Parked: behind the scenes

YouTube sensation Wengie, director Michael Shanks and producer Mike Cowap give an inside view into the creation of Parked.

Wengie talks about branching out from her usual style of YouTube videos into narrative filmmaking with this spooky online short.

Parked marks the acting debut of Wengie, who with 13.9 million subscribers, is Australia's most-subscribed to YouTuber.

"It's not something she's become by accident," director Michael Shanks says. "(She's) really switched on and has incredible insights into how she presents herself, her work, and the audience she connects with."

Shanks, whose best known as the creator of web series Wizards of Aus, also explains the importance of well-constructed horror beats to get across the right mix of fun and thrills for viewers.

And while it's something different from what Wengie's fanbase might be used to seeing, producer Mike Cowap of Princess Pictures says they were front of mind the entire time.

"As we were developing this show, Wengie has been involved from the beginning and we've worked really closely with her to find something that would really work for her fanbase and nobody knows them better than she does," he says.

Wengie's foray into scripted drama was made possible through the Screen Australia/Google initiative Skip Ahead, which has also supported the career progression of popular YouTubers such as Superwog and The RackaRacka.

Watch Parked on YouTube here