This post is not about a web series. But before you read any further you have to promise me that you won't
tell anyone about this! Promise? OK.
I want to let you in a
secret. It's called Secret Cinema
and is a monthly gathering of all
that love challenging and groundbreaking cinema, screening mystery films
in extraordinary locations. They screen well-known movies at exceptional places and turn
the cinema experience into a theatrical experience by letting viewers
participate. Watch this video about the screening of One Flew over
the Cuckoo's Nest in an asylum to get an idea:
Secret audience. Secret locations. Secret worlds. If you want to find out more about it, visit: http://www.secretcinema.org/
But whisper only amongst yourselves. Keep
the motion. Tell-no one!
Oh, and Secret Cinema has just
announced a mysterious new theatrical food
experience: Secret Restaurant. Diners will find themselves in a
theatrical world of food, music and mystery. The menu will be kept
secret until the final moment. Somewhere in the city, you will find
Secret Restaurant... If you find
it before me, please do let me know. Discretely of course!
Growing up in the 90s was all about grunge fashion, techno raves, and Tamagotchis. Do you miss the 90s? Orange Juice in Bishops Garden is Melrose Place meets Beverly Hills and is not only worth a look when you have grown up in the 90s.
Season 1 (Summer of '94), Episode 1. See where it all begins...
It's
the start of the summer of 1994, and Kris prods best friend Sarah to
finally make a move on her long-time crush Jake (before Maggie does it
instead). Meanwhile Beth finds herself in a different love triangle with
her best friend Rox and the older bike messenger: Adrian. After a trip
to the liquor store (where the owner couple puts their 8 y.o. behind the
counter), the gang all meets up in Bishop's Garden, where the fun
really starts. But more fun means more drama...
The show has been viewed in over 136 countries, with
creator Otessa Ghadar winning a number of awards during its short
two-year run. The show even garnered a strong lesbian and gay following
thanks to its open-minded character
Do you remember YouTube sensation Fred? If not, here is a little reminder:
Well, high-pitched and hyperactive Fred
Figglehorn got animated and his show premiered last week. The web series is called It’s Fred’s and has been developed and written by Kate Boutilier and
Eryk Casemiro. They were the showrunners on the classic cartoon programs
The Rugrats and The Wild Thornberries and have a keen
sense of how to tell stories with wacky human forms that embark on
fanciful and realistic adventures in unrealistic and creative ways.
The Collective Digital Studio produced nine episodes so far. The first episode "Fred Gets Adopted" features Fred's familiar face in
cartooned form scheming for the affection of his classmate Judy. Check it out:
Do you have a guilty pleasure? Something you really, really enjoy watching, even though you know it's cheesy? Then you have to go to: http://www.facebook.com/FDTheSeries and watch the second series of First day: First Dance!
It was released last week following the success of last year’s First
Day. This lively web series follows Rosie Rovello and her major
crush on classmate JT as she relives the day of her back-to-school dance
over and over again. First day: First Dance is a light, entertaining and easy to follow
webseries from the producers of ABC’s Pretty Little Liars.
In the season premiere everything goes totes wrong! The day of Canterbury High's back-to-school dance starts off perfectly
for Rosie Rovello. As Rosie's longtime biffle Taylor would say, it has best-day-ever potential. But then, somewhere between a crush
crushing back and a starting spot on the soccer team, the drama begins. Watch
here what happens:
Also available on the series’ Facebook page are episode summaries and the opportunity to win a V.I.P. trip to Los Angeles, along with a variety of
daily prizes. To watch new episodes, tune in on Mondays and Wednesdays!
We have heard this so many times before. Extending a TV show into another medium is really not a new concept anymore. But I'm always curious whether it makes sense to tell a story across several different mediums or whether they just jump on the bandwaggon.
There is a popular series on the Syfy Channel called Haven: http://www.syfy.com/haven/
Syfy's one-hour drama series Haven, starring Emily Rose (Jericho,
Brothers and Sisters) is based on the novella The Colorado Kid
from renowned author Stephen King. The series follows the shrewd and
confident FBI agent Audrey Parker (Rose) who has a lost past, and
arrives in the small town of Haven, Maine on a routine case. Before
long, her natural curiosity lands her in the epicenter of activity in
this curious enclave, which turns out to be a longtime refuge for people
that are affected by a range of supernatural afflictions.
Since August, the citizens of the small Maine town are not only affected by a wide range of
supernatural afflictions, but also by a new
challenge as they have to interact on Twitter with a mysterious stranger who
seems to know a little too much about the secrets of the town. Haven viewers can follow the story on Twitter with the hashtag #HavenNews
or by following the individual Twitter accounts of brothers Vince (@VinceHaven) and Dave Teagues (@DaveHaven), owners of the Haven Herald and the
unknown someone tweeting as @ColdInHaven.
If you have never heard of Haven before, here is a chance to watch the 1st episode of the 2nd season:
Check out the most recent episode on Friday, September 9 on the Syfy Channel!
More and more of the big TV production companies find it interesting to develop web series in order to try out innovative topics or new ways of storytelling.
For example, Reveille the production company that produces hit shows like The Office and MasterChef will develop a bunch of comedy focused web series for online video site: http://www.breakmedia.com/
Reveille's digital output already covers topics such as pop culture, fashion and sports, and include shows such as Who Knew?, Fit to Boom and Real-Life Makeover.
Furthermore, US cablenet AMC has launched a digital platform to develop and showcase web series from up-and-coming writers and directors. The first web series will be The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks. It's about a successful theatre director who stages an elaborate play that mirrors his dysfunctional love life. The free-to-view show will be released simultaneously on amctv.com and VoD platform Hulu on August 22.
Will you watch it on Monday?
The new comedy web series Old Dogs & New Tricks asks, in a place called Boystown, do gay men ever grow up? Or do they just grow old? Nathan, Brad, Muscles and Ross stumble through middle age in an alternate universe called West Hollywood.
