remixable - posts tagged 'Uncategorized'

Transmedia Talk 35: Henry Jenkins at DIY Days LA

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:21:55 GMT

Welcome to Transmedia Talk, a podcast covering all things Story. Transmedia Talk is co-hosted by Nick Braccia, Dee Cook, and Haley Moore and looks to shed light on the topic of transmedia storytelling with commentary, interviews and tips on how storytelling is moving into the 21st century. Download | Subscribe with RSS |Subscribe with iTunes USC provost professor Henry Jenkins joins us at DIY Days LA to talk about introducing new creators to transmedia, and the connection between its study and practice. Hosts: Nick Braccia from Culture Hacker Robert Pratten from Transmedia Storyteller Haley Moore (and Host Emeritus Dee Cook from Dog Tale Media) About Our Guest: DIY Days speaker Henry Jenkins is a Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts, a joint professorship at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is also author of several books, including Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide and Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture. His upcoming book, with Sam Ford and Joshua Green, is Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Society. He also writes the popular transmedia blog, Confessions of an Aca-Fan.

Wicked Solutions for a Wicked Problem

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:55:45 GMT

DIY DAYS is coming to LA on Oct 28th and we’re excited to share a new site we’ve been working on. http://www.diydays.com

When we started DIY DAYS back in 2008, the goal was to share information and creative process within a social environment. As we prepare for what will be our 9th event, we are excited to announce a number of new additions to DIY DAYS that will focus on action.

Wicked Solutions for a Wicked Problem (WS WP) will be a center piece of the event. A wicked problem within the educational space will be targeted. WS WP is a “think tank meets hackathon” that will combine design thinking, storytelling and co-creation in an effort to move from concept to working prototype within a 48 hour period. DIY DAYS LA will close with a presentation of the prototype to a live audience.

Robot Heart Stories is an experiential educational effort that will have students in two underprivileged schools, one in Montreal and one in Los Angeles, co-creating stories that will move a robot (connected plush toy with GPS capabilities) from Montreal to Los Angeles. The project kicks off Oct 17th at the FESTIVAL DU NOUVEAU CINÉMA and concludes on the 28th at DIY DAYS LA. The journey will be documented and the children can check in with the robot’s progress as she attempts to find her way home. The student’s stories will be brought to life by designers, illustrators and animators and copies of the children’s work will be placed in an “actual rocket” that will be making its way into space this fall. The project mixes social gaming mechanics with creative writing while at the same time enabling the students to learn using math, science, history and geography.

SPEAKERS
In our first wave of speaker announcements we’re thrilled that Henry Jenkins, Tommy Pallotta and Christy Dena will be joining us. We’ll be sharing more speaker and program details in the coming weeks.

We are still looking for interesting people and projects. So if you know of someone or something that would be an amazing addition to the event please drop us a line at work@workbookproject.com with the subject “Diy Days LA.”

TICKETS
DIY DAYS LA is free and tickets will be available on a first come first serve basis. Starting on Sept 12th you’ll be able to get them from http://diydays.com

PARTNERS
We’re proud to partner with the UCLA Library as one of their Open Access Week events. Open Access Week is a global event, now in its 5th year, promoting Open Access as a new norm in scholarship and research. UCLA is giving us access to their amazing Charles E. Young Research Library which has recently been renovated.

CINEMA SPEAKEASY PRESENTS ‘SHOW & TELL”
In a special section of DIY DAYS we’ll be highlighting amazing innovative work. We’ve teamed with Cinema Speakeasy to put on a “show & tell” that will give creators of film, games, music, design projects, immersive experiences and anything else that deals with storytelling a space to show. Space is limited so make sure to contact us early. For more details check out http://diydays.com/2011/08/special-showcase

VOLUNTEERS
Last but definitely not least, we are looking for a few good women and men to help us put on the event. It’s a fun great way to meet people and network. Not to mention volunteers are what help to keep DIY DAYS free. It is the volunteers who share their time and talents that make DIY DAYS possible. We are in need of folks to help with logistics, tech, and documenting the event. If you’re interested you can find more details here http://diydays.com/volunteers

The Power of User Generated Content

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:12:28 GMT

At SXSW I watched Nick Poole (founder of the infamous 4chan) introduce his new project Canvas. This isn’t as edgy as his previous meme factory. Canvas provides basic tools for users to post and alter pictures. Think of it like a message board where users have conversations through constantly evolving images. A long thread starting with a picture of Dos Equis’s “The Most Interesting Man in the World” can end randomly with him as Rebecca Black and the caption: “It’s not always Friday. But when it is…Saturday comes next.”

The success of Canvas hinges on growing a community of people excited to create remixes. With just viewers, there won’t be user generated content to entertain visitors. So, Nick makes sure the collaborative process is fun/easy and doesn’t focus on attracting professional quality design work. Without high standards more lurkers will become contributors.

Now more than ever, everyone from artists to storytellers should learn how to hone the power of UGC to build their internet presence. Facebook is the second most popular site in the world-Twitter, Youtube, Yelp, Fanfiction.net, and many other successful destinations wouldn’t exist without non-professionals.

Here are some different ways to get people to create user generated content:

View more presentations from Peter Katz.

What is your experience with user generated content?

Branded Distribution

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:07:45 GMT

The Cool Kids and other popular musicians at SXSW are signed to a new kind of record label-Mountain Dew’s Green Label Sound. In my opinion, this trend will grow in the world of music and move into the world of indie film distribution as well.

This phenomenon is happening because of the combined economic challenges of record labels and the decreased reach of branded television advertising. Traditional record labels have been struggling to earn enough money through record sales because of piracy. Therefore, record labels are now insisting on 360 deals, in which musicians give labels a percentage of all their income. Many artists aren’t happy with this arrangement. Simultaneously, the reach of branded television advertisements are decreasing due to TiVo and Netflix. “Interrupting TV shows is ‘not something most people will tolerate,’ says TiVo CEO Tom Rogers. In the 40% of all households that have a DVR ‘the amount of commercial avoidance is huge.’” (Source David Lieberman at Deadline Hollywood.com) Netflix has over 23 million members on their ad free platform (Source Netflix Investor Relations), some of whom are beginning to cut their cable cords. In response, some brands are finding a new way to reach an audience.

Remember the music industry isn’t struggling because people don’t love music. Social networks allow artists to have more reach and powerful connections with their listeners. Green Label Sound signed The Cool Kids to be part of their relationship with fans (consumers). I think that is a good investment when you consider the depth and duration of the relationship the fans have with the rap crew. This combined with (last time I checked) 3,370,297 views for their Black Mage music video on Youtube, 4,850,369 plays and 423,384 listeners on Lastfm, 187,861 Likes on their Facebook page, and they have 12,878 followers on Twitter. At SXSW The Cool Kids performed at the Green Label Sound Showcase and many top music blogs mentioned their label.

In exchange, the Cool Kids get to keep all of their income from iTunes album sales, except for processing fees (Source Billboard). They are promoted by a marketing budget much larger than most record labels, since Green Label Sound is owned by PepsiCo, a Fortune 500 company that has sold billions of dollars worth of soft drinks vs relying on album sales. “Labels suck,” the Cool Kids’ Chuck Inglish said, “What can they do that Pepsi can’t do? We had a good experience with Green Label Sound — we got more from that single than we got from our previous album. I was tired of the album sitting around and just wanted to get it out.”(Source Billboard)

Here’s where indie film distribution fits in. Sponsors at prestigious film festivals might evolve into distributors: starting to acquire titles that make sense for the brand’s identity, focusing on marketing themselves as patrons of the arts, distributing films to theaters where their target demographic lives e.g. college towns. This strategy increases brand loyalty by adding value to people’s lives.

Content producers will win because all of the typical costs associated with theatrical film distribution will be covered by the brand. So, creators are going to be able to keep more money. Filmmakers will still own the digital rights for their project and the buzz from screenings will increase the projects’ value. “Theatrical will drive awareness of the film,” WME agent Liesl Copland said regarding distribution for Blue Valentine (Source Eugene Hernande at IndieWire).

What are your thoughts on branded distribution?

My Favorite App at SXSW

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 23:23:41 GMT

There are many apps on your smart phone. How many do you really use? Me: Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, Huffington Post, Lastfm, and Google maps. My 100 other ones collect dust because they don’t solve a problem or are a bad imitation. At SXSW I discovered an unique app called iTouru: remember listening to an audio tour at a museum, now imagine if the entire world had an audio tour. These stories could provide new perspectives for a city. Below is my interview with Andrew Dever, Founder & CEO of iTour. You can follow him @andrewdever.

What is iTouru?

iTourU is a new iPhone App that lets anyone create, discover and share what we call ‘Pocket Tours’, which have ’stops’ that are tagged to a map and include audio, text and photos about that location.

These Pocket Tours can be about absolutely anything, making iTourU a platform for creativity and real world adventure.

How did you come up with the idea?

The idea came to me when a friend sent me a satirical tour she had made about a renaissance exhibition. She’d recorded it in mp3 and sent it to friends on Facebook. It was pretty popular, and I thought it would be cool to make it possible for anyone to easily create personal niche tours and share them from their phone. It was simply irresistible to me that with audio you could actually see and touch the world around you (rather than watch a video or read about it on your device).

So that’s what we did: built a platform for creativity and real world adventure.

Who did you make this for?

Good question. In the long-term we believe anyone could use it. You just have to be interested in the world around you. It’s like YouTube but instead of video it’s location based audio (and other multi-media). So it’s not limited to traditional “audio tours” of museums. Your Pocket Tours can be about anything!

At the moment we’re really trying to find creative, inspiring and insightful ‘publishers’ and help them create and share amazing Pocket Tours. We’re learning new ways it could be used everyday!

What has been your favorite tours so far?

My personal favorite is the “Keep Austin Weird” tour by Howie Richey. We’ve also been working with quite a few publishers in San Francisco and there’s so many good tours about to be released!

Which cities have the most traction?

We’re only a baby now – we launched at SxSW and spent the week before that in Austin. There’s over 30 tours available there and counting! Over the next six months we’ll be seeding content in many of the best cities around the world.

What’s your advice to someone making a tour?

You’re only limited by your own imagination. Be adventurous, find locations that mean something to you and share your creativity, insight and inspiration!

Do you think storytellers will create a narrative around locations?

Absolutely. It’s like watching a movie in true 3D!

What’s your long term vision for iTouru?

Simple. We want to truly reinvent how people tour the world and build things that make the real world more inspiring, insightful and adventurous.

We have some BIG ideas around how to do that, stay tuned!

You can follow us @itourukombi, visit our blog and download our iPhone App here!

SXSW: Felicia Day’s Rolling Eyes

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 00:04:05 GMT

There has been a lot of murmur around Felicia Day rolling her eyes as she said the word “transmedia” in her SXSW keynote speech on Monday, and what that frustration coming from a highly respected online creator might mean for those of us who do transmedia as a passion, or for a living.

In a panel later that day with Craig Engler from SyFy.com, Riese: Kingdom Falling creator Ryan Copple, and Mercury Men creator Chris Preksta, she laid out some of her reasons for disliking the word.

Honestly, after listening to her talk, I think Day outed herself as a transmedia person by expressing distaste for the term – and for the traditional marketing people who have mistakenly taken “transmedia” to mean franchising or merchandising. She gave a very long explanation of her views (too long to write down) and they basically line up with the discussions we’ve been having in the Transmedia Artists Guild for over a year.

What does it mean for people who create things like Perplex City if all a producer sees there is a trading card game? For Cathy’s Book if a publisher only sees another novelty book-plus? For Pandemic 1.0 if marketers only see a really neat trade show booth?

The question is whether we should try to snatch the word “transmedia” from the jaws of marketer douchebaggery, or let it get torn to shreds and come up with other terms for a medium-spanning experience that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Tim O’Reilly did an informal keynote at SXSW on Friday, in which he talked about the switch from the term “free software” to the term “open source.” The shift occurred as O’Reilly talked with people about the mythology of their community and gradually altered how they identified their projects and themselves.

Likewise with the term “maker” – which manages to include crafters, coders, roboticists, chemists, and tinkerers while leaving out people who don’t invent or produce, and making creation a source of pride. The transmedia world still doesn’t have anything nearly so specific or evocative that includes puppetmasters, distributed literature authors, and immersive game designers, but excludes people who release a tv series with its own breakfast cereal.

I’ve been trying to think about what makes the things we do special. Ok, let’s take a basic idea. We’re not working in one medium, we’re working in multiple media. So multimedia.

Ok, that’s…good but it’s really 1990. But the media part is good. Let’s keep that. What about…cross media?

Ok, cross media is pretty good, but some people treat that as system of content delivery, or a strategy for choosing marketing hooks. What we’re talking about are cohesive projects that exist over all their parts in different media. We need something that says “big, overarching, pervasive” something that transports you from one medium to another…transcends…transforms…trans…

Transmedia.

Crap.

Anybody got any better ideas? Let’s hear em in the comments.

Saskia’s Guide to Producing: Understanding the International Market

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:11:43 GMT

This is a series of posts delving into the gory details of what it takes to produce an independent film. Covering the entire process — from development to fundraising, production, distribution, online strategies and beyond — they will be written in real time, from first hand experience, as I go through the process of producing a feature-length documentary.

UNDERSTANDING THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET: INTERNATIONAL SALES AGENTS & THE EFM.

A few weeks ago I took my first trip to the European Film Market (EFM), which is hosted annually as a parallel event to the Berlin Film Festival.

My stated goal was try to gain support for a few film projects. But the moment I walked into the massive building that hosts the EFM and saw the teeming hive of people – all seemingly engaged in animated conversations with one another – I realized that this was no cozy, friendly, intellectual space. Indeed: The opposite. This was a place of Big Business.

