2009 in Review: September

Darn, back to 10 photos for September 2009's review. That's okay, a few of you have asked for more photos, so you are definitely accommodated in this entry. I bit off more than I could chew for September. Take a closer look.......

So, I know I have a month long gig in Dallas ahead of me, so we decide to renovate our home. Most of the renovations happen while I am out of town, but packing in this mess wasn't easy.

So while the renovations are driving everyone at home nuts, I spend my days on an outdoor entertainment stage with a JumboTron at the State Fair of Texas. Turns out to be the wettest fair they have ever had.

Before I left though, we had to shoot The Web Files episodes. In fact, we had to stockpile the episodes in order to get through 6 weeks due to my travel schedule. Here is the cast and crew of one of 2009's most anticipated web series, Compulsions. Episode: Compulsions.

Ah, Tim Street. We freaked people out when he took his glasses off for the interview. This episode remains one of the most informative for the web community that we have ever shot for The Web Files. If you missed the episode, check it out here: Tim Street.

I really enjoyed shooting this episode with Dirty Bomb Diaries in a utility closet at an emergency supply company. Seriously, have you ever shot an episode in a closet? Sandra did a great job with set dressing this one. Rumor has it that there is a Season 2 coming your way in 2010. Episode: Dirty Bomb Diaries.

Showbizzle creators, Charles and Lindsey Rosin. A father/daughter team in the web space, but I have to admit, I was a bit excited to hear the 90210 gossip from the Brenda years. Charles kindly answered my questions off-camera and he delivered with some juicy stories. Episode: Showbizzle.

Somewhere in between all of this madness of Dallas and The Web Files, I found time to fly to Atlanta and work with one of my regular corporate clients, LG Electronics, at the CEDIA convention.

Two NYU alums get into a room to discuss Web TV! Go Violets! Marc Ostrick of eGuiders and I had a good time reminiscing about the old days in the Village when NY was truly dirty and delicious. Episode: eGuiders.

Another one of the most anticipated shows of 2009, The Cabonauts. With a cast including Nichelle Nichols and Hayden Black, I must carryover my anticipation to 2010. Episode: The Cabonauts.

On the set with Asa Shumskas-Tait and Rick Castañeda for the show Coma, Period. We had a blast running through the halls on their little go-karts and a rematch is set for 2010. Episode: Coma,Period.
So, there you go, September in 10 photos. October will be filled with lots of rain, mud, and some more rain and a side of mud. See you tomorrow!

Behind the Scenes of Tim Street

I call Tim Street, "the man, the myth, the legend" and he truly is the mythic man behind the glasses. Yet he showed up to the interview and took of his glasses. What???!! Tim Street: Unmasked! Yep, that is what this show was all about.

I had interviewed Tim before at the iTVFest red carpet gala, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to talk with him in-depth. I will be honest, he kind of intimidated me. He was also this quiet and quirky man who would show up at new media events, we might exchange a brief word or two, and then he slipped off into the night. While I had a wealth of research to study from and I had prepared two pages of questions, I wasn't sure how this interview was going to turn out. As an interviewer, you always want to retain control but still look comfortable at the same time. It is a delicate balance that can tip at any moment because a guest can be too talkative or not talkative enough. With Tim, I found myself at ease and completely fascinated by the stories he had to tell.

I really hope that web series producers and those interested in the new media industry listen carefully to what Tim has to say in the interview. He has a lot of valuable information to share and with his new e-Book on the way, you will get a Top 10 of things to do and not do before you upload your first web series. So many of us have jumped into the web world in the last 2-3 years. Can you imagine creating something for the Internet in 1999? Well, that is exactly what Tim did. He knows what he is doing and he was doing it way before any of us knew that you could tell stories via the web.

I have also provided you with Tim's look with and without glasses. I shocked a few people when I posted the original photo without glasses on Twitter and Facebook. I received more than a few "What did you do to Tim Street?" comments. Don't worry, kids, he put his glasses back on when he left the building. You will still recognize him at the next Tubefilter event. Oh, and don't be intimidated at all, tell him The Web Files sent you. He's a true new media guru!

I want to thank The Scarlet Tea Room in Pasadena for offering up a fun location and delicious almond champagne. If you haven't had almond champagne before, it's a must. The Scarlet Room is one of the few locations you can get this tasty, bubbly treat, so be sure to try it the next time you hit Old Town Pasadena. Trust me, I wanted more than one glass, but it would have been a completely different interview: The Web Files: The Tipsy Edition.

And finally, wasn't that the worst French accent in the intro? My high school French teacher, Monsieur Doiron, is shaking his head in shame. Je regrette mon accent est terrible. Au Revoir!

For the Tim Street/The Web Files press release: Tim Street Press Release.
If you missed our Tim Street interview, you can watch it here: Tim Street.

It's Your Turn!

We just finished a huge round of interviews for The Web Files and I am really excited to share those episodes with you from Dirty Bomb Diaries to Showbizzle to Tim Street to Compulsions to The Cabonauts. There will be a lot of exciting news in the coming months, so keep checking back to hear the latest.

