remixable - posts tagged 'filmmaking,diy,how,to,interviews,discussions,film,movies,distribution,deal,making,opensource,workbook,project'

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.

Transmedia Talk Podcast – Episode 1

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:54:07 GMT

Welcome to the first episode of Transmedia Talk a new podcast covering all things story. Transmedia Talk is co-hosted by Nick Braccia and Robert Pratten 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 the podcast running time 51:22 This edition of Transmedia Talk covers the following. Topics: The Web is Dead Facebook Places Transmedia Panels at the 2011 SXSW Scvngr foursquare Gowalla Hosts: Nick Braccia Robert Pratten Guests Lance Weiler Dee Cook Haley Moore

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

RADAR NYC 8.26.10

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:13:57 GMT

WATCH

WBP Discovery & Distribution Winner – One Hundred Mornings

One Hundred Mornings, written and directed by Conor Horgan, is the winner of the WorkBook Project Discovery and Distribution Award. The WBP Discovery and Distribution Award gives a filmmaker an amazing prize consisting of a week long theatrical run in LA with social media, street team and PR support. On top of that, the filmmaker gets to keep the box office and we help to pull together the independent community in an effort to drive awareness around the film. One Hundred Mornings places the audience in a grim future where creature comforts such as electricity, hot water, and supermarkets have ceased to exist. In a wake of a world crisis, two couples head up in a lakeside cabin while the events of the outside world blow over. In a time where the word “recession” is blazoned across thousands of headlines, and the term “Third World America” seems more like a grim reality rather than the subject of a fictional work, One Hundred Mornings resounds with its take on a future where there is very few resources to be had or shared by the human race. Relying heavily on storytelling and character development rather than special effects or ornate love stories, One Hundred Mornings is one behemoth of a film. It’s dystopians roots show with the interpersonal relations in the story and the way they erode as the film goes on. Though eerie, One Hundred Mornings has a definite base on the very real possibility that this might be where the world is in a few decades or years. Be sure to check this film out if you’re in LA. The theatrical release will kick off Sept 16th at the Downtown Independent Theater. Event info here.

LISTEN

Noveller

Noveller is the solo project of Sarah Lipstate. Her music is soothing, but it is charged with a dramatic quality that rises from the electric distortions and peeps. The tracks are understated, but the intricate layering of audio creates drama within her musical pieces. It is amazing to hear electric guitar distortions being turned into organic sounds and musical aspects of nature. Currently, Noveller and unFact are touring (TOUR INFO) the United States of America and Canada, and will be coming to Brooklyn in September. Her latest album, Desert Fires, is available on CD via Lipstate’s own Saffron Recordings. On top of Sarah being an incredible musician and a RADAR favorite, she is also an incredible avant-garde filmmaker, with two short films that have screened at SXSW.

Listen to Noveller’s music: http://www.myspace.com/noveller
Watch Noveller’s films: http://sarahlipstate.com/wordpress/index.php/films/

READ

Fashion Geek – Diana Eng

Fashion Geek written by Diana Eng shines a light on the point where style and technology converge. If Diana Eng is a recognizable name, that is because her collection was featured in our RADAR episode Fairytale Fashion (RADAR – Ep 31). Others might remember her for her Project Runway fame a few years ago where she gained recognition for being a “nerdy” fashion designer. She did not win her season, but the show put her on the map as a fashion designer that chooses to infuse whimsical fashion with cutting edge technology. Her book is a direct reflection of her combined love of LED lights and bright fabrics, but instead of simply showcasing her fashion aesthetic she uses the book to show how to add technological flares to common scarfs, hoodies, and other girlie articles of clothing. The guides are simple because of the step by step directions accompanied by full color photos to see how the project is supposed to turn out. Diana Eng places emphasis on the need for girls to learn math, science, and electronics, and she does a great job infusing the art of designing with the practicalities of technology.

Take a look inside the book or buy it here

NYCResistor Craft Night

The good people at Dr. Sketchy’s are throwing one of those new fangled flash mobs! Guess what! You’re invited! For those of you out of the loop Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School is a premier underground art movement fueled by alternative stage performers and alcohol. Dr. Sketchy’s was started by Molly Crabapple in 2005, and has been a force to reckon with ever since, spreading from humble beginnings in Brooklyn to a true international sensation. As for the upcoming event, to get to go to the flash mob event you have to RSVP on Facebook (link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=144927295538627&ref=mf), and wait for Molly herself (twitter: http://twitter.com/mollycrabapple ) to tweet the address the day of! Off the cuff and spontaneous, but totally in vein of the types of events hosted by Dr. Sketchy’s. This event specifically will feature Kiki Valentine in infamous mermaid suit. This is sure to be one heck of a time down by the water. Be sure to RSVP!

August 28th: 6pm – 8pm
TBA
Event Info

FOLLOW

@alliebrosh

At first glance Hyperbole and a Half looks like the brainchild of a elementary school kid with a penchant for Microsoft Paint. But after reading the latest post, always accompanied by one of Allie Brosh’s hilariously disfigured drawings, the blog’s tone becomes more than apparent. Allie Brosh is a devastatingly honest and silly blogger with ability to put into words and drawings the most awkward experiences and take the severity out of them. In her FAQs she admits that she draws cruddy drawings because they are funny, and she is totally right. Her distorted figures have the voice of the common man, who has to suffer with insecurities dancing and a severe fear of horror movies. It’s hard not to smirk when scrolling down this genuinely sincere blog.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

FCKD Mag – RADAR S3 Ep 32 [vid]

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:58:56 GMT

Ryan Watkins-Hughes, founder of the FCKD Mag project, is a deconstructionist through and through. In this latest project, Ryan is making a social commentary on advertisements by purchasing the flashiest, advert filled magazines and altering the covers as well as the ads inside of the magazine. By adding his artwork to the already printed magazine Ryan is replacing the “junk food for the brain” with his own work. Once he hacks the magazines he then “shopdrops” them back on the shelf, to be picked up by an unsuspecting consumer.

Relevant sites:

shopdropping.net/

Credits:

CREATED by Lance Weiler & Alex Johnson
DIRECTOR Alex Johnson
DP Jeremy Saulnier
EDITOR Jawad Metni
SERIES PRODUCER Josh Cramer
SEGMENT PRODUCER Janine Saunders
TITLE SEQUENCE Jordan Gray
POST PRODUCTION House of Trim
ADDITIONAL MUSIC by:
Small Black “Despicable Dogs” Washed Out RMX
Tall Firs “Hairdo”
MossyRock “I Want to Eat Your Eyes Out”

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.

