Netflix's upcoming docu-series, Westside, was the subject of a keynote conversation at Variety's Music For Screens Summit on Tuesday, October 30 at NeueHouse in Hollywood.
Executive producers Kevin Bartel and Michael Flutie, songwriter Johan Carlsson, executive music producer James Diener, Jenn Levy, Netflix's Director of Unscripted Originals and Acquisitions, and Tom Corson, Co-Chairman & COO of Warner Bros. Records, covered the entire process of creating the show, from the pitch to post-production.
The panelists brought up other music driven shows like Glee and American idol, but clarified that Westside is different because people don't spontaneously break into song and it's not a reality competition. It features a nine-person cast of aspiring artists and all-original music. Westside worked with top songwriters and producers across five genres to create a soundtrack of singles that stand on their own and 20 full-length music videos. The producers also talked about the show's level of authenticity - which is something they feel hasn't been captured before - how they believe audiences will relate to the struggles the artists face, and universal themes of the songs.
All the panelists raved about the production value and said audiences have never seen a docu-series with this kind of visual aesthetic. "It's all about quality, it's all about innovating, it's all about pushing the envelope," said Levy.
Check out the full panel live on variety.com here.
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