Squaresville

Over a year ago, I was asked to play a role in a web series pilot called Squaresville.  I reminded the creator of the series, Matt Enlow, that I am definitely not an actress, but he reassured me that the role was a TV reporter.  Surely I could handle that, right?  We shot my scenes the night before I left for a month at the State Fair of Texas in 2010. In the following months, I was able to meet the incredible stars of the series, Mary Kate Wiles and Kylie Sparks, who play the inseparable duo trying to fit in a world that sometimes makes us feel like you can't ever fit in.  Their tag line is so fitting:  "They say it's hip to be square.  Sometimes I am not so sure."

Well, the series is now raising funds to complete production and they have 18 days left to complete their $12,000 goal.  They have hit a series of milestones and they continue to release minisodes after each goal is met.  My cameo appeared yesterday, how did I do? Well, you can watch it all below, let me know what you think!

To learn more about the series:  Tubefilter article

To donate to the series:  Kickstarter

Web TV Prom

If you didn't go to your high school prom or want to relive your youth, well, here is your chance.  ThisWeekIn and Tubefilter are throwing an incredible event on Wednesday, September 22nd for charity for the Los Angeles-based non-profit, Our House, a grief support center.  The night promises to be quite memorable with a host of web celebrities nominated for Prom King and Queen from iJustine to Mark Gantt of The Bannen Way to Shanrah Wakefield of Oz Girl.

Tickets are $25 before September 15th and $30 after September 15th.  You can grab your tickets at Eventbrite.  If you cannot make the event, don't worry, ThisWeekIn will be live streaming the event, so you can watch from the comfort of your couch in your prom dress.  You will definitely see me there, but now for the big question:  What to wear?  Any suggestions?

What:  Enchantment Under the Web Prom
Where: Busby's East
             5364 Wilshire Blvd
             Los Angeles
When:  Wednesday, September 22nd
             8PM-11PM
Cost:    $25 for the Early Bird Special
            $30 after September 15th.

Gone Fishing

While I take a much needed holiday break, I will leave you with a couple of posts you may have missed.  I will be back posting away next week with all of my adventures and an upcoming event in Chicago for Women's Health Magazine.

1. The legend of Disney continues into 2010 with my post showing behind the walls of Club 33.  This was posted on Disney Food Blog and every week, I find new friends thanks to Uncle Walt.

2. This next article was written in 2009, but Demi Delia is an interesting woman.  As a former adult star, she is raising two successful and smart kids.  Crackle.com chronicled her life in an online reality show, Mommy XXX.  Demi also made headlines again a few months ago as an alleged mistress of actor, David Boreanz.

3. Who knew that one iPhone photo would cause such frenzy?  Yes, I was there for the 2010 fire at Cobo Hall in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show.  See what all the fuss was about.

4. This article gave me my first hate email.  It was about Publicity and Web Series, but someone got their panties in a bunch over what I had written.  Tubefilter also referenced the article in a recent post as well.

5. The Legend of Neil fans are exactly that.....legendary.  Their continued support for our episode of The Web Files with Sandeep Parikh and Tony Janning is amazing and I always appreciate them stopping by. Here's their behind the scenes feature:  Legend of Neil.

So, that's the Top 5 at the halfway point of 2010.  Let me know what your favorite article has been this year.  Leave a comment and tell me what you think.  Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Behind the Scenes of The Web Files Buzz, Episode 6

In this episode of The Web Files, it's all about TheWB.com.  We were lucky enough to spend the morning there interviewing both Jace Hall with his new show, Chadam, and the cast and creator of EXPOSED.  Even though I have lived in LA for ten years, I still get giddy when I pull up onto any studio lot.  I never had designs on an acting career, but I love the allure of a studio lot where all of the Hollywood magic occurs.  We pulled up and unloaded the gear onto the requisite studio golf cart and off to Jace Hall's HD Films we go!

If you haven't met Jace before, he is tall-not like kind of tall, like super tall. We had to balance out the height difference on the chairs by stuffing pillows under and behind the cushions I was sitting on.  Once we established a normal eye line for the interview, we were off and running to talk about Chadam, a fantastical animated series with the classic tale of good versus evil.  With an impressive list of voice actors like Katey Sagal, Carl Weathers, and Jeffrey Coombs, bringing the characters to life, Chadam offers a new perspective to animation on the web.  Be sure to follow Jace on his blog because he has a robust slate of web and television projects from his production company, HD Films. (Especially for you V fans, he's the Executive Producer.)