RADAR NYC 8.19.10

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:50:02 GMT

WATCH Jay Shells – “Clean Up After Your Dog” If we asked what some of you hate most about walking around in the city, chances are stepping in dog excrement would be at the top of most lists. There’s nothing worse than the sight and smell of ruined shoes, especially when they’re new or you’re far away from home. Thankfully, Jay Shells, of Subway Etiquette fame (RADAR 25 – Subway Etiquette), knows your pain. That’s why he’s put up this handy “Clean Up After Your Dog!” poster. While it’s not as clever as his MTA service-change silkscreens, the latest installation is well worth a look (especially for anyone who thinks they can get away with such a devious crime). LISTEN Small Black written by: Alex Holmes At a time when chill-wave is drifting out of every window in Brooklyn, it can be difficult to set your sound apart. Small Black is one of the bands that has managed to do just that. Their newest album, New Chain, on Jagjaguwar Records is due to hit Oct 26th. We came across Small Black a little while ago and knew we had to get their music into one of our episodes (you can look forward to that later in Season 3). Small Black, though, have been getting into a lot more than just the episode. In fact, we were happy to see that on May 25th Small Black played a show with another of our favorite RADAR contributors, reverb-y duo Javelin (featured in Ep 27, Auto-Tune the News). We recently got to see Small Black’s most recent music video, Bad Lover, and it’s a beautiful, carefully composed video (directed by friend Nick Bentgen), well worth your attention. Check out Bad Lover on Small Black’s website, and then set aside September 17th in your calendar, because the boys of Small Black are coming back to Brooklyn. In the dingy rock and roll hideaway that is Monster Island Basement, Small Black take to the stage with DOM, Total Slacker, and Oberhofer at 8PM. We’ll see you there. Listen to Small Black’s newest single “Photojournalist” via Pitchfork READ Interview with Dan Goldman In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re pretty big fans of Dan Goldman, featuring him in a RADAR episode (RADAR Ep22 – Red Light Properties) and on the blog. Good news for everyone else who digs Goldman’s and his unique art stylings: The Daily Crosshatch has released an interview with the author/writer that picks his brain and dives into his creativity and influences. A must read, for sure. Also, next Red Light Properties chapter out August 24th with only 2 more chapters – last chapter on Sept 7th! It’s been a fun ride. Interview Part 1 Interview Part 2 GO NYCResistor Craft Night Prepare to clear your nighttime schedule every Thursday because NYC Resistor’s Craft Night is kicking off August 26th. The event is like a creative open mic night for any kind of artist – a night of collaboration where anyone can bring their current art project to work on it in a space of others. According to NYC Resistor, people have worked on knitting, mending, clothing reconstruction, web design, and even robots, so what is and isn’t a craft is totally up to you. If you’re a fan of Makerbot (RADAR Ep19) or Diana Eng’s Fairytale Fashion (RADAR Ep31) – this is where you’ll find them hanging out! Every Thursday Night – 6pm NYCResistor Labs 87 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11217 Event Info note: if door is locked please call so we can let you in: 917-402-9737 FOLLOW @exitartnyc While we love featuring the accounts of people we’ve showcased on RADAR before, sometimes it’s just best to post a Twitter feed that delivers the goods: links to some awesome sites. So, in the spirit of cool, we recommend you check out ExitArtNYC, the Twitter of the contemporary art non-profit. http://twitter.com/exitartnyc

Fairytale Fashion – RADAR S3 Ep 31 [vid]

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:30:46 GMT

Diana Eng is at the cutting edge of two prominent fields that rarely intersect. Fusing Technology and Fashion in her series Fairy Tale Fashion, she is not only able to combine two worlds that she enjoys, but is also able to show a younger demographic that math, science, and engineering can be applied to fashion in a fun and creative way. We follow Diana through her process, starting at engineering collective NYC Resistor as she designs custom housings for her electronics, builds prototypes for sound and motion based LED lights which she threads into dresses, coats, and necklaces as she joins technology and fashion in a unique way.

Relevant sites:

fairytalefashion.org

Credits:

CREATED by Lance Weiler & Alex Johnson
DIRECTOR Alex Johnson
DP Charlie Beyer
EDITOR Jawad Metni
SERIES PRODUCER Josh Cramer
SEGMENT PRODUCER Janine Saunders
TITLE SEQUENCE Jordan Gray
POST PRODUCTION House of Trim
ADDITIONAL MUSIC by:
I Am Robot and Proud “401 Circuit”
Clark Able “Hot Jack Remix’”

TCIBR: Ted Hope and Katie Holly on creative producing [audio]

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:37:10 GMT

RADAR NYC 8.13.10

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:41:32 GMT

WATCH

Story Pirates – Tickle Monsters Are Robots

Check out the “Tickle Monsters Are Robots!!!!,” video from Story Pirates, who were featured in our latest RADAR episode (RADAR 30 – Story Pirates). There are many children’s entertainers out there, but none are quite like these guys, who actually draw their material from the children themselves. They go to schools, have children write creative stories, then the Story Pirates turn the stories into songs, and make a show out of it. The Story Pirates’ goal is to show kids what wonderful things can come from their very own unique ideas, which they hope will motivate kids to write more and to be more creative. This, along with their all-inclusive approach, which is aimed at focusing more on those who are not necessarily the best writers and are not always in the spotlight, makes Story Pirates not only creative and pretty hilarious, but also inspiration and respectable. Check out the video for their song “Tickle Monsters Are Robots!!!!” This is not only interesting and entertaining for all of us to watch from a creative perspective, but if you have kids (or maybe you’re a babysitter?) chances are they’ll be totally into this as well.

LISTEN

Au Revoir Simone

Are you a fan of Au Revoir Simone? Or do you not know who they are but loved the song from our Before I Die episode? Well, that’s them! And if you’re like us and can’t get enough of this Brooklyn-based trio, you’re in luck, because they’re about to release a new remix album of their 2009 album, Night Light. The remastered will feature mixes by Neon Indian, Jens Lekman, The Dirty Projectors’ Angel Deradoorian, Tanlines, and more. Check out Sentimentalist for more info on the album, and dates for their upcoming tour.

Listen / Purchase – Au Revoir Simone’s music

READ

Nofilmschool – DIY Filmmaking blog

Interested in independent filmmaking, or in D.I.Y. art in general? Check out http://nofilmschool.com/, where Ryan Koo blogs about various tools, strategies, events and equipment that could come in handy for talented creative people who opt not to take the film school route. He talks about being rejected by the studio system despite his obvious talent, and explains why this model is outdated, and often a dead end, for filmmakers trying to break in nowadays. In his NoFilmSchoolManifesto, he writes, “I’m sure some people are going to think, ‘you’re only going the DIY route because you can’t make it in Hollywood!’ My goal with NoFilmSchool is to prove them wrong.” This site is in many ways similar, if not complimentary, to last week’s post about Brian Newman’s talk about reinventing innovation. The site specifically focuses on filmmakers, but it can definitely be of use to any creative person looking to build a career out of independent work.

Side note: Ryan Koo & Zack Lieberman also directed two RADAR episodes, Google Maps Road Trip and Undetermined Measurements.

SLAM theater – PLAYS

Remember our Season 1 episode on Slam Theater (RADAR 05)? If you need a refresher, this innovative group uses the model of a poetry slam and translates it to playwriting. Think of it as a workshop meets a cold read audition meets a total adrenaline rush for anyone brave enough to endure it. As Stephania Vanin, one of the producers, puts it, SLAMS are, “evenings of theater in creation, where everyone who comes through the door becomes a participant.” In other words, the actors, the playwrights, and even the audience members, play a vital role in the evolution and overall experience of the pieces. The purpose of the SLAM is not only for entertainment, but to foster community, and to ultimately make everyone better at the work that they’re passionate about. Interested in finding out more or even attending a SLAM? Check out their Facebook page for updates on new SLAMS, and also on the progress of playwrights whose plays have been previously Slammed.

SLAM winner play currently showing:

The Former Waitress by Ryan Britt
August 12, 13, 14 9:30 – 10:30p
Upstairs at The Tank
354 West 45th Street
Event Info

FOLLOW

@autotunethenews

Chances are you’ve heard of these guys by now. They’re getting pretty huge. Some of their newest work, Double Rainbow and Bed Intruder, have gone to the top of the charts on iTunes. For more on what they’re all about and what their latest Autotune the News projects will entail, be sure to follow them on Twitter! Also, make sure to check out our episode featuring this talented bunch (RADAR 27 – ATTN)

http://twitter.com/autotunethenews

Story Pirates – RADAR S3 ep 30 [vid]

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:05:28 GMT

The Story Pirates are a Theater Troupe like none other. Their stage is birthday parties, Public Schools and The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Story Pirates combine education, writing, music and performance to excite kids about creative writing. By bringing the kids into the writing of the performance, they are able to stimulate creativity through storytelling, as well as build the confidence a child needs to continue to be creative. The kids are able to see the fruits of their labor live on stage, as the Story Pirates compose original music and a full script, performing the very words the children wrote themselves.

