Check out "The Lake"... a new web series from Generate (the company that co-produces "Pink" with us). The show is directed by Jason Priestly of 90210 fame. If you like good soapy dramas, then you'll like this. Btw, my next series "Exposed" premieres on TheWB.com soon too.
Watch...
Hulu
TheWB
iTunes
-Blake
Interesting piece written by Molly Ringwald on her mentor John Hughes...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/opinion/12ringwald.html?_r=1
She actually hadn't spoken to him for nearly 20 years!
-Blake
Nice story from the Fort Worth Star Telegram on my friend Russ Pond's feature film "Fissure" and its DVD release - and at the bottom of the article a "Spilt Milk" mention...
http://www.dfw.com/entertainment/story/160995.html?storylink=pd
-Blake
Too many great folks are leaving us too early! John Hughes is/was one of my favorite filmmakers. Very sad day today...
Check out this nice montage of some of his films cut to The Who's "Teenage Wasteland":
-Blake
MUST READ!!!
Great post on "lessons" for producing online content from Tubefilter and and exec from 20th Century Fox TV...
http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009/08/05/10-lessons-from-a-studio-exec-for-web-series-creators/
I think "Pink" fits into this mold pretty well!
-Blake
Very sad that Blake Synder the author of the screenwriting book series "Save The Cat" passed away suddenly of a heart attack.
http://www.blakesnyder.com/
If you haven't read his books, you should! They are really good...
-Blake
This looks cool...
http://www.fdtimes.com/articles/Cinemek/Cinemek.html
Can't find it in the app store yet though!
-Blake
Interesting piece from Revolution Blog:
It's an epidemic! Online video viewing soars among young web surfers
Dan Leahul, revolutionmagazine.com, 30 July 2009, 3:20pm
LONDON - The number of young adults watching online video on sites like YouTube or video-on-demand is at "near-universal" levels, according to new research.
One third of young web users use sites like Hulu everyday
A study by Pew Research found that nine in every ten internet users between 18-29 years old watch content on video sharing sites, with one-third saying they do so everyday.
In fact, the number of people watching online video has nearly doubled since 2006, with 62% of adults saying they watched online video this year, up from just 33% three years ago.
The study said: "Over time, online video has become more deeply integrated into daily life, and has started move into the spaces that are typically reserved for traditional television viewing."
Overall, 19% of internet users say they use video sharing sites on a typical day. In comparison, just 8% of internet users reported use of the sites on a typical day in 2006.
While most of the content being watched is user-generated, there is also a growing archive of professional content available through YouTube and newer network-sponsored video portals like Hulu.
Efforts to lure viewers to these portals appear to be paying off, as more than a third of internet users (35%) now say they have viewed a television show or movie online.
In comparison, just 16% of internet users said they had watched or downloaded movies or TV shows when asked a similar question in 2007.
As internet users become accustomed to regular on-demand video viewing online, many are choosing to watch from the comfort of their couch.
Among those who watch TV shows or movies online, 23% say they have connected their computer to a television screen so they could view video from the internet on their TV. That amounts to roughly 8% of all internet users.
Watching online videos on sites like YouTube is more prevalent than the use of social networking sites - 46% of adult internet users are active on such sites, the study found.
This is great news for web video content creators (like me). :)
-Blake
A new way to potentially get feature films on iTunes:
http://www.distribber.com/index.php
Looks pretty interesting. There's a one-time "encoding fee" and you still own the rights and make any money your film generates. The "encoding fee" (currently $1295) must be the way Distribber makes money. The fee is about the cost of getting 1000 DVDs made, so it's not that bad!
Of course there is no marketing support (besides grassroots social networking), etc. so it's not like the downloads will be huge per se, but at least your film could be available. I like the idea.
-Blake
Interesting interview with the now 20 year old Jake Llyod - the kid actor who played Anakin Slywalker in Star Wars Ep 1...
-Blake
Nice article out today in the Dallas Morning News about my new film "Spilt Milk":
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-shotintexas_0724gd.ART.State.Edition1.4be484b.html
-Blake
I love all these new DSLR cameras that shoot HD video - the footage looks amazing. So here's a link to some producers claiming they're making the first HDSLR movie:
http://www.dv.com/article/84948
I'm on a waiting list for this same camera by the way, the Lumix GH1.
-Blake
Okay, so I have a Twitter account for me (@blake_calhoun), my main production company Loud Pictures (@loudpics), my production company I own with Mike Maden: Alternative Fuel (@altfueltv), and now I have an account for my show "Pink" (@pinktheseries).
Catch all that?
I used to simply run "Pink" and all things "Loud Pictures" through the one @loudpics account, but I think that FANS of "Pink" might be more interested in a fan-centric Twitter feed instead of a tech/filmmaking/production feed that I've been doing.
So, long story short, if you're on Twitter please follow "Pink" @pinktheseries. :)
Thanks!
Blake
Check out this site and trailer for the new film "American Virgin" (previously called "Virgin on Bourbon Street").