Los Angeles (in general) and West Hollywood (in particular) add a strong flavor to Old Dogs & New Tricks, with its traffic, earthquakes, plastic surgery, and strongly youth-obsessed culture. But the focus remains on how these four different gay men react (or overreact) and adjust (or not) to getting older.
In the pilot episode, West Hollywood agent Nathan Adler (Leon Acord, who is also the show's writer) recalls how he first met '80s rocker Brad King (Curt Bonnem), personal trainer 'Muscles' Carter (Jeffrey Patrick Olson) and actor Ross Stein (David Pevsner) as he reluctantly prepares for his 50th birthday party.
What if you could go anywhere in history except home?
In the world of Causality - a new web series currently in pre-production from Ulterior Motive Productions and coming up in December - people can travel in time.
Everyone comes to the past for their own reasons. Some do it for curiosity, some for escape, some to avoid wars and disasters. But they all know one thing: they’ll be starting a new life, in a strange new century. But be careful, because once you’ve come to the past, you can never return to your own time.
In Causality, Holly Wells accidentally arrives in the present day from just five years in the future and Seattle’s hidden community of time travelers is nearly torn apart as she tries to rebuild her life, change her destiny, and ultimately, find something she can call home. But she didn’t come back alone . . .
Here is the first teaser:
With influences ranging from the neon grit of Bladerunner to the Pacific Northwest noir chill of Twin Peaks, this time travel web series is a unique vision of loss, hope, and all the things we can’t leave behind.
For further information and to stay updated, please go to: http://www.watchcausality.com/
The fourth season of the award-winning comedic web series Vlog Star starts airing tomorrow on vlogstarshow.com. It follows the misadventures of Nate Klugman (Byerly), a faded Internet video star with delusions of grandeur, and his long-suffering, torch-carrying best friend, Alexa (Chase McKenna). Vlog Star is created by Kenny Byerly and Mike Ludwig and written and produced by Kenny Byerly and David J. Duman through their production company "Sit Thru This".
Here is the trailer:
New episodes will air every Wednesday from July 13 through August 31. By the end of its run, Vlog Star will have produced a total of 54 episodes since its debut on September 2, 2008 - which is quite impressive.
Vlog Star was an official selection of the Los Angeles Web Series Festival for two years running (2010-2011), where it won awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Festival founder Michael Ajakwe called the show "hilarious... proof of what can be done when you have talent on top of talent on top of talent."
Back in April ABC announced they cancelled All My Children and One Life to Live. All my children has been on the air since 1970 and One Life to Live even since 1968. You might think the genre soap opera is dead! Especially since Proctor & Gamble, who both sponsored and helped develop some TV soaps decided to move online and cancelled their sponsorship, which meant the end of those shows.
But now ABC and Prospect Park issued a joint press release on Thursday that the shows will be distributed beyond their planned finale dates “via online formats and additional emerging platforms including Internet enabled television sets.” The soaps will continue to run at the same lengths and “with the same quality,” according to the release. The deal comes after former Fox News host Glenn Beck announced last month that his canceled show will continue online - for a fee - starting in September.
The web is not only a home for new content, but also for cancelled TV series!
If you like zombies, rom-coms and Britain, you shouldn't miss this Rom-Zom-Britcom called Mind my Brains, Darling! Here is the trailer:
Set in Britain in 1979, Mind My Brains, Darling! follows the ups and downs of family life with the Worthingtons, a typical family with a mum, dad, two kids and a grandfather. Typical that is, for a peri-apocalyptic society ravaged by war and zombies for the past 4 years. Oh, and the dad is a Zombie. Following in the Great British sitcom tradition, Mind My Brains, Darling! can best be described as 'Terry and June' married by 'The Vicar of Dibley' meets 'Dad's Army' by way of 'Shaun Of The Dead'. Filmed in the unique and ground-breaking 'Bodyline' filming style invented and perfected by HigletFilms, this webseries goes where others fear to tread - straight into the domain of the Great British Housewife.
Episode 1 was released on June 21st and you can get a taste of the action right here, right now:
Get ready for Episode 2 which comes out tomorrow! You can watch it here: http://mindmybrains.com/
Back in February (wow, time is flying!) I introduced a new web series called Pueblo - un proyecto bilingüe. It documents the comedic exploits of a quirky English teacher from the US, who is adapting to the culture of a Spanish farming village. A few days ago, I received a message saying the first 4 episodes are out and each Thursday a new one comes out.
Watch episode 1 right here, right now:
To watch episodes 2 to 4, please go to: http://www.pueblotheseries.com/ and don't forget to check out the newest episode of Pueblo - un proyecto bilingüe tomorrow!
The digital wing of distributor Content Media Corporation has secured international sales rights for web drama Strictly Sexual: The Series.
The sitcom (6x22'), produced by Hyphenate Films, is a spin-off from the feature film Strictly Sexual, which is available to download from VoD sites Hulu, Netflix and iTunes. The movie has become the most popular film on US streaming site Hulu, is the third most watched programme available on Hulu across all genres and has enjoyed similar success on Netflix and iTunes. Content Digital will offer the series across all platforms, including broadcast and digital.
Strictly Sexual: The Series tells the story of friends and lovers, as their relationships are tested, broken and mended. Building on the plot of the film, the series follows the same captivating characters and their complex interpersonal relationships and stars Johann Urb (2012, Entourage, CSI) as 'Joe', Kirsten Renton (Days of Our Lives, Sons of Anarchy) as 'Summer' and Stevie Long (Sons of Anarchy, The Mind Of The Married Man) as 'Stanny'. It takes a wry look at dating in today's world with its comedy grounded in authentic situations such as same sex relationships, the balance of career and love, and the challenge of what we learn from and bring to our friendships
Check out part 1 of the movie Strictly Sexual to get a first impression:
The web series network blip.tv and Collective Digital Studio, the online content unit of entertainment management and production company "The Collective" have linked up to give the online video network distribution rights to some of YouTube's biggest home-grown stars.