Relevant sites:

storypirates.org

Credits:

CREATED by Lance Weiler & Alex Johnson
DIRECTOR Josh Cramer
DP Tom Quinn
EDITOR Jawad Metni
SERIES PRODUCER Josh Cramer
SEGMENT PRODUCER Janine Saunders
TITLE SEQUENCE Jordan Gray
POST PRODUCTION House of Trim
ADDITIONAL MUSIC by:
The Notwist “Boneless”
Mossyrock “I Know I’m Not Wrong”
Inside Voices “How is You Was”

New Breed LA: Screening the Cut [vid]

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:25:42 GMT

For the community of working-class filmmakers at New Breed a constantly evolving creative process of telling our stories is the one thing we can count on in these changing times. Embarking on journeys through deeper methods of collaboration & engaging with fans across various platforms is certainly exciting – but one thing is for certain, the creative needs to be the driving force behind any and all approaches in order to preserve the integrity of the story (and the core reason we make our art).

In this series we begin at the beginning and explore what perhaps drew us all into making movies in the first place: the mystery of the creative process. What follows are short documentaries with creative tips, techniques, learning lessons & personal experiences from a handful of artists we encountered at the Los Angeles Film Festival 2010.

Episode Seven is titled: “Screening the Cut.” Featured in this episode are Jeff Malmberg and Ted Hope.

RADAR NYC 8.5.10

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:55:12 GMT

WATCH

Brian Newman – Reinventing Innovation

A few months ago, Brian Newman (former CEO of Tribecca Film Institute and founder of SpringBoard Media) gave a talk on innovation within the media space. We featured the video of the talk in DIY Days on April 25, 2010. In this hilarious and extremely insightful speech, Brian talks about the future of media and what we as artists can do to shape it. He laments the fact that at every single panel about film and new media that he’s attended, all people seem to talk about is distribution. “Where’s the innovation?” He asks, “Why isn’t anyone talking about true innovation?” He discusses new forms of storytelling, and explains that it makes no sense for us to take these new world technologies we have and trying to fit them into this old world way of thinking. He proposes strategies for innovation by going back historically and looking at where the arts have found it in the past when new technology has come along, and outlines what has worked. He meniones Monet’s impressionism (made possible by new paint technology – I know, sounds funny, right?), and the invention of the typewriter, which led to surrealism, and then applies it to today. Quoting Alan Kay (“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”), Brian gives no concrete formula for creating the future; just suggests that we apply what’s worked in the past to today, to our work, to our innovation. He provides extremely useful insight, and this video is definitely work taking a look at for anyone who is an artist and is looking to be legitimately inspired.

LISTEN

Bear Hands – “What a Drag”

Check out “What a Drag” music video by Bear Hands, which we used in an upcoming season 4 episode. It sounds slightly reminiscent of Float On my Modest Mouse, but updated, and with higher, more echo-y vocals. And the music video is great for anyone who’s a fan of Fiddler on the Roof/ Heidi/ anything by Michel Gondry. Confused? See for yourself!

Listen / Purchase – Bear Hand’s music

READ

Get Storied – Branding Yourself

Do you consider yourself a storyteller? Do you think you have a unique voice that nobody else can replicate? Do you have no idea what to do with it? In his blog, “Get Storied,” Michael Margolis talks about brand storytelling and branding yourself, with blog posts and podcasts. Worth checking out for anyone interested in branding, social media, and storytelling (and chances are, if you’re already reading this, you are!)

GO AND REGISTER!!!!

Cut and Paste – Competition Registration

Are you a designer? Check out http://cutandpaste.com/tours/forms/competitors/ and register to compete in Cut&Paste’s annual design competition. Think Iron Chef, but for design and much more “street”. Watch our RADAR episode on Cut and Paste to see what this competition is all about. Hurry! The deadline for submissions is September 10th.

@kevinbracken

Into flash mobs? So are we! Check out Kevin Bracken, creator of Newmindspace (RADAR 10 – Newmindspace), which has put on several flash mob events around the city, including bubble battles, LED light saber battles, blanket fort parties, and pillow fights (http://www.newmindspace.com/pillowfightnyc.php). Follow him on Twitter to see what he’s up to next.

http://twitter.com/kevinbracken

New Breed LA: The Integrity of Story [vid]

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:35:08 GMT

Episode Five is titled: “The Integrity of Story.” Featured in this episode are Julius Onah, Jeff Malmberg,Trieste Kelly Dunn & Brett Haley and Ted Hope. Check back on Monday for the remainder of the series.

Radiology Art – RADAR S3 ep 29 [vid]

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:06:52 GMT

Technology and art frequently intersect, but artist-turned-medical-student Satre Stuelke’s radiology art crosses a new threshold of experimentation. Using high tech CT-scan imagery, he creates stunning three-dimensional depictions of the world outside the emergency room. From the charming to the unsettling, Stuelke’s focuses on Barbie dolls, Big Macs, and other unmistakable objects from everyday life. It’s an enlightening process that begs us to see the relationship between previously unexplored perspectives, and a visual investigation that leaves beautiful artifacts in its wake.

Relevant sites:

www.radiologyart.com/

Credits:

CREATED by Lance Weiler & Alex Johnson
DIRECTOR Danielle Lurie
DP Tim Naylor
EDITOR Jawad Metni
SERIES PRODUCER Josh Cramer
SEGMENT PRODUCER Janine Saunders
TITLE SEQUENCE Jordan Gray
POST PRODUCTION House of Trim
ADDITIONAL MUSIC by:
Caleb Burhans “Early Music (For a Saturday)”
The Sea that Dried Up and Become a Parking Lot “If Beethoven Were A Painter”

New Breed LA: Making People Notice [vid]

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:22:40 GMT

Episode Five is titled: “Elements of Casting.” Featured in this episode are Jeff Malmberg and Brett Haley. Check back on every Monday and Thursday for the remainder of the series.

New Breed LA: Elements of Casting [vid]

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:00:37 GMT

Episode Four is titled: “Elements of Casting.” Featured in this episode are rare insights from producer Ted Hope. Check back on every Monday and Thursday for the remainder of the series.

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

Before I Die – RADAR S3 ep 28 [vid]

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:05:50 GMT

Before I Die is a rare form of Interactive Art, started by K.S. Rives and Nicole Kenney, creating life, out of death. Using a Polaroid camera, Rives and Kenney have traveled far and wide asking people what they would like to do before they die, and snapping their photo as they answer. Rives and Kenny found that asking an age-old question inspired people to reach for a goal they set from themselves. The project soon moved online enabling people from all around the globe to take their own photo, post it and share what they wanted to do before they die.

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”

New Breed LA: Planning for Discoveries [vid]

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:50:13 GMT

Episode Three is titled: “Planning for Discoveries.” Featured in this episode are Trieste Kelly Dunn & Brett Haley and Ted Hope. Check back on every Monday and Thursday for the remainder of the series.

RADAR NYC 7.23.10

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:32:10 GMT

WATCH

Auto-Tune The News – Ep10 Turtles

There’s a good chance that if you’ve ever used the internet to procrastinate/look at YouTube/link your friends to ridiculous videos, you’ve seen “Auto-Tune the News.” The concept is simple: take the day’s freshest, most serious news, T-Pain the voices, and add some funky background music. The result: hilarious. The brains behind the zany wigs, blue screens, and manic beats are The Gregory Brothers and Sarah Gregory. Check out the latest RADAR episode for some behind-the-scenes action of ATTN making Ep10 – Turtles, or just shoot over to their YouTube page. Just don’t forget to subscribe. Turtles:

Watch more videos from Auto-Tune The News
www.youtube.com/user/schmoyoho

LISTEN

Tall Firs

We like Tall Firs and their indie rock jamming, even using one of their tracks in season 3 of RADAR. The trio sounds like a compilation of 90s-era Dinosaur Jr., live Neil Young, and aggressive Galaxies 500, but don’t take our word for it – Head to their Myspace to hear what’s up. We recommend “Axemen” or “Hairdo.”

