Once Upon A Time On The Internet

Once Upon a Time On The Internet is an independent documentary about Newgrounds.com and its influence on online media and culture. The film follows Tom Fulp, who created and sustained the website as a home for digital creativity. It looks back at Newgrounds’ peak in the mid-2000s, when Flash-based animations and games helped define the experience of the site, and considers the challenges of keeping it going in an increasingly corporatized internet. The documentary also explores how Fulp’s passion and resilience helped foster an artistic community whose influence continues today.

The project is directed, produced, and edited by independent filmmaker Conner Nyberg, whose previous work includes the feature documentary Your Friend Logan. Nyberg has supported Newgrounds since 2014 and draws on a network of collaborators connected through the site. Cinematography is by Josh Campbell, a University of North Carolina School of the Arts filmmaking graduate whose credits include The Chaperone, nominated for an ASC Heritage Award.