Weekly Wrap-Up

Oh, what a week it has been!  I'm sitting here in my sweats with my wet hair up in a bun after a big hike with my puppy.  I've been all over the city this week and I'm ready for the weekend to begin.  Here's how it all went down:


Monday-Thursday:
ITVFest:  I spent the week attending the seminars, parties, and panels at the Independent Television Festival this week. I will have a final wrap-up over the next few days, but you can see some of the highlights and the gala here and here.  Congratulations to all of the winners and participants!

Hanging with Bernie Su of Compulsions and Ariel Lazarus of The Crew.

Me and Bobby Salomon, winner of Best Director for his pilot, 15 Minutes.

Nicole Pacent of Anyone But Me, Brian Rodda, and me hanging after a screening.


Photos 1, 2:  Courtesy of Bernie Su.
Photo 3: Courtesy of Brenda White


Wednesday:
The Web Files:  The Web Files was back with a new episode this week featuring the uber-talented Al Thompson.  He will be popping up again with a new series at the NY Television Festival, so be sure to keep your eye on him:



MoreWireLess:  I think there are three more in the series of MoreWireLess sponsored by Broadcom.  This week, it is all about the dongle.  I had no idea what a dongle was until I shot this episode (And look at that hilarious screen capture.  I look drunk!)



Prop 8:  It is no secret where I stand on this issue.  It was a simple one to me:  human rights.  For those that oppose same-sex marriage, I still believe in your rights to raise your family with your beliefs and to
attend the church that shares your same beliefs.  Even if we don't agree on this issue, remember the United States is built upon protecting your fundamental rights. It will be a long fight from both sides, but here is a quote from the presiding Judge Vaughn Walker on the case:  "Moral disapproval, without any other asserted state interest, has never been a rational basis for legislation."  Amen.

Photo by Adam Bouska for the NOH8 Campaign.


Friday:  My amazing friend, Kristoffer Kelly, has taken it upon himself to start a Facebook campaign called:  "Kristyn Burtt will take Mary Hart's spot on ET".  Yes, Mary Hart is leaving Entertainment Tonight after 30 years and I am flattered anyone thinks I could even remotely fill her shoes.   So, here's the link if you want to join the campaign: Facebook.  Heck, even though it is a long shot at best, maybe I will get the opportunity to show them the sizzle reel to my show, The Web Files.  


Now through August 19th:  Don't forget to enter my fun giveaway--City Slips for the gal on the go!


Have a great weekend, everyone!

Weekly Wrap-Up

I didn't post enough this week, but I am going to try and keep the posts going from Monday through Friday to give you the scoop on what is happening here on the West Coast.  So, here's the rundown in case you missed it:

                                                               A Prius on ice.
Monday-Wednesday:  Plug-In Conference 2010:  For those of you who are alternative fuel vehicle minded and like to get your nerd on like me, look no further than this conference in San Jose for the latest in hybrid and battery technology.  With a host of new vehicles coming from Nissan, Chevy, Mitsubishi, Ford, and Toyota, there is going to be a wave of PHV (Plug-In Hybrids) and BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles) coming to help green the Earth.  While I was there with Toyota and my future vehicle of choice, the PHV Prius, I can assure you that most manufacturers are working hard on improving the charging station infrastructure and moving further away from our reliance on oil.  If anyone is looking for more information or wants to engage in a lively and geeky discussion on alternative fuel, be sure to leave a comment below.

                                        Me and my future vehicle, the Toyota PHV Prius.


Wednesday:  MoreWireLess:  It's another week of MoreWireLess sponsored by Broadcom.  This week's episode talks about Bluetooth in Consumer Electronics. It's a short video that is worth a watch so you can make fun of me for the worst Wii Bowling game ever.  My Facebook page also makes an appearance, see if you can spot it in the shot:


Thursday:  ITVFest:  One of my favorite events of the year is the annual Independent Television Festival in Hollywood.  The opening night gala is always a high octane affair and this year did not disappoint.  With Illeana Douglas as the night's honoree, sightings of Desperate Housewives tasty treat, James Denton, and a solid mix of LA, NY, and Texas web series, it was a hot night on the red carpet.  Check out all of the coverage from that evening on Mingle Media TV, but here are a few of my favorite interviews and moments:
James Denton:

Hot on the Red Carpet with Erin Brown (Watch us get kicked OFF of the red carpet for James Denton and Illeana Douglas  Ah, Hollywood, the great equalizer.)