Next up, a long awaited series and interview with Streamy Award winning director, Blake Calhoun about his new series, EXPOSED.  This was our first interview on The Web Files via Skype.  Technically, the Skype interview worked well, but I am still waiting for even more resolution on a Skype connection.  If it looks a bit muddy on Oprah's show, well, it's definitely going to on our end too, but I think it worked out with our two-camera shot on the Skype interview.  In the interview, Blake made some great points about working with local actors and creating work outside of the "LA web series bubble".  It can be done and with success, it is just a matter of creating a piece that has tight writing, high production value, and the momentum to get noticed.  I know it isn't easy, but Blake is a great example of working outside the Hollywood structure.      
                                           
We also had a chance to talk to Chase Jeffrey and Kimberly Matula about their experiences in working with Blake.  They each are a part of Calhoun's stable of actors, so you will see them in other series like Pink and in his upcoming film, Spilt Milk.  Poor Kimberly got stuck in massive LA traffic when an oil rig overturned on the 134, but like a trooper she plowed through and gave us a great interview about EXPOSED.  And if you are a soap fan, you can catch Kimberly playing Hope Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful.  

For more information on this episode, check out the article written by Mathieas McNaughton:  Tubefilter

To catch this episode of The Web Files Buzz, watch below:

Publicity and Web Series

UPDATE: This is an old post and a lot of this info is out of date. Please use the contact page if you have any questions.
Thanks!

A few months back I did a post on the Dos and Don'ts on the Red Carpet and I think it is time to write a companion piece called Publicity and Web Series.  I am going to throw out a few guidelines that are specific to The Web Files, but I know there are new media journalists out there that are seeing some similar issues.  Liz Shannon Miller at NewTeeVee has posted some helpful guidelines for submitting your show to her for review, but what is pure comedy is the email she received this week.  It made me realize that it was time to write the post that has been formulating in my head for awhile.  


We all know that publicity is a key component to driving viewers to your show and keeping the buzz out there in the web series world.  I would imagine most of the Streamy-nominated shows have seen a nice lift in viewership over the last six weeks, you want to keep that momentum going.  How do you do it?  Here are some suggestions:


1. Festivals:  I have really started to pay attention to what is happening on the festival circuit from ITVFest to NY Television Festival to SXSW.   Take a look at the success stories from ITVFest 2009....Al Thompson with an Atom.com deal, MERRIme.com with distribution on The Frisky, Oz Girl's Streamy award (and more news to come), and Urban Wolf's distribution deal with Crackle.  It is thrilling to watch the success happen in less than a year's time.  The festival circuit is a great place to start to create some buzz, so head on over and submit your series.


**Update:  This category continues to grow and I want to make sure to get some of those higher profile festivals out there for you to check out:  iTVFest, NYTV Festival, AFI DigiFest, Comic Con, and Sundance's New Media Lab.  Good luck! **


2.  Networking Events:  There seems to be a new media event, launch party, red carpet, screening, or meet-up each week.  While we see a lot of the same faces over and over, it isn't a bad thing to stop in and hand out a business card or two if you are ready to launch your show.  In fact, we nabbed our first two interviews for The Web Files at Geek Out 2009 by meeting Tay Zonday of Chocolate Rain fame and Brett Register of The Crew.  Without them, we wouldn't have had such a successful start to The Web Files. 