It stars Rob Schneider, but also stars Chase Jeffery - a great young actor who is the lead in my WB web series "Exposed" and the co-lead in my recent feature film "Spilt Milk". He's really good...
https://www.echobridgeentertainment.com/virginonbourbonstreet/
-Blake
I was a judge this year at the 48 Hour Film Project-Dallas. Good event, and some good films. Here's a list of the winners:
Best Use of Character
"X-Mas Con" by Lonecow Productions
Best Use of Prop
"Keyless Entry" by Pugs and Peanut Butter
Best Use of Line of Dialogue
"Keyless Entry" by Pugs and Peanut Butter
Best Costumes
"The Sleepover" by Curtis Needs a Ride
Best Choreography
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers
Best Special Effects
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers
Best Graphics
"The Legend of Bobby Doty" by Badasserasaurus
Best Sound Design
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers
Best Musical Score
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers
Best Cinematography
"Loose Cannons" by whispering eye
Best Editing
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers
Best Acting
"Keyless Entry" by Pugs and Peanut Butter
Best Writing
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers
Best Directing
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers
Runner Up for Best Film
"Keyless Entry" by Pugs and Peanut Butter
Best Film
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers
Audience Awards for the Dallas 48HFP
The audience has spoken! The following teams won the audience awards for their respective screenings. Congratulations!
Audience Award Winner: Group A
"Keyless Entry" by Pugs and Peanut Butter (genre: Cop/Detective)
Audience Award Winner: Group B
"A Love Not Standing" by Last Minute Movie Makers (genre: Comedy)
For more info on the 48 Hour Film Project visit www.48hourfilm.com
-Blake
Jake Johnson stars in "Paper Heart" with Michael Cera and Charlene Yi. Movie opens in August. They're going around country now promoting the film and a lot of video promos are popping up too. BTW, Jake is also the star of my latest film "Spilt Milk".
Paper Heart - Exclusive Interview with BIll Hader! - Watch more Funny Videos
-Blake
Nice piece on my web series "88 Hits":
http://www.tilzy.tv/88-hits-documents-unorganized-mobsters-that-never-hit-their-prime.htm
We're really getting some good response from this show.
Check it out on KOLDCAST.TV.
-Blake
"Spilt Milk" is now wrapped!!! Had a really, really smooth shoot. GREAT cast & crew. I think the movie is going to be very good. I know the wrap party was. :)
Pictures, clips, trailer, etc. all coming soon. We'll be creating a Facebook page and official website soon too.
-Blake
We're into our 3rd week of production on the indie feature comedy "Spilt Milk". Tomorrow is the start of our final shooting days.
Overall things have been going very smooth. Haven't had much time to blog about it here, but if you follow me on Twitter (@blake_calhoun) or are friends with me on Facebook (facebook.com/blakecalhoun) I've been updating things there more often. Will definitely post photos and clips here in the coming weeks and months.
Talk soon--
BC
There is a good article on web TV including PINK and GEMINI DIVISION in the June 2009 HD Video Pro magazine. It's on most newsstands including places like Barnes and Noble and Borders. Check it out if you can! :)
-Blake
Here's a funny promo with Jake Johnson for "Paper Heart". This one also features Jack Black (Jake's in my new film I'm directing)...
Paper Heart Exclusive!
We booked Jake Johnson in our new film SPILT MILK in the leading role. Here's a trailer for PAPER HEART the Sundance hit film that he stars in with Michael Cera and Charlyn Yi...
Been really busy this last week with Pre-Production on the new indie feature I'm directing called "Spilt Milk". I'm actually doing a descent amount of "micro blogging" on Twitter, so if your'e interested please follow me @blake_calhoun. I'll likely post things there more often than here (really because it's easily done on my iPhone). :)
Anyway, this week we've secured a great grocery store location - a closed down Walmart Neighborhood store. Tough part is dressing it out to look like a working store! It has all the racks and signs still in it, but not product of course. But, we do have several product placement companies on board and it's starting to fill up.
Other thing is we're now rounding out the cast and it's coming together nicely. We've got some really talented folks involved that are going to make this film reallly come alive!
During the production I'll try and post some photos and video, but again, I'll likely do a lot of that on Twitter and probably Facebook too.
Now back to work!
-Blake
Daisy Whitney listed my web comedy "88 HITS" on eGuiders. Very cool!
http://eguiders.com/video/family-man
-Blake
My web series "88 HITS" is mentioned in a WIRED Online story called "7 Webotainers Worth Watching"
Check it out:
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/05/7-webotainers-worth-watching/
-Blake
CASTING NOTICE ---------------------------------------
Project Name: SPILT MILK
Project Type: Independent Feature Film
Production Co.: Languishing Productions, LLC
Rate: SAG Ultra Low (union and non-union actors welcome)
Audition Date/Time: Wednesday May 20, 2009
10:00am – 4:00pm (by appointment only)
Audition Location: MPS Studios
141 Regal Row
Dallas, TX 75247
(214) 630-1655
Scheduling Contact: “Spilt Milk” Casting (in email subject line)
loudpics@yahoo.com
(214) 521-4962 – please try email first though
SABRINA -- Late teens. Caucasian. Popular-type. A privileged girl who doesn't get along with her mother Shannon on anything since the divorce. She's very good at playing nice when she wants something, but doesn't know what to do when that doesn't work.
JOSH -- Late teens. Caucasian. A cocky kid who puts on a big attitude to try and impress Sabrina. He's actually a decent guy, but is afraid to let anyone see it.
TIA -- Late teens. Caucasian. Friends with Sabrina, also Josh's cousin. She's quick and smart, but somehow constantly underestimated.
RODNEY -- Late teens-early 20s. Any ethnicity. Rodney works with Todd stocking shelves while getting ready to join the military. He often goes unnoticed, but he's a hard worker, trying to see everything he does as training for the army.
