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!

You're Cold Then You're Hot, You're Cold, Cold, Cold And Then You Are Oprah!

Okay, we are going to get this one out of the way. Yes, I am clumsy. A nice little bump and a cut.......do you want to see what I collided with?

Fantastic! The corner of my cabinet in the kitchen. I will defend myself by saying it is the most bizarre construction for a corner cabinet. It hangs over the sink, so when I bent over to scrub a pot....Bump! And ouch!

The bananas continue to invade the State Fair of Texas! So, I have dedicated a whole section to the coveted Texas banana later in this blog.

Now, it's time to discuss the weather. I listen to NBC Dallas meteorologist, Jennifer Lopez (no relation to J.Lo), and she has lied to me every morning. She keeps promising me dry weather and warmer temperatures. Instead, we get this.......

......and this....yes, science experiments in the landscape. I know a little bit of fungi never hurt anyone, but the ground sure is squishy from all of the rain.

So, we need to dress like this........many, many layers.

I will say the little ones look much more fashionable in their winter wear. Jazz hands!

So, the next day at work, it is 94 F and hot........

And super windy!

Oh, and then the following day, it's wet and cold. I bring out the gloves for reinforcements.

But, the bananas are not deterred by the cold weather. They come to see the show and they look pretty happy.

They dance as a part of the opening show entertainment with my co-host, Matt Troyer.....

The banana and the co-host do a tribute to the Macarena.....

Nothing like a little banana background dancing while the ladies perform.

To reward the banana for his excellent movement skills, we gave him a yellow bandana for his head. Look closely.......

Time to dive into the fried food again with the legendary Fletcher's Corny Dog, but this one was special: jalapeño and cheese.

It was delicious........

I didn't like it AT ALL. It definitely rivals a Disneyland corn dog which is the most delicious corn dog in the land.

For dessert, we had a funnel cake. Not as delicious as the Corny Dog, I remember fried dough tasting better when I was younger. We didn't even finish it......so, is that a calorie and fried food point saved??

Don't worry, I am not getting too fat here. There is yoga in the conference room from time to time.

And then on Sunday, the Queen of America arrived with security, a police escort, and helicopters. May I introduce you to my best friend, Oprah?

Sitting next to her was her other BFF, Gayle and her makeup artist, Reggie Wells. Reggie ran around to the open window and performed makeup touch-ups so all of the "candid" photos would be picture perfect.

Suzy and Oprah hanging out at the Fair.......

Me and Oprah contemplating our next move......do we go to the fried butter booth or ride the Big Texas ferris wheel?

People are frantic to capture her photo....this is everyone running after her vehicle. Don't worry, she will be driving back THREE more times for a "spontaneous" visit all captured for Monday's show when Oprah visits the State Fair of Texas.

I am in the final leg of my trip here in Texas. It really has been such a fun month. I will post the final week's photos soon, so you can experience my taste of fried butter, a ride on Big Texas, and all of the fashions as the weather goes from cold to hot to rainy all over again.

Thanks, Y'all!
Make sure to check out the other State Fair Photos:

Part 1: Opening Day.
Part 2: Day 4.
Part 3: Days 5, 6, 7, 8!
Part 4: A Long, Wet Weekend.

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.

The State Fair of Texas: A Long, Wet Weekend!

Here I am, still alive and thriving on Day 12 of the State Fair of Texas. I cannot believe how quickly time is going by. I think it is because this whole State Fair thing is new and exciting. I am overwhelmed at how serious Texas is about their fair and FOOD!

So, I finally decided to dive into the fried food. My co-host and I came up with a whole points system where we get 3 points a week for fried food. Any vegetable or fruit that is fried is 1 point while fattening desserts are 2 points. We haven't agreed as to where the Corny Dog falls...1, 2, or a disgusting 3 points? So, I wasted my first point on fried green tomatoes. I love fried green tomatoes. I did not love salty Texas fried green tomatoes.....

Look at my hesitant face. I love to eat, but I do not love to eat these fried green tomatoes.

Okay, this is one thing I take issue with, the State Fair coupons. For every item of food I want to purchase, game I want to play, or ride I want to go on, I must have a coupon. Honestly, it works fine for rides, but for food.....not so much.

Dear Texas State Fair administration, I do not want to wait in two different lines to get my food--one for coupons, one for food. It is inefficient and it has kept more money in my wallet than you can possibly imagine. I don't like to wait in line. If you want me to spend money, get rid of the food coupons. Okay, off of my soap box.

This was another wasted point: fried peaches and cream. Supposedly, this was voted the "tastiest' fried item at the fair this year. Eh, I disagree. It was a canned peach soaked in high fructose corn syrup. Where is my fresh fried peach? Hmmm, another fried point down the drain.

What was delicious? Good old-fashioned soft serve ice cream. Our team has made friends with the ice cream man......

We all scream for ice cream!

On Saturday, we had a lot going on in the booth. The Kaizenettes performed songs on demand for their littlest fans.....

Crowds raced over to our area the second the Grambling State Drum Line came through....

Have you ever seen a drum line in person? Oh, it is amazing, even better than the movie.....

To even things out, we had the cheerleading squad from Prairie View tumble around the Tundra.

Now, let's talk about Sunday. It was so rainy, we had to sweep the water to the drains to prevent flooding. He hosts and he sweeps......

Even though she is breaking a sweat, Vicki still has great hair!

Super rainy as the puddles form in the mulch.........

It was also a bit chilly, so the Tacoma was a great place for little people to warm up. Wait a minute....that's Simms!

There's nothing worse than wet feet and wet socks, so the bathroom hand dryers came in handy.

Another day upon us! Monday brings cloudy skies, but little rain. You can step inside for "Food, Fiber, Fun, and more!" Who knew fiber was so exciting?

Ah, this must be where the mythic fried butter is sold........

Hmmmm, I see fried moon pies.........

.....and Dr. Pepper Beef Jerky......I will never understand the Dr. Pepper craze. I just don't like the taste.....

.....wait! Is that the famed fried butter sign? Yes, it's here! No, I didn't try it today, I am saving it for a special day.

Oh, you can also get fried cookie dough here. Perfect for dessert, but 2 fried food points.

Um, how does one deep fry a latte?

Good thing that cotton candy is "Fat Free"!

Dr. Pepper is a big "no" for me, but I sure do like a Coca-cola. Do I want it fried?

If I keep eating this way, I will be "Big As Texas"!

By the way, Michael Jackson made an appearance at the fair......

And like all music superstars, he was ready with a wardrobe change.

The rides, uh, I am kind of a wimp in this department. Unless it is at Disneyland, I stay on the ground.

One ride you won't see me on.....we saw a cell phone fly out of someone's pocket and hit a person in the crowd from this ride.

People hanging upside down and enjoying it. I can't believe people pay to do this.
Okay, 13 more days to go! I promise more photos as the week goes on and I want to thank everyone for following along. I hope you are enjoying the ride as much as I am.

One final update: If you want to hear the story of the Dallas robots, click here: Robots!
Thanks to Detroit Bitter for the link.

If you missed the other Dallas posts, click here, here, and here.

Part 5 is here.