Listen / Purchase – Tall Firs music

READ

Red Light Properties – Chapter 18

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been following Dan Goldman’s work since we featured his Red Light Properties series (RADAR Ep22 – Red Light Properties). The unique webcomic experience is still going strong, with a new chapter prepped for launch on July 27th. The online graphic novel follows a group of ghostbusting realty agents in Miami who turnover previously-haunted houses well-below market value. The self-proclaimed tropical-horror‘s most unique aspect has got to be its delivery; instead of one massive JPG or PDF shoved onto your screen, the comic unfolds panel-by-panel, one word-bubble at a time, all at the pace of your mouse clicks. Catch up with the eighteen previous chapters now.
Chapter 18 – view here.

NY International Independent Film & Video Festival

In case you didn’t know, the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival is one of the largest indie festivals in the world. Greats such as Abel Ferrara, Andy Garcia, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Walken, Daryl Hannah, Guy Pearce, George Clooney, and Willem Dafoe have all done work in the festival and the NYIIFVF also accepts submissions from all over the world. If that sort of gravity doesn’t already attract you to the event, our own Daniela Croci has a film entered in the festival, Everything Is as It Seems. Scope the fest’s website for info on film schedules, locations, and tickets. Watch Daniela’s short:

Saturday July 24th – 2 pm
VILLAGE EAST CINEMAS
181 2nd Avenue at 12th Street, New York
Event Info

FOLLOW

@Urbanfarming

We’ve showcased sustainability pieces here at RADAR a couple times before, most notably, the Waterpod project (RADAR 017 – Waterpod). Well, some of the guys and girls behind that awesome art satellite have a website and a Twitter dedicated to appropriate technology and green living. Yes, both are definitely worth bookmarking/ following for updates on all things efficient, useful, and green.

Urban Farming’s twitter

New Breed LA: Engineering Serendipity [vid]

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:03:39 GMT

Episode Two is titled: “Engineering Serendipity.” Featured in this episode are Jeff Malmberg, Trieste Kelly Dunn & Brett Haley and Ted Hope. Check back on Friday and then every Tuesday and Friday for the remainder of the series.

Auto-tune The News – RADAR S3 ep 27 [vid]

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:54:41 GMT

Started by Michael, Evan, Andrew and Sarah Gregory, Auto-Tune the News takes video clips of Politicians, Pundits, and Newscasters. The dialog of the clips is then Auto-Tuned transforming spoken word into singing. The goal of the project, is to not only add some humor to these normally dry, antiseptic broadcasts, but to make the information delivered fun and understandable to a younger generation, dare we call them, the Auto-Tune generation. In a time when technology can be manipulated to make the impossible a reality, as well as becoming an industry main-stay, this new form of audio filtering can make the worst of singers stay in key, but it can even make CNN fun.

Relevant sites:

http://www.youtube.com/user/schmoyoho

Credits:

CREATED by Lance Weiler & Alex Johnson
DIRECTOR Josh Cramer
DP Lance Kaplan
EDITOR Jawad Metni
SERIES PRODUCER Josh Cramer
SEGMENT PRODUCER Janine Saunders
TITLE SEQUENCE Jordan Gray
POST PRODUCTION House of Trim
ADDITIONAL MUSIC by:
Javelin “Vibrationz”
The Gregory Brothers

New Breed LA: Nothing you have to have [vid]

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:44:35 GMT

Episode One is titled: “Nothing You Have to Have.” Featured in this episode are Julius Onah, Jeff Malmberg,Brett Haley and Ted Hope. Check back on Friday and then every Tuesday and Friday for the remainder of the series.

RADAR NYC 7.15.10

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:44:35 GMT

LATEST RADAR EPISODE

RADAR Ep26 – Hidden Oras

“Hidden Oras began as a live drawing project within various music clubs in Japan before moving to NYC. Shantell Martin an artist and VeeJay armed with her projector, and trusty digital drawing tablet, turns members of the audience into living art. When an audience member steps up against the projector wall Shantell creates a unique and original drawing that engulfs them. Fusing technology and art at every turn, Hidden Oras is just the first step of many towards the next wave of Live Art.

www.shantellmartin.com

WATCH

Shantell Martin at PSFK conference

Shantell Martin (RADAR 026 – Hidden Oras) spoke at this year’s PSFK conference, discussing not only her process, but the tools she uses to keep herself in touch with her “creative seed”. Throughout the day, we as New Yorkers keep ourselves busy with emails and appointments, worrying about the guy you don’t trust next to you on the train, keeping us from nurturing our inner artist. By “checking in” with ourselves, stepping out of our head and focusing on our hearts and souls, to let them speak for themselves once in a while.

LISTEN

There Will Be Fireworks

Check out the new video for Ash Wednesday by There Will be Fireworks, a yet to be released song, in a video shot by They Shoot Video, Don’t They. “They” are a Viennese video blog, who feature “artists that can be vaguely described by the blurred out term indie”. There Will Be Fireworks are featured in the upcoming episode of RADAR season 3.

Listen / Purchase – There Will Be Fireworks music

READ

The Pekar Project

On a solemn note, this week we remember Harvey Pekar, best known for his American Splendor comic series, who passed away early on Monday, July 12th. Pekar’s first ongoing online web series, The Pekar Project, is hosted by Smithmag.com, a comic’s collective who has touched the RADAR family in many ways. Harvey Pekars’s graphic novel, The Quitter was also illustrated by Next-Door Neighbor’s editor, Dean Haspiel. RADAR sends out a big hug to the many folks who were touched by Pekar and to Smithmag.com’s Comics Editor, Jeff Newelt, who co-founded The Pekar Project and has worked with RADAR to make so much possible – we are so sorry for the loss of Jeff’s dear friend. Please check out The Pekar Project, as it’s a great service to Pekar and everything he stood for.

Art Show – “PAINTINGS”

Jay Shells (RADAR 025 – Subway Etiquette) made a big splash with his Subway Etiquette project, getting him national attention, as well as the respect and appreciation of annoyed commuters citywide. This Friday, at the 21 Ludlow Gallery, you can see some of Jay’s other work on display alongside Gray Edgerton, Timothy Mearini, Charles Martin, Eddie Ochoa, Fedele Spadafore and Nicole Wilson, at the Paintings exhibit, from 7-10 PM, at 21 Ludlow St on the Lower East Side.

Friday July 16th – 7p to 10p
21Ludlow
21 Ludlow St. New York
Event Info

FOLLOW

@URDB

Follow this twitter from URDB (RADAR 04 - URDB) for the most up to date world records from the bizarre to hilarious to just plan old f***ing genius.

URBD twitter

Hidden Oras – RADAR S3 ep 26 [vid]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:42:06 GMT

Hidden Oras began as a live drawing project within various music clubs in Japan before moving to NYC. Shantell Martin an artist and VeeJay armed with her projector, and trusty digital drawing tablet, turns members of the audience into living art. When an audience member steps up against the projector wall Shantell creates a unique and original drawing that engulfs them. Fusing technology and art at every turn, Hidden Oras is just the first step of many towards the next wave of Live Art.

Relevant sites:

www.shantellmartin.com/

Credits:

CREATED by Lance Weiler & Alex Johnson
DIRECTOR Josh Cramer
DP Doug Emmett
EDITOR Jawad Metni
SERIES PRODUCER Josh Cramer
SEGMENT PRODUCER Janine Saunders
TITLE SEQUENCE Jordan Gray
POST PRODUCTION House of Trim
ADDITIONAL MUSIC by:
Roger O’Donnell “Endlessly”
Runaway “The Poltergeist”
Taigaa “This Is Called Lonely Brass”

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.

