The first Netflix player has been released and it looks like a really good start. It's called the Netflix Player by Roku.

Check out a review here at CNET

It's only $100 and then whatever your monthly Netflix subscription rate is. So in essence the movies you download and watch are "free".

Box has HDMI and component out and it's also wireless or can be connected to a network. Video quality is so-so, but you're streaming instantly off the web so it really depends on your broadband connection speed. The CNET review has more details.

Again, I say a good start. They will improve on it soon and in the not too distant future HD movies will be available instantly too. In years to come this will be as common as any technology you can think of. We'll say "remember when we had to go to the video store (or receive them via mail) to rent a movie"?

It'll be here before you know it.

-Blake

Good article this morning in USA Today featuring many talent agents, including the guys at UTA they rep me and "Pink". Also, they interview several filmmakers who have current or upcoming web projects online (however, ahem, they didn't talk to Mike or myself about "Pink" - I think we need a new publicist). ;)

"There's a huge cultural change going on out there," Nadler says (from UTA). "The model of how people consume their entertainment is totally up in the air."

That's not the only thing up for grabs. The foundation of Hollywood's dominance in pop culture and the entertainment industry is being threatened by the democratizing force of the Internet, which posits that anyone with a snappy idea and a video camera can dish up features to the masses.

As a result, top Hollywood agencies such as UTA, Endeavor and Creative Artists Agency are diligently mining the Web for raw talent. The process quickly has become as crucial to entertainment talent scouts as trawling smoky comedy clubs or screening obscure movies has been for generations.

Click here to read full article

-Blake

Fan of "This Is Spinal Tap"? How about the lead singer Nigel Tufnel?

Check out these new interviews with him about Stonehenge - and I'm not talking about Spinal Tap's song either... ;)

GOOD STUFF.

-Blake

P.S. After following above link, click on Nigel's image on the left side of the page to open videos.

Always thought of him as an "outsider" inside the Hollywood studio system. Great filmmaker and actor that will be missed.

-Blake

"Foreign Body" is the name of a new web series and a new book by legendary author Robin Cook ("Coma"). The web series premiered yesterday...

http://www.foreignbody.tv/

Definitely check it out.

It's produced by my friends Big Fantastic. They also produced "Prom Queen" (among many other web series). They are really the pioneers of the serial web space - at least for higher-end, quality, dramatic shows.

The series runs through August 4th, and the the new book comes out right after the show ends. A very nice piece of marketing brought to us all by Michael Eisner and his company Vuguru. Pretty cool.

-Blake

This is a new term to me... "Upfront". I'm just learning about this although I've actually known what it was, just not the actual name.

An Upfront is an event the networks put on to showcase their new series (ie. pilots) to advertisers. But it goes beyond just series these days. For example, NBC Universal has many, many offerings to buyers...

(Zucker was eager to remind advertisers that) "you can buy mobile, you can buy digital, you can buy cable ... you can buy Olympics, you can buy football -- you can buy the Super Bowl -- you can buy Hulu.com, you can buy integrations into our films, you can buy integrations into our theme parks."

That's a lot of stuff for them to consider!

NBC is doing things differently this time around - and of course they need to on the network TV side of things. They're pretty much dead last in the ratings.

So why am I interested in this? Well, with the recent work I've been doing on "PINK" and with the new series I'm doing for Warner Bros. we're involved with Upfronts. For "PINK" it's really only geared towards the Internet (for now) and attracting a sponsor. This will happen in the next several weeks. For "Exposed" (the WB show) it happened last week in NYC. Our show was mentioned with all the other shows - current and upcoming - on The CW Network and on the new WB.com website ("Gossip Girl", etc.).

In the above mentioned quote from Jeff Zucker, he talks about Hulu.com. NBC owns this with FOX (I believe that's correct) and we are right now finalizing a deal to have Season One of "PINK" roll out there this summer before Season Two premieres (also on Hulu.com and elsewhere).

Here's a link to the entire story on the NBC Upfront, called "NBC Leading a Different Upfront Change". It's very interesting to see how all this stuff works.

Now I just need to make sure our shows are really good. :)

-Blake

Been very busy recently with the post-production on PINK. We're trying to get all 25 episodes cut by the end of this month - rough cut that is. Then finished by mid next month (or so). It's a ton of work. Basically we're editing a feature length project. But it's all going very, very well. Everything (pretty much) is cutting together nicely.

Oh sure, we have the occasional moment of, "Why didn't I get a close-up shot of that?" - or, "Stage line, what stage line? Let's just flop the shot to make it work". But that happens on every show I've ever done. And anyway, keeps things interesting in the edit. :)

BTW, we've now decided the new episodes will launch in AUGUST. Can't give a firm date yet, but it will very likely be mid-month. We also will have a very cool announcement soon about an event in July to promote the series. Can't wait to share this!

For now though it's back to the dark editing dungeon...

-Blake

Two good videos on YouTube from the Roger Waters show last night...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufrl3R1E6Sk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs2X6Egg-ak&feature=related

The pig went right over our heads as you can see from my photos in previous post. But the videos really tell the story!

-Blake

Best concert I've seen in ages. No warm up band. First set Pink Floyd greatest hits and a few solo songs. 15 minute intermission. Then "Dark Side of the Moon" played front to back. Greatness...

We've been so busy shooting the new season of "Pink" - and trying to get the word out on our Webby Nominee for Best Drama: Individual Episode - that we failed to mention we already won an Honoree Award for Best Drama Series.

Check it out

Okay, okay, so it's not an nomination or a win, but it is a pretty cool deal. With over 10,000 entries they selected the top 15% for the Honoree Award. So we'll take it!

In just three short days on May 6th we'll know if we won the Webby for Episode 7 "Feels Like the First Time", and we'll know about the Webby People's Voice Award.

Last thing on award talk - we've got a chance for an Emmy nomination too. The main awards were announced last week and they'll announce the new media ones very soon. Our collective fingers are definitely crossed. :)