When 3 Bits co-writers Margaret Singer and Max Freeman decided to dip their creative toes into the land of video production, neither of them knew much about the industry. All they knew was how much they both wanted to be a part of it. And the result is exciting, unique and totally queer.
Their brainchild (or children) can be found at the3bits.com, but unlike your more typical queer web series (there are more of them by the day), 3 Bits rejects the linear, sequential episode arc and instead uses three separate storylines, which can be viewed in any order and range in style from suspenseful to comedic.
On their website, the episodes are laid out visually, like Hollywood Squares, and any click will take you into a moment in the life of the character of your choosing. And that means there’s a little something for everybody.
“With 3 Bits, you can create your own navigation,” co-writer/producer Max Freeman says in a telephone interview from New York. “There’s lots of crossover, and you can play with all kinds of stories and style.”
He and co-writer/producer Margaret Singer (who also acts in the series) met in university and formed a team of literature major and photographer, respectively. But it’s their collaboration as queer male and female writers that makes the project stand out: “Every story is co-written,” says Singer, whose character, Roman, finds herself embroiled in a tense situation after a violent (but sexy) fight that opens the first episode of her storyline. “The show is about challenging the old guard of segregation between the clubs and introducing a new vibe with lots more crossover.”
Each plot line is at once fully independent yet enhanced by viewing those of the other characters. But working against the real-life divisions in the queer community by using a technique that minimizes intersection between archetypal characters is a risky technique. That said, the series is just beginning to gain its sea legs, and with only $3,000 funding remaining to reach their Kickstarter goal of $50,000 for future episodes, I say we help them out and let the drama(s) unfold.
the3bits.com
Why you can trust Xtra