RADAR NYC 7.9.10

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:40:43 GMT

LATEST RADAR EPISODE

RADAR Ep25 – Subway Etiquette

RADAR Season 3 Launches with Ep 25 – Subway Etiquette. Find more of Jay Shell’s work here.
“Jay Shells is the man behind Subway Etiquette, a new project that uses silk screen signs, which look identical to official transit signs, to speak not just to New Yorkers but all commuters, asking for a simple thing: Respect. Jay’s signs request that the reader does not do things like eat messy foods, preach their own religious beliefs or cut their toenails while riding the subway. What seems to be common sense is actually happening at every turn – bothering everyone around them. However our own concern with politeness keeps us from speaking up. We follow Jay from his silk screening studio in The New School, through the stairwells and tunnels of the New York Subway System, posting signs that hopefully remind us all to be a little more courteous.”

WATCH

WBPLabs – Inspired By Design

If you’ve ever found RADAR adding a little too much art to your diet and not enough architecture, construction, or inventive design, you’re going to want to check out Labs’ brand new series, Inspired by Design. Yes, you’ve caught us rooting for the home team, but we can’t help but showcase the new site’s intuitive look into the world of homes as creativity. Each episode visits a different environment – beachfront, lakeside and urban – and explores new architecture that elevates the everyday. If you dig the way we do things here at RADAR, definitely give them a look. More episodes here.

LISTEN

Gregory and The Hawk

Harps, guitars, and a voice, oh my. Gregory in the Hawk aka Meredith Godreau is one talented singer-songwriter. We’re pretty big fans of the New York native and her peculiar brand of folk music. While Godreau hasn’t released anything since 2008’s Moenie and Kitchi, we’re hopeful that changes soon and you should be too. In the meantime, check out her artful Beyonce cover down below.

Listen / Purchase – Gregory and the Hawk music

READ

Found Magazine

The explanatory paragraph on Found Magazine’s website reads “We collect found stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids’ homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles – anything that gives a glimpse into someone else’s life. Anything goes…” As it turns out, that’s the must accurate, succinct description for a site that turns one person’s “trash” into the internet’s treasure. Chock full of sweet, charming, heartbreaking, honest, and emotional discovered items, the site is a must-bookmark. In other words, just like Post Secret without all the melodrama.

Small Black and Beach Fossils – Music

Let’s be honest, this ridiculous-sounding “chill-wave” label is going to stick. In case you haven’t heard the recent-ish blogism, chill-wave is the all-encompassing genre of lo-fi, catchy, down-tempo, fuzzed-out, noise-pop, usually associated with small bedroom bands from Brooklyn. Whew, that was a lot of hyphens. Anyways, two of the genre’s (and indie music in general) best acts are Small Black and Beach Fossils and if you’re lucky enough to be in NYC on July 14th, you get to see ‘em both play live at the Mecury Lounge. Not sold yet? Listen to Small Black’s “Despicable Dogs” (RADAR Season 3) or Beach Fossil’s “Vacation” at their respective Myspaces. Myspi?

Saturday July 14th, 9:30pm
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston St., New York, NY 10002
Event Info

FOLLOW

Bambi Killers

We devoted an entire Radar episode trying to explain just what exactly the Bambi Killer are. Though we still can’t sum them up one sentence, their blog offers a whole bunch of insight and understanding into their horror rock cabaret. Check it out if you’re a fan of Glenn Danzig, Marilyn Monroe, show tunes, fake blood, alien invasions, or performance art.

Bambi Killers Blog

Subway Etiquette – RADAR S3 ep 25 [vid]

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:27:54 GMT

Jay Shells is the man behind Subway Etiquette, a new project that uses silk screen signs, which look identical to official transit signs, to speak not just to New Yorkers but all commuters, asking for a simple thing: Respect. Jay’s signs request that the reader does not do things like eat messy foods, preach their own religious beliefs or cut their toenails while riding the subway. What seems to be common sense is actually happening at every turn – bothering everyone around them. However our own concern with politeness keeps us from speaking up. We follow Jay from his silk screening studio in The New School, through the stairwells and tunnels of the New York Subway System, posting signs that hopefully remind us all to be a little more courteous.

Relevant sites:

http://www.jayshells.com

Credits:

CREATED & PRODUCED by Lance Weiler & Alex Johnson
DIRECTOR Josh Cramer
DP Jeremy Saulnier
EDITOR Jawad Metni
SERIES PRODUCER Josh Cramer
SEGMENT PRODUCER Janine Saunders
TITLE SEQUENCE Jordan Gray
POST PRODUCTION House of Trim
ADDITIONAL MUSIC by:
Hermitude “Slychain”
Cassettes Won’t Listen “Two Kids”
Liquid Todd “Psycho Social”

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

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:20:15 GMT

Elan Lee wants you to be a superhero!

[More on that later.]

“I’m trying to define a role in the world that doesn’t quite exist yet.”

A note of introduction: Through the good graces of Lee Sheldon (a game writer/designer and professor with whom I worked during my graduate program), the Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics, and others at Indiana University, we were able to host Elan in Bloomington, Indiana for a series of talks on the arts of storytelling and game design. I was lucky enough to listen to him speak on these and related subjects, a lot. This three part, “Rolling Stone” style profile/discussion is a mash-up of those talks, a one-on-one interview, and a lot of coffee-fueled conversations–with me and others–over the duration of that visit (and even a couple of follow-up emails).

I should also state that I am now an awestruck fan of his work (the intentions that inform it, even more so), and though I aim to provide some substance, I can’t avoid the occasional out-pourings of puffery that is the hallmark of celebrity profiles. But I guess that begs the question – is Elan Lee even a celebrity?

Elan Lee is Famous

Elan Lee is one of the first individual identities ever associated with Alternate Reality Games, and with the “transmedia” [what do you call it? genre? evolution? debacle? … I’ll settle on…] arena more generally. Along with his fellow 42 Entertainment and Fourth Wall founders, he represents an approach to storytelling and game design that is lauded as the Next Big Thing. He’s the “transmedia” equivalent of Stephen Spielberg (with whom he has, of course, worked). But this gives him a little too much credit. According to Elan Lee, the stories we tell don’t change, it’s the way we tell them that evolves.

The Future of Storytelling

In the early stages of preparation for his TEDxSeattle talk on “The Future of Storytelling,” Elan is obsessed with the image of the horseless carriage, and it’s as an apt metaphor. In the early stages of exploration, the identity of something new is not yet understood or established, so we use the language of the past to intellectually encompass the future. Even further, we use the symbols of the past to iterate what we think will be the future.

Let me be more illustrative: The “Horseless Carriage” is the name for a car in the world of the horse. The “Alternate Reality Game” is the name for a story/game/something whose characters may or may not inhabit physical bodies and whose setting may or may not exist within the boundaries of reality or imagination…in the world that accepts a distinction between those two states.

[Who knew this would get metaphysical so fast?]

The Mercedes F-Class “Horseless Carriage” – new old school

Try Everything

But what does that mean?! Well, according to Elan it means that the field is wide open, and without any hard and fast conventions, we can make anything we want. And it may fail, but that only helps us define this incoming genre for the era where it becomes mundane.

The other half of this, of course, is the participation of the audience. Without an audience that comprehends the mechanisms of cutting and zooming and reverse shots, movies would look inconsistent, and the stories they tell would appear to be nonsensically non-linear and emotionally disconnected.

Such are the frustrations of the “transmedia” designer. We develop vast universes, profound characters, world changing events, the elements of which are constructed in the same way that we acquire narratives in our “real” lives – we see newspaper headlines, watch video clips, monitor facebook pages, and repost twitter feeds. There’s nothing about these activities that appear non-linear or disconnected, and yet, when we make up a story that is absorbed and distributed in these ways, it becomes somehow less easily understood, even though the behaviors stay the same.