Mulling over my approach & networking tactics, it hit me like a ton of bricks: I knew nothing of the ins and outs of the international film market, not to mention how to break into this group of long-established friends and colleagues without making an ass of myself. I had to learn, and quick. I immediately set about the task of understanding what I was dealing with – and getting a measure of my ignorance of the ins and outs of the international film business.

As far as I could gather, the EFM was composed primarily of the usual types of people we see (or hope to see) at most film festivals: Filmmakers, distributors & acquisitions execs, financiers. Rarer at the indie fests and of great interest to filmmakers hoping to go big, the EFM is also the hub par excellence of that shadowy group of people who negotiate rights and broker territory sales: International Sales Agents.

Sitting at their booths or at the market’s numerous screenings, meeting with filmmakers, exchanging notes in the café, it became very clear to me that the ISAs rule the roost at EFM. In truth, they are most often the first point of contact for big distributors looking to pick up new titles. These are people, in short, that every aspiring filmmaker who hopes to launch into the business in a bigger way should at least think about, new strategies for distribution and fundraising notwithstanding.

I broadsided one of these ISAs – shivering outside on a subarctic German afternoon. What follows, then, is a short interview with the very savvy Miriam Elchanan, the Senior Vice President of Sales and Acquisitions of Los Angeles-based Fabrication Films, explaining the world of the International Sales Agent in nine questions.

What do international sales agents do?

International sales agents represent feature films in the international marketplace. We are responsible for licensing specific rights to specific territories or countries. So for example, if you have produced a film and you have a North American distributor for the United States and Canada you would license the remaining worldwide rights to us. We would then license these rights to our buyers around the world. Our company offers established relationships with distributors and broadcasters and strategic marketing and promotional strategies.

What are the territories that you cover? What are the other territories?

Fabrication Films has buyer relationships in every country in the world. Major territories include Europe (UK , France , Germany , Benelux , Italy , Spain , Greece , etc), Asia (including Japan , China , Thailand , Indonesia , India , Malaysia / Singapore ), Latin America including Brazil, Eastern Europe including Russia, Australia , the Middle East, Turkey and Israel.

At what phase of the filmmaking process would you come in?

We prefer to get involved as early as possible in the production phase so that we can assist the Producer with creative and financial suggestions that will help bolster the value of their film in the global market. In many cases we become involved while a producer is in post-production or has just recently completed their film.

Do you deal with international presales for projects in development, ever?

Yes, however our decision to become involved in presales is usually strongly based on the cast and genre.

What do you, in particular, look for in the films you represent?

There are three things that I look for in an acquisition, the first is cast, the second is genre and the third is story/production quality. In the foreign market a film can be great but if it is a drama with no cast it will be extremely difficult for me to sell it. Action films traditionally are the easiest genre to sell and an action film with cast, great production values and a good story is a slam-dunk. However, I do keep my eye out for those special festival or art house films that have cache and documentaries that will speak to everyone.

What are some major no-nos, for you, from a creative point of view?

Films with a film industry story line can be particularly difficult. I am not a big fan of filmmakers who have their characters pull out a video camera in the middle of a scene and then go to a grainy gritty hand held shot.

I think there is a major difference between making a film for creative reasons and making a film that sells. There is a way to do both but you must consider who is going to buy your film when it is finished. A painter can paint an amazing piece of art but that doesn’t mean you would want to hang it in your living room and look at it every day.

It is the producer’s choice to make a film that is less mainstream and more for a specific group of viewers, but keep in mind the more you limit that scope the less return you will make on your investment.

How do you feel about the DIY strategies that many filmmakers are engaging in, in order to promote, distribute or sometimes even fundraise for their film?

I like the idea of DIY distribution. If you make a film for less than 100K you can get your film seen and build an audience for yourself.

This is much harder to do in the foreign market. Most foreign distributors do not want to work directly with a one-time producer. [Rather] they want to work with a company they already have an established relationship with. They know that I can competently negotiate an agreement with them, we will follow through and deliver the picture and provide the necessary legal and financial paperwork they need to fulfill their obligations.

Recently I was representing a film where the producer had sent a trailer and artwork of their film to a number of foreign buyers about 6 months prior to us taking the film to market. When we began meeting with buyers they would immediately retort that they had seen the film and passed. This was due to the fact that the producers promotional materials were subpar and were not up to the standards these buyers were looking for. When we presented our campaign [for the very same film], it was much harder to engage the buyer in a dialogue.

Bringing in professionals in most cases is the best strategy to getting the best return and the most successful release. I would recommend that a filmmaker make a decision from the beginning how they want to release their film and stick by it. If a DIY strategy does not go well, don’t be surprised when a more traditional sales agent or distributor [has no] interest in stepping in after the market has been saturated.

Just ask yourself this question, if I told you that I watched ER everyday would you let me perform open heart surgery? Just because you read Variety doesn’t mean that you can do what someone with 10-20 years of experience can do.

How do you find the titles that you represent?

We monitor the internet, festivals, social networking, attend industry events.

The best way to get your film noticed by a good sales agent or distributor is to have a well maintained website with good up to date contact information. If your film is listed on IMDB or other industry sites make sure the information is correct and that you provide as much information as possible.

Do you have any advice for filmmakers looking to work with an international sales agent? Anything they should watch out for?

I would look for a well-established company that has been around for at least 5 years and has a catalogue of films that are good quality. Many sales agents have a certain genre focus some focus more on family films some on horror. You might want to see what they have sold before to get an idea if your film is a good fit. Look for someone that you feel comfortable with and try to negotiate a deal that works for you.

I think there is plenty of paranoia out there when it comes to distributors and sales agents. Look at your film in the most realistic way. If someone tells you that they have a studio relationship and they can get you a deal but they will not put that in writing that means they will do their best but cannot guarantee anything.

If a sales agent is representing a huge film and it doesn’t make sense [in the context of] the rest of their line up, make sure that they are representing the major territories on that film — and not just Indonesia.

If a sales agent tells you that their estimates are realistic and those estimates are twenty times bigger than your entire production budget I would be concerned. However, if a sales agent’s estimates are smaller than what you hoped but are more like what you expected I would say – in most cases – they are the real deal.

Check out Fabrication Films here and if you are curious about the international scene, may I recommend the very excellent blog ‘Sydney’s Buzz’ on Indiewire.

RADAR NYC 2.9.11 – feat. Glennis McMurray

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:17:07 GMT

The lovely Glennis McMurray (RADAR Ep2 - I Eat Pandas) shared a bit of her world with us by curating AND writing this weeks edition of RADAR NYC. Glennis is co-founder of I Eat Pandas, Founder of G.L.O.C (Gorgeous Ladies of Comedy), can be found on numerous stages, and all over the internets. Last time I saw Glennis was at the URDB Christmas event breaking the world record for the longest musical chairs interlude clocking in at 04:53.90 min/sec. And so, without further ado…

WATCH

Space Unicorn – Parry Gripp

Nerd trifecta alert! Parry Gripp, unicorns, and space! Parry Gripp, lead singer of Nerf Herder, called for Space Unicorn drawings to accompany his latest meme and the result is a highly watchable, totally danceable and pretty darn adorable video. My one regret in life is that I didn’t submit a drawing. Well, that and the perm disaster of ‘94.

LISTEN

Tony! Toni! Toné! – “If I Had No Loot”

Da da da day, hey! Long before Cee-Lo told that money-grubbing ex what was what in “F*ck You”, there was a funky boy band by the name of Tony! Toni! Toné! (The third Toné had acute accent. Heyoooo.) and I, for one, have had this song on repeat as of late. The Tony/i/é trio called out the moochers in “If I Had No Loot,” providing the world with not only the best song of all time (I said it), but a song with a message. And that message? No one in this band is named Tony (i/é). Nailed it!

READ

Julie Klausner’s – I Don’t Care About Your Band

Are you a lady? Were you, are you, or will you one day be in your twenties? Have you yet realized how much your twenties sucked BALLS (sometimes literally)? Then Julie Klausner’s book, I Don’t Care About Your Band is for you! She lays her poor decisions on the table like a sassy deck of sex cards and makes you feel a little less awful about being such an idiot in the second decade of your life. Empowering and hilarious and soon to be an HBO hit starring Lizzy Caplan!

You can buy the book HERE

In The Pony Palace / FOOTBALL

I am really looking forward to Half Straddle’s “In The Pony Palace/FOOTBALL”. So much so that I’m going to be at every performance! That’s how much I love this show! OK, full disclosure: I’m in the show. Kristina Satter’s play about living for a feeling and being on a team features a marching band and live mashups by Chris Giarmo. (Lady Gaga meets the Stones, what the what?!) Tickets:
http://www.thebushwickstarr.org/

Side note: Jon Friedman’s The Rejection Show is always a great time.
Monday the 14th they take on lurv (or lack thereof) with the Valentine’s Day Heartbreak Haven.
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3395105

Catalogliving + @Caissie

I am obsessed with Molly Erdman’s Catalog Living. Gary and Elaine’s delightfully droll catalog life leaves me hungry for more, eaten off Crate & Barrel plates on a West Elm table.

Follow the hilarious Caissie St.Onge – @Caissie – on Twitter. She’s why twitter was invittered.

RADAR NYC 12.17.10

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:14:32 GMT

(via www.fuckedinparkslope.com)

LOOK

Marc Horowitz Advice of Strangers

Now, we suggested a few weeks ago that you follow Marc Horowitz (RADAR ep18 – Google Maps Road Trip) in his latest project, The Advice of Strangers. For the month of November, he put up his daily decisions to a poll for his followers to vote on, everything from who to vote for in the election to how he should indulge in an egg roll. If you didn’t check it out, here’s your chance to see what you missed. The response was quite overwhelming, some of the polls getting more than a thousand votes. And even though the polls are all closed now, he’s still posting a few updates. And if you have been following along, it’s definitely been cool to see it all unfold.

The Advice of Strangers website

LISTEN

Reading Rainbow – Prism Eyes LP

Reading Rainbow (RADAR ep38 – Weathervane) is a blast of reverb-happy, jangly guitars and catchy male-female vocal harmonies. And now they have an album out! Prism Eyes, their new LP, is a fast-paced, yet dreamy, adventure through a series of different genres and eras of music, including lo-fi garage rock, shoegaze, surf rock, and even a bit of 60s pop. What ties it all together is the high production values that really do create a wall of sound. This Philadelphia duo is definitely a band to follow in 2011.

Check the album out HERE

READ

Tanya Fischer (Bambi Killers) interview

By night Tanya Fischer is part of the blood-drenched punk rock/performance art group Bambi Killers (RADAR ep12 – Bambi Killers), but in prime time she plays the character Zoey on the show The Defenders. It’s forgivable if you couldn’t recognize her without the blood. Here’s an interview where she talks about finding time to balance both gigs, as well as her film debut in “The Assassination of a High School President.” She also describes Bruce Willis as “a cool cat.” I like anyone who can work that phrase into an interview. Check it out!

Read Interview HERE
http://www.bambikillersnyc.com/blog/

Bear Hands at Bowery Ballroom

Bear Hands (RADAR ep37 – Dickchicken) recently released their energetic debut album, Burning Bush Supper Club, and now they’re coming home to New York. On Dec 17, they’re playing at the famous Bowery Ballroom, with opening bands Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and The Tony Castles. Get your tickets before the show sells out!

Friday, Dec 17 – 8:00 p.m.
Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St.
New York, NY 10002
$13-$15
EVENT INFO

FOLLOW

Fucked In Park Slope

I’ll start with a personal anecdote: I was walking down 5th Ave in Park Slope, behind a family about to cross the street, only to have a car run a red light in front of them. The father flips out, screaming obscenities and starts kicking the car, and then kicks another car, in front of his kids, with his wife egging him on.

It was then when I realized that maybe Park Slope isn’t quite as quaint as I originally thought. And that’s what this blog is for. Fucked in Park Slope is written by residents of this pretty, gentrified and allegedly family-friendly neighborhood, where they rant, rave, and snarkily report the daily happenings. Honestly, if you’ve ever gotten frustrated by the G train, this blog is for you.

fuckedinparkslope.com

Indie Film Capitalism #12

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:54:10 GMT

As an indie filmmaker, to SAG or not to SAG has always been an issue when casting films. The paperwork, the fees, the obstacles that they place in front of you can be daunting. Having to work with them, not they trying to work with you. In the new world of cinema where creators are attempting to engage their audiences over a myriad of portals/devices in many innovative ways, the old actors guard have not embraced this new way of entertaining, in fact it is even more challenging to work with them. I have experienced a new dilemma with the professional actors union, how to explain my upcoming project in their “contract” terms and attempting to not break their rules.

My latest project Billboard an Uncommon Contest for Common People! has many moving parts, we are engaging and entertaining audiences in a plethora of ways. In the first phase of the project we have an opportunity for everyday people to get involved with the project as well as SAG actors. In fact some of the movie cast I need for this phases, happens to be based on around a website. RED FLAG, RED FLAG! What do you mean you want to use SAG actors for a website along with unprofessional actors? In an attempt to work with SAG I need to break the project into two different projects, one for the New Media side of the project and the other for the movie.

Okay, I understand. Got it. I will break the film up into two different projects under a bigger umbrella. Now I want to cast name talent who we will need to be in both projects. RED FLAG! RED FLAG! Try to have your casting director explain this to agents. WTF! I am trying to play by SAG’s rules, now agents think I’m trying to pull a fast one, confusing the process. No I really am trying to work with the old actors guard. Agents aren’t having it. I even offered to present my project to the agencies so they get what I’m trying to do, my casting director doesn’t feel they will be receptive, “do you really think a group of agents, at an agency will take the time to listen to you explain your project so you can hire their actors”. I’m willing to do anything for people to understand what I’m trying to do. CAA, WME, ICM, UTA call me, 610.597.7189, I would love to work with you! Maybe we can package the project with your talent?