SHANNON -- 40s. Caucasian. Mother of Sabrina, married for money, and addicted to prescription drugs; Shannon goes through life, disconnected from reality. She chooses to complain about how everything and everyone around her has come up short, in order to disguise the failings in her own life. Deep down she does care for her daughter though, even if she doesn’t show it.
If you have a broad-band connected TiVO DVR you can now download episodes of PINK and 88 HITS for FREE.
Check it out here
This is part of our distribution deal with the good folks at Koldcast TV. Thanks to them and to the fans of the shows. :)
-Blake
Check out this fun interview with "Pink" star Natalie Raitano on the Gordon Keith Show...
-Blake
Slomo footage shot with the new Panasonic GH1 STILL CAMERA...
Kauai sunset: Lumix GH1 slow motion from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.
Game changer folks, game changer.-Blake
You can now watch 88 HITS on iTunes and Zune. If you have an iPod, iPhone or Zune simply subscribe and then sync your device and the show will be right there. Oh, and did I mention it's FREE. :)
Click here for iTunes
Click here for Zune
-Blake
Tubefilter did nice piece on Koldcast release of 88 HITS:
http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009/05/06/88-hits-debuts-mobumentary-sub-genre-is-born/
Check it out. Thanks!
-Blake
Today is the launch of the mock-doc 88 HITS on Koldcast TV. The once proud Pascadelli mob family is now going broke. There are two episodes online now, and then each Tuesday a new episode premieres.
A lot of folks (supposedly 60%) who join Twitter end up quitting. But, this is actually a good thing. A lot of people just dont' get it...
Read Article
-Blake
Support Texas film and film showcases! Brian Cox, M. Emmet Walsh, Ray Liotta and more at this year's festival...
Check out schedule here:
http://www.usafilmfestival.com/images/usaff.schedule.pdf
-Blake
This is genius! My favorite current web series. And it's also what's so cool about Web TV... you could NEVER do this show anywhere else.
Direct link to episode
-Blake
We're now partnered with KOLDCAST TV to do a wide release of my latest web serial 88 HITS. New episodes will premiere every Tuesday starting next week 5/5/09.
Check out the teaser though right now:
http://www.koldcast.tv/video/2332
Thanks!
Blake
The new film incentives have passed and are now in play...
http://governor.state.tx.us/film/incentives/miiip/
Coolest thing is the minimum qualifications for features is now only $250k... that's going to bring a lot of indie projects into the mix!
-Blake
Interesting story from of all places the BBC...
Hollywood is being snubbed by its own creative talent. There is something of a stampede by the entertainment industry to get out of town.
Long before the global economic downturn kicked in, film-makers were upping sticks and leaving Los Angeles for more cost-effective locations to shoot their movies.
Canada was one of the first countries to benefit from Hollywood's so-called runaway productions, but now the competition is closer to home.
More than 40 US states are offering film-makers tantalising financial incentives, such as rebates and tax-free loans, to make the next blockbuster in their backyard.
This year, only five major movies, defined as having a budget of $75m (£51m) or more, are being produced in Los Angeles. The figure compares with 21 films last year and 71 in 1996.
Read full story
Being based in Texas I find this to be good news for us since we have some incentive programs, although they are not near as good as New Mexico, Louisiana, or Michigan. But, we're headed in the right direction.
-Blake
PINK is an Official Honoree at the 13th Annual Webby Awards!
Check it out
Speaking for the cast & crew we're well, honored, to be honored out of so many entries (thousands I'm told). Be sure to check out the other Honorees and Nominees too.
Thanks!
Blake
DIY distribution was the big buzz several years ago, and while it's still a good topic to discuss (or try as an indie filmmaker) it hasn't been talked up much recently. So when I found this article I was reminded of the many alternative ways to distribute indie content...
http://www.studiodaily.com/main/work/10321.html
It's one of the better reads on the subject that I've seen. Mainly because it has real world filmmakers' stories and then really good resources to offer to other indie producers.
Two of the better resources are:
1. Film Specific (http://www.filmspecific.com/)
2. Brave New Theaters (http://www.bravenewtheaters.com/)
Check it out!
-Blake
I don't typically post too many of my corporate or commercial projects, but this one is different. Did a job for True Value Hardware and Habitat for Humanity down in the 9th Ward of New Orleans...
(video image is cropped within this blog page, but if you're on FB you can see it in it's correct widescreen form)
What a great cause!
-Blake
Have you watched my other web series? No not "Pink", but the completely improvised web comedy "88 Hits" starring current and former members of the improv comedy troupe Four Day Weekend. A NEW episode is out today!
-Blake
After I won the Streamy Award they grabbed me backstage to do a 12 second interview for www.12seconds.tv. It's kind of like Twitter for video. You only have 12 seconds. So anyway, here's my moment in the limelight and I went over my 12 second limit as you'll see. :)
http://12seconds.tv/find/blake+calhoun
And here's a link to ALL the winners and their 12 seconds (including Natalie Raitano):
http://12seconds.tv/channel/streamyawards
-Blake
I was very fortunate and honored to win the Streamy Award last night for Best Direction in a Dramatic Web Series for PINK!
A good friend to the show (and Nataile) posted a video on YouTube that was recorded off his computer from the live stream...
For more info visit www.streamys.org.
Thank you to all the fans who watch and support the show!!!
-Blake
I was interviewed for a cool new podcast called the "Texas Film Scene" from Curtis Wayne. You can subscribe on iTunes or just download the individual episode (#6)
iTunes Link
Check it out!
Blake
The numbers are in, and the winner is...
