The Web Files Buzz, Episode 5

I will have more later this week with a behind the scenes look at our set visits with Night of the Zombie King from the Gold series and Bumps in the Night. We shot this episode all in one day, it truly exemplifies the growth and excitement in the web industry. As always, I love to hear your thoughts, so comment below or hit the "contact" button listed above. Thanks for watching!

Behind the Scenes of The Web Files Buzz, Episode 2

Episode 2 of The Web Files Buzz is here and it's colorful, fun, and fast-paced.  We started out with our very first active set visit.  With all of the episodes we have shot, it amazes me that it took us about 33 episodes to make that happen.  Now, my work schedule is a bit ridiculous right now, so I know that was a bit challenging for other shows that have tried to make it happen.  With the Circus set, the stars aligned and I was in town for more than 24 hours.

We hit the set at Panavision Studios on Day 2 of shooting and it was everything I anticipated it to be:  bright, busy, shiny, noisy, and energetic.  Heck, it even smelled like a circus with all of the hay splayed about on the floor of the Circus set.  We were able to grab the interview on the set with Andrea Ball, the director and producer.  Andrea is well known in the new media circles and I have tremendous admiration for the what she accomplished with this project.  Along with Sarah Evershed and Olga Kay, you've got three fantastic, strong, smart, and young women under the age of 30 taking charge of their careers with an ambitious, interactive project for YouTube.  Can you tell I am impressed?

Of course, I cannot leave out the Ringmaster, David Lawrence XVII.  I loved that he offered to audition for the role.  I would have killed to have listened in on that phone call.  I imagine Andrea didn't even think twice about casting him.  David also let us in on some of the SAG new media news.  We are working on a future episode to address the unions' role in New Media, so feel free to suggest any particular topics or questions you want us to address in the comment section below.

The second half of the show focused on The Resolve web series premiere at the new media favorite fiesta site, Busby's.  Wow, I think there were over 300 attendees there to check out Russ Cootey's production.  Impressive numbers and a busy red carpet--maybe a little too busy as we had to dodge actors walking into our shots and other media outlets, but Russ should be proud that The Resolve drew such a crowd.  This episode convinced me that it's important for The Web Files to reach outside of the familiar faces of web series and take the opportunity to feature other shows that are making their mark.  Russ kept us in the loop for several months, so I was aware of the show, production, and the eventual red carpet.  Keep on sending those emails to us.  I know Sandra and I both read them and I take notes on specific series.  Along the way, I have learned that timing is always a key component to making decisions as to when and how we shoot certain shows.  If I ever reply to your email with questions about premieres, finales, distribution dates, exciting news, etc, you will understand why.  We want your episode of The Web Files to succeed as timing can make all of the difference and having those dates handy for us is really important.

Finally, I have to thank Blip.tv for their continued support of The Web Files.  Week after week, they find a way to feature our show on the home page.  They are always available to answer our tech questions and I think their player is one of the best in the business.  So, thank you for letting us be a part of the Blip family.

If you haven't caught Episode 2 of The Web Files Buzz, click here: The Web Files Buzz.

Photos 4 and 5 courtesy of Melissa Anchondo.

How to do LA in less than 7 Days

If you have been following me on Twitter, you know that my time in LA was limited this week.  After a two week trip to Chicago, I had a Dallas and Minneapolis journey looming over me.  While I was home for a hot minute, I crammed in as much as possible.  Here are a few stops along the way:                                                

The red carpet premiere of a new web series, The Resolve.  Look for the footage in today's Web Files Buzz episode:  

                                                  

Then a two-day jaunt to San Diego for a fitness informercial shoot with my co-host, Jennifer Galardi.  I cannot disclose the product, but I am sure you will see me on a TV screen near you soon.

                       

Then a fantastic on-set visit with the cast and crew of Olga Kay's Circus.  This will also be a part of The Web Files Buzz.  The set was unbelievable!