This is only half of my challenge. The other half is working within SAG’s rules when it comes to narrowing down what budget contract we fall under. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about; what you pay SAG actors is based on your budget. Each budget limit has a contract with a different set of rules. After reading SAG contract after contract and trying to figure which one worked best for my project I determined the Ultra Low budget would work best for us, it’s the most flexible. You can work with SAG and nonSAG actors, you don’t have to use SAG extras, you only have to pay the actors $100/day (although I have budgeted more than that for my name talent) and the budget cap is $200k, although we will have more money than that. The real reason is the ability to work with anyone I would like to. My daughter is not SAG, do I really need to Taft-Hartley her?

I made this business decision and I am willing to work within SAG’s rules. Now I would really, really like to work with Actor/Actress X. My casting director pitches the project to their agent. Agent’s response, “no way in hell will I let my Actor/Actress work on an ultra low budget project.” They won’t let her explain further. We have our reasons, we have a ground breaking project, we have money to pay more than $100/day, we are only trying to play by the old actors guard’s rules. I cut my hair short so I can’t pull it out.

I have thought about scrapping SAG all together but I really want to work with some particular actors. Working with these actors will also make the project more marketable when we distribute the movie. Thus I need to and am willing to work with SAG, but will they work with me? Will agents take the time to understand what we are doing? We have a way that our key actors will be compensated handsomely for taking the risk with us. Risk reward right?

I can’t wait until we unleash Weiler’s transmedia project at Sundance, maybe the industry will understand what we are trying to do more easily. Sundance has embraced us and this new form of entertainment, Academy Award nominee Guillermo del Toro just announced his new transmedia studio in Marina del Rey, CA and the marketing execs of brands get it. When will SAG? Agents? I guess time will tell, but I’m on a schedule.
Maybe I should reach out and partner with a Hollywood established production company who have embraced technology to help tell their stories. Maybe that will make this casting situation easier. Anyone have any suggestions?

RADAR NYC – feat. Jay Shells

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:29:48 GMT

(Painting by Jay Shells and Ben Hollingsworth)

This week, we asked Jay Shells (RADAR ep 25 – Subway Etiquette) to curate this week’s installment of RADAR NYC. He obliged us with some submissions that give us a peek inside a subway artist’s head, including a blog on New York subway art, a humorous book on racism and culture, and a beautiful video of fingerboarding.

WATCH

Hermes Fingerskate

Everyone who went to high school in the last decade remembers fingerboards, right? Those little skateboards you could do tiny-sized ollies and shove-its with? I’m betting not that many people ever got that good at it. But while the rest of our ADD-addled brains moved on to 5 or 6 more things, Alexis Milant mastered the art of it. And directing, apparently! This video is surprisingly well made, with impressive lighting and editing that gives it production values you just don’t see on Youtube. But more important than that, it’s just really cool to watch.

Alexis Milant’s website

LISTEN

Fitz and the Tantrums – MoneyGrabber

First of all, Fitz and the Tantrums is either the most awesome or awful band name ever, depending on your view of puns (I would say awesome, personally). Once you get past that and watch the video for MoneyGrabber, you’ll see that there’s a lot more to them than just a cool name. As one (unusually perceptive) Youtube commenter puts it, “did Motown and Bowie have a lovechild?” Really, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Prepare to have this, and the rest of their songs, in your head all day.

You can find their album and a free download of MoneyGrabber here

READ

ego trip’s Big Book of Racism!

Oh, this is sure to offend some sensitive folks. Proclaiming “we just hate everybody,” Ego Trip’s Big Book of Racism promises to take down literally every group imaginable. And while the book’s five authors of color clearly want to make their readers laugh, there is a serious message in it all: racism is indeed everywhere in our culture, and rather than hiding from it, we should put it all out there and make fun of it. We can learn a lot about other people—and ourselves as well.

You can buy the book HERE

Jay Shells and Benjamin Hollingsworth at Gallery Bar

(Kenny Scharf’s new mural)

On December 17, Jay Shells will be joining Benjamin Hollingsworth at Gallery Bar for a show with all new paintings. This will be a chance to see some of his non-subway related work, and hey, a chance to have some drinks at nice bar surrounded by beautiful artwork. Hard to pass that up. And while you’re in the area, be sure to see Kenny Scharf’s new mural on the Hole Wall at Houston and Bowery while it’s still up.

Friday Dec 21 · 6:00 p.m.
Gallery Bar
120 Orchard St
New York, NY 10002
EVENT INFO

FOLLOW

Subway Art, Animal NY, Changethethought

This week, Jay offers us 3 blogs worth checking out. Changethethought is designer Christopher Cox’s portfolio-turned-resource for all sorts of creative minds. Animal New York is a culture blog for snarky, creative New Yorkers who like reading about street art just as much as they like making fun of Libyan dictator Moammar Khadafy and his bad trip to the city. And the Subway Art Blog is definitely a website that would appeal to the average New York commuter just as much as it would appeal to the creator of Subway Etiquette signs—a look at various bits of random art that pops up in the world’s most complex subway system. On that note, now is a good time to follow @jayshells on Twitter as well.

Changethethought
Animal New York
Subway Art Blog
Jay Shells’ Twitter, Tumblr

Indie Film Capitalist #11

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:11:06 GMT

Buyer Beware!
I have been getting an amazing amount of emails lately inviting me to conferences and lectures where the hosts want me to fork over copious amounts of cash to learn from their panel of experts. Can’t you already learn from these same experts at The Workbook Project or DIY Days and it’s free? These are two examples of places where musicians, filmmakers and gamers can read, listen and watch, educating themselves in an open environment, the latest trends in many things creative.
Yes I believe that experts should be compensated for their time, but some times these experts aren’t being paid for their time at such conferences, even when the audience is asked to pay a couple hundred bucks to attend. Yes there is value in networking at such conferences but what is the real benefit? Is it worth the price tag? Maybe there needs to be yet another evolution in Lance Weiler’s mega-info-platz-site, The Workbook Project, where creatives can skype/conference call with experts at a given time per week. The creatives than can donate money on how worthy they feel the expert’s information was.

This brings me to another growing problem in the indie film scene particularly. The abundance of everyone putting out their shingle as a producer’s rep. There was a time when producer’s reps actually did something for filmmakers. Bob Hawk and John Sloss have excellent reputations as well as a number of others (Submarine, WMA, Jeff Dowd, Abramowitz, established agencies). But there are others who do not. FILMMAKERS DO NOT PAY AN HOURLY RATE FOR CONSULTING. A true producers rep/consultant will represent your film to potential buyers and take a percentage of the sale, much like agents do. There are a number of people saying they are producer’s reps/consultants who are not helping make sales or the film for that matter. Instead they are billing/collecting filmmakers scarce capital, pocketing it and getting very rich. THIS IS A SHAM!!!
Here’s my example: I met producer rep/consultant at a conference in NYC a couple years back. We exchanged cards, he asked to see my film that I was working on. I sent it to him. After review, he called me and we chatted. Three weeks later he sent me an invoice for his time for watching my film and the phone calls he made to me. What the @#%&!!!!! Needless to say I told him to shove it. Do not fall into this trap. Do not sign anything and do not pay them. This is complete B.S.!
True producer’s reps will watch your film or project and evaluate whether or not they want to get involved. Not every film is right for every rep. The same is true with agents. Do not become discouraged. Keep trying. If they pass, ask if they could suggest someone who may be right for the project. Listen to what they have to say and make changes. Do not pay them for this. It’s unfair. Think for a moment. A producer’s rep has the potential of making a considerable amount of money on the sale of your film if they deem it worthy. You want someone who is going to fight for you, not have their hand in your wallet.

WBPLabs partners with 3rd Ward (exclusive membership offer)

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:48:29 GMT

WBPLabs has partnered up with 3rd Ward for our latest series, Inside Design (to be released). 3rd Ward is a member-based art and design center for creative professionals in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Workbook Project is a big fan of 3rd Ward as it’s an innovative business space that is fueling the creative community.

As part of our partnership, 3rd Ward has offered Workbook Project readers an exclusive membership promotion. Unlimited Membership offers access to resources that would otherwise be too costly for many artists and designers: a wood/metal shop, a media lab, photo studios, jewelry studio, private & collaborative workspace, and over 100 education classes — all under one roof. Please take advantage of this generous offer and also spread the word. Share this promo code with your friends, family and colleagues. And if you don’t plan on becoming a member, do yourself a favor and check out the website for upcoming events and monthly classes.

Exclusive Offer:
Workbook Project readers who sign up for Unlimited Membership get their first month FREE (a $359 value). Schedule a tour and claim your free month today at: http://www.3rdward.com/takeatour/wp
PROMO CODE: OPENCREATE

I spoke with Jessica Tom, 3rd Ward’s Marketing Director, about 3rd Ward, how it’s facilitating the emerging creative class, and what’s to come.

What is the main concept and intention of 3rd Ward?

Give creative people the resources they need so they can take risks and make things the world has never seen. When you don’t have to worry about space, tools, knowledge, etc… the world is at your fingertips. Without physical limitations, you can realize your creative potential and more.

How is this concept of community / shared workspace and artist development facilitating the local creative community?

It is low-cost, high-inspiration. Don’t know how to use After Effects? Take a class. Need to shoot your new jewelry line? Book a photo studio. Need some legs for your table? Ask your new friend in the metal shop. By sharing tools, knowledge and space, creative people can seamlessly cross media boundaries, learn faster and grow stronger. More and more creative people are moving to freelance. 3rd Ward gives them structure and endless possibilities to create and collaborate.

How has 3rd Ward been able to sustain and grow into a thriving business?

We’ve been able to grow by listening to our members. We’d just be a building with some expensive stuff inside were it not for our people. They are very vocal about what works for them, and we respond in kind. Ultimately, what’s best for their businesses — whether we’re talking about out photographers, set designers, fabricators, hackers, or whatever — is best for our business. We succeed as a creative workspace if they succeed as creators.

We’ve grown by offering the best possible experience to our members — through our comprehensive facilities and classes, but also by creating a truly warm and supportive environment. Together, that creates pretty fertile ground for pretty amazing work!

What’s the future of 3rd Ward? What’s the future of creative workspaces?

We’re building out our 2nd floor to include a bigger wood shop, more photo studios, and more learning spaces. We’re also developing a “3rd Ward Member-Made” brand of furniture that we’d like to sell at stores across the country (if you’re a buyer, contact us!).

The creative workspaces of tomorrow will likely have some aspect of sharing. There’s less waste, less money spent, and more opportunities for collaboration. Also, being successful now depends on how well you’re able to draw upon different disciplines. People wear more hats now because budgets are tight and companies must do more with less. Knowing how to use Photoshop is like knowing how to use scissors and glue. Everyone needs to be a marketer. If you’re a set designer, you might do some 3D modeling, but you’re much more marketable who if you can build the set, choreograph, film, edit, and write the copy on the fliers!

3rd Ward is a pretty unique place and there’s no where in the world quite like it. It’d be interesting to see more place like us. They’d be competition, but I believe a rising tide raises all ships.

Indie Film Capitalism #9

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:16:39 GMT

Times are tough, listener-ship is down and Clarence Lindeweiler needs to come up with a plan to save his struggling alternative rock radio station, WTYT 960. Clarence’s plan is to host a billboard sitting contest, where four lucky contestants have the opportunity to win, “a beautiful mobile home and nine-sixty hundred dollars”. All they have to do, is be the last person to survive, living on a billboard. Two weeks ago we announced our next project, a transmedia project based around the movie Billboard an Uncommon Contest for Common People!. I warned everybody in attendance that they could shape the course of the project, be a part of it, be immersed in it or simply be entertained by it when the finished movie comes out. I guess I should warn you too. This is what has transpired thus far. The day before our announcement we launched our indiegogo crowd funding site. Our site outlines what the project is about, how the funds will be used, a description of the perks that we’re offering and details on how contributions can be tax deductible through our fiscal sponsorship with Fractured Atlas. Check it out, donate and please give me your feedback. Prior to the announcement we sent out press alerts to 20 news organizations in the area, in fact twice, two days leading up to the announcement and the day of. We sent out invites to about 100 people to join us for the big news. Well, it poured down five inches of rain that day but we still had twenty people show up and two people from the press. While I was discussing the project live, people at the office where emailing out press releases. Why did we feel it was important to make an announcement? The project is inspired by a real contest that took place in the early eighties in the area and we need local supporters, a.k.a. funders, to help us make the project a reality. We’ve learned that press begets press. Press also builds credibility with potential supporters, which can help a lot. The press that we have received, has resulted in over 130,000 impressions for the project thus far, which savvy businesses could have already been capitalizing on. A buzz on the street helps too when you start making phone calls to people, but it doesn’t exactly equate to dollars. We’re attempting to raise 10% of our budget locally. We feel by having 10% of our budget in place, will also prove to those people who are on the fence of support, that the project has some legs and carry them over to the other side of support. That is my focus for the next couple of weeks, to seek out some local brand sponsorships before I go national with a press campaign. I may look for someone who would be willing to match donations dollar for dollar for a given amount of time up to a certain dollar amount. Maybe you or someone you know could help us achieve our goal? Stay tuned…

RADAR NYC 10.08.10

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:29:51 GMT

WATCH

Eclectic Method – 8 Bit Mixtape

Eclectic Method – 8 Bit Mixtape from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.