This means blip.tv will distribute content from the likes of Fred, The Annoying Orange, FreddieW and iJustine. They all became famous on YouTube and have millions of subscribers. The agreement applies to Collective Digital Studio's entire roster of talent. Blip.tv will control distribution and monetisation of the shows on its own site, YouTube and other online platforms.
"This partnership is one more step in the realisation of our plans to provide creative talent with a 360-degree solution to build their brands in the digital space," said The Collective's CEO and founder Michael Green.
Collective Digital Studio announced also two new online series. One centres on Fred (real name Lucas Cruikshank) and will be made by Rugrats and Wild Thornberries producers Kate Boutilier and Eryk Casemiro. Fred's YouTube channel has 2.24 million subscribers and his videos have received a total of 778 million views. His popularity has already resulted in a spin-off film, which was released last year. The other one will be a new web series by FreddieW creators Freddie Wong and Brandon Laatsch.
Last month, Blip.tv relaunched its website as a consumer-facing destination for original web series. Shows featured on the new site are picked by Blip.tv's editors and organised into 16 categories, including comedy, drama, sports and fashion. Blip.tv said it is on pace to reach 1 billion views per quarter.
This web series is about your midtwenties....and the moon falling into the earth. Umm, what?
Yep. It's about Mina (Pamela Bell), a misanthropic college grad returning home along with her three bearded best friends (Christian Nilssion, Terence Krey, Alex Longo) only to find out that home really sucks.While trying to figure out life's next chapter a strange, beautiful Selene (Krystel Bua) comes to them with a strange prophecy: the moon will fall into the earth!
To receive an impression of Oh, Inverted World, check out the teaser below:
Oh, Inverted World follows a quite artistic approach by using black-and-white, mixing genres, and pivotal characters. If you are a fan of Shaun of the Dead, Royal Tenenbaums, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, then you’ll be a huge fan of this web series. They manage to draw the viewer back in each episode with great cliffhangers and a compelling story. If you can't get enough of this web series, too, go to their website to watch all episodes: http://www.ohinvertedseries.com/
Jacob Clarke lives an ordinary life until the day he finds out he has a brain tumor. That's when he starts hearing the "Voice" call to him for the first time. Initially ignoring it, he is eventually persuaded to listen and eventually, comes to realize that the "Voice" is not merely a side effect of his cancer, but rather, something else entirely. Led by the "Voice", Jacob's life is turned upside down and he is forced to abandon his old world and run head first into an entirely new one, evading the police and an entire gang syndicate while he's at it.
That's the synopsis of the new web series Pieces. It's created by Dylann Bobei who also plays Jacob, launched in February and ended a week ago. But no worries Season 2 is coming up soon and the USP is that each season of Pieces begins with a montage of seemingly random images and clips. These will appear periodically throughout the season allowing the audience an opportunity to spot these "pieces" and attempt to piece together the overall fabric of the show as they go along.
I have a thing for conspiracy theories and inexplicable phenomena. It just fascinates me. Cypers is a drama web series about a diverse group of female characters who discover unexplained phenomena, and how this unearthing affects their personal and professional lives.
Cypers reveals the danger that lies just beneath the surface of an average New Mexican town, where serenity and blissful innocence mask a sinister reality, and it's based on true life controversial corporate stories. All the characters are drawn together by a series of inexplicable phenomena, and must struggle to decipher and expose a dark corporate conspiracy that reaches far beyond their town. While searching for the catalyst to these appearances, they uncover treacherous organizations obsessed with controlling food and water supplies. Each character is drawn, willingly or unwillingly, deeper into each organization’s conspiracy.
More and more well-known TV actors make their way to the web. Best examples are Lisa Kudrow starring in Web Therapy and Neil Patrick Harris in the musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It's already becoming a particular category of web series. Now even Kiefer Sutherland is starring in a 10-part, scripted, online-only series, called Confession.
It's a drama about a hit man (Kiefer Sutherland) spilling his secrets to a priest (John Hurt). The story begins on Christmas Eve, when the hit-man enters a church to confess his sins to the priest. Through a series of flashbacks, the confessor’s journey is revealed. Check out the trailer:
In terms of basic style and structure, it looks as if the creators made a close study of the many mysteries and thrillers that have already come and gone in the short history of web series. But as I've said before the nature of web series is just better suited for comedy than drama.
Have you watched anything on YouTube today? I certainly have and lots of other people, too.
YouTube claims that more than 48 hours of video are now uploaded to the site every minute. That's a 100% increase compared to last year and a 37% increase compared to six months ago.
They also said that last weekend the site surpassed three billion views per day. This is a 50% year-on-year increase and the equivalent of almost half the world's population watching a YouTube video each day.
Today, I read that YouTube is teaming up with FightGameTV to broadcast a mixed martial arts and kickboxing tournament this weekend, in what FightGame says is YouTube's first ever broadcast of this kind.
The Google-owned video site is apparently trying new pay-per-view live streaming on its US site, following the roll-out of YouTube Live last month and its first experiments with paid video rentals last year.
The Wankers is a new comedy web series about a reluctantly related family that comes out tomorrow!
The show is a single camera, 30 mins sitcom with laugh tracks. It is filled with A-Z comedy that tastefully deals with sexual addiction, religion, pot smoking and elderly abuse. The show has no rules and active audience participation with cheers, booing, laughing and vulgar remarks similar to Jerry Springer’s audience. The Wankers is directed by Connor Daly and Kevin Boston.
Here is the Trailer:
The Wankers airs a new video every Wednesday at 11am PT, known as #WankersWednesdays.Will you check it out tomorrow?
