2010 in Review: January

It's that time of year again, a time to reflect and look back on the year that was:  2010.  I will be kicking it off with 5 photos each day over the next 12 days.  It was a busy year and one that professionally was very rewarding.  I look forward to achieving more of my goals in 2011 along with a little more time set aside to relax and rejuvenate.  May I present, January 2010:

1.  We kicked off the year on The Web Files with an interview about the controversy surrounding the release of The Bannen Way.  Jesse Warren and Mark Gantt couldn't be nicer (or cuter) and they went on to win multiple, well-deserved Streamy Awards.  Check out one of my favorite interviews of 2010.

2. Despite my pasty white thighs, I cannot stop wearing this Deborah Viereck dress bought at Roni B's.  I bought it for The Bannen Way interview, but I also showed up in the dress at the Ghostfacers premiere and Fashion's Night Out event. Time to retire it from photographed events rotation, sigh.

3.  This photo is from the NAIAS Charity Preview Night also known as the "Adult Prom" in Detroit.  It's a super swanky night filled with cars, stars, interesting fashion choices, and a headliner crooning the night away.  

Me and 2009-2010 Toyota Account Manager, Lisa Cole:

4.  Ah, we can't forget this day:  The Great Cobo Hall Fire.  It was just an electrical fire, but the evacuation process was chaotic and the smell was even worse.  Jalopnik picked up the photos that I Tweeted out, so I gained a few more automotive friends in the process.  Here's my account of the fire. 

5. The other fascinating element of NAIAS is the rabid photographers that come each year to photograph the cars and the girls.  I have one photographer who has come year after year to my show and he made laminated place mats for me this year.  It was certainly the most unique gift I have received from a fan.  And no, I don't eat off of KB place mats each night, my blue Target ones work just fine, thank you.

Come back tomorrow at Red Carpet Closet where I look back on February 2010--Chicago, Club 33, and the infomercial streak begins.

Weekly Wrap-Up

It's that time to wrap up the week and call it a Friday.  This will be a shorter post since I have been on a job all week to kick off a new season of one of my favorite gigs.  I found out that my first location with be at the State Fair of Texas again this year, so expect a lot of posts like this.  I don't expect Oprah to show up this year though, but the food promises to be a plethora of gastronomic delights and aches.  Let's wrap it up:

Monday:  I spent the entire week in Huntington Beach working really hard and presenting on advanced technology for 2012.  Yes, I already know what some of you may be driving in two years, but it was really hard to focus when you had a view like this:

Tuesday:  The always inspirational and kind Mark Gantt was featured in an article by Buzz Edition about his journey with The Bannen Way.  The Web Files interview with Mark and his co-creator, Jesse Warren, was also a part of the piece.  Mark's story really is a fascinating one and a true tale of taking charge of your career and creating opportunities.  Buzz Edition article.

Wednesday: MoreWireLess sponsored by Broadcom continues to entertain and delight. (I'm hilarious at 5:30 in the morning!)  This episode features the crowd pleaser, "How to Connect a Bluetooth Headset".  Thanks for your continued support for this series:


Friday:  Don't forget to watch my Tuesday coverage for Dance Channel TV of the blink/drEam red carpet with all of your SYTYCD and ABDC favorites. I know you are a true dance fan if you know those show acronyms.  Let me know what you think of the video piece.

Finally, it's the beginning of Emmys weekend for me. I am heading back to LA to hit the red carpet and give you the scoop on all of the latest fashions at the parties and a behind the scenes look at those amazing gifting suites. What is it like to be a celebrity and have people giving you free stuff just for showing up?  Well, I will let you know, so look for that feature next week here at Red Carpet Closet.
Have a great weekend.  See you on Monday!

PS If you can't wait until my Emmys Weekend post on Monday, be sure to follow me on Twitter.  I will be tweeting 140 characters and photos all weekend.

Web TV Week: The Bannen Way

It's Day 2 of Web TV Week and today is The Bannen Way day here at The Web Files.  We shot this interview at the beginning of 2010 just as their series was launching and in the middle of the Streamys nomination controversy.  To look back on it now, four months later, is pretty interesting.  Some controversy may still linger, but I don't think it is aimed at The Bannen Way.  The frustration is aimed at the Streamys rules which I am sure will be modified over time.  The Bannen Way proved to be an internet and a Streamys success.  The show has also become a great calling card for editor, Zack Arnold, who is now working on USA Network's, Burn Notice.  Here are the nominations for The Bannen Way:

Best Drama Web Series
Best Male Actor in a Drama Web Series:  Mark Gantt
Best New Web Series
Best Editing in a Web Series:  Zack Arnold
Best Directing for a Drama Web Series:  Jesse Warren
Best Writing for a Drama Web Series:  Mark Gantt, Jesse Warren
Best Product Integration in a Web Series:  Jaguar

Now, check out The Web Files interview with Mark and Jesse: The Bannen Way

Behind the Scenes blog: Behind the Scenes of The Bannen Way.

Behind the Scenes of The Bannen Way

Ah, The Bannen Way. So much excitement, so much buzz, so much.....controversy? Yes, controversy. We stepped into this interview during a heated week of discussion by the web series community on the internet regarding The Streamys nomination process. SONY decided to launch the first three episodes of The Bannen Way before the scheduled launch date in order to qualify for the 2010 awards. Jesse Warren, the director/creator of The Bannen Way, dove right into the controversy at the beginning of the episode and I really appreciated that. I think we addressed the issue and answered any lingering questions. We did delve a bit deeper than what you saw, but I do think the Streamys will update their rules for 2011. It is a constantly evolving nomination process and just like The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences updating their rules year to year after 82 years in business, this will be no different.

So, let's push that aside, and talk about how much fun this web series is: slick, sleek, and sexy. Mark Gantt and Jesse did start this project independently and I was fascinated how they even procured a Jaguar for their shoot. It was a process that was all new to them as this was an idea developed by them to gain more ground in their film/TV careers. Once SONY jumped on board, they really hit the ground running with name actors to flesh out some of the roles. I might add that I think this is the best role I have seen Vanessa Marcil in yet. The web series model is constantly changing, but I believe The Bannen Way is going to change the web series scenery as it has set a new standard for web series production. Now is every web series going to look like this? No, of course not. I do think it will challenge all of the independent creators to set new goals for themselves. Let's see what happens to the web series landscape in the next 12-18 months. I am excited to see what the future holds.

It is always fun to unmask the crew behind the scenes, so let me introduce Perry Payne, who may be familiar to some, but he is our editing guru and DP on The Web Files, and Lucas Plouviez, our Camera Op for The Bannen Way episode. Without all of their hard work, we wouldn't have a show! So, thank you for your continued dedication to The Web Files.

Finally, the dress and belt. It is another fantastic find from Roni B. Roni is magic when it comes to styling wardrobe for a shoot, so be sure to tell her I sent you. Makeup was courtesy of e.l.f. Cosmetics and my awesome earrings in this episode were a Christmas gift from our makeup artist, Melissa Anchondo. You need to watch the episode to see them close up.

So, watch the episode right here! See what the buzz, controversy, and excitement is all about.