Squatters:

By the way, I have obviously become the biggest hugger on the red carpet.  You will see it in the Squatters interview above and a few caught in the act photos below:

Hugging my pal, Ariel Lazrus, of The Crew.

Now, Brendan Bradley of Squatters and Legend of Neil gets a hug.

                      And the most scandalous (and staged!) one of them all, Bernie Su of Compulsions.
                      Photos courtesy of Mingle Media TV. 
See you on the next red carpet.  I am ready with a hug!

 

2009 in Review: July

July arrives and The Web Files officially launches! We had a premiere party, I took off for vacation, and we continued to shoot more episodes all geared for the web space......and I cheated on this entry. I had to do 8 photos to accommodate all of the events surrounding The Web Files:

Kicking off the month with my annual 4th of July trip to the lake. I'm here with my puppy posing for a patriotic photo:

The first official image for The Web Files is launched with our press release and a trailer.

Our most controversial, but one of our most popular episodes with Demi Delia of Mommy XXX. This episode continues to have steady views even 5 months later. Episode: Mommy XXX

The queen of the web space, Felicia Day of The Guild. I guess I didn't need to introduce her, right? She's there with her producer, Kim Evey, on the red carpet of iTVFest. A coming out party for Web TV on the festival circuit. Episode: iTVFest.

One of the most hilarious episodes we have ever shot was with Gary Valentine of Dusty Peacock. We stuck him on a scooter and away we went. He was a great sport and a really nice guy. We are here with one of our makeup artists, Marybeth Bagonghasa. Episode: Dusty Peacock.

We've launched! So it's time to party! A fun night with Ariel Lazarus of The Crew, Stephen Leonard of My Life Plus Animals, and fellow host, Lindsay Caldwell.

In between all of this, I hosted a couple of events for Women's Health Magazine's "Are You Game?" in Chicago and NYC. I took a few minutes off to jump and flip......

Yes, it's Dave and Tom of Safety Geeks: SVI. We had a fun day on set working with the green screen. Check out their episode here: Safety Geeks:SVI
Phew! That's July. I am hoping to stick to the rules and do it in 5 photos or less the rest of the year. Fingers crossed.

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

iTVFest Opening Night Gala

My new Twitter buddy, Mike Rotman

Who wouldn't be excited to interview Felicia Day and Kim Evey of "The Guild"?
And our Monday interview for The Web Files: Cast of Oz Girl!!
In deep conversation with Kat Steel of "Show Me Your Clips".

Last night on the red carpet for iTVFest was fantastic, exciting, and energizing. The day started out with Variety noting that web series and TV pilots are carrying equal weight in this year's festival. I have to say, "Web Series, you have officially arrived!" It was nice to see familiar faces like Felicia Day, Kim Evey, Ariel Lazarus (who is destined to be the new "IT" girl of web series), Stephen Leonard, Stephanie Thorpe, and Mike Davies, but it was also a great day to be introduced to newer faces in the web world.

We got more footage than we originally anticipated and I think you will see a compilation version for The Web Files and maybe some longer interviews released throughout the week. We hear you loud and clear! We know that as creators of web content you have a lot say, a lot of stories to tell, and an audience willing to listen. I hope that The Web Files becomes a place to help you tell those stories.

I am thrilled that the cast of Oz Girl agreed to sit down with us on Monday for an interview. It's not often that you get the cast and creator together, especially when they fly in from Melbourne, Australia. I am fascinated by 19-year-old creator, Nick Carlton, with one series under his belt and one on the way, I expect great things from him.

I will release photos each day from iTVFest's red carpet gala, so come on back and join me for the fun!