For further information, go to: http://thewankersshow.com/
The 2nd annual New Media Film Festival just came to an end. Did you check it out if you live in L.A. or even submit a web series?
The New Media Film Festival (also called "Sundance for the Facebook crowd") honors stories worth telling and presents the Best In New Media. It shows content in categories include 3D, Apps, Animation, Digital Comics, Shot on RED, Docs, SRC-Socially Responsible Content, LGBT, Webseries, Mobile, Features, Shorts & Music Videos, and Judges from Pixar, UTA & Industrial Light & Magic, moderators Charlotte Huggins (Journey To The Center Of The Earth), Alison Savitch (Bangkok Dangerous), and Jeanette DePatie along with Interviewer Joshua J. Stecker (Script Magazine) joined programming of films from around the world.
This year's programme included films starring actors Jason Alexander, Sally Kirkland and Sid Ganis in the 35mm Los Angeles Premiere of Not Your Time (Jay Kamen Productions), along with Martin Sheen, Kristen Bell, and Will Wallace starring in the preview of Flatland: Search for the Third Dimension in 3D, the World Premiere of Staycation U.S.A. 3D (directed by Ned Wiseman), and absolutely stunning images from the Hubble Telescope and Casini Mission in Cosmic Journey 3D.
Did you know that Osama Bin Laden was working on his first reality web series? Well, neither did I.
But that is the premise of a new web series called Being Bin Laden. It's created, written and produced by Ricky Blitt, stars Steven Weber as Osama bin Laden, and Fred Savage also shows up as Osama’s Jewish, soon-to-be-son-in-law.
Have a first look:
This is just a taste of the full pilot, which will be screened at this year’s Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. To get tickets for the screening, please visit: http://tempweb.hahaha.com/microsite/Film/Film
If you live in the UK, you probably know the award-winning British television drama series Waterloo Road on BBC One. The series is set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester and focuses on the lives of the schools teacher and students, and confronts social issues, including affairs, abortion, divorce and suicide
Back in November, the BBC announced an online spin-off show, called Waterloo Road Reunited. This series follows former characters of the main show, and their lives after leaving Waterloo Road. Here you catch up with the lives and loves of favourite ex-pupils including Bolton, Michaela, Janeece, Philip, Aleesha and Paul, as they make their way in the world away from the classroom with mixed results.
The first episode of Waterloo Road Reunited was shown on 2 March and here it is again, in case you missed it:
By using a combination of scripted episodes (shown online and on red button), fictional social media networks, audio and interactive fan sites, Waterloo Road Reunited allows the audience to extend their relationship with their favourite characters from the screen to online.
The UK's Channel 4 has commissioned a new multi-platform comedy talkshow, including interactivity via Twitter. It's called King of... and will be hosted by presenter and journalist Claudia Winkleman who will encourage viewers on Twitter to follow @C4Kingof and join in and continue discussing the topics by using the #kingof hashtag. @C4Kingof will then retweet the best comments and at the end of each episode pronounce someone King of Tweets. The audience at home is asked about their opinions on all kinds of subjects, to find out which musical, newsreader or supermodel, for example, is considered leader in their field.
King Of… is not the first show to try to put Twitter at the core of its concept. Two years ago MTV launched a talkshow fronted by British model and TV personality Alexa Chung in the US but canned it after two seasons. Spanish TV channel Veo7 last year launched a talkshow called Twision, which relies entirely upon the hosts' interactions with the audience via Twitter.
Well, I will check out King of... live at the BBC TV Centre in London next week. You can either join in via Twitter or if you are in London and want to be in the audience too, apply for a ticket: http://www.sroaudiences.com/shows.asp
Cox Communications just introduced a new website that will enable its subscribers to view tens of thousands of videos online. Cox subscribers can now sign in to www.cox.com/tv and gain access to more than 15,000 pieces of content from cable and broadcast networks.
With the launch of the new video portal, Cox is joining a number of operators and programmers that are offering access to on-demand and even live content online under the patronage of "TV Everywhere". This new portal will have a mix of broadcast content from ABC, Fox and NBC (sourced from Hulu), as well as content from cable networks TBS, TNT, TruTV, Adult Swim, HBO, EPIX, Cinemax and Vutopia. At launch, Cox TV Online will have between 15,000 and 20,000 pieces of content, with the number of assets fluctuating over time as titles are added.
At the moment Cox TV Online is only available on PCs, with the exception of networks like HBO, which have their own multiplatform apps. HBO just recently released apps for iPad, iPhone and Android mobile devices. And Epix is available on more than 100 connected devices, including the Blackberry PlayBook, connected TVs and Blu-ray players from Samsung, Google TV devices, Roku broadband set-top boxes and Android tablets from Motorola, HTC and LG.
The Canadian web-to-TV animated comedy Chilly Beach has been picked up by Hulu for the US. The 65x22' series, produced by March Entertainment for Canada's CBC, ran over three seasons and has now joined the line-up on Hulu and its subscription service Hulu Plus via a deal with distributor Duopoly.
Chilly Beach follows the adventures of the quirky residents of an obscure Canadian resort village and in particular two beer-loving, hockey-playing best friends who have spent their whole lives largely oblivious to the outside world. Featuring performances by Steve Ashton and Dwayne Hill, the show also carries guest voiceovers from William Shatner, Joe Flaherty and Leslie Nielsen, among others.
And, Comedy Central Digital just launched an online-only talkshow that covers entertainment and technology. The 'Tech-comedy' show The Download will broadcast through ComedyCentral's website, fronted by writer and comedian Jordan Rubin, who formerly worked as head writer for the MTV Movie Awards.
The series debuted last week with four weekly episodes. Each week, the show's hosts will interview guests from the comedy, entertainment and technology worlds, who will discuss social media and gadgets. Guests lined up so far include actor Jerry O'Connell, DJ Samantha Ronson and musician and Beastie Boys collaborator Money Mark.