YouTube, of course.
But, Hulu is now #2 and making great strides - and actually has a good chance of becoming more financially successful in the long run (YouTube doesn't make money...yet).
YouTube had 5.1 billion streams in February (yes, billion with a "b"), and Hulu had 308.8 million.
Advertisers seem to be much more inclined to work with Hulu because of their content, not their numbers. Professionally produced TV shows and movies, along with short form series (like "Pink") are what set them apart.
Read entire Cable/FAX story here.
-Blake
Check out this teaser for the upcoming film "Midgets vs. Mascots" starring none other than Gary Coleman. I know the producers of the film (from Dallas). Although I'll withhold their names to protect the guilty... :)
Teaser is surprisingly funny. It's like "Borat" meets "Jackass".
-Blake
Descent "first look" at the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera that shoots both stills and 1080p HD video...
http://www.dv.com/article/80232
I'm very interested in this move towards DSLR cameras and HD video (the way we shot "Pink" and "Exposed" was with a 35mm adapter and SLR lenses on an HD camera, so this would be similar, but better). I will likely not buy this one though since right now it doesn't shoot 24p (only 30p). However, it will definitely have this option soon, maybe as a firmware update or in the next model.
It's really an amazing thing to be able shoot this high-end of a look for around $3000.
-Blake
Good piece on Angel of Death (see previous post to watch series)...
http://www.flamesrising.com/angel-of-death-web-series/
-Blake
Okay, okay, I'll join! You can now follow me (Loud Pictures) on Twitter...
http://twitter.com/loudpics
If you aren't on Twitter yet, just sign up. It's easy and pretty cool actually. I'll update the progress of all the various projects I'm involved with from web series to feature films. So check it out!
-Blake
"Pink" has been honored at the 1st Annual Streamy Awards by being nominated twice for two awards. First one is Best Directing in a Dramatic Web Series and the second one Best Cinematography in a Web Series.
This new event is being pushed as "The Oscars for the Internet". So, it's prett cool. Nominations came from the newly created International Academy of Web Television from over 100,000 submissions.
The ceremony will be held at the WGA Theater in Beverly Hills on March 28th. It will also be streamed live online (I'll let folks know where soon).
In the cinematography category we're up against JOSS WHEDON'S "DR. HORRIBLE"... that is some tough competition. Who knows how we'll do, but as they saying goes, it's just an honor to be nominated. :)
Here's a direct link to all the nominees:
http://www.streamys.org/nominees.shtml
-Blake
Just watch this:
From Crackle:
The days of "indie" web series are quickly coming to an end. This is really good stuff, but it's going to be very hard for lower-budget (and lower profile) web series producers to compete. This is a good and bad thing IMHO.
-Blake
Interesting site to check out for Movie Tax Incentives and Credits:
http://www.movietaxcredits.com/
Not only has recent news, but also list each state and what they offer. Nice resource.
-Blake
Good interview with my friend Jon Keeyes. He's a fellow Texas filmmaker. I'm actually mentioned a few times along with "Pink" and the upcoming show "Exposed" (which Jon worked on too).
Check out the podcast here with Curtis Wayne.
-Blake
Really GREAT Joss Whedon interview talking about monetizing content, new media (and TV & Film) and his experience with "Dr. Horrible"... A MUST READ.
Click here for article
-Blake
Careful with this one at work or around the kiddos. It's Rated R, but definitely check it out. Funny stuff!
-Blake
So far, I've produced all my projects in Texas (and some in Oklahoma). I'd really like to see our state step-up with the incentives to compete with neighboring states like Louisiana and New Mexico. We're losing lost of project to those folks...
-----------------------------------
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas lawmakers who pressed for state film incentives two years ago said they have filed new legislation intended to further entice movie, television and video game producers to bring their cast and crews to the state.
Their proposal would give Texas more flexibility to compete with other states than the current incentive program allows, said Rep. Dawnna Dukes, an Austin Democrat pushing the measure with Republican Sen. Bob Deuell of Greenville.
"Bring it back home, bring it back to Texas," Dukes said Tuesday, summing up the legislation after telling her House colleagues about it. She also introduced video game industry executives who were visiting the House chamber and offered a resolution declaring Tuesday "Entertainment Software Day."
Click here to read entire story at MSNBC.
-Blake
Generate is the company that produces and distributes my show "Pink", and they also manage Mike Maden and myself (as individuals and through our production company Alternative Fuel)...
They just inked a deal to develop and produce new scripted fare for 20th Century Fox Television. This is great news!
Read Variety article here and note a mention to a certain web series. :)
-Blake
Descent piece in the NY Times about TheWB.com and their approach to web video ("Exposed" is not mentioned in article though, but that's okay). Show's premiere date is still TBA...
Read article
-Blake
PINK is featured in the new February issue of Texas Monthly magazine. Article can be viewed online or on news stands (in Texas). Registration is required to read online, but it's quick and painless (and FREE).
However, if you'd prefer to just read the text I've copied it into this post (no photos, etc. here)...