                                          

While I was there, the tables were turned on me as Woody Tondorf of Elevator interviewed me about our visit.  Dueling microphones, but mine was bigger!

Then off to interview Taryn Southern for an upcoming episode.  I thought I had a busy schedule, but this talented producer/writer/actress/host has some exciting projects coming your way!

I have no idea what is happening in this picture, but I love the action of it all.  On the red carpet with the cast and creator of A Good Knight's Quest......Craig Frank, Brett Register, and Charlie Bodin. This episode is coming your way next week.  (Photo courtesy of Mark Burmeister)
                                             

Well, that's all I've got.  Phew.  I wish every week in LA was that much fun.  Don't worry, LA, I will be back for a fun filled 3 days mid-month.  Yep, 3 days.

Behind the Scenes of The Web Files Buzz, Episode 1

Yes, we brought you something different this week, the inaugural episode of The Web Files Buzz. Sandra and I have been toying with this idea for awhile, but it took some time to figure out how we wanted to execute the episode. I have received a lot of questions about this format: Is this the new format of the show? Is the old format gone? The answer is "sometimes" and "no". We will do a Buzz show every few weeks to mix it up in between our longer, more formal interviews. As the web space grows, we have to grow. Viewers want us to get in depth with their favorite shows, but we do not want to forget those shows that are up and coming. So, I think the new format serves an important purpose. We had a lot of fun shooting these shorter segments and I think delivered an action packed episode.

We kicked it off with the IAWTV "For Your Consideration" Screening of The Fall of Kaden and Blue Movies, both Koldcast TV web series. I did an in depth piece on the evening which can be read here: Fall of Kaden/Blue Movies. I haven't seen the Koldcast footage yet, but hopefully, it will be released soon. The Koldcast shoot talked more about the fantastic idea to hold a IAWTV screening and it is a format now being wisely copied by others before the Streamy ballots are due. I think it will also give web series creators, Adam Leiphart and Matt Double (Fall of Kaden) and Scott Brown (Blue Movies) even more deserved face time with the IAWTV voters.

Our second segment featured one of my favorite web series stars, Brittney Powell, of Safety Geeks: SVI. We caught her in between an appearance at the Xena convention on a Saturday afternoon. If you didn't know, Brittney has quite an impressive resumé as she played Brunnhilda on the series amongst other high profile roles. Xena has a strong female following, so while we didn't shoot inside the convention, there were a lot of women running around the lobby of the LAX Marriott trying to get a glimpse of Brittney. Popular girl! Anyway, I wanted to discuss the Safety Geeks: SVI calendar since it's a great way to think outside of the box in terms of marketing their web series. The cheeky pin-up girl theme also brings Tom Konkle and Dave Beeler along for the fun. Check out the cast's calendar at Amazon: Safety Geeks Calendar.

Finally, we rounded out the episode with a visit to Jonathan Nail on the set of his upcoming show, SOLO the Series. The set was built inside his garage and we had a chance to climb inside to take a closer look. Jonathan's show has created a lot of buzz over Twitter and I am glad we were able to see what those 140 characters were all about. He also showed me the pilot after the shoot, so get ready for a comedic, sci-fi ride sometime in 2010.

It was a day for cupcake shirts and many of you asked where you could purchase my shirt after I posted the photo on Twitter. Well, it was purchased at the Union Square Christmas fair in NY by a friend of mine. She tried to track down the designer, but we were not able to find her. However, you can find similar cupcake shirts online, just google "Make cupcakes, not war". I also took a close-up photo of my crew badge. Jonathan made me an honorary crew member of Team SOLO. Let's just hope I don't get stuck in space like he did.

Be sure to check out our first episode of The Web Files Buzz here: Episode 1. It is our fastest rising show to date, so we appreciate your views and feedback. On Wednesday, we go back to our usual format with an interview with Epic Fu creators and the 2009 Streamys winners for Best Hosted Web Series, Zadi Diaz and Steve Woolf.

Red carpet photos courtesy of Bernie Su of Compulsions.