3.  Reviews and Interviews:  Now some of you are lucky enough to have new media publicists who take care of all of your publicity needs.  There are some fantastic representatives out there who are working  hard to promote the heck out of your show.  I can name seven publicists off of the top of my head that we have worked with on a consistent basis.  If you can afford a publicist, go for it.  It is tremendously helpful and it takes a lot of the burden off of your plate. 
    However, I know the reality of budgets in the web space and you are probably doing the publicity at the same time you are producing, writing, and starring in your show.  So, how do you give your series that extra push?  I have already given you Liz Shannon Miller's tips for "How to Pitch Me Your Web Series".  Everyone needs to remember this word, "pitch".  You should pitch your show in an email the same exact way you would pitch your show in a meeting with distribution executives.  In fact, this should be excellent practice for all of the meetings you will be taking after your web series is a huge hit, an award winner, and it opens doors on even bigger platforms.  That is exactly how the pitch should be handled.
    So, while I DO want links to your reviews from Tubefilter and NewTeeVee, here's what I don't particularly enjoy:  
          -"Check out my link.  You should interview me."  
          -"Why haven't you interviewed me yet?" or "When is it my turn?"
          -"The Streamys are over, so let's sit down so you can cover my show."
          -"Come interview us. We have an event tomorrow."
Yes, these are all direct quotes.  So, you can see I am getting some unprofessional emails and it is a little surprising.  I certainly can't email the studio publicists and say, "It's time for The Web Files to interview your talent.  We will be there tomorrow."  I have to pitch my show and let them know why it would be beneficial for their shows to be interviewed by us.  I submit a formal email with links, a press release and talent bios.  I want them to see The Web Files as a professional media outlet, not some hack entertainment web series.  Please treat your show with the same respect whether you are dealing with a small show like ours or a huge network like E!  You spent so much time and effort on the creative side of the business, remember that once it is completed and you are dealing with publicity, monetization, or distribution, it is all business. 
     The other issue is contacting us a day before your event.  If pre-production took a month for you, it will be the same for us.  We have a crew to organize, a show to plan, and we have to make sure I am in town. (Easier said than done during my travel season.)  I love covering events, but some notice is appreciated and it is necessary for us to produce a quality show for you.  I want to make sure I have done my research on the talent and we want to have our core crew on hand. Trust me, they are GOOD, so a little calendar courtesy goes a long way in our world.  


4.  Press Releases:   A simple and free way to get the word about your show out there on the net.  PRLog just requires a short registration and it is a fantastic way to get the word out about your news of season premieres, finales, distribution, and events.  We have utilized this service quite a bit and we always see a lift off of the press release.


5.  Timing:  Yes, timing is important in terms of publicity.  Take it from the master, Felicia Day.  When she is writing The Guild, she puts herself in a media blackout creating more of a demand for her when she returns.  I am sure she wants to avoid the distraction, but it is a brilliant idea.  When your show is launching, ending, there is distribution news, casting news, or a red carpet event, that is when you want to hit the PR wire.  That is exactly when we want to interview you too. We want launch our episode with you because it is a win-win in terms of buzz and viewership.  In fact, the next six interviews we are shooting involve: a Streamy winner, a launch, distribution news, casting news, DVD release, and a new media event.  As they say, timing is everything.


6.  Patience:  I think Liz said it best, "Please be patient with me. I eventually watch everything I’m sent, but I only write one review a day and you web series creators have been freakin’ BUSY."  I know at The Web Files, we are doing our best to keep up with your emails.  We do have an official list and we banter back and forth as to why we should do a particular series now or later.  It is an ongoing discussion and it changes each month.  The best example of that is our interview with the series, Chick.  It had been on our list for a long time, but the timing felt right in early 2010.  I even wrote about the timing in my Behind the Scenes post for Chick.  The show did extremely well for us in terms of views and we received more emails about this show than any other episode so far in 2010.  Chick has a lot of heart and I think that resonated with many viewers, so I was thrilled we gave a smaller show a boost and we felt like we did it at the right time.  


Where can you hone your PR skills? Well, I know there are several new media workshops going on in the month of May with NewMedialocity and WebTV Workshop, or you can go back to the basics with UCLA's Extension program and sign up for PR 101. I am hoping the Web TV seminars address the publicity issue in depth because it will be beneficial to many content creators.


I hope this was helpful to you from a media perspective.  I would love to hear your comments on this topic because I know many of you will have even better suggestions from a creator's point of view.  So, let's get some dialogue started! 


To submit to The Web Files:  TalkToTheWebFiles at Gmail dot com
We look forward to learning more about your web series!