------------------------------------------------------
February 2009
Bottoms Up
How Texans in Hollywood are overturning the traditional top-down content model.
by Christopher Kelly
Meet Natalie “Nate” Cross (Natalie Raitano), a tomboy by breeding (her father taught her to hunt animals when she would have much rather been playing with dolls) who’s now all grown up, with bee-stung lips, a yoga-rific body, a glow-in-the-dark-tattoo-covered back, and a reputation as one of the finest assassins around. In the Internet series Pink, co-created by the Dallas-based team of Blake Calhoun and Mike Maden, an incarcerated Nate strikes a Faustian bargain with the warden (Sheree J. Wilson): If she kills ten people on the warden’s mysterious hit list, freedom is hers. But that’s merely the beginning of a madly convoluted saga that leaps backward and forward in time to chronicle Nate’s tough-love childhood, her hopeful adolescence in foster care, her seemingly carefree college days, and her current plight, as a ruthless killing machine who would prefer to settle down and start a family of her own. The real marvel of Pink, however, is that such a surprisingly deft example of old-fashioned serial storytelling—a show whose multiple story lines and shifts from reality to fantasy could easily give Lost a run for its money—unfolds in three- and four-minute segments, to the sped-up, attention-deficient rhythms of the digital age, on the screen of your laptop or iPhone.
Welcome to the decidedly topsy-turvy entertainment industry circa 2009, in which film, TV, and media companies continue to wrestle with the same daunting questions: How do you adapt creative content to the Internet, with its community of users insistent upon controlling how that content is consumed and distributed? How will new talent be developed, when ad dollars and seed money are quickly migrating elsewhere? And, perhaps most essential, how do you make money on the Web, where just about everything is given away for free? For at least a handful of ambitious Texans, though, the answers to these questions aren’t necessarily dire. “The ultimate value resides in content,” says Jordan Levin, a University of Texas graduate and former CEO of the WB network who is the co-founder of Generate, a company that provided funding for the second and third seasons of Pink and has its hand in a number of similar Web serials (see “Spinning a Web”). “A lot of people were ascribing value to the technology. But at the end of the day, the technology is realized by content.”
Put it this way: We might very well have seen the last of big-budget, old-school Hollywood spectacles like Australia. If NBC’s recent decision to place Jay Leno on prime-time TV five evenings a week is any measure, hour-long dramas are probably also headed the way of the dinosaur. But efforts like Pink, or another Levin-produced project, Republicrats, suggest that classic storytelling isn’t dead just yet and that—more to the point—serious-minded artists will find a way to carry on, even as their tools continue to break down and reconstitute.
In the case of Calhoun, who has a second Web project, Exposed, premiering on WB.com this month, the filmmaker took a route that, certainly to those of us who spend our days evaluating the entertainment industry’s more conventionally developed product, sounds positively revolutionary. After writing and directing a number of low-budget features, he teamed up with Maden and conceived Pink. The script was written in May 2007; the first ten episodes were shot in July, in the Dallas—Fort Worth area, on high-definition digital video; the project was edited in August; and the first episode premiered on YouTube that September. (The show kicked off its third season in late January; in addition to WB.com, it can be viewed at hulu.com/pink-the-series and myspace
.com/pinktheseries).
But this breakneck process didn’t result in something that feels slapdash and incoherent. Quite the opposite, Pink displays a freewheeling pop urgency that’s informed by but not burdened by the traditions of graphic novels, comic books, and music videos. (Imagine Kill Bill with all the boring stretches siphoned out.) And whereas its frequent time shifts would probably come across on television as jarring and confusing, on the Internet, broken up into easily digested, cliffhanger-reliant segments, Pink proves marvelously supple.
Part of me thinks, of course, that online is no place to consume entertainment, even of the most lighthearted sort: Because my home DSL connection is unpredictable, I ended up viewing the first two seasons of Pink on my desktop computer at the office. Mostly, though, the possibilities here seem elastic. I watched a rough cut of Exposed on DVD in my living room, where the relatively linear story, about a young man (Chase Ryan Jeffrey) trying to keep a very dark secret from his girlfriend, played just fine. With minimal tweaks, the eighty minutes or so of material could easily be transformed into a feature film. Calhoun says he’s also busy developing “meta-verse” for Exposed: Facebook pages for his characters, say, or “behind-the-scenes” video footage that one of the characters in the show is frequently seen recording. The idea is that viewers might encounter the program via many different platforms and that fans can immerse themselves in Exposed’s fictional universe and help to expand the mythology of that world.
As for the (literal) million-dollar question—how can work that is viewed for free online ever be financially viable?—well, according to both Levin and Calhoun, it’s all about keeping production budgets low (the average episode of Pink costs a few thousand dollars, compared with a few million for an episode of a network show), drumming up advertiser and sponsor revenue and thinking across multiple platforms. A show like Pink, theoretically, could be packaged as a DVD or adapted into a graphic novel or spun off into a video game or—if the gods of entertainment truly decide to smile down upon Calhoun—remade into a large-scale Hollywood action movie. The ride will be bumpy, and the risks will be considerable (Calhoun says he still hasn’t earned back the money he spent on the first season of Pink, much less been able to turn a profit). And it’s only going to get harder and harder for Web-based artists to get noticed amid so much clutter (when Pink first started, there were only a handful of high-production-value Web shows; a year and a half later, there are dozens, and they just keep multiplying). But with the likes of Calhoun, Maden, and Levin in the mix, one can’t help but be hopeful that entertainment will still remain widely accessible, even to the technophobes, and that a little bit of humanity will remain as we throttle headlong into a brave new world.
Spinning a Web: What Jordan Levin is generating.
