Web-only studios mature by mimicking 'old media

Vuguru, the creator of such Web series as "Prom Queen," is doing more than adopting the rituals of Hollywood. The studio is applying familiar "old-media" business models to underwrite the cost of digital production. Vuguru strikes foreign distribution deals that can cover roughly half a given project's budget, in a funding approach borrowed from the world of independent film. And it structures its original series like interlocking Lego bricks that can be snapped together or pulled apart for viewing on multiple platforms.