If you haven’t heard of Eclectic Method (RADAR EP 7), well, chances are you’ve encountered their work without even realizing who was behind it. The group, formed in 2002 by Jonny Wilson, Ian Edgar and Geoff Gamlen, is one of the central pioneers of the art of audio/visual remixing. They’re not DJ’s. They’re not VJ’s. They are, in many ways, both, and so much more. Self-dubbed as “DVJ’s,” the group is often asked which aspect of their craft is most important, and which comes first: the audio or the visuals. They believe that both are equally important, and that they couldn’t possibly have one without the other and still call themselves Eclectic Method. Since their start nearly a decade ago, they have mixed U2 videos with Beastie Boys, and Kill Bill fight scenes with Dave Chappelle’s standup, all before the concept of a “mashup” had ever entered the mainstream. Check out one of their newer videos, 8 Bit Mixtape, where they mix classic video game video and their theme songs. I was blown away when I saw this. Who knew that someone could take the primitive digital beeps from Sega and spin it into a hot dance mix, with an awesome video, equipped with dancing Tetris blocks, to go with it? I don’t want to give too much away, but they somehow managed to work in The Notorious B.I.G. in a very clever way. That’s all I’m saying. Check it out for yourself. I don’t know about you, but personally, I’d rather dance to this video than sit in the basement and play Donkey Kong any day.

LISTEN

Auto-Tune the News #13 ft. Weezer

Remember the Gregory Brothers (RADAR EP 27)? From Turtles to the Antoine Dodson Bed Intruder Song, we’re sure you’ve heard of them by now. They just released a new video, this time expanding their level of collaboration from just within their group to include the well-known indie-rock band, Weezer. This adds a new layer to the Auto-Tune the News videos, and maybe this will be a recurring theme, bringing in different well-known artists to add a unique spin on each video, or maybe this is just a one-time experiment. Either way, we’re pretty into their newest installment.

READ

Brooklyn Bitches on a Budget

If you’re like me, a recent college graduate who just moved to Brooklyn, then you’re probably pinching pennies, living paycheck to paycheck, just tryina’ get by. But there’s hope for us yet! This awesome blog, Brooklyn Bitches on a Budget, gives advice to people who are trying to live exciting, fulfilled lives in this great city we call home, but don’t necessarily have the funds to live extravagantly, in the conventional sense, that is. The blog outlines cool DIY projects (ranging everywhere from interior decorating to circle scarf-making), how-to’s (like free vacations, getting in shape, and decorating your fire escape), and various unique recipes for at-home meals and treats. The best part about this site is that it is in no way limited to those who reside in Brooklyn (after careful examination of the blog, I’m convinced that the creators decided on the title merely for catchy alliteration’s sake). Not only are the DIY projects accessible to anyone anywhere on a budget (or not on a budget, for that matter, for those willing), but there’s also a section of the blog devoted to outlining activities and attractions specific to various New York neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs (“neighborhood on a budget”). Reading this has inspired me not only to explore the little-known jewels in my own new neighborhood, but to discover different places all around New York, a city with which I’ve been familiar (or so I thought) since birth. And what better way to get to know your city than doing so for free?

Brooklyn Bitches on a Budget

Crafts in Chelsea III

The {NewNew} partners with PS 11 to bring you CRAFTS IN CHELSEA III on Saturday, October 16 from 9-5pm. This event is held on 21st street between 8th and 9th avenue and will occur rain or shine. This event spotlights over 100 of the best local New York artists and craftspeople vending their own unique jewelry, pottery, clothing, fine art and other handmade goods. Visitors to the fair will enjoy the opportunity to converse with artists about their creative processes while shopping for one of a kind items. This event is run in conjunction with PS 11’s annual FALL FESTIVAL – an indoor event that includes food, arts and crafts, bouncy castles, games and a petting zoo for New York City children. Last year this event drew record crowds and helped to fund arts programs for the students of PS 11.

From the site:
“A fall handmade street fair of the finest handmade arts and crafts the New York Metro are has to offer. From elegant jewelry to unique upcycled handbags, to cutting edge fashions, artwork, and more! All handmade within the New York Tri-state region.”

Sat, October 16, 10am – 5pm
21st street between 8th and 9th avenue, NYC

Event Info

It Gets Better Project

Inspired by the recent tragic spike in LGBT youth suicides, advice columnist Dan Savage and his partner Terry created the “It Gets Better Project,” a campaign intended to reach out to teenagers and send the message that life really gets better after high school, and to tough it out until then. The project is incredibly inspirational and moving, and anyone who wants to can be involved. The first video is a talking-heads piece featuring Dan and his partner, exposing very personal accounts of how difficult it was for them growing up as homosexual kids, but how, once they finally got past adolescence, life was better, even wonderful. The couple encourages people to send in videos of their own, giving their own personal accounts and advice. This collaborative, communal approach is wonderful, and, most importantly, will hopefully achieve what it set out to do. Savage believes that something like this is necessary in a YouTube-ruled society, where most of these kids don’t have flesh-and-blood role models to help them through these tough times, but they do have computers. If you’re as moved by this as we are, send in a video! Or if you have nothing to contribute, check out the YouTube channel frequently, as new videos are added all the time.

Link – It Gets Better YouTube Channel

Short Filmmaker Profile: Fabian Euresti

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:55:59 GMT

As part of the upcoming ‘One Hundred Mornings’ run at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles, Cinema Speakeasy, CineFist, Downtown Independent Theatre, and Slamdance Film Festival have come together with the WorkBook Project to jointly curate a short film program to highlight new independent directors. What follows is the fourth of six director profiles.

FABIAN EURESTI

Raised in a dusty agricultural town just north of Bakersfield, Fabian Euresti is the son of migrant farm workers in California’s citrus groves.

Attracted at a young age to storytelling, he made his first film as a senior in high school with his brother’s Sony DV camera- learning quickly that one of the hardest parts of filmmaking is commitment. Nonetheless, he carried on these attempts though his undergraduate studies in English Literature, replacing written essays with what he calls ‘essay films’, wherever possible.

The first of these — a deeply disturbing yet oddly meditational film about water contamination and injustice in his hometown (‘Everybody’s Nuts’, 2004) — came to exemplify his style. His graduate studies at Cal-Arts allowed him to further refine his directorial vision and documentary thematics, while serving to support his burgeoning interest in narrative filmmaking.

His work examines alienation, loneliness, injustice, and the slight sense of the surreal that typifies existences in Southern California- where people live surrounded by lush groves, migrant workers, modern subdivisions and forgotten lands, all the while remaining haunted by a faint sense of unease. To that end, his first narrative short ‘Dos Por Favor’, presents us with the story of Jose, a man in transition. Or is it about a world in transition…?

In anticipation of the upcoming sceening of ‘Dos, Por Favor’, we caught up with Fabian for his two cents on film, success and consistency.

What are the biggest issues you’ve faced, as a filmmaker?

The biggest issue I face is evolving as a filmmaker. I strive every day to learn more about my craft, so I can be a better storyteller. I do not feel it is prudent to discuss issues of pre-production, production or post for one reason. Problems arise at one time or another and you solve them, or you don’t, and life goes on. The thing about problems (whether on set or off) is everyone has them. So then, my biggest issues personally as a filmmaker are about potential new projects. I do not want to make films if I feel there is no need.

How do you typically distribute your short films? What has worked, for you?

Being a recent graduate from Cal Arts’ Directing Program, I have two strong pieces that are. I have been fortunate that both films have been well received so far and are starting their respective runs in the film festival world. That said, I have no real experience in short film distribution.

How do you define success as a filmmaker?

I define being a successful filmmaker means making films consistently. In other words, am I making work? For me, it’s really that simple. I am lucky in that Cal Arts encourages their student artists to express themselves how one see fit. For example, my other film is not narrative fiction. “Everybody’s Nuts” is an essay, a portrait film about my parents. I like that I am able to make smaller, more personal films where it is just me and the camera. I know these films do not have any real commercial future. And that is ok. But do they have an audience? Yes? Than all is well. This said, I do want my work to find an audience, and thereby (possibly) a market. Certainly, making narrative fiction films can be a costly endeavor.

Slamdance, Cal Arts, & WorkBook Project present: ‘Dos, Por Favor’
Directed by Fabian Vasquez Euresti
Produced by Benjamin Rodkin

Sunday 19 September
7:30 and 9:30
Followed by the WorkBook Project Discovery and Distribution Award winner ‘One Hundred Mornings’.

Click here for screening tickets

Short Filmmaker Profile: Burke Roberts

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:37:50 GMT

BURKE ROBERTS

Burke Roberts’ first film debuted in the midnight movies section of Cannes Film Festival and then went on to achieve an underground cult-like status (‘Jesus Rides Shotgun’, 1997). Not bad for a suburban punk kid from Colorado.

Roberts is singularly – some might even say aggressively – devoted to the underground. His projects, best described as diverse and communal in nature, run to the very edges of the arts spectrum: From running his art film collective (Bizzurke Army), to creating jaw-dropping contraptions such as the Engine Theater, a 1000 pound light and steel kinetic projection system, complete with 17 foot screen.

Helming some truly experimental stuff (“techno-primitive”, actually), Roberts is a self-described addict, but his devotion is primarily angled towards the process– which he likens to the hip-hop battle attitude of the Parisian film scene. As he puts it. “My brand of guerilla filmmaking is basically making really complex, high production value somethings out of nothings.” (Suicidegirls.com, ‘A Plague Called Complacency: Guerilla Filmmaker Burke Roberts Talks Film and Fanaticism’, 2007).

We caught up with Roberts in anticipation of the upcoming screening of ‘Some of An Equation’, a short film in one take exploring JUST how wrong things can go in the space of a few minutes.

What are the biggest issues you’ve faced, as a filmmaker?

I’ve run the gambit of the guerrilla filmmaker’s challenges: shut downs, injuries, arrests, etc. But the biggest issue is the constant life state of suspense. It begins when an idea wants to be born then escalates throughout a production and remains ever present around the film for as long as it shall be screened.

How do you typically distribute your short films? What has worked, for you?

I do not make my work readily available to the public at this point. I tour with my films like a band to theaters, galleries, festivals and music venues – domestically & overseas. To see them, one must come to a screening or purchase directly from me.

How do you define success as a filmmaker?

A true filmmaker is attentive to every detail of the craft, from theme to shot design, from performances to lighting, story structure, location, sound design, pacing, color timing, subtext… and so on…

The best a filmmaker can hope for are fleeting moments of satisfaction throughout the process: in which the entire puzzle snaps together to match, or even exceed, the vision in their mind.

Audience approval, wealth and celebrity are only relevant when a filmmaker with strength of character is able to funnel it into extended freedom of exploration on the screen.

Slamdance, Cinema Speakeasy & WorkBook Project present: ‘Some of An Equation’
Directed by Burke Roberts
Cinematography Jeremiah Tobias Gurzi

Tuesday 21 September
7:30 and 9:30
Followed by the WorkBook Project Discovery and Distribution Award winner ‘One Hundred Mornings’.

Click here for screening tickets
Click here for Bizzurke Army website

RADAR NYC 9.9.10

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:49:12 GMT

PLAY

HOTEL (creepy interactive story/game)

There’s something pretty slick and trippy about HOTEL, the latest interactive Flash-based story from our friends over at SubmarineChannel. The story, now ten chapters deep, starts off some in sort of disjointed, Lynchian world, where each click of your mouse propels you deeper into the rabbit hole. With a story that sucks you in like HOTEL, just make sure you have some time on your hands when you check it out.

Play HOTEL

LISTEN

Lymbyc Systym – Narita Music Video

We’ve featured tunes from the Lymbyc Systym before, so we wanted to share their nifty video for “Narita,” a track off their Field Studies EP. The song is half hazy shoegaze, half Ben-Gibbard-inspired instrumental chugging, but the real treat is the video; it juxtaposes the schizophrenic music with shots of wildlife interspersed with urban sprawl. Even though it’s shot on video, the quick clip is a whole lot of cool.

Visit their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thelymbycsystym

READ

Gregory Brothers – Wired Interview

If you have a pulse and a connection to the internet (you’re reading this, right?), you’ve heard the Gregory Brothers. The four-piece comedic troupe – that includes one woman – may not be famous by name, but you’ve definitely seen their videos. They’re the brains behind Auto-Tune the News (RADAR Ep27) and recent meme-cash-ins “Bed Intruder” and the “Double Rainbow” song. The group recently sat down with Wired to dish on everything from their process to making unintentional singers famous. We highly recommend it.

Read Wired Interview

Story Pirates: Create-a-Show

The Story Pirates (RADAR Ep30) Twitter bio really does sum them up best: “Kids write stories = We act them out = Kids write more.” For the unfamiliar, the Story Pirates are an improve group that perform for children, acting on the suggestions and reactions from the tikes in the audience. This month, the seven-person cast will put on musical numbers at the Downtown Community Center in Tribeca. Sounds like a good time even if you aren’t a parent or under twelve…

Sept 12th 2pm
Downtown Community Center
120 Warren St (between Greenwich and West St)
$18; Workshop and Show: $30
Event Info

FOLLOW

@beatonna

Hark! A Vagrant is a cool little webcomic by Kate Beaton. Her latest entries have been a series of riffing on old Nancy Drew book covers and we’ve got to say, we’re fans. Check out the wit on display both on her website and on her Twitter. We know you’ll dig it too.

Hark! A Vargrant – http://www.harkavagrant.com/
Kate Beaton Twitter – http://twitter.com/beatonna

Shorts Program with ‘One Hundred Morning’

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:04:57 GMT

The WorkBook Project, Slamdance, Cinema Speakeasy, CineFist and the Downtown Independent are pleased to announce a collaboratively curated short film program, in support of the WorkBook Project Discovery and Distribution Award winner One Hundred Mornings.