“In order to create a voice in the marketplace that has any resonance, it’s going to be difficult to do it in only one medium,” says Jordan Levin. In 2006 Levin co-founded Generate, a production, distribution, and talent management company that means to make inroads into TV, film, book publishing, and the Internet. Its most intriguing output thus far: Republicrats, a serial comedy that ran last fall on MSN.com about a former Fresno weatherman who decides to compete as a third-party candidate against Barack Obama and John McCain, and Chocolate News, a Comedy Central series that plays like a mash-up of The Daily Show and In Living Color, starring David Alan Grier. Both projects have their flaws (the creators seem to be amusing one another a lot more often than they amuse us), but they are also models of offbeat efforts aimed at niche audiences that—with a little bit of massaging and a whole lot of word of mouth—have the potential to go viral.
Christopher Kelly is the film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Copyright © 1973-2009 Emmis Publishing LP dba Texas Monthly. All rights reserved.
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-Blake
You can also rent KILLING DOWN at any one of the Red Box DVD Rental installations outside Walgreens, Walmarts and other retailers...
RED BOX DVD RENTAL
Only $1/day. Nice to see in these tough economic times that everyone can afford to rent my movie. :)
-Blake
PINK 21: Speed Dating Kills 2
Click here to watch in HD!
Also, nice mention of premiere on Tubefilter. Check it out!
-Blake
I couldn't resist! I rented my movie last night at the Blockbuster near my house. And so I took a picture of the DVD box on the shelf. There's two slots right near some Big Time Movies like "Iron Man" and "Juno". Okay, yeah, so this is my first movie to get wider distribution and I'm kinda geeking out on it. C'mon, you would too, trust me. :)
My last feature film KILLING DOWN is now available in the U.S. and Canada on DVD.
You can buy or rent it starting Tuesday 1.06.09 at these places, and others:
Amazon
Blockbuster
Netflix
Best Buy
Walmart
I haven't even seen the final DVD with all the menus, commentary, extras, etc. so I'm really looking forward to checking it out - and I hope you are too! :)
-Blake
Watch this short video, then go to the PINK Website and enter for a chance to win a new HD camcorder...
Sweepstakes ends 1.11.09. Winner announced 1.13.09 (the day of the new Season 3 premiere). Tell your friends too!
Good luck!
Blake
Please watch this video and see previous post about voting:
If you go directly to YouTube to watch this you can actually now see it in HD:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1gZMd8es88&feature=channel_page
Very cool.
-Blake
Let your voice be heard by helping us create a "Greatest Hits" show! Just watch the episodes below and then vote in the poll on the PINK blog. The Top 3 "hits" will be used to create the new "Greatest Hits" episode as voted on by you.
And check back soon to find out how to enter and win a cool prize during our upcoming "Fan Appreciation" Giveaway.
PINK 1: MUFN Hit
PINK 5: Wedding Hit
PINK 7: Bob Hit
PINK 10: Marko Hit
PINK 14: Dating Hit
Voting ends 12/18/08. Please go vote today! Thank you!
-Blake
If you visit YouTube often you might have noticed something new recently, the most popular video sharing site on the planet has (finally) gone widescreen 16x9 aspect ratio.
As all HD cameras shoot 16x9 this only makes sense. Also, most of the newer sites Out There such as Hulu.com or TheWB.com, etc are widescreen too. And even some of the ones that have been around a while like Blip.TV and Vimeo are widescreen (and this made them more popular with filmmakers and film fans).
YouTube still accepts 4x3 video - it just letterboxes it with side bars. This is what it's doing with all the legacy video on the site as well, including the entire first season of "Pink". Although we shot "Pink" Season 1 the exact same way as Season 2, we uploaded to YouTube and other places in a 4x3 letterboxed file (per their instructions at that time). So all those earlier episodes play back fine, but not full widescreen like the new content.
Here's a link to the most recent episode of "Pink" in widescreen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdlpeCKmRbk&feature=channel
And here's the embed:
Notice the embeded video is still 4x3 letterboxed. It doesn't appear they allow widescreen embeds yet - or maybe they're using it to drive traffic to their site? A good idea if so.
Another cool thing is you can select the "Watch in High Quality" link on the bottom right below the video box (on YouTube only, not embedded video). It takes a tad bit longer to download, but the resolution looks twice as good. BTW, it is NOT HD though. It is downconverted to an SD resolution, but it still looks very good.
(To see "Pink" in HD the only current way is on Vuze.com. And we are also putting some sample HD episodes on Vimeo as well.)
In a small, weird way this is similar to re-watching your favorite movies in Blu-Ray. I just re-watched "Pink" Season 2 in widescreen (and in High Quality mode) on YouTube and it was a much better viewing experience (one note too: you can also click the "full screen" button and watch that way and it looks pretty darn good).
Sooner than later most online video will be 720p HD, but for now at least YouTube and other sites are taking steps to make the current viewing experience the best it can be.
UPDATE: Since I posted this you can now actually embed the widescreen videos. Here's the same episode above, but in widescreen (although this blog layout is narrow and slightly crops the right side off):
UPDATE #2: It now appears (12/11/08) that you CAN WATCH HD VIDEO on YouTube. Very interesting... this could really be BIG.
-Blake
I spoke on a panel at the Lonestar International Film Festival last weekend, and so did my friend Julio Cedillo - and he was kind enough to share a few pictures...
That's him on the far right, along with Lauren Vélez from "Dexter" and I'm not sure who the guy is - at the bottom is Kim Matula, star of "PINK" Season 2 and my upcoming show "Exposed".
