Personally I believe this assessment served as an excellent activity to look deeper into the production of what we watch. So often do we watch visual media and not put in any thought behind the production of said text, often taking it for granted, whether it be not having appreciated for great technical feats, or appreciating the subtlety of low tech shoots and being able to make the cheap look good. This series of skits here proved to be a great example of this, having a remarkably low crew and small set, being inspiring to the point where I thought “wow, even I could do that (given the time).” The show’s rapid success may be partially attributed to the timing of its release, being the time in which digital media was on the (exponential) rise with platforms like Hulu, Stan, and Netflix, and according to studies by Steinar Ellingsen, it was during this time that ” YouTube remained the largest televisual platform on the web, and vastly outplayed any other digital distributor.”* And so, due to this period, several television based media practitioners flocked to YouTube to spread their material, much like Pete Holmes did with his ‘Ex Men’ videos, finding mass success, (part of this success may also be attributed to his role in YouTube comedy giant channel CollegeHumor, who placed Holmes as the starring satirical role of Batman in their ‘Badman’ series, another mass hit).
On the topic of editing style, D. Williams says that “Many web series find success because of how different they are from traditional TV shows. They can feature choppy editing an over-the-top acting, deal with topical subjects almost instantaneously, and are usually forgiven for mediocre production quality – aspects that usually are not acceptable in traditional media”. ‘Ex Men’ flaunts this perfectly as that it intentionally strives for this effect; both downplaying production quality to distinctively separate itself from traditional television, as well as playing on the stylized humour of the skit itself; matching low quality of its characters to the production itself, as well as making the show much more dependent on the wit and characterization of the actors and how they portray their characters. Learning this has prompted me to further take this into account in all future productions, showing that how it has made can also convey it own messages and integrates itself with plot, subsequently (and rather drastically) effecting the tone of a film. Furthermore, the series helps in saying to not be afraid in making the most with what you have: being a less popular ‘Late Show’ with a much smaller audience that its competitors (resulting in its cancellation later on) The Pete Holmes Show had a much more limited budget, (particularly in comparison to Holmes’ later work with CollegeHumor), and so had to make do with what was available. The result? A much loved, witty and charming piece of comedy.