LOCATION:

Downtown Independent Theatre
251 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.downtownindependent.com
(213) 617-1033

Tickets available now: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producerevent/124646

SHORTS PROGRAM:

**Shorts play nightly at 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM, unless otherwise specified.

Thu 16 Sep
Opening night for One Hundred Mornings: No Short

Fri 17 Sep: CineFist presents
Unawakening
Dir. by Jack Daniel Stanley (in attendance)
TRT 8.5 min.
Synopsis: Haunted by visions of murder and a macabre woodland burial, a man with a troubled marriage must distinguish reality from hallucination in this thrilling Hitchcock/Poe homage.

Sat 18 Sep: Cinema Speakeasy presents
Kitty Kitty
Dir. by Michael Medaglia (in attendance)
TRT 11 min.
Synopsis: Val’s boyfriend has been acting strange lately. She knows he is changing, but into what? A short film about love, romance, and brain parasites.

Sun 19 Sep: Slamdance & Cal Arts present
Dos, Por Favor
Dir. by Fabian Euresti (in attendance)
TRT 11 min.
Synopsis: A man gets out of prison and arrives at an impasse in life. Before he can move forward, he must re-examine his past. ‘Dos, Por Favor’ examines the choices one makes in life, by questioning whether one has a choice at all.

Mon 20 Sep: Downtown Independent presents
Look Not at the Mountains
Dir. by the Younesi Brothers (in attendance)
TRT 18 min.
Synopsis: In 1904, a team of hunters are led through the deserts of Africa by a mad Colonialist zealot.

Tue 21 Sep: Slamdance & Cinema Speakeasy present
Some of an Equation
Dir. by Burke Roberts (in attendance)
TRT 7 min.
Synopsis: A film in one continuous shot exploring just how very bad things can go in only a few minutes.

Wed 22 Sep: CineFist presents
O2
Dir. by Tim Hyten (in attendance)
TRT 7 min.
Synopsis: In deep space with a crippled oxygen supply, a three person crew grapples with the notion that life support will only allow two to survive the trip to a neighboring freighter.

(Cast: Alex Reid, Ciaran McMenamin, Katie Campbell, Rory Keenan)

About One Hundred Mornings:
(85 mins, Ireland, written and directed by Conor Horgan)
Awards include: Slamdance Special Mention, IFTA for Best Cinematography
Synopsis: Set in a world upended by a complete breakdown of society, two couples hide out in a lakeside cabin hoping to survive the crisis. As resources run low and external threats increase, each of them faces a critical decision they never thought they’d have to make.
www.onehundredmornings.com

About The Workbook Project Discovery and Distribution Award:
The WorkBook Project Discovery and Distribution Award is part of an expanded WBP initiative to provide tangible options for those working in ﬁlm, music, games, design and software to fund, create, distribute and sustain. The award opens new channels and modes of distribution currently unavailable in the traditional system and established festival circuit. Pooling distribution channels, making them accessible, and spotlighting a featured ﬁlmmaker with theatrical run and packaged PR through secured resources, the WBP Award displaces a limited bottleneck system with an open-source, sustainability model. In addition to the winner, The WBP awarded another 20 selected ﬁlmmakers with an exclusive digital distribution access package provided by WBP Award partner IndieFlix that will place them on Hulu, iTunes, Netﬁlx, and variety of other outlets.
www.workbookproject.com/award

Interview with filmmaker Conor Horgan (One Hundred Mornings)

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:29:25 GMT

I was lucky to get the chance last week to sit down with Connor Horgan, Writer and Director of the Workbook Project Discovery and Distribution Award winning film, One Hundred Mornings. He talked about making the film, the challenged he faced, some of his upcoming projects (shark hunting, anyone?), being “chuffed,” and some very useful advice for anyone aspiring to make films, which can be helpful for anyone trying to follow their artistic dreams, be they film, writing, shark-hunting, what have you.

How did you come up with the idea for this film?
Conor: I had been reading a lot about some of the challenges that are looming and in the middle of all that, I went to a talk given by Margaret Atwood and she recommended a book called A Short History of Progress by a Canadian author called Ronald Wright, and I read that and a couple of other things, and they really just opened my eyes and blew my mind a little about how reliant we are on all of this easily available power. And I saw how in New Orleans after Katrina, how quickly the whole fabric of society can just fall down, and I found this a really compelling subject, so when the chance came to make a low budget film, or as Americans like to say, and “indie film,” it seemed like an ideal topic to explore. And if I’m going to make a film about a world in which all the lights have gone out and where there’s no power and society is breaking down, I was really interested in making as realistic a version of that world as possible, and that was an achievable thing to do on a very low budget. In this world where if you want to know what’s happening over the next hill, you have to climb the hill and look over it. There are no phones, no other forms of communication, so the world that people would live in and the series of events would be very small, and that serves the scale of the film as well.

Along those lines, what was the motivation for the small cast, the very few locations, and the very little dialog in the film?
Conor: Taking those in order, with the small cast, I liked the idea of a small group of people who are forced by circumstances to live together when they weren’t getting along terribly well, and also who displayed the characteristics that many of us come up with when faced with a looming crisis. Like some people go straight into denial, some have an unrealistic amount of optimism, some sort of hope that someone else will sort it out. I thought that to have this small group of people who obviously have pre-existing relationships, that was something that appealed to me. It’s not just the four people in the house; there are other people around, people who pass through, who play very significant parts in the story. But I wanted really to concentrate on the human cost, the human reactions to how we deal with the circumstances of our actions, in good ways and not so good ways, in helpful ways and not so helpful ways. I felt that having a basic cast of four people would allow me to play with that in hopefully what would be a good way. The house, the one location, as I said before, it was very fitting for the world that I wanted to create, where a lot of the action would take place in or around one location. I knew that if most of us end up in this kind of societal breakdown, we probably would hold up in one single place and see what that would be like. If you look up post apocalyptic things, a lot of people think that if the world breaks down there will just be no rules and no societal constraints and I’ll be able to do whatever the hell I want and it’ll actually be fun, but if you do any kind of reading or thinking about what that world would actually be like, it would be incredibly dull at times and very tense, and not necessarily exciting in the way that people would expect, and I wanted to get that across in the film.

What about the dialog?
Conor: Partially, as a filmmaker, it always appeals to me to show more than to tell. But I also thought that as relationships between the four main characters of the house deteriorated, they’d be talking to each other at the bare minimum, the way that people become defensive or guarded as they become increasingly isolated. And as I look at the way our society is at the moment, we tend to become quite splintered, isolated, rather than all coming together and working together, everyone is becoming more separate, and that was replicated in the house. The more that was happening, the less they were saying. The more the story was progressing, they were saying as little as possible, almost to conserve energy. When I was writing the script, I was trying to tell the story as visually as I could, and I probably cut about half the dialog in the course of writing the script, and when it actually came to shooting it, I probably cut about a third of what was left, so I was really quite ruthless with paring it down to the absolute minimum that was needed. I was trying to make the physicality of the actors and their actions tell the story as much as possible.

How much of the setting, the feeling, the dissonance and the distance of the people and the community, or lack thereof, is true to the way that people of Irish culture would react, or the way that humans in general would react, or was this just a thematic choice on your part?
Conor: I never really saw this as being culturally specific. A few people have said to me, “This doesn’t feel like an Irish movie,” and to me, I don’t know entirely what an Irish movie would feel like, but it’s not what I set out to make. I wanted to make something that was absolutely human and just to try and bring it down to very basic human reactions. Some of those reactions were not the most noble reactions either, and that’s something I worked on with the cast. I remember saying to all of them in rehearsals that there are no heroes and no villains in the film. For each of these characters, there are good reasons for what they do, and they’re very understandable reasons given the circumstances. Now, how they play off and how they affect the other characters is the other characters’ problem. I didn’t want to have these clear heroes and villains. I wanted everyone to actually be human, and actually not to judge all of the characters and what they do, but just to understand it.

Why did you choose to have the circumstances in the film world, i.e. how they ended up that way, nonspecific?
Conor: Probably the most important reason is that the film is about how we as humans deal with the consequences of our actions, rather than the causes of that. We’re just saying that these are the ways we can deal with the consequences, rightly or wrongly, and that became interesting to me. Another reason is that any time I’ve seen a post-apocalyptic movie, they probably spend the first half of the movie explaining what happened, how it happened and why it happened, and then if you’re of a particular mindset, you then spend the rest of the film arguing in your head with the filmmaker about how that particular scenario might be, and that was not something that interested me. I’m not saying, “Oh, if you don’t look out, this might happen!” There is any number of things that might happen or might not, and if you want to know what they are, just look in the newspapers.

(Director of Photography Suzie Lavelle and Conor Horgan)

Can you talk about production a little bit? How long did it take to make, how much shooting time, were you living on set, etc.
Conor: We shot over 20 days, 4 or 5 day weeks, which is ridiculously small. We weren’t living on the set, but the set was hugely, hugely important. It was a pre-existing wooden cabin on the shores of Lough Dan, which is about a thousand feet up, just outside Dublin. A very particularly beautiful part of the country and also very isolated, which was very important in building this world, and I actually had to go back a little in writing the script, when we started to look at the location and at what that location needed to do, suddenly it became the hardest working location in Ireland. We had to get somewhere that had nice big windows, and most Irish cottages don’t have nice big windows because of the cold and wet and damp over here. We had to get somewhere that was big enough that we could get enough visual variety with a number of interior scenes without using the same shot over and over again. It had to be away from any street lights, any industrial noises, even any livestock. It had to have that kind of strong sense of isolation and that there’s nothing else happening out there. If there had been tractors on the road or something, it would have completely destroyed the illusion of the world that we were creating. It took about eight months of some fairly serious location hunting before we found it.

How did you find it?
Conor: I had a brilliant location manager who kept showing me place after place after place. He showed me one place at the top of a hill and I thought it wasn’t great and the estate agent told us that they had a holiday estate at the bottom of the hill, but were we sure we wanted to go down because it was a very steep hill, but we went down and I looked, and instantly, this was the place. It had so much atmosphere, so much potential. When I brought the actors there, one of the great pleasures was to bring the actors down and show them the locations, and just seeing their faces, it was as if the place had been built for the script. It was kind of perfect. I lived in a little bed and breakfast at the top of this hill, this hill that became rapidly christened “the hill of death,” because it was so steep and kind of burned out one of our trucks and we had to climb up with the truck. I was at the top of the hill, they were down the road, and everyone involved with the film was staying kind of thereabouts, and by halfway through the first week it kind of felt like we were living in the world of the movie. I really think that you can feel it when you see the movie, when you see the actors. It feels like they’re there.

It does. So what other films, and directors or writers, have influenced you in general? And for this film specifically?
Conor: In general, it’s quite hard to say because there have been so many films that I’ve loved. There’s one film I saw that I actually wrote a blog about for Lance for the Workbook Project. I saw a film called Zed when I was about 11 years old, and it was about the injustices of the military dictatorship in Greece in the 1970s, and it was the first time I saw a film that had me tossing and turning at night. Not because I was scared by it, but because I was just infuriated. It was the first time I ever realized that films could evoke such strong feelings in me, or in people, as well as just entertainment, that films could just be really thought-provoking. That was probably as big an influence on me as any film I’ve seen. The effect it’s had on me has stayed with me ever since. I was really interested in trying to make something that was really thought-provoking, that would be challenging in some way, that would challenge people. I’ve had people come up to me six weeks after seeing the movie, telling me that my film has been haunting them. A specific film I found inspiring for this is The Time of the Wolf by Michale Haneke, because it deals with a similar type of situation. It’s different in that it’s a road movie. It’s about a mother with two kids on the road in France, trying to find shelter during a societal breakdown. That was something that certainly was very inspiring for me. Because it’s my first film, you can almost say that every movie I’ve ever seen kind of inspired me, although that’s not entirely true. So many things that I’ve responded to over the years I’ve find inspiring towards making this particular film.

Is this the first film that you’ve made?
Conor: It’s the first feature film, yeah.

How did you start making films, and what was your first gig or first short film that you made? How did you work your way up?
Conor: Well I started as a photographer quite a number of years ago, and moved into advertising, and some people in advertising thought that I might be able to direct TV commercials and it turned out that they were right, and I directed TV commercials for a couple of years, and I did a couple of promos and things like that. Around 2001/ 2002, I started losing interest in that rapidly. There’s only so much you can learn from TV commercials, and you’re not really the master of your own destiny in any sense. And ultimately it’s not storytelling for it’s own sake, it’s for the sake of selling more products. Once I did that and knew I could do that, I really wanted to do something that was a proper story, told for the sake of the story and for no other reason. The first film that I made was called The Last Time. It’s actually on my website, it’s 12 minutes. It’s basically the story of a middle-aged woman who’s going out, looking to get laid, in her mid-50’s. People found that to be an interesting topic and an interesting story and the script seemed to work well, and it just kind of worked. We won a couple of really good awards, and picked up a nationwide release in Ireland with the feature film The Banger Sisters. It probably did as well as a short film coming out of Ireland can do. Halfway through the first day of shooting that, I realized that this is what I want to be doing, I don’t want to be making ads anymore. This is absolutely where I want to be and the kind of thing I want to be doing. So that’s really what I’ve been doing. And since then I’ve written quite a lot. I’ve written a number of feature film scripts which are un-produced, but all of which hopefully have made me a better writer and helped me write the script for One Hundred Mornings better than I would have been able to otherwise. I’ve made a number of experimental films. I made a film about happiness where I went around the country and interviewed nearly 400 people and asked them what made them happy, and I turned that into a 25-minute film. I did a similar one about fear. I went to Paupa New Guinea with an Irish conceptual artist and went out hunting sharks with her in canoes. She was looking for sharks to make art with. And a couple of other documentaries and other things along those lines. I’m working on another feature script which will hopefully be my second film. I’m making a documentary about one of the greatest drag acts and political activists in Ireland, and I’m directing my first show in Dublin in about two weeks, so I’m keeping busy.