Filmmakers out there likely know about Vimeo.com, but others may not. It's a really cool video sharing site that allows HD uploads - one of the only ones I know of with this feature (you can also embed the video files on other sites). The viewership on Vimeo seems to mainly be other like-minded filmmakers and artists, etc. - not necessarily "regular video joes", but they have around 1 million registered users I've been told (a fraction compared to YouTube). But nonetheless it is a great place to see creative works and get feeback on your own stuff.
I've held off putting PINK on there since we've been releasing our HD content through Vuze.com. But I've decided to go ahead and put a few episodes on Vimeo as "samples" of the series - and to showcase what can be done with the great filmmaking tools we're using (ie. Canon XH-A1 camera, Canon HV20 camera, Letus Extreme 35mm adapter, etc.).
You can check it out here:
http://vimeo.com/2271692?pg=transcoded_embed&sec=2271692
Or the show is also on the Vimeo HV20 page (thanks Eugenia):
http://vimeo.com/HV20
Again, it is in an HD Flash player, which is very cool. You can play it fullscreen or even embed it on your website, blog, etc. like this:
PINK 2: Daddy's Little Girl from Blake Calhoun on Vimeo.
-Blake
Check out the latest episode (and the mysterious person from Nate's past who appears this week)...
I've been asked to speak on a few panels at this year's event (I did it last year too and it was a good time). Also, they asked me to be a juror for their Short Film Competition, which I accepted. Here's a press release about the upcoming festival...
LSIFF ‘08 HAS ARRIVED!!!
Opening Night is just 5 days away!
ON SALE NOW: Tickets and Passes for ALL screenings!
TO PURCHASE CLICK HERE
Opening Night Screening
The Second Annual Lone Star International Film Festival will open on Wednesday, November 12 at 7:30pm with a red carpet screening of:
"Sunshine Cleaning"
Directed by Kristine Jeffs
Starring Amy Adams
(All principal cast)
Directed by Christine Jeffs, SUNSHINE CLEANING revolves around a single mom and her slacker sister as they find an unexpected way to turn their lives around. Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams), a former high school cheerleading captain, finds herself, at thirty-something, a single mother working as a maid. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades her sister Norah to go into the lucrative crime scene clean-up business with her. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other…situations. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Sunshine Cleaning is a glittering tale of loss in which Adam’s gleaming lead performance and Christine Jeff’s astute attention to detail create a genuine world in which Megan Holley’s sincere and carefully paced story plays out.
Centerpiece Screenings
"Shades of Ray"
Directed by Jaffar Mahmood
Starring Zachary Levi, Kathy Baker, and Bonnie Somerville
Thursday, November 13 at 8:00pm
AMC Palace 2
American-born Ray Rehman comes home one night to find his Pakistani father on his L.A. doorstep; his Caucasian mother in NJ threw him out. Ray just proposed to his girlfriend—whose promised him an answer in a week and his traditionalist father insists that he meet a Sana, a Pakistani girl - just to consider – or he won’t begin talks to work things out with Ray’s mother. Sana turns out to be of mixed descent, like him, and marriage on his mind, questions about his identity and love come into question. Mahmood’s first feature is a charming mix of comedy and pathos, with a fantastic performance by lead Zachary Levi (TV’s Chuck).
"12"
Directed by Nikita Mikhalkov
Starring Sergei Makovetsky, Nikita Mikhalkov, Sergei Garmash, Alexei Petrenko
November 14 at 7:30pm
AMC Palace 2
In the war-torn republic of Chechnya , a room full of jurors divided by racism and prejudice must decide the fate of a Chechen teenager accused of murdering his Russian stepfather. Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov’s 12, a loose remake of Sidney Lumet’s 1957 film 12 Angry Men, corrals a racist taxi-driver, a suspicious doctor, a vacillating TV producer, a Holocaust survivor, a flamboyant musician, a cemetery manager, and other characters representative of modern day Russia’s fragmented society. Amidst volatile struggles, the group must render a unanimous verdict as the battle between Chechens and Russians flares outside and a stray bird, symbolizing tolerance, flies above the jurors' heads. 12, the 2008 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language film from Russia was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 2007 Venice Film Festival where Mikhalkov was awarded a special Golden Lion for his overall body of work. The film also took home the Audience Award at the 2008 Karlovy Vary film festival in the Czech Republic as well as a Golden Amvrosi at the Milano film festival. Mikhalkov received the 1994 Oscar for Best Foreign Film for his film, "Burnt by the Sun," about the repression of the Stalin-era.
Closing Night Screening
"Last Chance Harvey"
Directed by Joel Hopkins
Starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson
Saturday, November 15 at 7:30pm
AMC Palace 2
New Yorker Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman), a struggling jingle writer given one last chance to deliver by his boss, leaves for his daughter’s wedding in London on threat of getting fired if he’s not back for a Monday morning meeting. He arrives to learn that he she wants her stepfather (James Brolin), not him, to walk her down the aisle. Crestfallen, he leaves before the reception to make his flight but somehow misses it. He calls his boss to explain and is fired on the spot. Next stop…airport bar, where Harvey meets Kate (Emma Thompson), a British government worker subject to endless phone calls from her mother and occasional dreadful blind dates. Kate, whose life is limited to work, the occasional blind date and endless phone calls from her smothering mother (Eileen Atkins). Touched by Harvey , who finds himself energized by her intelligence and compassion.The growing connection between the pair inspires both as they unexpectedly transform one another’s lives. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Sunshine Cleaning is a glittering tale of loss in which Adam’s gleaming lead performance and Christine Jeff’s astute attention to detail create a genuine world in which Megan Holley’s sincere and carefully paced story plays out.
