Rituals demand to be remembered. When the stories behind them face erasure, retelling with full complexity keeps the tradition alive. “Rituals,” the docuseries from PBS Digital Studios, won a People’s Voice Award during last year’s Webbys for doing just that—unearthing the customs that empowered marginalized communities across the Deep South.

Each episode explores a unique cultural practice, delving into its significance as informed by the very community it originates. We spoke to Avery White, Producer at PBS Digital Studios, to learn how their team earned a Webby for capturing deeply human stories through video.

Read on to find out what it takes to craft award-winning storytelling.

What inspired the idea behind your project? Why drove you to bring it to life? 

Ritual’s inspiration stems from a deep desire to elevate underrepresented stories and cultures, particularly in the Deep South. We wanted to challenge stereotypical narratives by creating a nuanced, artful docu-series that showcases the complexity of cultural rituals as mechanisms of survival, resistance and joy. Each episode is driven by a mission to preserve and celebrate traditions that have been historically overlooked or misunderstood, offering audiences a sophisticated understanding of cultural practices that are centuries in the making. The project is committed to making episodes that serve community members featured as well as folks in other communities far and wide.

What helped your idea flourish? How did you develop your idea from its blueprints to the final form?

Our development process was collaborative and research-intensive. We prioritized diverse perspectives by creating advisory teams of community members relevant to each episode. We developed a comprehensive approach that included extensive research into historical contexts, sensitivity reads for scripts, firsthand interviews with cultural practitioners and historians, a commitment to cinematic, artful storytelling, and a multifaceted social media strategy designed to create intrigue and trust.

Creativity is critical in digital, and so is relevancy. How did you make your idea meet the moment? 

We recognized the growing audience appetite for authentic, deep-dive storytelling. By focusing on diverse, multi-generational viewers, we crafted content that addresses contemporary social issues through a historical lens, uses scroll-stopping visuals and stirring music, designed content to incentivize conversation, and leveraged digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

What’s vital in your creative process? What’s a unique strategy or practice that you employ to create out-of-the-box work?  

Our unique approach involved many factors. First, our talented host, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, was key to the success of the series. Along with a large, dedicated fanbase, she brought decades of experience and talent as a performer to the project.

With each episode, we focused on blending historic analysis with cinematic documentary techniques, prioritizing diverse perspectives and representation, and creating a consistent visual and conceptual brand identity. This also included developing a “rubric” that defines the rhythm, look, and sentiment of our online presence and studying the successful social media strategies from others, like that of our public media colleagues at Independent Lens.

In an era of overconsumption, how did you make your work stand out online? What new techniques or approaches did you use to set your idea apart? 

Working with an engaging, knowledgeable host was key. Choosing the right talent to lead the show gave Ritual its edge to help us stand out online.

It was also very important to us to prioritize stringent ethical standards during every step of production.

We used techniques to create visually striking, high-quality content and designed content specifically to go viral. Our approach focused on untold stories with universal intrigue and providing deep, sincere and thought-provoking storytelling that transcends typical digital content.

Ultimately, Ritual stood out by offering authentic, high-quality storytelling that respected cultural nuances, educated viewers, and amplified historically underrepresented groups—creating a lasting mark in the digital content landscape.

What challenges did you face during production? Did you need to pivot at any point? How did you adapt? 

Some of the challenges we faced during production included capturing authentic representations of complex cultural rituals, balancing historical accuracy with engaging storytelling, and navigating potential sensitivities around cultural practices. We had to limit the span of geographic coverage due to budget, so we found ourselves adapting to these limitations by focusing initially on rituals in local regions.

Beyond algorithmic success, what does it take for an idea to create a lasting mark on the Internet?

Creating a lasting mark requires authentic storytelling, respect for cultural nuances and commitment to representing diverse perspectives, including those of historically underrepresented groups, high-quality production value, and content that educates and emotionally resonates with viewers.

Looking back, is there anything you would do differently to execute your idea better?

Potential improvements could include expanding geographical scope beyond initial regional focus, developing more interactive digital engagement strategies, and creating more comprehensive archival documentation.

What happened after your Webby Award? What impact did your win have on your work and team?

Our Webby win helped increase visibility and morale for our station. We also believe the win can potentially help us attract more diverse talent for other programs, help us secure additional funding for future projects, and help inspire other stations to pursue producing similar innovative digital content.

Last Chance to Enter the 29th Annual Webby Awards Ends Friday, Feb. 7th! 

With new categories and new judges, don’t miss your last chance to showcase your work in our biggest year yet. Work is accepted across: Websites and Mobile Sites; Video & Film; Advertising, Media & PR; Apps & Software; Social; Podcasts; AI, Immersive & Games; and new this year, a dedicated suite of honors for Creators!

Enter at entries.webbyawards.com before our Extended Entry Deadline on Friday, February 7th!