“If It’s Not Broken”

Elan’s solution to this is two-fold: 1) talk about what you do in the blandest possible way, and 2) don’t try to fix what isn’t broken. Here’s a factoid that sheds some light on both statements – Elan is now writing TV shows. Don’t be dismayed, he’s bringing a little something new to the table. But only a little. Elan Lee is a pragmatic guy, and this is, of course, pragmatic. If the first car was an Enzo, the local horsebacked posse would have strung up the inventor of that deviltry by his thumbs.

That doesn’t make for very good ratings.

So point two reminds us that we can innovate without intending to spark a revolution, and we’re more likely to change the way people think, what they believe, and how they behave if we nudge them ever so softly, instead of pushing them off the ledge.

And of course, the language in which we talk about what we do has to be consistent with the language that is understood. So if we call something a “comic book” when it’s really an episodic, stop-motion, illuminated epic poem accessed through a fictional character’s Vimeo account, the more traction it’s likely to get with the funders and the audience when it doesn’t sound so avant-garde.

Discussion of the “transmedia” industry, strategic storytelling, and creativity in Part II (7.11.2010)

Elan’s TEDxSeattle presentation

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.

Building a green home for $100,000

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:31:51 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.

How To Build Your Own VOD Portal (in a matter of hours for less than $100)

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:41:07 GMT

WHY DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

About a year ago, there was a lot of talk about the merging of broadband internet and the televisions in our living rooms. That has since been subplanted by a shift in focus toward the creative process and making better films. However, when Google TV was announced not long ago for a Fall release, I found myself revisiting the importance of discovery and distribution for a 24 hour period in which I built my own video on demand portal. If Google TV is able to populate amongst our TVs and other home theater devices as quickly as Netflix Watch Instantly did, we could be having some interesting conversations a year from now. In anticipation, I began digging into what it would cost in time and money to launch such a portal online for the films of Sabi Pictures and the films we’ve curated via the CINEFIST Screening Series. We’re calling it CINEFIST TV.

First I looked into services offered by Youreeka, Maxcast and others – disappointed at the cost, how little of the purchase price would go into our own pocket and the fact that the customers had to start accounts with these other companies. So then I began to look into doing what they do, but on our own site. I wanted to mimic the Netflix Watch Instantly experience — streaming video, a simple interface, a way to pay for the content with the option to make it free, and I wanted it cheap.

Now, I’m sure there are a few of you that are ahead of the curve on this one. This might not be for you as these are the discoveries of someone who has never done this before, but maybe you could offer some insight that would improve it a bit. That being said, this article assumes you know how to compress videos for the web and that you’ve got a handle on building web sites, registering domain names and setting up a hosting service. What follows is just the first incarnation of our VOD portal. It will evolve.

THE FOUNDATION AND PORTAL INTERFACE

First I needed a platform that would work in any browser. I’ve long been using Wordpress for all our sites and have become a great admirer of the premium video-based themes designed by Jason Schuller at Press75.com. For purposes of this VOD portal, I chose the appropriately named “On Demand” theme. They have a number of themes that would work equally well.

After securing my new .tv domain name, I uploaded all the Wordpress 3.0 files to my server and the theme files were uploaded to its theme folder. I created a mysql database with my hosting service and entered the appropriate information into my Wordpress config file before uploading that. Then, by going to my url for my new site, I followed the installation procedure for Wordpress and within seconds the site, devoid of content, was up and running.

If you are familiar with php and css stylesheets, the Press75 themes are easy to customize, and this theme in particular has a number of customs settings one can set in your Wordpress admin control panel.

A STREAMING VIDEO SERVER IN THE CLOUDS

I needed a cost-conscious streaming server. Most charge so much that selling a 99¢ stream would be a losing proposition. I turned to Amazon Web Service’s CloudFront service and started an account. Their pricing is much more manageable at 15¢ per GB. Considering a feature-length stream is in the neighborhood of 1 to 2 GB, this was a no brainer.

So I first set up an AWS Simple Storage Service (S3) account where the media would live. Using my existing Amazon account and a credit card, I was receiving an email containing a link to my S3 account details within seconds. When you follow that link, the first thing you want to attend to are your two password keys — the Access Key and the Secret Key.

To manage this new account’s files and folder and various settings, I downloaded S3Fox Organizer plugin for Firefox as its really the best thing going for managing your files on an Amazon S3 account. With this I was able to upload all my media files (trailers, previews, shorts and features) and make them public and read-only. Here’s how:

Click on button that reads “Manage Accounts” in the upper left corner of the S3Fox interface. The window shown above will prompt you for an account name and your two access keys.

Now, you’ll need to create a “bucket” (aka a folder) in S3 where you’ll upload your videos. Click the blue folder button at the upper-right side of the screen and enter a name for it. I chose to use the domain name for the site it would serve videos to.

When you’re ready, this is where you’ll upload all your video files to. Each file will have to have its permissions set to be read-only for public viewing by right-clicking on the file, selecting “Edit ACL” from the menu, and changing “Read” + “Everyone” from a red X to a green checkmark. You can’t do this as a batch as far as I can figure so its a long process if you have a lot of videos.

Next you’ll have to set-up a “Distribution” in Cloudfront. Go to the AWS Management Console and add the EC2 and Cloudfront services to your account, if you haven’t already. Then go back to the main console and click the tab for Cloudfront. Click the button for “Create Distribution” and select the “bucket” you made earlier. Then set the delivery method to “Streaming”.

Now you’re looking at a list of your Cloudfront Distributions. Make note of the assigned domain name that looks something like a1b2c3d4e5f6g7.cloudfront.net. You will take that domain name and build the url to your streaming media as follows:

rtmp://cloudfront_domain_name/cfx/st/your_video_file.mp4

The /cfx/st/ path is required. While “your_video_file.mp4″ is the video you uploaded (or will upload) to your bucket.

VIDEO PLAYER AND ADAPTIVE DYNAMIC STREAMING

Dynamic Streaming is where the video player monitors the user’s broadband capabilities and selects one of several videos files to play that are identical in duration and content but differ in size and datarate. The player is capable of switching on-the-fly seamlessly.

As tedious as it may be, you’ll want to encode multiple versions of each video at different datarates. I chose to do three at 500kb/s, 900kb/s and 1800kb/s to support viewers with a variety of bandwidths. The player is given a list of corresponding videos in the form of an XML file and it plays what the user’s system can handle without stuttering and stopping. It’s not always flawless, but it’s pretty remarkable how well it works.

Here’s how I set mine up:

First download the free JW Player and upload the “mediaplayer” folder and all its content to your web site’s FTP. I placed mine in the directory labelled “wp-content” where other items like Wordpress themes and plugins are kept. Next, in your Wordpress admin control panel, go to the settings for the “Simple Video Embedder” (a plugin which comes with the Press75 themes) and enter the location of the JW Player files as: http://yourdomain.com/wp-content/mediaplayer/

Next open a text editor and create an XML file by saving an empty text document with a .xml extension. You can download an example xml file here. Be sure to fill in the names of your video files and your unique cloudfront domain name where indicated in the code. You’ll need to make on of these XML files for each video and once you’ve filled it out with your own info, upload it to your web site’s directory.

Next, use this code to embed the JW Player with instructions to call for the XML playlist. If you’re using the On Demand theme from Press75, create a new post and scroll all the way down to “Post Video Options”. This is where your embed code goes.

MAKE ‘EM PAY!!!

Finally, unless you’re happy giving all your films away for free, you’re wondering how do I make certain videos viewable only after a customer has paid to see it? This is the area I’m still experimenting with and I’d love to hear some ideas in the comments below. For now, I’m using a Wordpress plugin called S2 Member that allows you to lock specified posts and pages as “pay-only” content using Paypal to process the transactions. This plugin was desgined for bloggers who wanted to have premium content on their sites, and since each video we host is essentially its own blog post, this works well enough for now. The instructions it comes with make it easy to set-up so I’m not going to repeat them here, but quickly i will note that you have the option to be post/page specific or to offer a subscription that opens up all the content for one price.