**Update** I received an email from a content creator accusing me of being part of the LA web series "bubble" and some unknown clique out here.  I have to take issue with this.  We do not have a travel budget for The Web Files right now.  If you know of someone that would like to sponsor us, we would gladly take you up on that offer and cover web series all over the country. 
   Please do not accuse me of not supporting web series.  I have worked hard along with everyone else at The Web Files for FREE since May of 2009. We want to tell your stories and we are doing the best we can on our limited resources.  We are happy to cover any web series that is visiting LA and we try to take advantage of that situation whenever we can make that interview happen.  So, please keep me in the loop of your travels, especially if you are coming in for Digital Hollywood or itvfest.  Off my soapbox.  :) kb

PS.  I must be doing something right if I got my first piece of hate mail.  Yay!

Behind the Scenes of Chick

Okay, I got a good laugh from watching this episode. How cold was it in LA the day we shot this episode? I am going to guess the high was around 65 degrees and we were acting like it was in the low 50's. (**UPDATE: The high that day was 64 degrees.) Ah, as LA residents, we are such weather wimps. I do remember it being a bit breezy, so maybe that contributed to the "chill" in the air? Either way, I am thrilled we were able to feature Chick. It is a show that you need to add to your list of shows to watch. It has a different flow and rhythm than we have seen in other series. And despite a little detour in the middle of the season which originally was to include an interactive component, stick with this show, it is well worth it!

Creator and star, Kai Soremekun, and Production Designer, Kimberly Huie, brought the fantastic set to us on the shoot. I am not sure if it was clear in The Web Files episode, but we were using the car as a part of the backdrop for the interview. This vehicle plays a huge part of Chick's journey from her bad relationship to her development as a superhero. Inside the vehicle, Kimberly worked really hard to create some visual images and designs that are key to Chick's storyline...from fabrics to props, many of these items are essential to the character. While it was fun to have the traveling set, it was a little crowded on the car bumper, so you can imagine the shooting challenges for this interview!

Kai also gave a terrific shout out to Jonathan Moore of Rowdy Orbit who is doing a great job with his site which gives the spotlight to multi-cultural series. He had emailed me over the summer and he gave me a few series to take a look at. Chick happened to be one of those series. The show caught my attention once again when The Washington Post article came out. Then a few months later, while checking out Compulsions' win at the Indie Soap Awards, Chick pops up again! I figured it was a sign that it was time to give the show its due. (And another sign that persistence is key in making me aware of your series. I love receiving press releases, articles, news, etc. It give us the opportunity to keep an eye on your series and hopefully, work together in the future. So, keep those emails coming!)

Kai and Kimberly have brought some interesting components to the series that we haven't seen before on The Web Files...from a fascinating look at the stunt behind the scenes to producing a green web series. There are lists of ways you can make your production environmentally friendly and some valuable tips to keep the costs down on an ultra-low budget show. So, make sure you head to the Chick website and tell Kai that The Web Files sent you.

One final note, if you are looking for fresh insight on multicultural series and new media in general, make sure to bookmark Aymar Jean Christian's blog, Televisual. It should be on your new media list next to Tubefilter and NewTeeVee.

So, find the inner superhero in you and check out Episode #33: Chick
As always, feel free to comment below, I always love to hear your thoughts.

**UPDATE** Chick love is spreading across the nation. Check out this great post featuring Kai, Chick, and our interview with her: One Funky Mama.

Update to the Update

Just a quick update on reactions and feedback to Liz Shannon Miller's review of The Web Files on NewTeeVee. There were a lot of comments about the article (both public and in private) and I appreciate your support. I have to say overall, I was happy with the review. I think Liz offered up some appropriate criticism and you will all see The Web Files grow over time as the audience for Web TV expands. The show truly is for the web series community and its fans/supporters. I am getting the scoop on what you want to hear about your favorite shows. Is it breaking news? No. That is what Tubefilter and NewTeeVee are there for. I see the show as a companion piece to all of the work the two sites have been doing over the past few years, we are not the competition. Finally, we have mainly focused on LA web series due to budget. We featured Jeremy Redleaf and his NY-based Odd Jobs because we were able to grab him when he was here in LA. It is our intent to make it to NY at some point in 2010 and feature all of the fantastic work happening on the East Coast. So, keep watching, we hope to have even more for you in the coming year.

