The New Frontier

Abstract

This chapter explores the expansion of Internet access in Brazil since 2011 and analyzes three critically acclaimed web series: Septo (Septum, YouTube), Marcos: Uma websérie quase original (Marcos: An Almost Original Web series, Instagram and YouTube), and 3% (YouTube and Netflix). The former two were made exclusively for Internet distribution and are the products of recently formed production companies in cities far from the Rio–São Paulo axis of production: Natal and Caxias do Sul. While they differ in genre, tone, length, and themes, both Septo and Marcos stand out for representing regions of Brazil not often portrayed on the small screen during the period leading up to 2011. For its part, 3% eschews regional and national differences, focusing instead on a post-apocalyptic world. Unlike Septo and Marcos, both of which emerged within the context of the new Brazilian mediascape, the production of 3% spans the pre- and post-2011 mediascapes.