What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers?
Conor: So many younger filmmakers come to me now, and they know that I’ve made ads, and they think, “Well if I just go into that world, and I learn to play with all the toys and make lots of money, then whenever it suits me, I’ll just go off and make feature films.” And while some people do do that, the vast majority of people who do that end up making ads, and not doing what they really want to do. So as far as my advice to aspiring filmmakers, if you want to make a particular kind of film, make that particular kind of film. Don’t be side tracked. Don’t go into something else just for the money. Because certainly in my experience, advertising is littered with the still breathing corpses of many writer/directors who would much rather be doing something other than what they’re currently doing, and they’ve just gone in there and they weren’t able to get back out again. They got stuck and they fell in love with the money.

So you’ve just won the WorkBook Project Discovery and Distribution Award. Congratulations.
Conor: Thanks. We’re incredibly chuffed. Do you need that word translated?

Yes.
Conor: “Chuffed” is the Anglo Saxon version of “delighted.”

Great! So how do you anticipate a Los Angeles audience receiving this film?
Conor: I have no idea actually. That’s a very good question. I imagine it’s going to be the same as it’s been received in other parts of the world. In some ways it’s kind of odd, because I thought when I was making the film that if I had a model in my head it would have been a French movie, but halfway through the film I was talking to two of the actors and I said, “you know, we’re making a Western here,” and we were kind of laughing. You know, there’s a sheriff and a frontier-type kind of community. So that might possibly explain why American film festivals have absolutely taken the film to heart. Every week we have another two or three American festivals that want to screen the film. As I said, it’s a challenging film. It’s not a sort of sit back and let it wash over you kind of film. One of my friends here, and Irish filmmaker, said something that I really appreciate, that it’s the type of film where you have to lean forward a bit. You have to lean into it. I was very touched by that, because that’s really the kind of film I wanted to make, where if people would lean into it, if they would engage with it, it would be worth that effort.

What’s the distinction between making a short film and a feature? Do you see that as a good model to start making films? Can you briefly describe what that process has been, from going from short film to feature?
Conor: I’m sort of unusual in the sense that I made one dramatic short, and then went to a feature. I’ve had a lot of experience, but I’ve only made two dramatic pieces in my life: one short and one feature film. I think making shorts is a fantastic way towards working towards features, as long as people making shorts want to making them. When I made my short, I made it with this voice in the back of my mind, saying, “I might never get the chance to make another film. This could be it. This has got to be the best short I could possibly make, given the circumstances, given the resources. I might never find the money to make another short.” It wasn’t about making something that was a calling card for something else. It had to be made absolutely the best it could possibly be, because if I never get another chance… That’s the way I looked at the feature as well, and hopefully I’ll be able to make another feature and another after that, but each one of them I want to make as though this is it. It better be good, because it might be the last one I ever make.

Engaging Your Audience

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:46:39 GMT

This is a two-part blog post with this being the first part. The second part is here. And you can get a PDF of the full piece, including my earlier associated work on Content Strategy.

When creative people get in the zone they generate a ton of ideas for content and experiences that could all work with their transmedia world. However, with resources always limited, these ideas have to be whittled down to essentials, nice-to-haves and stuff-for-later. One approach is to optimize the mix of content such that it (a) maximizes audience engagement and (b) the longevity (or likelihood of traction) of the experience. In this context I’m using “content” to mean all the things and tools that the audience has at their disposal – from videos, images and text to forums, chat rooms, leaderboards and so on.

If we are to design transmedia projects that engage audiences then we need to understand what it means to be engaged. Most would agree that it’s more than just “a view” and that there are probably degrees of engagement ranging from “doing something” (like a click) to “creating something” (like remixing a video).

Audience engagement is explained in the next section.

1.1.1 Measuring engagement

In 2006, Ross Mayfield stated in his blog:

“The vast majority of users will not have a high level of engagement with a given group, and most tend to be free riders upon community value. But patterns have emerged where low threshold participation amounts to collective intelligence and high engagement provides a different form of collaborative intelligence”.

He coined the term “The Power Law of Participation” which is shown in his diagram below (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Power Law of Participation

This participation curve can also be applied to transmedia worlds and will be evident to those who’ve run an ARG. Figure 2 shows the participation law at work in Mike Dicks diagram “Rules of Engagement” in which he expects that only 20% of the audience will engage in the gaming content of a cross-platform experience compared to 75% with the “sit-back” media.

Figure 2 Audience Participation with Content

What this means is that if there’s less effort involved in participating in the storyworld (for example watching a video vs remixing a video) then more of the audience is likely to do it but you can’t say that they’re as engaged with world as those who are expending more effort. More effort on behalf of the audience implies that they must be more engaged, right? Well, yes and no.

It depends on how the individual audience member derives his or her pleasure from the world. Not everyone wants to or feels able to remix videos or contribute user-generated content yet nevertheless may be a strong advocate for the world – telling friends, family and strangers that they really ought to check out the content. Surely that’s an engaged audience too?

Forrester Research identifies four measures for engagement with media content: involvement, interaction, intimacy and influence. Developing this for our purposes of understanding engagement with a transmedia world, we should measure not only the audience’s interaction and contribution but also their affection and affinity towards the world – that is, what they say and how they feel about it.

Taking this approach, a Facebook “Like”, while taking such little time and effort, ranks pretty well on the engagement scale. It’s more than just any click. It’s a show of affection.

But to get that “Like” or to get a “Share”, you need to provide the mechanism and the content.

Figure 3 shows the three stages of engagement – Discovery, Experience & Exploration – that inform your content choices across my five levels of increasing engagement:

Attention
Evaluation
Affection
Advocacy
Contribution.

Figure 3 Measuring Engagement

Stages of Engagement Discovery Experience Exploration Level of Engagement Attention Evaluation Affection Advocacy Contribution Content Type Teaser Trailer Target Participation Collaboration Goal for your content Find me.

Fan comes to site and consumes low-involvement free “teaser content”

Try me.

Fan increases engagement and consumes free “trailer content”

Love me.

Fan spends money and decides that what I offer delivers on the promise, is entertaining and is worthwhile.

Talk about me.

Fan tells friends.

Be me.

Fan creates new content

How Be relevant Be credible Be exceptional Be spreadable Be open Measurement views, hits, time spent per view, number for content viewed (per channel & content (e.g. emails, blogs, videos, Twitter etc.) clicks, downloads, trials, registrations purchases, ratings, reviews, comments, blog posts, Twitter follows, Likes, community sign-ups, other memberships, subscriptions, repeat purchases

referrals, reTweets, forwards, shares, embeds, satisfaction polls & questionnaires

Offline: focus groups, surveys

uploads, remixes, stories written, collaborations, fan moderators for forum, events held, other UGC

This post continues here.

Let’s Make a Web Series

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:48:38 GMT

Remember waiting forever to watch a video on your computer, with a 56k modem? Those days sucked. Now you can instantly view a cornucopia of high quality Internet content on a massive television. Inside your living room, a web series made for less than a $100 can compete for your eyeballs against a TV show produced for over 10,000 x the budget (Lost). Think about this: years ago independent producers could only use a cable access channel to get their shows on TV to reach a local audience. Now a small crew can shoot a comedy series for fans living everywhere from Texas to Turkey.

In my opinion, web series are one of the best ways discover talent and incubate projects. In this post you will be introduced to individuals who are doing interesting things on the web:

Mike Rotman is an Emmy nominated writer for his work on “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher”-now he is taking over the interweb with such shows as “Stupid for Movies”.

twitter.com/mikerotman

Michael Ferrell, with only a tiny budget and a local coffee company sponsor he co-created/co-produced the hilarious web series “Stoop Sale” with his girlfriend Devin Sanchez.

twitter.com/mickeyfickey

Describe your background and what inspired you to make a web series?

I’m Italian/Irish by way of Northern New Jersey and Devin thought that she was Mexican up until she was a young woman, when she found out she was actually of Spanish descent. True story. Doesn’t stop her from loving Mexican food, however. She puts jalapenos on everything. To be fair, I put garlic on everything and cook it in beer. We have amazing burritos.

We were inspired to make a web series while still in college, in the late 90’s, right after people started “e-mailing” each other. I found this “e-mail” that I sent Devin with my POP mail account:

“Dear Devin,

This e-mail thing is crazy, huh? Do you get this right away or does it take awhile? Call me when you get this and let me know. Anyhoo-I hear you’re studying theatre in Wyoming. We should get together one day and work on a play that I wrote. Or even a film. Who knows, with the way technology seems to be going, we could even get some friends together and use somebody’s small digital camera, film a few episodes of a show, put it in our computers to edit, then put it on the World Wide Web. Maybe I’m thinking crazy. But not half as crazy as my ideas for “websites” I want to create, such as Mybook,Facepage, Ourtube, and Twiddle. I’ll e-mail you about those things in a letter to follow. I’m gonna go smoke outta this dope new bong my boy got!!! Hope you get this soon!

Sincerely,
Michael”

How did you get the word out about your show?

Our show is not yet released, so the fact that we’re being interviewed is a great step in getting the word out. We submitted to festivals and got into an awesome one – the Independent Television Festival in L.A. I think submitting to festivals is the way to go if you’re an independent web series producer. We had one informal screening for the cast at a bar, which went horribly because the manager of the bar was an idiot and assured us the DVD player would work fine, but instead, it worked the opposite of fine. We will also screen “Stoop Sale” on AUGUST 24th AT “THE CREEK” IN QUEENS AS PART OF THE “WATCHDOWN” SERIES http://www.watchdown.com/ and we screened the episodes in Brooklyn for a group of filmmakers. So we definitely believe in doing some fun, live, actual-real-people-talking-to-each-other promotional events, as long as you take pictures and videos so that you can post them on facepage, mybook, and twiddle.

Besides that, @stoopsale and /stoopsale. Weird that that makes sense, right?

What have been your most interesting interactions with fans?

Well, Devin made the mistake of saying “Stoop Sale” was more popular than “Jesus: The Web Series,” and then people started uploading videos of them deleting their subscription to our youtube page and unfollowing us on twitter. It was hard to swallow, but we’re artists, so fuck it.

No, really, when we do launch the series, hopefully we will get some fans. And then we’ll have some interesting interactions with them, for instance, them sending me bottles of Macallan 12.

What mistakes did you learn from when you started creating your first web series?

I did a web series called “Hard Times,” which I’m very proud of. Through that process though, I learned that the amount of time in pre-production and post-production should far outweigh the time actually shooting and doing all the fun stuff, unfortunately. We shot “Stoop Sale” in one weekend, maybe 16 hours total. And we’ve been working on the project for almost a year. It’s not ideal for actors and writers like us, but its paid off so far. You do all the other work so that one day you won’t have to. It’s kinda like when you form a club, someone’s gotta be the secretary and someone’s gotta be the treasurer, not everyone can be the prostitute.

What is your prediction for the future of creating a web series?

I am wondering when someone is going to pull their dick out in a web series. I know it sounds like I’m joking, but the thing about the internet is that there’s no censorship. So how come some crazy college kid hasn’t made a web series where he’s doing a scene in a coffee shop or something and then he just says, “You know what?” and pulls his dick out and lays it on the table. I mean, it couldn’t be on youtube, but it can be online. The show could be called “This Guy’s Gonna Pull His Dick Out.” You’re welcome, for the idea.

Besides that, I think that the problem with most web series is the writing. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer but I’m saying this objectively, most web series are comedy and most comedy web series don’t have good writing. Some funny bits, for sure, but even if it’s sketch, I mean, real, deep, sketch writing – I feel like it’s missing in a lot of cases. And that’s one thing I’d like to see, more good writing. In the acting world, we say “theatre is an actor’s medium, film is a director’s medium, and TV is a writer’s medium.” It seems like the internet is most like TV, so it’d be nice to see better writing in the future. Of course, I may be wrong and the internet might be the kind of medium where a guy pulls his dick out in a coffee shop and it’s the most viewed web series ever.

AJ Tesler is a producer and founder of ITVFest, a festival for independent TV pilots and web series.

twitter.com/AJTESLER

Describe your background and what is ITV Fest?

After graduating from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Speech and a Theatre major, AJ stayed in Chicago, forming the small web production company Goldingeye Productions. After producing hours of content for a number of now defunct websites, AJ relocated to New York City where he worked as a New Media Analyst for d2 Capital. By day AJ would pour over notes and records in search of new entertainment channels, while at night AJ was a hilariously mediocre stand up comedian. Anxious for more, Tesler moved again, this time to Los Angeles where he immediately found success as an actor, appearing on television shows such as It’s All Relative and The Gilmore Girls. As much as he enjoys acting, AJ has always been drawn to produce and in the summer of 2002, he produced the first of almost 50 installations of the New and Improv-Ed Stand Up Show, an official selection of the Chicago Improv Festival as well as the 2004 and 2005 Los Angeles Improv Festivals. In 2004, AJ began producing television , independently, on spec, and with production company support. In 2005, AJ formed what is now widely recognized as the premier festival in the world for TV and New Media, The Independent Television Festival Corporation, a non profit, public benefit corporation. In 2008, AJ was hired to be the Manager of Development for Lion Television, a UK based development and production company. Since leaving Lion in 2009, AJ has produced shows for MTV, Babelgum, Atom.com, and Fox TV Studios. He is currently freelance producing under his recently set up production company, Apostrophy Productions.

What are your favorite success stories from your fest?