Samsung is sponsoring the show and will use the programme to showcase its Samsung Smart TV. The internet-ready device supports apps such as Skype, Twitter and photo sharing service Picasa, which will be worked into the show.
Last night I checked out the Facebook Fans Preview of Inner Demons and this morning I'd like to encourage you to do the same! Inner Demons is an upcoming internet web series created by Ryan McCalla and Tommy Larkin. This supernatural, action and mystery web series follows a small group of characters and shows how their lives intertwine as they each try to battle their own inner demons and attempt to make the world a better place.
A ragtag group of stranger’s lives begin to intertwine over the course of a year as they each struggle to overcome their own inner demons and personal problems. They are united in a race against time to prevent Mephisto from bringing forth hell on earth. Each character has their own reasons for wanting to see Mephisto fail and be banished back to hell, but Mephisto is not without his resources. He sets about trying to weaken them and divert their attention away from him and his hunt for “The Key”. The strangers become a family as they all come to realise that one common goal ties them all together, their determination to prevent Mephisto from unlocking and opening the gates of
hell.
Here is the Facebook Fans Preview:
It's only the rough cut of their Supanova trailer - so sound, music and visuals are not yet finalised. But if you're intrigued now, go to their website to stay updated: http://www.innerdemonstheseries.com/
Companion web series of hit TV shows are usually not that great, but Fondue for Two in which Brittany S. Pierce (Heather Morris) from Glee hosts her own web showis worth a look!
Fondue for Two is a simple setup, an internet talk show shot from Brittany’s bedroom, where the deadpan bombshell dishes up some hot gossip over some actual hot fondue. The first episode stars fellow gleeks Mercedes (Amber Riley) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) with her cat Lord Tubbington.
Check out the sneak peek:
There is no official word yet from FOX on how many of them are planned, but given the fast-growing online fan base for anything Glee, I guess there’s a good chance we’ll see more of them. The sneak peek video already broke 135,000 views on YouTube...
We haven't talked about convergence in a long time, have we? One big trend currently is to turn TV gameshows into games for social networking sites.
Just recently Facebook has sealed a deal with developer iWin and Endemol USA to create social games based on two of the best-known TV gameshows: Deal or No Deal and 1 vs 100. They will debut on the Facebook platform starting later this spring.
The news continues the trend of TV gameshows becoming games on social networks, as exemplified by FremantleMedia North America's version of Family Feud on the same social network last summer, produced with iWin. The potential offered by such moves was illustrated by the fact that Family Feud returned to air later that year with much higher ratings. FremantleMedia has also put a game based on The Price is Right on Facebook.
But not only TV gameshows are turned into social games, also web series.
Fox International Channels (FIC) has tapped the UK's Two Way Media to create a Facebook game based on web series The Booth at the End. The game, called The Deal, has been developed to tie in with FIC's roll-out of The Booth across its networks after it picked up the Vuguru-produced psychological drama from Content Digital at Mipcom last year.
Yesterday, I walked along Regent Street and it's already dressed up for the Royal Wedding on Friday:
That made me wonder, where you gonna watch the royal spectacle? Will you watch it on TV or will you watch on YouTube?
The Royal Household will use its existing YouTube channel to stream coverage of the event on April 29 from the wedding procession, marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey and balcony kiss.
Earlier this month YouTube unveiled a dedicated YouTube Live destination within its pages as it ramps up efforts to move into the broadcast space. The wedding will air on the YouTube Royal Channel, however, from 09.00 GMT, 02.00 PT and 05.00 ET, available internationally.
The footage will be reshown in its entirety immediately after the event and will be available to view in full on the site afterwards.
"More than 50 years ago, the marriage of the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and Antony Armstrong-Jones was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television and had over 20 million viewers," said YouTube partner development associate Rachel Ball. "This one is already heralded as the first of the internet age, where for the first time in thousands of years of royal history, the moment will be captured online and preserved forever."
Wouldn't it be fun to see the Royal Family like that on Friday, lol:
The 15th Annual Webby Awards released its list of nominees today! If you wanna take part in the voting, please go to: http://www.webbyawards.com/
The Webby Awards is the leading International award honoring excellence in interactive design, creativity, usability and functionality on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the Web's infancy, the Webbys are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, which includes an Executive 750-member body of leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities, and Associate Members who are former Webby Award Winners and Nominees and other Internet professionals. Reflecting the tremendous growth of the Internet as a tool for business and everyday lives, the 15th Annual Webby Awards expands the mission of the Webby by honoring excellence in over 100+ Website, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video, and Mobile & App categories.
Here are some of the Nominees:
The Best Web Personality category noms came from outside Hollywood: YouTube and web star Justine Ezarik for iJustine, New York Times technology columnist and CBS News correspondent David Pogue, Between Two Fern’s Zach Galafianakis, Great Depression Cooking’s Clara Cannucciari, and Egyptian-American filmmaker Rahab Elewaly.
For Best Individual Performance however, nominees included more traditional Hollwood names: Lisa Kudrow for Web Therapy (Lexus), Ralph Macchio for Wax on F*ck Off (Funny Or Die), Isabella Rossellini for Green Porno (Sundance), Cheri Oteri for Liza Life Coach (AMCtv.com), and Jim Carrey for Funny Or Die’s Presidential Reunion.
The Best Drama category saw nominations primarily from independent series: Out With Dad, Anyone But Me, Urban Wolf, Diary of a Single Mom, and Eastenders E20 (BBC).
The Comedy: Long Form or Series category also reflected a nice mix: Funny Or Die’s Presidential Reunion, Web Therapy, 30 Rock: Frank vs. Lutz,The Office: The 3rd Floor Webseries, and The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora.
