How Melanie Rowland Built a Global LGBTQ+ Hit With a Tiny Crew and Big Vision

Photo Credit: Melanie Rowland

By Tahlia Norrish

Melanie Rowland is a Naarm (Melbourne)-based drama producer and the founder of Lilydale Films, which was launched in 2018 with her producing partner Ric Forster. Best known for the hit LGBTQIA+ series Flunk—which has racked up over 200 million views on YouTube and streams globally on Peacock, Amazon, Tubi and Plex—Rowland has carved out a niche creating bold, youth-focused stories with international reach. Before Lilydale, she honed her producing and production management chops on series like LOL, Footballer Wants A Wife, and several Neighbours digital spinoffs. 

Key Insights:

• Producer Melanie Rowland turned a self-funded teen drama into an international streaming success through consistency, audience insight, and agility.

• Her hit series Flunk proves that small crews and smart strategy can outperform big-budget teams in the digital content space.

• Rowland shares candid advice on building an online series “universe,” monetizing socials-first content, and embracing improvisation to capture authenticity.

Can we start with your origin story?

After studying film and television at university, I spent about a year working in post-production as an editor. From there, I moved into production and was fortunate to land a role as assistant to the executive producer at Neighbours. I’m incredibly grateful for my time on the show—it gave me a rare opportunity to see how a TV series is made from start to finish. It’s not common for all departments to be housed under one roof, but at the Nunawading studios, everything from the story department to post-production happened on-site.

I went on to freelance as a production coordinator and manager across a range of scripted and unscripted films and TV shows, eventually taking the leap into producing my own content. Flunk was self-funded at first, and we learned a lot as we went. Watching it grow from a grassroots web series into an international franchise has been surreal.

What was your initial intention for Flunk when you first developed it? 

I’ve always been drawn to coming-of-age shows like The O.C., Heartbreak High, and Skins. With Flunk, the goal was to tell raw, emotionally honest teen stories that captured the messiness of real life. From the outset, we wanted to create an authentic teen series—something we felt was missing at the time.

When our LGBTQ+ character, Ingrid, was introduced, we saw a significant increase in views and engagement on our YouTube channel. We leaned into that response and brought Ingrid to the forefront of the series. That shift really shaped the direction of the show and helped us find our audience. We never set out to create a “universe,” but the appetite for these stories kept growing—so we never stopped.

You seem to have an incredible knack for creating online content that connects. What might creators overlook about their audience? 

A lot of creators underestimate just how much content it takes to break through online. Flunk didn’t gain real traction until around our tenth episode—and it was only after a full season of content [40 x 5 minutes] that the audience truly found us. MrBeast, for example, uploaded around 450 videos before reaching 10,000 subscribers on YouTube. Consistency and volume matter more than most of us like to admit. 

You need to treat it like a business. A lot of creators lead with passion—which is great—but you need to have a plan for recouping your costs. Ask yourself: What platform(s) will I monetize on? How many views will I need to break even? If you’re not on a monetized platform, make sure you’re using that content to drive traffic to where you are making money—whether that’s YouTube, Tubi, or even Patreon.

Also, think beyond the show: What else are you selling? Is it merchandise, licensing, or brand partnerships? Blending creativity with a commercial strategy is key for longevity. 

The production crew on Flunk has been very small—often only three strong on a given shoot day. What’s the thought process behind this setup, and what’s something you’ve learned as a result? 

Partly, it’s by necessity; partly, it’s by design. The reality of fractured online audiences means there’s less ad revenue to go around. But we’ve also found that smaller crews are more agile. With a three-person team, we can move fast, pivot easily, and keep the shoot intimate and focused. Larger crews tend to slow things down with extra coordination. One big learning: more people don’t necessarily mean better outcomes. When everyone’s across the vision and wearing multiple hats, you can be surprisingly efficient. 

Do you have any advice for allowing for creativity and spontaneity while working within tight digital budgets and timelines? 

One of our most effective strategies has been combining improvisation with scripted scenes. We’ll often film a scene as written, then follow it with a take where the actors improvise. These improvised runs often produce the most authentic and unexpected moments while also helping the actors deepen their connection to the characters. It’s a fast, flexible approach that works especially well for low-budget shoots. We’ve created entire feature films this way that really resonated with our audience. 

Finally, is there any digital content you consider essential viewing for emerging online creators? 

It’s essential for online creators to study their niche, whatever it may be. That will look different for every creator, but it’s crucial to see what’s working and what isn’t. By analyzing the successful content in your space, you can identify what can be improved and what unique angle you can bring. Then, go out and make it happen! 

This interview has been edited and condensed. Special thanks to Melanie Rowland for her time. Be sure to keep an eye on Lilydale Films for their upcoming releases. 

Takeaways:

• Volume, persistence, and audience responsiveness are non-negotiable when creating for digital platforms.

• Small, tight-knit teams can be more efficient and creatively nimble than large, traditional productions.

• Creators should treat digital content like a business from day one—balancing storytelling with strategy to ensure long-term sustainability.

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