I just love the stories of people getting jumpstarts to heir careers. People getting represented, people making connections, those are the types of success stories that make me proud. On top of that, however, are shows like Urban Wolf which got licensed by Sony, Johnny B Homeless which got licensed by Atom.com, the script deal at NBC for This is My Friend and the development deal at Starz for a show called Partners…those are great stories that we can hang our hat on as well.

Are there any trends you see when it comes to submissions?

Every year we see different trends in submissions. This year over 70% of all of our submissions came in as webseries which would certainly be a trend…the rise of the webseries. In terms of the specific content, though, we got a lot of ghost hunters parodies and a lot of lesbian content as well this year. I’d say we got too many submissions shot in the mockumentary/Office style. We’re looking for innovation so it becomes very difficult to program things when we see so many people trying the same concept.

Do you have any advice for new web series creators?

Know that you don’t know it all. The one man band is the path of least resistance, but people specialize in cinematography, editing, directing, writing for a reason. Use people who are good at their jobs and your project will be significantly better for it. Other than that, make sure you have a plan for what you want to do with your show. Making something and hoping it attracts the attention of the professional world is not the smartest endeavor, but if you go in with a plan, you can deliberately attract the audience you’re seeking.

Cross-Pollination the Strength of a Community

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:26:15 GMT

“What’s amazing about where we sit now in a society, we’re global we’re more connected than we’ve ever been before, and we have more devices than we’ve ever had before. This is an amazing time to be a storyteller. I think that inherently, what you’ll start to see is that the next generation of social networking will push more story and entertainment will become more social. Some of that will yield different types of experiences and formats, or a marrying of existing formats. That’s all very exciting but audiences need to know the work exists. ” – Lance Weiler, founder of the WorkBook Project

A few weeks ago, The WorkBook Project announced the winner of our first installment of the Discovery and Distribution Award. The award is intended to be multi-faceted, honoring those who have demonstrated achievement and creativity in fields such as film, gaming, music, design, and software, to name a few. This is the first time the award is being given, and this time, it’s for film. According to Lance Weiler, founder of the WorkBook Project, over 100 independent films were considered for this award, and a jury of three prominent figures in the film community (Ted Hope, producer of 21 Grams, In the Bedroom, Adventureland, and founder of TrulyFreeFilms.com; Scott Macaulay producer of Gummo, Raising Victor Vargas and editor of of Filmmaker Magazine. Anne Thompson former film columnist at Variety, the Hollywood Reporter – currently writing for Thompson on Hollywood a part of IndieWire network) settled on a winner: One Hundred Mornings, an Irish film directed by Conor Horgan and produced by Katie Holly. The award gives its winners opportunities for distribution. The winning film is given a theatrical run in Los Angeles at the Downtown Independent Theater and provided with PR, social media and street team support. The top 20 finalist also receive a digital distribution package made possible by IndieFlix which will place them on Hulu, iTunes and other distribution outlets. All with no cost to the filmmaker whatsoever.

(Downtown Independent Theater – LA)

We caught up with Lance and Katie last week to discuss the film, the award, and the future of DIY filmmaking and independent distribution.

We’re all aware that technology is changing and becoming more accessible to everyday people. As a result, according to Lance, more films are being made with much lower budgets, which can be a good thing, but on the flip side, fewer are being seen by wide audiences. So what does this mean for the future of distribution and production, and is this necessarily all bad? According to both Lance and Katie, this is actually a very exciting thing, and something that they are embracing and anticipating with enthusiasm.

(Katie Holly, Kelly Campbell, Conor Horgan)

When Katie began her career as a producer she was working on three films that, by today’s standards, were very high-budget. Now, she says, there is no way that any first-time filmmaker anywhere in the world would be able to access those kinds of funds anymore. But she believes this to be an exciting challenge. For One Hundred Mornings, she fell in love with the story itself, and the strong visuals that jumped off the pages and into her imagination, that did not rely on a huge budget to achieve. Lance adds that, while the future of filmmaking as whole is up in the air, and likely without one definite direction, he anticipates a shift to emphasizing the importance of storytelling and the way that stories are told, and that, to him, and to Katie, is very exciting.

Also at the start of Katie’s career, generally once post-production on a film was complete, the producer would put the project in the hands of a distributor, and the producer’s job would be largely done. But now, since it’s much more difficult to find a distributor, the producer’s role is greatly expanded, and the entire process from start to finish is a lot more DIY. This is something that Katie never expected, but she’s stepping up to the challenge and eager to learn all the new things that the position as “producer” would not have previously allowed.

(making of One Hundred Mornings)

They both hope that this award will stem a pattern of cross-pollination around the globe. In other words, this film, for example, was made in Ireland, and it is being awarded a theatrical release in Los Angeles and a community of filmmakers, organizations and the indie film community are supporting it. So perhaps if things similar to this award catch on, Lance hopes, that lots of niche communities of likeminded people around the world will begin communicating and sharing with one another.

Both Katie and Lance discussed the importance of passion and love of filmmaking that contributes to the success of this award. According to Lance, those who contributed their time to make this award possible don’t have any investment in One Hundred Mornings itself, but were very inspired by the idea and philosophy behind the award, and were very eager to help out. According to Katie, especially now since filmmaking, namely independent filmmaking, doesn’t necessarily reel in the money the way it used to, those who dedicate their lives to it really do it because they’re passionate about it. It’s all about the love of it.

(scene from One Hundred Mornings)

From firsthand experience, Katie advises first time filmmakers in this world of evolving media and technology to just go out and make a film. “The most important thing is action,” she explains. “It’s actually doing it. It’s making a film, with whatever means you have available. The act of making a film, the process, going through all of production’s difficulties and challenges, is the best way to learn.” Her company has been struggling to figure out how to produce a film of theirs that calls for a budget much greater than what they have, and instead of giving up on the project, they decided to accommodate the film and the story to fit the means that they have. The result, Katie says, is very rewarding and challenging, and something that is invaluable. Especially now with communities working together to create and sustain new means of distribution, and since means of production are cheaper and more accessible than ever, there is no excuse not to go for it.

One Hundred Mornings Trailer

Cross-Pollination the Strength of a Community

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:26:15 GMT

(Downtown Independent Theater – LA)

We caught up with Lance and Katie last week to discuss the film, the award, and the future of DIY filmmaking and independent distribution.

(Katie Holly, Kelly Campbell, Conor Horgan)

(making of One Hundred Mornings)

(scene from One Hundred Mornings)

One Hundred Mornings Trailer

One Hundred Mornings – Screening Info

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:05:18 GMT

WBP Discovery & Distribution Award 2010 Feature Film Winner: One Hundred Mornings

The WorkBook Project (WBP) is excited to announce the screening dates and venue for its Discovery and Distribution Award Winner, the Irish post-apocalyptic drama One Hundred Mornings. One Hundred Mornings cast and crew Conor Horgan (writer/director), Katie Holly (producer) and Kelly Campbell (actor) will be in attendance for the opening night event. Every night of the run other than opening night will feature an independent local short film curated by Cinefist, Cinema Speakeasy and Slamdance. Check workbookproject.com/award for programming updates.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRDiqinG8Ow

Where: Downtown Independent Theatre, 251 South Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.downtownindependent.com/

Screenings: Opening night is Thursday September 16th at 8:00PM
Subsequent screenings:
Friday Sep 17th: 7:30, 9:30
Sat Sep 18th: 5:30, 7:30, 9:30
Sun Sep 19th: 5:30, 7:30, 9:30
Mon Sep 20th: 7:30, 9:30
Tues Sep 21st: : 7:30, 9:30
Wed Sep 22nd: 7:30, 9:30

Price: $10
Buy Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124646

About One Hundred Mornings
www.onehundredmornings.com
(85 mins, Ireland, written and directed by Conor Horgan)
photos for press

The opening night event is open to the public, and to the media.
Media: Please RSVP to work@workbookproject.com to specify attendance to opening night.

PULSE – Nate Hill is Death Bear

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:57:17 GMT

PERFORMING ARTIST, SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHER, and MORE

Nate Hill

Since 2002 Nate Hill has been an uncatagorizable force in the art world, covering everything from photography to performance art, all the way to helping you forget your last love. His first work, New Animals, seemed a fitting way to introduce himself into the artistic community of New York City. As a young man, Nate have lived in various places across America, beginning in California, then pushing east to Nebraska, then Tennessee, south to Florida, and then settling in New York City in 2001. New Animals is an amazing expression of both death and creation, from a young man brought into this world by two doctors, who has lived in so many different environments, it is only natural for him to be boiling over with a medical fascination. Add a note of a disjointed desire to create, with a splash of medicinal sterility and New Animals was born. A renound work, New Animal #31 was a combination of falcon talons, cardinal wings, opossum ears and snout, an armadillo ear and the heart of a squirrel From there, he explored a few different routes with taxidermy.

After that, there was the A.D.A.M. project, comprised of 13 diffferent animal species, put together to form a life size human replica. A.D.A.M. stands for A Dead Animal Man.

Since then, Nate’s focus moved to a more performance driven form, first with the Candy Crack Delivery Service, where he would sell bags of colored, crystallized sugar rocks, dressed in a dolphin mascot head and tuxedo, after receiving a phone call or text message from a potential “customer”. Then there was the Death Bear. A personal favorite to the RADAR team, the Death Bear consisted of Nate again arriving at a private residence after receiving a text or phone call, asking him to remove items belonging to a lost relationship, where they would be brought to his “cave” never to be seen again, aiding them in their detachment from those physical objects..

Lately, He has moved onto a few photographic exploits, most notably Untitled Nudes, where he asks female models he has found on craigslist to write his initials somewhere on their bodies, photograph them, only to mount those body parts on wireframes. This continues his theme of exploring body parts, in a selective, and disjointed fashion. Nate Hill’s work can be seen at NateHillisNuts.com.

PULSE – Nate Hill is Death Bear

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:44:03 GMT

PERFORMING ARTIST, SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHER, and MORE

Nate Hill

After that, there was the A.D.A.M. project, comprised of 13 diffferent animal species, put together to form a life size human replica. A.D.A.M. stands for A Dead Animal Man.

One Hundred Mornings – Screening Info

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:04:52 GMT

WBP Discovery & Distribution Award 2010 Feature Film Winner: One Hundred Mornings

Where: Downtown Independent Theatre, 251 South Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.downtownindependent.com/

Price: $10
Buy Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124646

About One Hundred Mornings
www.onehundredmornings.com
(85 mins, Ireland, written and directed by Conor Horgan)
photos for press

The opening night event is open to the public, and to the media.
Media: Please RSVP to work@workbookproject.com to specify attendance to opening night.

Ted Hope and Katie Holly discuss the changing role of the producer

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:59:13 GMT

TCIBR returns with a special podcast featuring Ted Hope (21 Grams, Adventureland) and Katie Holly (producer of One Hundred Mornings ). Topics covered include creative producing, community curation, making films you’re passionate about as well as what it takes to sustain as a filmmaker in today’s changing landscape. The WorkBook Project is proud to present One Hundred Mornings the winner of the WBP Discovery and Distribution Award. One Hundred Mornings opens Sept 16th at the Downtown Independent Theater in LA and will run for a week. Special thanks to our partners IndieFlix, Slamdance, The Downtown Independent Theater, Cinema Speakeasy, and CineFist.

Ted Hope and Katie Holly discuss the changing role of the producer

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:59:13 GMT

Elan Lee: The “Rolling Stone” Interview, Part III

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:47:47 GMT

[What to say at the end of an epic, three-part article? Well, not very much (fortunately). My aim here is only to make the connections explicit...and to pass on the same challenge to you that Elan passed to me: this stuff is easy, now you do it!]

“It’s almost comical how I live in constant fear…”

Let’s review: Elan Lee has been one of the very few storytellers of the 21st century to use media as a collaborative, non-linear, cross-platform distribution mechanism, and make money doing it.

His strategy is simple: Use what works, and then go farther (but just a little bit beyond the boundaries of expectation).

His goal, even more so: Make each player/viewer/leader/lurker feel–in the 10 seconds, 10 minutes, or 10 months they spend in the story world–like a superhero; their contribution, however big or small, makes a difference in that world. [And maybe if people spend more time feeling super, they'll start to see how much difference they make in this world.]

[Intermission]

Meet Ben Kling. He is the model prosumer [thank you, Mark] of the 18-24 US population. This is the person for whom we are now making media; more importantly, this is the person who is making media for us. We are in constant dialogue, referencing the shared culture of multiple generations–past and probably future–through our constant, loosely networked content. Ben makes websites, Motown mashups, and tons of friends. If we want to keep Ben’s attention, we’ll need to include him in the ebb and flow of experience moderation that is the defining factor of transmedia as we know it. His willing suspension of disbelief [thank you, Lee] is partly self-induced (and all the more exciting and immersive because of it).

“…that someone will someday figure out how much fun I’m having…”

Good news! According to Elan, the only thing we need to get Ben’s attention is a good story. “Storytelling is still one of the most fascinating things possible for people. It’s essential that we adapt the way we tell stories to meet the expectations of society–figure out what it means to tell stories using the internet, your cell phone, email, etc–but the fundamental act of telling stories has, and will always work.”

The sky is wide open. From Jane McGonigal’s “absolutely mind-blowing” experiences to the not-really-transmedia, canon expanding story portals of JJ Abrams‘ and Dave Baronoff’s Bad Robot projects, there is room for experimentation and participation. For Elan, it’s fundamental: “I just think up the way I’d like the world to be, and then hire people to build it.”

Transmedia isn’t a revolution, it’s the slow and ongoing adaptation of storytelling to the possibilities created by contemporary forms of media, and, more critically, “community collaboration tools like the internet.” Now that the community can participate in the story world, and stories can be consumed in real time, creators can tweak the inputs (game mechanics, characters, pacing) as the universe unfolds. The personalized, participative, on-demand experience is empowering and emotionally rewarding in an all-encompassing way, because the boundaries of the story and real life are blurred to the point of irrelevance.