Other highlights include Justin Bieber Takes over Funny Or Die and Steve Carell’s episode on Between Two Ferns for the Comedy: Individual Short or Episode category, Auto-tune the News‘ Bed Intruder Song for the Best Viral Video category, and Old Spice Response Campaign and OK Go’s “This Too Shall Pass” video for the Best Viral Marketing category.
Are you watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians? It doesn't matter whether you're a fan of Kourtney, Kim and Khloé or not, either way you should check out the comedy web series Keeping Up with the Kartrashians. They have all the class of the Kardashians...but none of the cash!
The story is described as follows:
After Bruce's release from jail the Kartrashian family celebrates with a party. The good times end quickly enough when Mamma's job and their public assistance runs dry. Luckily Robbie has an idea that will make the family some money and make Kim a star. Mamma quickly realizes the potential of her '… [more]cash cows' and starts her own career as she begins to mold theirs. Have a look at Episode 1:
The web series is created, written and produced by Angela Landis who also plays all three Kartrashian sisters. If you wanna know more about Angela, visit her website: http://www.angelalandis.com/kartrashians.html
And another web series which is described as "Sex and the City", BUT it's from China and animated. Youku.com, China's leading Internet television company, has announced today that it will launch this month a new animated web series titled Miss Puff.
The story centers around Miss Puff, a Beijing woman who’s looking for love, though she’s quite often found lounging around her apartment in her underwear, chatting and smoking in front of her computer. Does that sound familiar?
The artwork is pretty stylized, with animated two-dimensional figures overlaid on top of a more realistic, possibly rotoscoped background. With 104 seven-minute episodes to run over eight seasons, it's Youku's most ambitious web series so far.
The series continues from Miss Puff's Goldfish Bowl, an animated short that premiered last November as one of the films in Youku's 11 Degrees New Media Film Project, a partnership between Youku, Chevrolet Cruze, and the China Film Group. If you understand Chinese, check it out: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjA0NTQ0Njg4.html
Miss Puff is being produced by Youku Original, Youku's in-house content production department. With Miss Puff, they want to continue to blend engaging content, social relevance, and cutting-edge marketing to create a series that will engage and delight the viewers advertisers want to reach.
Last weekend the LA Web Fest took place (http://www.lawebfest.com/) and one of the Award winning series was Lila, Long Distance.
It'll premiere on www.Koldcast.TV on April 5th. Here is a sneak peek:
Lila is down on her luck, desperate for cash and has a background in acting. She's found a brilliant way to survive out in these LA streets. But can she keep her real relationships separate from her fantasy world? Or will chaos inevitably ensue?
Creator Dawn M. Green wanted to bring back that "Sex and the City" vibe, only this time, in the dating world. It's all about who you imagine you're sleeping with.... For further information, check out their website: http://www.lilalongdistanceseries.com/index.html
Another upcoming web series is A Perfect Union. The mystery web series is produced and presented by Los Tall Boys Media. Here is a glimpse:
It's about freelance reporter Virgil Montez who begins investigating the unsolved murder of an eccentric history professor, he finds more than a cold case. Virgil’s pursuit of the story behind the homicide reveals an ancient conspiracy involving the Texas Revolution, Freemasonry and a powerful secret about the Alamo lost for hundreds of years.
Stay tuned and check their website for further announcements: http://www.aperfectuniononline.com/
When I checked my LinkedIn-account this morning, the "People You May Know"-tool recommended me contacts, like Robin Hood - Activist/ Chief Fundraiser at Nottingham, United Kingdom - and Sherlock Holmes - Detective at 221B Baker Street. Yes, that's right! It's April Fools 2011! Have you found an April Fools joke or prank yet?
If you've been on YouTube today, then yes! YouTube has kicked off the April Fools festivities with a celebration of its “100th birthday” — a journey into what YouTube might have looked like in 1911, if the video platform or the Internet existed back then. Check out the "Top 5 viral pictures of 1911":
YouTube has also updated the logo and inserted a classic 1911 button on every video. If you click on it, it will transform any YouTube clip into an old-school motion picture, complete with a grainy yellowish skin and an accompanying early 20th century piano soundtrack to match.
Oh, and I like the Starbucks prank! This would be really cool actually:
Starbucks is finally putting its baristas on scooters, as the coffee giant today launches its “Mobile Pour” feature. “We’ve even made ordering easy with our Mobile Pour app for your smartphone. Simply download it, allow it to pinpoint your location, select your coffee order and keep walking. Your fresh, hot Starbucks brew will be in your hands before you can say abra-arabica.” http://www.starbucks.com/blog/introducing-starbucks-mobile-pour
I attended the Cambridge International Digital Forum last week and Mark Atkins, director of Crossover Labs (http://www.crossoverlabs.org/) talked about commissioning and producing for convergence.
He said, while TV and film have been dominant forces in 20th century media, the 21st century will see moving image content consumed on a vast array of platforms – at a time and a place that is determined by the consumer. Successful individuals and companies will be those who grasp the opportunities offered by this changing landscape; those that confine their operations to a single platform are more likely to struggle, or will certainly limit their growth and creative potential.
Mark continued by saying it's all about "Authentic TV". Successful examples of convergence have been recently live experiences, such as the live surgery on Channel 4.For four consecutive nights, top surgeons carried out life-changing operations in front of a studio audience and live on Channel 4. While performing brain surgery on an awake patient, open heart surgery and more, the surgeons answered live questions asked via Twitter. For more information, visit: http://www.channel4.com/explore/surgerylive/
Another trend are live events, for example the Skins gigs, like "Skins House - a two week house party in Bristol". The line-up included performances from huge players such as Plan B, Example and I blame Coco (http://www.e4.com/skins/skins-house/introduction.html)
I think all web series producers are already multiplatform users, but maybe there are more ways of engaging with the audience than social media websites and forums. Why not trying to be even more interactive?!
