GigaOM Pro

For web series, characters who address their audience directly can create an intimacy that pays off for advertisers, creators and audiences alike.

Web series are often praised for their diverse subject matter and original points-of-view. But what does pretty much every single prominent web series over the past several years — ranging from serious dramas like "quarterlife" to more fantastical fare like "Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog" — have in common? A main character who addresses the audience directly. And within the online video world, "breaking the fourth wall," as it's known, has become a defining characteristic of many shows, to the benefit of creators, audiences and advertisers alike.