“…and that I’d gladly do my job for free.”

Citing The Beatles as “some of the most creative storytellers the world has ever seen,” Elan is creatively humble, and appropriately confident about his achievements: “I see myself in a very, very fortunate position. Because I’ve had successes in a lot of different forms of media, I get to walk into rooms and say, ‘Give me money and trust me, because I’ve got a track record to point at.’ Unfortunately, a lot of the big experiments that have to happen are expensive. And I look at myself as very fortunate because I’m able to get those dollars that need to be spent in order to run tests, which most of us know are not going to be successful. I mean, you just… that’s what experimentation is. But because I’ve got this–for better or worse–reputation in this industry, I can run tests on a very, very large scale, and I can make sure that even in a failure, the client or sponsor or VC or whomever, feels like they’re at least getting a return on their investment. And that’s taken a long time to build up. So I look at my role as… Now that I’m here, I almost feel obligated to try some pretty crazy stuff.”

I was going to say that Elan is a risk-taker, and that’s what makes him more successful than most. But when we carefully consider what he has done, it’s much less of a risk than it looks – he has taken what he knows about storytelling and applied it to the media we all use quite competently today. So then, what is it that sets him apart?

He’s tried it. Period.

Now, go do your part.

RADAR NYC 7.29.10

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:20:39 GMT

LOOK Before I Die – The Website Inspired by the pending death of the Polaroid camera, K.S. Rivers and Nicole Kenney (RADAR 028 – Before I Die) sought to discover what people value most in their lives. They traveled the world, met hundreds of people, and snapped a Polaroid of them as they answered one simple question: What do you want to do before you die? The answers ranged everywhere from silly (“Before I die, I want to fly!!!”) to introspective (“Before I die I want to learn to trust myself”), which raises the question of what people value in life, and how they view themselves and their worlds. The website, www.beforeidieiwantto.org, explains the motivation behind this project, which is not just to create visual account of people’s responses, but to actually inspire people to go out and accomplish what they say they want to do before they die. Rivers and Kenney believe that having people write down their goals and be constantly reminded of them on this website will motivate them to take action. All of the responses had their own unique charm, but perhaps the most inspirational and poignant were those from patients currently in the hospital, whose stakes for this question are much higher. But no matter how young, old, healthy or sick we are, and regardless of whether or now Rivers and Kenny actually asked us the question, it’s something worth thinking about in our own lives. LISTEN Dragon Turtle – Almanac Dragon Turtle recently released their debut album, Almanac. Check out their myspace to find out more about them, and to listen to the free MP3: “Island of Broken Glass,” which is featured in an upcoming Radar season 3 episode. Think Panda Bear meets Washed Out meets Toro Y Moi meets a tiny bit of Steely Dan (specifically, “Do It Again”). Or you can just listen and decide for yourself. Listen / Purchase – Dragon Turtle music READ The Transmedia Equation pt2 For anyone interested in learning more about transmedia (and what it even is, exactly), this article is worth reading. Our own Lance Weiler (co-founder of RADAR and founder of WBP), who many consider to be the go-to for new media/ transmedia ideas, is the focus of this article, as he discusses his process, his many current projects, and his plans for the future. Wired magazine named him “One of twenty-five people helping to re-invent entertainment and change the face of Hollywood” and Business Week called him “One of the 18 Who Changed Hollywood.” Yet according to Lance, this was not necessarily his ultimate goal. “A lot of the things I’m involved with are trial and error,” he says. Well, whatever his method is, it’s working. Read the article: The Transmedia Equation – Part 2 GO Poetry Brothel Poets and Writers Magazine Summer Party Remember our Poetry Brothel episode (RADAR 020 – Poetry Brothel)? Well now they’re having a party, and you’re invited! Imagine a poetry reading, but more intimate. Much more intimate. As in, baring your souls one-on-one with a stranger intimate. So is this poetry or a party? Or seven minutes in heaven? According to co-founder Tennessee Pink, the poetry is the party. Intrigued? Come to the Lightship Frying Pan in Chelsea on Monday, August 2, from 6-9 PM to hear readings, mingle with authors and agents, exchange books, win free stuff, and maybe even bare your soul a little. Monday August 2nd, 6 – 9p Lightship Frying Pan Pier 66 Maritime @ W 26th st Event Info FOLLOW Vasilios Sfinarolakis – Gulf Oil Spill Vasilios Sfinarolakis, a colleague and photographer on many of our projects, captures the most important current events with his camera. Check out his beautifully moving (literally and figuratively) photos of events around the country, and be sure to check back for updates of his coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill. Vas’s Website

PULSE – UnItv.me

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:06:55 GMT

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show? According to UnItv, entertaining yourself doesn’t have to be so passive. An adventure in local news broadcasting, UnItv is a live, interactive television broadcast, ripe with viewer submitted content. The anchors spontaneously discuss user proposals in the narrative of news, weather, and pop culture reports to bridge the gap between improv comedy shows, television, and technology. Viewers are encouraged to submit material via text, chat, email, and even over the phone, bridging the gap between the private and public audience space. UnItv emboldens audience members to voice their own concerns, likes, and dislikes in a public forum, to create a platform of viewer expression in television. To participate, click on “submit now” at .

Watch past UnItv.me episodes here
To participate go to “submit now”

PULSE – Boogie

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:16:45 GMT

Boogie is a Serbian born photographer who emigrated to the United States in 1998. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. With an effortless but honest “shoot first, ask later” approach and nimble timing, he captures the moments that transform a split second opportunity into a decisive photograph.

Boogie has the grace of a documentarian and little heed for comfort zones. In characteristically gritty black and white film, he catalogues poverty, civil war, and urban decay. He arrests us with the bleaker aspects of the human condition and the social taboos we may often ignore.

Rather than gloss over his subject, he pulls the viewer in. Unflinching and fearless in style, his photographic presence poses a sharp contrast to the vulnerability and intimacy of the portraits he creates.

At its lighter moments, his work points to the wry visual coincidences of cities with millions of people, places, and things– taking cues from found text, discarded trash, or birds in flight.

Seeing his work is a glimpse into nearly a decade and a half on the fringes of life happening all around us. You can check out more of his work at www.artcoup.com, where you can also find information about his five published books.

Recycling Shipping Containers for Homes and Studios

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:25:08 GMT

First in the series, entitled “Surf, Live, Paint” profiles Andrea Shapiro and her architect Maziar Behrooz, who after designing the home, moved onto her private art studio, deciding upon surplus shipping containers mounted atop a cement foundation. In addition to a noticeably innovative choice to use the containers, the environmentally functional aspect of the project is that normally those very containers would remain at loading docks, to most likely never to move again. Some twenty-one thousand of these containers arrive in US docks each and every day. Granted some will be placed on chassis and travel to a second destination, however the containers that unload at the docks will remain. Considered a waste of time and money, they will not be shipped empty from whence they came, instead they will remain at the docks, hopefully awating a new purpose. MB Architecture is that purpose. Behrooz, based in East Hampton, has been at the forefront of sustainable design, most recently winning the 2009 AIA Peconic Design Award for the “Container Studio”. His firm, MB Architecture, recognized around the world, currently has 6 homes currently under construction in the New York area.

Recycling Shipping Containers for Homes and Studios

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:25:08 GMT

The next phase of Pre-Fab Housing

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:19:09 GMT

“A House for Blake” examines the concept of Mass Customization, changing the landscape of the modern pre-fab house forever, allowing the customer to fully pick and choose each and every detail in the design of a custom home. This new style of customization is similar to that of purchasing a car, in that the customer may simply log into the Res 4 website and add or drop hundreds of features to their design, making every inch of the home, their own. Joseph Tanney of Resolution 4 Architecture has been designing homes for 20 years, recently attracting the attention of Debbi Gibbs, after winning the Dwell Magazine pre-fab home competition for a design in Pittsboro, NC.
Since then Resolution 4 has designed over 50 different homes, offices, and public facilities across the country. Pre-fab homes have become one of the most sustainable forms of home building, by reducing the environmental impact of construction as well as reducing the actual build time. By taking advantage of this mass customization, Debbi was able to manipulate the design of the home so she could keep an eye on her young son, Blake, if he’s running around the lake in the backyard, or jumping on the trampoline out front, she can always keep an eye on him. The high performance windows used in the home not only fill the space with gorgeous natural light, but also play a significant role in temperature management. In designing the bathrooms and kitchen facilities Res 4 chose very specific fixtures that combine style with the new wave of eco-conscious water management. Currently, Joseph is watching a number of his designs come to life both in the country and in major cities across the nation. Currently based in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, Resolution 4 still maintains it’s stronghold on the Modern Pre-Fab design market.

The next phase of Pre-Fab Housing

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:19:09 GMT

Building a green home for $100,000

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:27:26 GMT

The “New Gen, Next Gen” episode features what’s known as the “100K House” , a collaborative effort from Interface Studio Architects and Postgreen Homes, both based in Philadelphia, PA, have found the perfect niche market by combining technology, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. By almost exclusively building on infill sites, of which there are 25,000 available, they have access to land that normally remains empty, and are able to build homes of the highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating. The homes can be built for as little as $100,000, or at approximately $100 a square foot, which lends appeal to a younger as well as more eco-conscious demographic. By using a combination of solar panels to heat water, a heat recovery unit to keep the house heated yet well ventilated, and SIPS (Structural Insulated Panel) , pre-made, heavily insulated panels that are simply assembled onsite dramatically reducing build time, the innovations in the 100K house are astounding. Brian Phillips, the brains behind ISA, has already built 2 of these units, with a third currently in construction.

Building a green home for $100,000

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:31:51 GMT

remixable - posts tagged 'Uncategorized'

Transmedia Talk 35: Henry Jenkins at DIY Days LA

Wicked Solutions for a Wicked Problem

The Power of User Generated Content

Branded Distribution

My Favorite App at SXSW

SXSW: Felicia Day’s Rolling Eyes

Saskia’s Guide to Producing: Understanding the International Market

RADAR NYC 2.9.11 – feat. Glennis McMurray

Space Unicorn – Parry Gripp

Tony! Toni! Toné! – “If I Had No Loot”

Julie Klausner’s – I Don’t Care About Your Band

In The Pony Palace / FOOTBALL

Catalogliving + @Caissie

RADAR NYC 12.17.10

Marc Horowitz Advice of Strangers

Reading Rainbow – Prism Eyes LP

Tanya Fischer (Bambi Killers) interview

Bear Hands at Bowery Ballroom

Friday, Dec 17 – 8:00 p.m. Bowery Ballroom 6 Delancey St. New York, NY 10002 $13-$15 EVENT INFO FOLLOW

Fucked In Park Slope

Indie Film Capitalism #12

RADAR NYC – feat. Jay Shells

Hermes Fingerskate

Fitz and the Tantrums – MoneyGrabber

ego trip’s Big Book of Racism!

Jay Shells and Benjamin Hollingsworth at Gallery Bar

Friday Dec 21 · 6:00 p.m. Gallery Bar 120 Orchard St New York, NY 10002 EVENT INFO FOLLOW

Subway Art, Animal NY, Changethethought

Indie Film Capitalist #11

WBPLabs partners with 3rd Ward (exclusive membership offer)

Indie Film Capitalism #9

RADAR NYC 10.08.10

Eclectic Method – 8 Bit Mixtape

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Crafts in Chelsea III

Sat, October 16, 10am – 5pm 21st street between 8th and 9th avenue, NYC Event Info

It Gets Better Project

Short Filmmaker Profile: Fabian Euresti

Short Filmmaker Profile: Burke Roberts

RADAR NYC 9.9.10

HOTEL (creepy interactive story/game)

Lymbyc Systym – Narita Music Video

Gregory Brothers – Wired Interview

Story Pirates: Create-a-Show

Sept 12th 2pm Downtown Community Center 120 Warren St (between Greenwich and West St) $18; Workshop and Show: $30 Event Info FOLLOW

@beatonna

Shorts Program with ‘One Hundred Morning’

LOCATION:

SHORTS PROGRAM:

Interview with filmmaker Conor Horgan (One Hundred Mornings)

Engaging Your Audience

1.1.1 Measuring engagement

Let’s Make a Web Series

Cross-Pollination the Strength of a Community

Cross-Pollination the Strength of a Community

One Hundred Mornings – Screening Info

PULSE – Nate Hill is Death Bear

Nate Hill

PULSE – Nate Hill is Death Bear

Nate Hill

One Hundred Mornings – Screening Info

Ted Hope and Katie Holly discuss the changing role of the producer

Ted Hope and Katie Holly discuss the changing role of the producer

Elan Lee: The “Rolling Stone” Interview, Part III

“It’s almost comical how I live in constant fear…”

[Intermission]

“…that someone will someday figure out how much fun I’m having…”

“…and that I’d gladly do my job for free.”

RADAR NYC 7.29.10

PULSE – UnItv.me

PULSE – Boogie

Recycling Shipping Containers for Homes and Studios

Recycling Shipping Containers for Homes and Studios

The next phase of Pre-Fab Housing

The next phase of Pre-Fab Housing

Building a green home for $100,000

Building a green home for $100,000

Friday, Dec 17 – 8:00 p.m.
Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St.
New York, NY 10002
$13-$15
EVENT INFO

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Friday Dec 21 · 6:00 p.m.
Gallery Bar
120 Orchard St
New York, NY 10002
EVENT INFO

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Sat, October 16, 10am – 5pm
21st street between 8th and 9th avenue, NYC

Event Info

Sept 12th 2pm
Downtown Community Center
120 Warren St (between Greenwich and West St)
$18; Workshop and Show: $30
Event Info

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