Can you find love in a mirror? That's the question the 9-part web series Lumina raises. The series is a dark, densely woven fantasy set against the sparkling backdrop of Hong Kong.
Lumina Wong lives alone, works too much and feels as if life is passing her by. Although she lives in a city of millions, she still feels lonely and isolated. Late one night, she meets a handsome young man from another world that she can see in mirrors and darkened window reflections and they fall in love.
Here is a sneak peek:
Lumina revels in the fantasy relationship until mirrorspy Eben Sanchez comes into her life, warning her of the treacheries of the people of the Dark Realm. Soon Lumina must choose between the safety of the world she knows and the deadly allure of the unknown. You're intrigued now? Watch Episode 1:
This fantasy thriller series is written and directed by Jennifer Thym. It is shot on the cutting edge RED One and stars JuJu Chan and Michael Chan as well as many other AlivenotDead artists: http://www.alivenotdead.com/luminaseries
The episodes are available in English with Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, Norwegian and Portuguese subtitles. But you can not also watch the latest epsisodes on: http://www.luminaseries.com/
You can also check out photos, the original soundtrack, and download the official Lumina poster.
....the road to Stardom is full of missteps.
Courtney Zito can tell you a thing or two about it and that's why she decided to create this comedy web series called Hollywood Girl which is based on her real life experiences in the city of angels.
The series follows Quinn Monroe a self-proclaimed cliché: actress by day and and waitress by night. She is broke, tired, confused, and constantly tripping over her mark. But nevertheless she is delightfully determined and never defeated. With life, heart, spirit and the carefree, fun-loving support of her three best friends, Quinn looks past the setbacks and black-and-blues to see her shining star on the walk of fame, which to her isn't too far ahead. Or maybe it is? "Two steps forward and ten steps back," like the show's original theme song says, "She's there for life: She's a Hollywood Girl."
Check out Episode One in order to gain a little more insight into Quinn's life in Hollywood:
The USP of Hollywood Girl is that it features original music by various artists in each episode. They have teamed up with producer Jon Santos and 1176 Studios to find the hottest new artists out there and bring them on the show. If you think it could be you, get in touch with them by sending an email to: 1176studios@gmail.com
Blood and Bone China is a 12-part Victorian Vampire web series which is created and directed by award winning Stoke-On-Trent based filmmaker Chris Stone and starring TV's Rachel Shenton as Anna Fitzgerald. The first two episodes were released on 6 March and tonight you can watch Chapter Three!
The synopsis is described as follows:
It is 1897 and a city is in turmoil. In the smoky, dirty depths of middle England, the people are terrified. The once bustling streets of Stoke are empty, the silence is only broken by the whispers of devils, demons and vampires. Poor souls are being taken, vanishing without a trace. When the local doctor is snatched away, word travels to his brother, a young vet by the name of Newlyn Howell. Spurred on to discover the truth by the enigmatic Alexander Pyre, Newlyn's dark adventure into the depths of Victorian Stoke begins… and what he discovers is beyond belief.
It does sound spooky, doesn't it? Check out Chapter One: "The Man in Black"
The web series Luck and the Virgin (La Suerte y la Virgen) is a 60 second soap that takes you on a wild ride of how things can go very wrong in a small Mexican city. It's shot completely on location in the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato and each episode is in both Spanish and English with subtitles.
Here is a sneak peek:
The comedy crime series is about Ricardo - a burnt out hit man with a funny accent - and Valentina - a clueless woman who is running from her boyfriend with all his drug money. They end up getting involved in some unfortunate ways after their bags are switched accidently at a tamale stand.....
What sets this series apart from anything else out there, is that every single episode is no longer than 60 seconds long, including short recaps.
Writer and director, Jaime Byrd, of Blind Lyle Films, took on a large Latin endevour with this Mexico based webisode and got selected for L.A. Web Fest in 2010. The second season is coming up soon!
Check out their website: http://www.blindlylefilms.com/luckandthevirgin/
You know how in romcoms there’s always that gorgeous woman who has everything? Well, this web series is not focusing on that girl, but on her best friend. The story is told through the eyes of the best friend character.
Check out the teaser of The Best Friend:
Millie Miller and Soozana V. Shephard (aka Sooze) have been friends since fourth grade. It was only recently that Millie realized that she has been living in Sooze's shadow for the last 14 years. While Sooze is MIA because of her "new love" Rick, Millie makes what she feels is another life altering discovery about their relationship. Despite her Mother's protests, Millie heads back to her therapist, hoping for a quick fix and confessing to him that she thinks she is the ugly friend. Instead, her "fresh-out-of-therapy school" neighbor / therapist hands out advice that even Millie's over-protective Mother would approve of: "You're not the ugly friend, you're the neurotic friend."
In the 1st episode Millie's best friend Sooze stops in for an unexpected visit, giving a whole new meaning to "cleaning house":
The USP of this show is that Millie is a struggling songwriter and hence The Best Friend uses original music which you can download on iTunes. The lyrics are written by Marilyn Anne Michaels who plays Millie. Together with Allie Smith who plays Sooze, she also created the web series which premiered on http://www.koldcast.tv/
"Whenever someone asks me what I do - I tell them I'm an educator!" says Edwin, and that's how the comedic web series The Institute starts. The show is set in the San Fernando Valley in the 70s and about the mismatched brothers, Edwin and C.J., who start an acting school that teaches students how to break into the exciting new world of erotic cinema. Every episode of Season 1 (12 filmed) shows the comical origin of a sexual term, such as "rusty trombone", "dirty sanchez", "Cincinnati bowtie", etc.
