars? http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/36386/gays-lesbians-earn-far-more-than-media-us-household-income/ Yes aver single lesbian income $US 52K I think that is way beyond what most lesbians here in NZ would earn. And "Subaru, Sweet cruises, Loviia Cruises, Showtime & LWord" are just so far from my lifestyle/tastes that I'm either amongst a minority of lesbians, or the research just doest compute outside the US. And my hope is that Venice is not going to be anything like The LWord. I think that Venice ep one had some great moments, was beautifully shot, but was far from perfect. But I love the potential of this project, am all subbed up and looking forward to the rest of season 1 and 2. Great to hear that the producers are listening to constructive criticism from fans are are aiming to change and improve the show.
Good for Crystal and Venice. So there will be a season two for the series. Let's hope they can get sponsorship for season three.
I love that Crystal and her team have been open and transparent along the way about every facet of this production (personal, technical, financial, etc). Also think it's important for those of us wanting to pass on the constructive responses to keep it up for this relationship to continue so beautifully. This, for me, is the ultimate experience worth every cent, not to forget the fact that it's just plain entertaining and has so much potential.
Colleen,Colleen...that's how fans act,some are more emotional than others but that is pretty much how we...errrr, they act. Why don't you go and check out a fan forum for another actor you'll be surprised how we...they all go crazy for the one they love and yes, THEY ALL SOUND THE SAME!!!! that is what a fan is and I'm a Crystal Chappell fan.
What these folks are doing here with Venice is amazing, so it is good they are actually making money... They have worked over vacations without any pay, so they deserve the success! I will continue to support this great effort from all team. Plus, 9,99 isn't that much! Thank you very much CC and all the team! We love you!
I just wanted to join the fans in saying what a great concept this is, how much I enjoyed the first webisode and to send thanks, not only to CC, Kim, Hope and Leslie, but also to the cast that willingly gave their time (at no cost) becuz they too believed in this project. So thank you Jordan, Hillary, Jessica, Michelle, Gina, Galen, Nadia, Harrison, Lesli, Michael and Tina.
Do realize what an effort of this magnitude requires...Thanks to all involved. Enjoy each actor chosen to participate, but my favorites remain CC & JL. Even OLD women enjoy remembering their youth!!!
Its s a great feeling to see how supportive of our comunity Mrs. Cahppel hasbeen. Love being Chappelled, love knowing there is something good to look forward and love to know Venice's staying around for more! Very grateful fan here!
I love how many people talk about Venice as depicting them as they are, and then go on to swoon about the goddesses that CC and JL are. Unless you're an incredibly wealthy lesbian living in a beachfront apartment, with lots of free time, a budget just for stylists, Botox injections and collegen implants, and you speak in cliches, then Venice isn't depicting anything even remotely like real life. This production is embarassing and, frankly, I have serious doubts about the numbers CC is spewing. We all know there are a lot people watching V 20 and 30 times over.
This web series is crap and you are all pathetic sheep. Go fuck yourselves.
I am not wealthy or live in a beachfront apartment far from it. CC and her team are doing this from all the positive responses from Otalia. We should be happy and greatful that we have something like this to watch. If you don't like it fine but please don't critisize CC and all the people who put all there heart and soul in this project for all their loyal fans.
I don't really understand the beef with the fans. It is true that this is what all your fanatics sound like yes it is sheep-like cause duh they all say the same things. Yes they want to spend the money watching the series but so what it is their prerogative. I think twilight is crap but if the fangurls want to spend their money on that drivel I could care less it's their freakin money. If you don't give a hoot about this project don't follow it the fans would annoy you less that way. This is in no way directed at the negative comments about the project those with valid criticisms are easy to spot as is the haters.
The myth of gay affluence has been used to deny that there is a need for legislation to protect gays and lesbians from employment discriminination, on the theory that if gays and lesbians actually out-earn straight people they are obviously not being discriminated against in job opportunities.
aNon---here you go: For lesbians, the median household income is $80,000 per year (Lesbian singles $52,000; Lesbian couples living together $96,000) http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/36386/gays-lesbians-earn-far-more-than-media-us-household-income/ 61% of gay men own a home and 36% rent 8.4% of gay men own vacation property and 9.3% own other property 69% of lesbians own a home and 29% rent 10.4% of lesbians own vacation property and 9.8% own other property
Just wanted to say the series is great and CC & JL are two very sexy looking ladies . Looking forward to next Friday . Have a very merry Christmas & happy new year ..always Jude in Toronto
I'm looking forward for season 2. I just watched season 1 and as much as a like ani and gina I'm actually cheering on for ani and lara, major cute couple!
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