PS See Part 2 here: iTVFest, Part Deux
Part 3: iTVFest, Part 3

The Web Files: Episode 2

Hey Everyone,

Episode 2 is launched with the cast from The Crew, one of my favorite web series. If you haven't seen this show, be sure to check it out on KoldcastTV here: The Crew. I first met series creator, Brett Register, at GeekOut '09. I think I grabbed him by the shirt and told him he had to do my new show, The Web Files. I appreciate Brett taking a leap of faith in doing our show sight unseen. We were new, we hadn't launched, but he said "yes" and he kindly invited most of the cast to join us. So, I owe Brett a big "thank you" and a promise that I will be watching Season 2.

For the show, my Executive Producer, Purse Dog TV, and I were looking for a fun location to shoot and boy, we hit one out of the park. The Hollywood Wax Museum kindly donated the space right next to their Star Wars prequel wax figurines. If you haven't visited the wax museum before, be sure to stop on by the next time you are in the area. It is a true Hollywood classic.

We had a lot of challenges with sound because the museum was open to the public and we had the dreaded air conditioning vent blowing throughout the interview. The staff at the museum was awesome though as they directed traffic so the tourists could see Arnold in wax as the Terminator and we could get the scoop on Season 1 of The Crew. My favorite part of the interview is Ariel Lazarus describing how she is positioned at her green screen desk and how she is lit for each scene. Her character, Andrea Lee, is one to watch out for in the engine room!

Next episode is Safety Geeks: SVI starring Tom Konkle and Dave Beeler in their pre-Comic Con appearance. I look forward to hearing your feedback and comments, what series do you want The Web Files to cover?

Reporting Live from Los Angeles,

kb

PS A huge thanks to Marybeth Bagonghasa for the incredible hair and makeup. What would I do without you? To Perry Payne, who has worked tirelessly without complaint the last 4 weeks...thank you! And to my super cute bf, thanks for your help on this episode.

The Web Files: The Crew Edition

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for joining me for another edition of Red Carpet Closet. I am in the middle of shooting my pilot for the new web show, The Web Files. While the show isn't on the red carpet, it is sure important to have the right wardrobe. This week, I was interviewing the young and talented cast of one of my favorite web series, The Crew. Our location was at the Hollywood Wax Museum, so I knew the outfit had to be fun and comfortable. So, where did I go to get my outfit? Why, none other than Marshall's. Yes, I said, Marshall's. They are genius for brand names are ridiculously affordable prices, especially in this economy.

So, I set off to get a pair of white capris that I could wear over and over again. I found a comfy pair with a brand called Khakis for $14.99. They have cargo pockets along the side with an eyelet detail on the pocket flap and drawstring bottoms that hit just below the knee. My shoes were an easy sell....how about a pair of distressed gold kitten heels from Chinese Laundry for $10 on clearance. Uh, okay, SOLD! Now for the top. Since I knew I needed color, I looked for green or purple since I knew they were two colors that look good on me and I hadn't worn a lot of that color lately. Bingo! A green Max Studio top with a rosette detail at the neckline for $19.99. As for my green/yellow/white flower necklace, if you are in Hawaii, go here: ABC Stores They have affordable costume jewelry that has that island flair. So my outfit cost less than $50 for a TV shoot. Who says wardrobe has to be expensive?

The interview was fun and I really hope everyone watches the show. You can watch it online here: www.TheCrew.tv It's "The Office" on a space ship. You can't really go wrong with that. The cast of Brett Register, Ariel Lazarus, Craig Frank, Phillip Bache, and Amy Kline were total sports when we told them we were shooting at the Hollywood Wax Museum by the Star Wars prequel figures. And if you are in Hollywood, stop by the wax museum and tell them I sent you. The owners and staff (especially Derek) accommodated us every step of the way.

I will be back tomorrow to give you the lowdown on the premiere of Woody Allen's "Whatever Works".

Reporting Live from Los Angeles,

kb

PS The Web Files is coming soon. Keep updated on the launch date here: The Web Files!