We’ve looked at scripted Web series here, here, and here and the trend toward Internet based “TV” content continues. Wired recently featured actress-writer Felicia Day and her web series “The Guild”:

Felicia Day took a pleasant, if troubling, addiction to World of Warcraft and transformed it into a successful and popular web series, The Guild. Now that show is back with an exclusive distribution deal through Microsoft’s Xbox and the game console’s Independent Video Channel.

“The Guild‘s partnership with Xbox is revolutionary,” Day told Wired.com. “Our little non-industry show is literally made in my backyard with talented, dedicated friends. But, it’s getting equal status with network shows because of the millions of viewers we can reach with Xbox.”

The deal with Microsoft and Xbox is obviously huge, but the point which grabbed my eye was how Day financed an entire seasons of webisodes:

Day originally wrote the show as a pilot, but was told a series about gamers was “too niche” for TV. She partnered with Kim Evey (Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show), and the pair decided to produce the show as a web series. The first season of The Guild consisted of shorts that ran from three to six minutes. The popular show was supported by fans who made donations through PayPal.

PayPal. If that isn’t a perfect example of “If you build it, they will come,” what is? Web content is akin to spec scripts as the creator is putting a product ‘out there’ hoping the right set (or sets) of eyeballs dials in. So my first question: Have you ever produced any content for the Web? My second is: Are you considering creating content for the Web? Like movies, it’s storytelling. Indeed, as we noted here, YouTube launched Screening Room as a platform for longer form content, basically short movies. It’s all headed the way of the Web. Should all of us be thinking more in that direction as well as the traditional studio model for full length feature films?

Felicia Day makes this observation in the Wired piece:

“Online production and distribution evens the playing field,” Day said. “I consider Hollywood a dammed-up lake. There are only a few release valves for all of that creativity to flow through — and that’s keeping talented people and good material from reaching the public. Online lets that creativity flow without middlemen dictating what the audience should like.”

More power to her for creating content and putting it ‘out there.’ And here is Episode 1 of “The Guild.”