Our next round of interviews begins in mid-October and I decided to open the floor to you, the viewer. Who would you like to see on The Web Files in the coming months? Remember, we are open to anything to do with new media: web celebs, podcasts, web series, vloggers, animated web series, TV festivals, red carpet events, launch parties, etc. The only rule right now is that it has to be Southern California based. Featuring East Coast shows is on our list of things to do, but for now, please keep it on the Left Coast. So, comment below and tell us who needs to be the next featured guest on The Web Files.

**UPDATED** Due to the overwhelming response, we are going to do a "Viewers Choice" episode of The Web Files. So, keep the comments coming. We want to know which show you want to learn more about!

Thanks for watching!

PS If you haven't seen our show yet, you can find The Web Files here: Blip.tv

The Week in Review

To say this week was busy was an understatement. On Sunday, I was in Atlanta with LG Electronics doing presentations on their new LED/LCD screens for CEDIA. This is the second time I have worked for them this year and they truly are an amazing company. Keep your eye on them, they are a force to be reckoned with in the electronics industry.
Monday it was back to LA for an interview for The Web Files with the creators of Showbizzle, Charles and Lindsey Rosin. If you think the name Charles Rosin sounds familiar, you are correct. He was the Executive Producer and Show Runner for the original 90210 during the Brenda years. As a 90210 fan, it really was a treat for me!

Tuesday had me off to Vegas for a super secret event with a major corporation. No photos were allowed to be taken, but it was a fun night at The Venetian and I loved my beautiful suite with the sunken living room and 3 LCD screens.
Wednesday, I was back in LA and on the set with The Web Files crew for a Dirty Bomb Diaries shoot. The location that EP, Sandra Payne, found was genius: Emergency Disaster Systems in the City of Industry for a web series about a dirty bomb going off in the city of Los Angeles. We had a lot of fun with the hard hats, masks, and first aid kits, so you should expect to see me all geared out in the episode.

By the time we hit Thursday, I was running on fumes, but I rallied because our final interview of the week was with the man behind the tinted glasses, Tim Street. We shared a drink and had a chat about the web industry 10 years ago and today. I think this episode will be very beneficial to the web series creators out there, so stay tuned!

After The Web Files shoot, I ran over to the Dance Channel TV studios to film the biweekly "Can't Miss List". This week brought a Patrick Swayze tribute, the typical DWTS PR stunt of the week, Fame, and the rumor that the GAP dance ads are back! Check out Episode 7 below:

Okay, that's the week in review! Next week brings another Web Files interview with the cast of the upcoming web series, Compulsions, and a job in The Lone Star State. Yee Haw!

Behind the Scenes of eGuiders

Phew, so behind on my blog because of my travels with other host gigs. I will update you on those later because it is time we feature this week's guest, Marc Ostrick, of eGuiders. I was thrilled to interview Marc, not only because of his savvy web series work with 24, John from Cincinnati, and eGuiders, but because he is a fellow NYU/TSOA grad. Since we graduated around the same time and only oh, say two or three years ago, we had a lot to share about our time in the Big Apple. So, if you hear a lot of "Go, Violets!" noise on Twitter this week, you can blame us, but please blame NYU for choosing the wimpiest mascot ever.

This was the end of a long, hot week of shooting before the Labor Day weekend. We decided on a simple Barbara Walters-type of sit-down interview and while I didn't make him cry, he did threaten a Cruise couch jump. Fortunately, I didn't go all Mike Wallace on him and he avoided any Cruise PR moves. Seriously though, it is important to understand that Marc has worked in the web industry way before many of us thought it was a viable place to watch series and content. His work on 24: Conspiracy was one of the leaders in paving the way for what eGuiders calls "TV Web Extensions". While the 24: Conspiracy content was created for Verizon's VCast for mobile phones, I doubt we would be seeing extensions of Entourage, The Office, or Ugly Betty today without the pioneers of the mobisodes from a few years back. These shows create an even larger universe for fans to explore and it allows the writers to breathe more life into the supporting characters. What I find most impressive though is that Marc and I went to college during a time when computers were used for word processing only. So, computers were not a part of our daily life, but he has created a fascinating and pioneering career with creative content on the web.

What really appeals to me about eGuiders is that it cuts through all of the clutter on the internet. It gives us a one-stop shopping place to find new web series, viral videos, and learn from industry experts. With Core eGuiders like Tim Street, Gennefer Snowfield, and Jeremy Redleaf and Guest eGuiders like one of my favorites, Hayden Black, you are sure to watch some hilarious and informative videos they have selected as their Pick of the Day. So, make sure to bookmark this site because Marc has been ahead of the game with internet content every step of the way. So, is eGuiders the next TV Guide? I am putting my money on it.

If you haven't watched the episode yet, check it out here: eGuiders Episode
We have had a lot of comments and feedback about this episode and Marc's comment about "humanizing the internet", so make sure to let us know what you think.

And Marc kindly wrote his feedback on the episode here: eGuiders Exclusive.

If you missed the eGuiders episode, you can find it here: eGuiders.

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