In the first episode called "Dirty Sanchez", Edwin must mediate a conflict between two students while we learn about the origin of the world's first porn school. Have a look at the pilot episode:
The team of filmmakers who created The Institute are a professional bunch, but they were out to have a little fun. The producer, Mike Anderson, has produced films and documentaries starring actors, like Michael Clark Duncan and Mandy Moore. But he figured, who doesn’t love a little porn-mockumentary every now and again?! David Martin Cohen, who is usually a writer for award shows and feature length screenplays, is responsible for the creative absurdity behind the writing, and those porn-tastic performances were directed by the up and coming, award winning director, Tyrone Huff. All the madness was pulled together with the stellar editing magic of big Drew Kilcoin, who works on projects with Kevin Spacey and does a multitude of feature films. The series stars Mo Mandel, the winner of Comedy Central’s Open Mic Fight, as well as the star of the controversial show of the Amazing Racist series Ari Shaffir.
Samantha Hatch - director of Sands of Mexico - just tweeted: "I look at web series today like Music videos of the 90's." and I couldn't agree more! I think music videos used to be the perfect field for experimenting with different genres and styles and that's what web series are nowadays. Due to her wise words, I'd like to present Sands of Mexico today!
The story begins with Daniel, his girlfriend and another couple coming to a Mexican villa. They're celebrating just graduating from college and find some adventures in Mexico. Daniel’s family owns the villa, but he has not been back to this place since his mother died. Months later, his cousin Sebastian comes to visit him, too. He's a soldier who is on leave from Afghanistan. And, another special visitor appears all of a sudden and surprises Daniel. Sometimes the most beautiful places contain the darkest secrets....
Check out Episode 1:
Samantha herself says about this project that it's still in its infancy. It's in a single genre based context and has low production value. But she's trying to take it to the next level by using interesting setting, richer characters, and more engaging stories. The first two episodes were shot on HDV and the last 4 were shot on the Canon 7D full HD camera. You can also help funding the post production of this web series. For further information please visit: http://sandsofmexico.net/
Well, after Charlie Sheen's web show Sheen's Korner hit 1 million views, drew a lot of interest online and he just hit the 2 million mark on Twitter, I guess I should mention his show.
His hour-long broadcast on Ustream included such great contributions, like poetry recitals, fan shout-outs, the reveal of his new "Winning" tattoo on his left wrist, the mocking of NBC News correspondent Jeff Rosen, and a lot of wasted air time with nonsensicals. I'll only touch on the end, where he was drinking from a sippy cup and repeating the word "duh."
Sheen's Korner drew 113,251 concurrent viewers at its peak (but quickly lost viewers), and over 1 million on-demand views by now, a lot of media attention, and at least one outspoken critic. Sheen himself called his web show “treasonous to the movement,” and promised his audience he would plan better for next time. If you want, take a peek at Part 1 of Sheen's Korner:
At least Miley Cyrus could make a joke out of it. When hosting SNL on Saturday she sang:
"I danced on a pole and people called it sinning, but at least I didn't date a porn star and tell everyone I'm winning!"
"What their real lives needed was a Strategy Guide..."
The comedy web series Unlocked focuses on the daily lives of a group of friends who share common interests in gaming, film, tv, comics and music. More precisely, it follows the lives of seven comic reading gamer geeks as they strive to get on with each other and get a better gamerscore.
Check out their trailer to get a first impression:
It's written, produced, directed by and also starring the members of Cheesemint Productions. To get more information, go to: http://www.unlockedtheseries.com/
This web series is supposedly for fans of British comedies such as Spaced and the IT Crowd, as well as fans of The Big Bang Theory and Scott Pilgrim. It's full of cultural references and sharp, witty humour.
Discovery Communications has launched a Facebook game based on its popular fishing reality series Deadliest Catch. It's called "Deadliest Catch The Social Game", has been developed by San Francisco-based start-up Hive Media and gives players the chance to act as the captain of their own crab boat, navigating the Bering Sea.
AETN's History channel has teamed up with Foursquare in the UK, giving people the ability to 'check-in' at places like the Tower of London to learn more about them and earn virtual badges and discounts in the process. "Through our partnership with Foursquare, History is moving towards entertaining a wider viewing audience, including tech-savvy, brand-conscious people," said AETN UK MD Tom Davidson. "We are engaging with people in a new and innovative way."
A website that calls itself 'Facebook for children' is preparing to launch a video service that claims to shake-up kids TV. It's gonna be called "Moshi TV", is still in development and will combine user-generated content, in-house productions and third-party animation, according to Mind Candy, the UK firm behind the project. The service's social elements will allow kids to rate content, send messages to friends and vote for the shows they want to see.
Are you excited for the Oscars tonight? If you don't remember who is actually nominated, I have a special reminder for you. Lego auteur Alex Eylar has bricked together scenes from each of this year's Academy Awards "Best Picture" nominees:
127 HOURS
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
THE KING'S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TOY STORY 3
TRUE GRIT
WINTER'S BONE
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for The King's Speech and Toy Story 3 and wish you all a great Oscar Night!
As we've already seen in "Dating in the Middle Ages": Dating is hard. For everyone, equally. But being a geek and trying to date can be a very unique experience. The web series Awkward Embraces gives us an insight into geek dating.
Creator/ writer/ producer and star Jessica Mills, shows the ups and downs of single life, with a geeky twist. Mills just happens to love Star Trek and going to Comic-Con. Her co-stars Candis Phlegm and Lyndsey Doolan try to help her with her various dating misadventures while struggling through their own the most hilarious way possible. Directed by Adam Jason Finman, Awkward Embraces shows us “nerdy girls need love too.”
Have a look and enjoy episode 1 of season 1, called "The IT Guy"
Season 2 premiered just last week, on February 18th. So, check out the trailer of the recent season:
If you wanna see more of the web series that' s hailed by The New York Times as “charming, sharply written and neither sappy nor cruel", then please go to: http://www.awkwardembraces.com/index.html
Here you can find all episodes as well as behind the scenes material, such as outtakes and interviews.