Still, I’d like to have the pay system integrated into the player itself, so it can be embedded on other sites as well. The JW Player has an add-on that allows for Paypal donations to be made, but that’s not quite what we need. So these are the primary areas we’re working on before the official launch in the Fall to coincide with GoogleTV. In addition, we need to replace the video player with an HTML5 compatible one so the videos can be viewed on Apple devices too. The challenge being that no HTML5 players do true fullscreen which kind of kills the home viewing experience when you can see the browser. And its the home viewing experience we’re building this for.

So that, believe it or not, should do it. You can poke around on the site for the JW Player to learn how to use different skins and add-ons too. It was important for me to share how this is done, how easy it is, and how little it costs so you can avoid being taken advantage of. There’s little need to give away 50% or more of your potential online VOD revenue just to have it available in this manner. Anyone with $100 and a couple hours can do it.

RADAR NYC 7.1.10

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:28:40 GMT

WATCH

Aakash Nihalani – Stop Pop & Roll

Check out Aakash Nihalani’s (RADAR 008 – Tape and Mirrors) new YouTube video “Stop, Pop & Roll” as it follows him through a short installation on New York’s Manhattan streets. Aakash’s name is synonymous with street art, visible at every turn in all five boroughs, finding beauty in the symmetry of the city’s architecture. He might not have a fancy documentary film about his work, or have filled a pop-up store with exotic animals, but from the way things are going, he’s not too far off.

LISTEN

Milieu – A Blanket of Infinate Repititions

A Blanket of Infinate Repititions has just been released by Milieu (“Cropduster” RADAR season 3). This exclusive set of recordings were made at the same time as their most recent album Phosphene Weather, yet never saw the light of day. Finally they are available as a limited edition of 50, available on the Milieu website.

Listen / Purchase – A Blanket of Infinate Repititions

READ

Music Video Case Study – Leah Meyerhoff

Read / View it here
Award-winning director Leah Meyerhoff (RADAR 017 – Waterpod) has allowed us into her world by creating a breakdown of the entire music video making process, from storyline to references to behind the scenes, for the song “Like Our Fathers” by Luff, who were also featured on the Waterpod episode. If you’ve ever wondered about the amount of work and planning that goes into making a music video, you’ve got to have a look at this invaluable study. And don’t forget to head over to Leah’s website to check out more of her work.

3 Great events – ALL FREE

Art Battles (RADAR 015 – Art Battles) returns again with another four artists that will go head to head (to head to head) at the prestigious Brooklyn Museum, this Saturday, July 3rd at 7:00 PM. This time it’s Concep, Lexi Bella, Marthalicia, and Zito on the center of the floor, racing against the clock to claim the bragging rights for their 15 Minutes of Fame. The Boogie Brothers will be providing the live music, the artists will provide the entertainment, all you have to do is show up. Art Battles Presents “15 Minutes of Fame” @ The Brooklyn Museum , 7-8:30 pm, July 3rd 2010.

Saturday July 3rd, 7pm
The Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
Event Info

@lanceweiler

Lance Weiler does it all. Not only has he written, directed and produced two feature length films, 1998’s The Last Broadcast and 2006’s Head Trauma, but he also partnered in creating the transmedia production company Seize the Media and founded the creative network The Workbook Project. Us over here at RADAR think a lot of Lance, not just because he gives us a job, but because he is truly committed to exploring new and innovative ways for creative individuals to come together and express themselves. Follow Lance on twitter to stay up to date with all his goings-ons, and check out Filmmaker magazine to read his regularly featured column on the impact of technology on entertainment.

@lanceweiler

Thoughts on New Entertainment Forms

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:06:45 GMT

I know I’m pretty late to the party on some of this stuff, but I wanted to point out a couple more instances of “new”-ish entertainment and storytelling possibilities which I think indie filmmakers can explore.

I only recently discovered You Suck at Photoshop.

One thing I love about this is it’s low-budget nature. It’s dependent entirely on the writing and the performance. Anyone with skills in those two things can do this. You don’t need a crew. You don’t need a RED camera. You don’t even need a budget. Something good for poor indies to think about here…

Here’s another great recent example. This one is particularly funny to people in technology.

Again, the key thing here is that it’s dependent on writing and performance.

What I also like about this is, it’s a kind of entertainment purely made for the web. Sure you could have done this on TV, or in a film, but I think the length of the piece and your expectations for the length of web content combine to make this only really possible on the web. You will check this out at your desk when your boss isn’t looking, but would you sit down on the couch and tune into this? Probably not. Likewise, the concept, funny as it is, can only really be carried on for a few minutes at a time.

Or can it?

Enter Mr. Plinket

So this guy started doing these reviews online. He’s done a number of sci-fi movies, which kind of gives him a built in audience. What’s striking is that what he does is a mix of an actual good review, and comedy. He plays a character while reviewing. But what he says is usually very sharp and spot on. So what is this beast? A review? A comedy sketch? Whatever it is, it’s pretty telling that I’ve watched Phantom Menace twice; once when it came out, and one more time just to make sure I wasn’t on drugs the first time. But I’ve watched this guy’s entire review series for Phantom Menace 6 times. That’s the whole batch of 7. I’ve watched some individual episodes many more times than that.

Here’s the first one for Phantom Menace. But I strongly encourage everyone to go watch the rest. These will probably have less of an effect if you’re not a fucking geek, but I think you’ll still get the point. Would love to see him do Sex in the City 2 though.

So we’re looking at some entertainment here made specifically for the web. But what else is it about these? POV? They are all subjective camera? They are all from the protagonist’s POV. They all primarily tell their stories through speech and screen-capture. Plinket’s videos have some inter-cut “scenes,” which I find far less entertaining than his actual reviews. But for the most part, it follows this model.

What else can you do this way? A Sci-Fi story, for sure. A horror story? A Drama? Let’s try something. Anyone have any good story ideas you think would translate to this as a medium?

My Thoughts on E3

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:01:16 GMT

At a spectacle known as E3, I witnessed everything from 3D games without glasses to controller-free gaming. Before this conference I didn’t think Star Trek-like technology could be available in 2010. Can Hollywood learn from the constantly evolving game industry?

Below are some highlights from E3 and how I think they will impact filmmakers.

X-Box 360’s Kinect created by PrimeSense

Audience members could place themselves into scenes and those clips will automatically be shared on Facebook. How many girls would love to have an appearance in Twilight? Maybe, Kinetic could track where a viewer is in a living room to change the perspective of how they watch a movie. Additionally film environments could be interactive e.g. you can pause a film and then run your hand through raindrops.

Nintendo 3D DS

There aren’t any TVs on the market that deliver 3D film viewing on a budget. 3D DS gives consumers an incentive to purchase a movie vs. watching it through Netflix, pirating, or Red Box. With over a 125 million of the previous DS models sold, this could be a big market. The LA Times reports that Nintendo has already made deals with Warner Bros, Disney, and DreamWorks.

What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments.

DIYDays NYC – Noah Harlan: How to build a mobile app [vid]

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:56:47 GMT

This workshop will take you through the process of conceiving, developing and releasing an app for mobile platforms including the iPhone, Android, mobile web and other platforms. We will take a close look at the process of designing User Interface and User Experience. We will also look at the evolution of human interface interactions and where we are headed. What is the future of mobile devices, including the iPad, netbooks and smartphones. Particular focus will be on augmented & alternate reality design and building immersive worlds and transmedia integration.