Thank you for your views, feedback, support, and comments! Now back to work....we have Taryn O'Neill, Stuart Paap, and Stephanie Thorpe Hurtling Through Space at an Alarming Rate tomorrow. What? No Mike Davies? Hmmmm, maybe he will show up...stay tuned.....

The Web Files in the News: October

There has been some fantastic news in the web series world and we are so excited by the leaps and bounds content producers are making in the industry. It thrills me when I hear that shows we have interviewed are gaining the recognition they deserve. So, we are happy to throw our continued support to:

1. The cast and creators of The Crew for not only launching Season 2 yesterday, but for securing an exclusive deal with Babelgum.. I truly appreciate this cast and the show's creator, Brett Register, because they were one of our first interviews when we were launching The Web Files. Be sure to check out our interview with them and our behind the scenes look: Interview and Behind the Scenes.

2. More good news abounds with the cast of Oz Girl. Nick Carlton just inked a distribution deal with Virgin's V Australia as a part of their on-demand in-flight entertainment for Oz Girl. Nick also launched his own digital media/entertainment studio in Melbourne called
Carlton Digital. This 19-year-old truly is a forced to be reckoned with. You can find our Web Files interview here and the behind the scenes of the shoot here. Many thanks to Marc Hustvedt at Tubefilter for linking to our interview in his feature piece on Nick's breaking news:
Tubefilter.

3. One of my favorite people, Mathieas McNaughton, continues to be one of our greatest champions. He featured our episode with the amazing Tim Street on his blog:
LG15 Today.

4. Finally, a new friend to The Web Files is Larry Kless who kindly picked our Tim Street interview as his "Web Video Pick of the Week". I think Tim's interview has resonated with many web series producers and new media creators, so I am thrilled that this episode of The Web Files is gaining attention. Thanks, Larry. Check out the article here: Kless Blog.

Thank you for all of your support. We will continue to bring you the latest in-depth interviews with established and up-and-coming talent in the web series world. Get ready for Wednesday, we have Hayden Black with his upcoming series, The Cabonauts!

ITVFest Opening Night Gala: Part 2

More photos from iTVFest Opening Night Gala:

Tim Street of APE Digital and Drew Baldwin of Tubefilter giving the lowdown on the state of web series. The best part, it's good news!
Looking very focused on the red carpet........
The cast and creators of MERRIme. I have had my eyes on this series for awhile, all thanks to the Stagedoor network of alumni. Yes, Kaily Smith and I went to the same theatre camp--musical theatre geeks unite! The Web Files has an upcoming episode with them, so you might catch a glimpse of jazz hands and highlights from Jack Romano's Cabaret.
Congrats to Stephen Leonard for making a second consecutive appearance at iTVFest. This year his entry is "A Guy and His Beaver" in the animation category. Be sure to check out his work during the festival!

Another one of the international entries is from France with a suspenseful look at an American tourist caught up in an evil web of CCTV. Creator Laurent Touil Tartour has a fascinating series on his hands that he hopes to take to the big screen.
Tomorrow will be the final round of photos as a prelude to Monday's Web Series Day at iTVFest. So, come on back and check out the photos of a fun night on the red carpet.

PS If you missed Part 1, look here: iTVFest, Part 1

Part 3: iTVFest, Part 3

Summing up the week!

Okay, it's been a crazy week, so I will give you the bullet points and you can Choose Your Own Adventure!

1. Episode 3 was released with our best episode to date featuring the Safety Geeks:SVI.

Watch here: Safety Geeks: SVI

2. We interviewed Demi Delia of Mommy XXX on Crackle, so be sure to catch up on her show before you watch The Web Files episode. Watch here: Mommy XXX

3. We are planning on covering animation in Web TV, so I have been talking to a few animators lately. Michelle of Blink Kitty Love kindly wrote a few words about The Web Files. Read here: Lonely Pond

4. Last Thursday was the Hollywood Web TV meetup sponsored by Tubefilter. Koldcast TV kindly interviewed us about the show. This is the highlight reel, our full interview will be up next week. Watch here: Koldcast TV

5. We will be covering the iTVFest Opening Night Gala on July 30th. If you are a web series in the Festival, be sure to stop by and talk to us on the red carpet.

6. And right below you find Episode 2 with The Crew if you are just too tired to click over to YouTube.