To browse all films and purchase individual screening tickets and festival passes
CLICK HERE
From now throughout the festival, keep an eye out for daily updates featuring different parts of our film program and other special events.
Starting November 10, come visit us at our temporary Sundance Square office at Norris Conference Center:
304 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
For more information, visit http://www.lsiff.com/.
This is more of a techie related item, but good for Regular Joes to know too. :)
HDMI cables are becoming the standard for HDTV's and consumer/prosumer cameras. Shoot some video and play it back in HD via an HDMI cable. Or, hook up a Blu-Ray player or gaming system via HDMI.
Problem with the cables though is they just "slip in" the connector. They do not lock in place even like an RCA cable does, or especially like a BNC cable (HD/SDI).
I have personally experienced this being a problem. My DirecTV box occasionally goes in and out due to the cable coming loose (mainly from our cat getting behind the components and crawling around). We routinely have to move the gear and push the cable back into place.
But not anymore. Finally there's a "locking" HDMI cable available.
Click here to check it out
May seem trivial, but really this is a great product for consumers as well as video professionals. It will likely become the standard in the future.
-Blake
Very cool music video for Low Vs. Diamond and the song "Heart Attack"...
http://www.studiodaily.com/filmandvideo/currentissue/10092.html
It's mainly a "single shot" of two people kissing and then rapidly aging. Seamless visual effect work.
There's a link on the page to watch video, then you can read article about how they did it.
-Blake
2008 Audi R8 Camera Car...
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2008/10/2008-audi-r8-camera-car.html
-Blake
Wow, technology does change fast. The Nikon D90 was getting a lot of buzz (and still is), but now the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II is REALLY creating buzz.
It too is an SLR camera that shoots video - but at 1920x1080 instead of 720p of the Nikon. Only "bad" thing is it currently doesn't shoot 24p - but I believe it will soon.
Check out this really great video shot on the camera.
Now I know what I want for Christmas. :)
-Blake
Check out HD video from the Nikon D90 SLR still camera.
Yeah, an SLR still camera. Amazing. This will shake things up for sure, especially in the indie film world.
And read full review from NY Times here.
-Blake
My friends in Big Fantastic produce the show Prom Queen (and also Sorority Forever that's on TheWB.com now) and they just released the series on DVD. 
You can buy it at Amazon for $17.99.
Please support New Media shows! We're going to release PINK on DVD in the near future too.
Thanks,
Blake
While I hope you watch PINK when you have a chance (see post below), I'd also like you to check out my side project "88 Hits". New episode also online today...
Okay, a minor victory, but finally got "Pink" listed on IMDb.com - the de facto site for film and TV listings (and cast & crew). Been trying since July 2007. They wouldn't accept it since it's a "web series". But now, they changed their tune I'm happy to report (however, it wasn't me that got it listed - I have no idea how, but just glad it's there... I have a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with show now being on TheWB.com).
Here's the listing:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1302137/
If you're a cast or crew member please add your name. If you're a fan please go to the site and rate the show, and/or start some chatter on the forum. That can definitely help build the audience.
-Blake
Beware...
October 9, 2008 - SAN FRANCISCO - Savvy Internet users know that downloading unsolicited computer programs is one of the most dangerous things you can do online. It puts you at great risk for a virus or another time bomb from a hacker.
But even some sophisticated surfers could get taken in by a sneaky new attack in which criminals create fake YouTube pages - dead-on replicas of the real site - to push their malicious software and make it look like it's safe stuff coming from a trusted source.
A program circulating online helps hackers build those fake pages. Users who follow an e-mail pointing them to one of the pages would see an error message that claims the video they want won't play without installing new software first. That error message includes a link the hacker has provided to a malicious program, which delivers a virus.
Even worse: once the computer is infected, it's simple for the hacker to silently redirect the victims to a real YouTube page to see videos they were hoping to see - and hide the crime.
"It's spot-on accurate, and that is scary," said Jamz Yaneza, threat research manager for security software company Trend Micro Inc. "If I were watching YouTube videos all day I would probably click on this one."
The tactic itself isn't new: There's a constant push by criminals to build more convincing spoofs of legitimate sites to trick people into downloading harmful software. And the latest attacks don't target any vulnerability in the YouTube site.
But it highlights the fact that criminals are getting better at creating bogus sites and developing so-called "social engineering" methods to fool people.
Fortunately, truly alert Internet users can still see the telltale warning signs with the fake YouTube pages. For one, the Web browser won't show the real YouTube's Internet address. And to even see the malicious page, you have to first follow a link that's sent to you, which is often a tip-off that you should independently verify whether the site is legitimate.
-Blake
Interesting video here from TV Week about web shows and advertisers (specifically mentions "Pink" and our deal with Vuze.com)...
Web shows and Web sites are starting to go steady. Michael Eisner’s latest Web series Back on Topps runs exclusively on Foxsports.com before other sites get it. The same goes for the popular show Pink, which plays on Vuze.com before it releases to other sites. For more details on why Web producers are going steady, check out this week’s episode of the New Media Minute.
You’ll also learn what new media executive Jordan Levin, the former CEO of the WB, thinks about the advertising investment in online video.
Direct link to story.
-Blake
KERA Art & Seek Blog:
http://www.kera.org/blogs/culture/2008/10/02/exposed-and-rolling-in-dallas/
Kind of an odd story considering the blogger didn't interview me (the producer and director) or Mike Maden (the writer). But hey, I'm glad they covered the shoot. :)
-Blake
