Popular gay web series The Horizon seeks community support after losing major sponsor
Image: The Horizon cast. Photo: Supplied.
A WEB聽series set around the lives of a group of LGBTI Sydneysiders聽which has notched up more than 40 million views online is under threat.
The Horizon聽has filmed parts of聽seasons seven and eight聽and聽might not be able to finish post-production work after a major sponsor from the US聽did not deliver on promised funding.
In light of that, the show’s writer, producer and director Boaz Stark聽set up to ensure it聽can live on.
The popular series, which gets about 20,000 views daily, is not just a show for entertainment purposes. It also delivers important sexual health messages.
“This season we explore PrEP聽and the affect it has on one of our major relationships in the show,”聽Stark said..
“PrEP is kind of the big thing in gay community at the moment. People are unsure about it and there a lot of angles to cover and we’re going to try and look at all angles.”
The show’s popularity extends beyond Australia to international markets such as the US聽and Brazil.
“For people overseas I think we’re popular because (Australians) are a bit exotic but we’re still western and they can relate to the stories,” Stark said.
“We tap into a universality in gay culture. People can relate to our characters.”
Stark has had 30 years experience working in television and loves the freedom of working on a web series.
However,聽his proudest moment working on聽The Horizon聽were聽the moments when people learnt something about men’s sexual health.
“We get feedback from people who are grateful for the information that is weaved subtly into the story lines,” Stark said.
“We had a story about about a character who went to the doctors to get聽PEP. And聽we got so many messages from people who said they had no idea about聽PEP.”
Up until now the show had been made on a shoe string budget with cast and crew being underpaid for their efforts, something Stark had hoped to change before the overseas funding did not come through.
“People have been doing this show out of the kindness of their hearts… and we told people we were going to pay them,” he said.
“There are so many ways for people to sponsor the show… it’s not like the money’s going to waste, we have a proven viewership.
“We want to pay people… it’s frustrating we’re trying to make up the shortfall,” he said.
“I can’t wait to tell this story.”
To make a donation to The Horizon’s crowdfunding campaign,
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