For more on Noah Harlan
@noahharlan
www.noahharlan.com

RADAR NYC 6.25.10

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:50:35 GMT

WATCH

Slush Pile Funnies – Joe InFurnari’s

Take one really talented comic writer/illustrator, a handful of his worst ideas, and website to showcase all of it and you have Joe Infurnari’s Slush Pile Funnies. Infurnari, who’s related to Smith Mag’s excellent Next Door Neighbor webcomic (RADAR 001 – Next Door Neighbor), has been making comics for a while now, and with great creativity comes true travesty. Best to let him explain: “Every artist has ideas that we reject. We call them ‘bad ideas’ for any number of reasons and choose to focus our efforts on the ‘good ideas’. What if we did the opposite? What if we forced ourselves to entertain these denizens of our cerebral Salon des Refusés?” Slush Pile Funnies is the result of all that “hard” work. It’s one funny, ridiculous, and thought-provoking creative experiment.

LISTEN

Tin Pan Band

You may have caught the work of the Tin Pan Band soundtracking our Poetry Brothel episode (RADAR 020 – Poetry Brothel), and if you dug their retro vibes then, you’re going to want to check out their new tunes now. Self-described as, “Ray Charles and Tom Waits hanging out on Bourbon Street,” the Brooklyn band sounds like a speak-easy come to life and since they’re constantly playing shows, there’s always an opportunity to catch them playing live.

LP available to listen and purchase via CD Baby

READ

How I Met Your Motherboard – Jason Bitner

Jason Bitner loves the past. He’s the mind behind Cassette From My Ex (RADAR 003 – Cassettes From My Ex), the co-creator of Found Magazine, and editor of Dirty Found and the Found Polaroid Book. His latest historic excavation? How I Met Your Motherboard, a documentation of early computer memories – We’re talking photos and stories of ancient PCs, Macs, Commodores, and Ataris. It’s like a time machine taking you back to Doogie Howser’s bedroom for a diary session.

3 Great events – ALL FREE

Ham radios, the original pranking, hacking, trucker device, has been around since the early 1900s and it still has a cult following. To celebrate the amateur radio icon, NYC Resistor is hosting this year’s ARRL Field Day from June 26-27th. For those far removed from the dial, the field day is a national event during which “radio operators promote ham radio by setting up stations and transmitting in parking lots, open fields, etc.” The bash promises to be a two-day party full of demos, dancing, and debauchery, plus one of the sponsors are RADAR-friends MakerBot (RADAR 019 – Makerbot). Go back to a time before cell phones and Twitter, check the website for more info.

Saturday June 26, 8pm-1am
NYC Resistor
87 3rd Ave., 4th FL., Brooklyn, NY
Free

AND

Eclectic Method: Free show at Puma City in South Street Seaport – Event Info
New Mind Space: Bubble Battle NYC in Time Square – Event Info

@elizaskinner

We last checked in with Eliza Skinner, she was showing off her improvisational musical skills as part of the I Eat Pandas (RADAR 002 – I Eat Pandas) tandem. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that Eliza is pretty funny off the stage too. Follow her on twitter or check out her new blog chronicling her new adventures in wedding planning. She’s like Jennifer Lopez, but actually funny.

@elizaskinner

WBPLabs Project 002 – Inspired By Design

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:42:07 GMT

Inspired By Design is a mini-series produced by WBPLabs – a division of the WorkBook Project. Inspired By Design explores the emerging art of eco-friendly and innovative design. Each episode provides a glimpse behind the scenes of some of the most pioneering creative efforts of craft and engineering in contemporary life.

From city studios to beach-side shores, every story draws as much from the personalities of the individuals profiled as it does from their surroundings. Leading architects, industrial designers, and sustainability experts discuss their working models of success produced in collaboration with the imagination of their clients.

Each partnership creates an environment which seamlessly combines form and function into a graceful whole.

Ep101: Surf, Live, Paint

Ep102: New Gen, Next Gen

Ep103: A House For Blake

remixable - posts tagged 'filmmaking,diy,how,to,interviews,discussions,film,movies,distribution,deal,making,opensource,workbook,project'

Let’s Make a Web Series

Transmedia Talk Podcast – Episode 1

Cross-Pollination the Strength of a Community

RADAR NYC 8.26.10

WBP Discovery & Distribution Winner – One Hundred Mornings

Noveller

Fashion Geek – Diana Eng

NYCResistor Craft Night

August 28th: 6pm – 8pm TBA Event Info FOLLOW

@alliebrosh

FCKD Mag – RADAR S3 Ep 32 [vid]

Relevant sites:

Credits:

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

RADAR NYC 8.19.10

Fairytale Fashion – RADAR S3 Ep 31 [vid]

Relevant sites:

Credits:

TCIBR: Ted Hope and Katie Holly on creative producing [audio]

RADAR NYC 8.13.10

Story Pirates – Tickle Monsters Are Robots

Au Revoir Simone

Nofilmschool – DIY Filmmaking blog

SLAM theater – PLAYS

The Former Waitress by Ryan Britt August 12, 13, 14 9:30 – 10:30p Upstairs at The Tank 354 West 45th Street Event Info FOLLOW

@autotunethenews

Story Pirates – RADAR S3 ep 30 [vid]

Relevant sites:

Credits:

New Breed LA: Screening the Cut [vid]

RADAR NYC 8.5.10

Brian Newman – Reinventing Innovation

Bear Hands – “What a Drag”

Get Storied – Branding Yourself

Cut and Paste – Competition Registration

@kevinbracken

New Breed LA: The Integrity of Story [vid]

Radiology Art – RADAR S3 ep 29 [vid]

Relevant sites:

Credits:

New Breed LA: Making People Notice [vid]

New Breed LA: Elements of Casting [vid]

RADAR NYC 7.29.10

Before I Die – RADAR S3 ep 28 [vid]

PULSE – UnItv.me

New Breed LA: Planning for Discoveries [vid]

RADAR NYC 7.23.10

Auto-Tune The News – Ep10 Turtles

Tall Firs

Red Light Properties – Chapter 18

NY International Independent Film & Video Festival

Saturday July 24th – 2 pm VILLAGE EAST CINEMAS 181 2nd Avenue at 12th Street, New York Event Info FOLLOW

@Urbanfarming

New Breed LA: Engineering Serendipity [vid]

Auto-tune The News – RADAR S3 ep 27 [vid]

Relevant sites:

Credits:

New Breed LA: Nothing you have to have [vid]

RADAR NYC 7.15.10

RADAR Ep26 – Hidden Oras

Shantell Martin at PSFK conference

There Will Be Fireworks

The Pekar Project

Art Show – “PAINTINGS”

Friday July 16th – 7p to 10p 21Ludlow 21 Ludlow St. New York Event Info FOLLOW

@URDB

Hidden Oras – RADAR S3 ep 26 [vid]

Relevant sites:

Credits:

Recycling Shipping Containers for Homes and Studios

RADAR NYC 7.9.10

RADAR Ep25 – Subway Etiquette

WBPLabs – Inspired By Design

Gregory and The Hawk

Found Magazine

Small Black and Beach Fossils – Music

Saturday July 14th, 9:30pm Mercury Lounge 217 East Houston St., New York, NY 10002 Event Info FOLLOW

Bambi Killers

Subway Etiquette – RADAR S3 ep 25 [vid]

August 28th: 6pm – 8pm
TBA
Event Info

FOLLOW

The Former Waitress by Ryan Britt
August 12, 13, 14 9:30 – 10:30p
Upstairs at The Tank
354 West 45th Street
Event Info

FOLLOW

Saturday July 24th – 2 pm
VILLAGE EAST CINEMAS
181 2nd Avenue at 12th Street, New York
Event Info

FOLLOW

Friday July 16th – 7p to 10p
21Ludlow
21 Ludlow St. New York
Event Info

FOLLOW

Saturday July 14th, 9:30pm
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston St., New York, NY 10002
Event Info

FOLLOW

Saturday July 3rd, 7pm
The Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
Event Info

Saturday June 26, 8pm-1am
NYC Resistor
87 3rd Ave., 4th FL., Brooklyn, NY
Free