Just a quick post to show off the new key artwork for my latest feature film project PHOBIA...
You can check out more on the film by visiting its Facebook page.
-Blake
Overall the author liked the show, although he was picky about a few things as most critics usually are. :)
One minor thing he noted was that our "Bridge" set was only two chairs and a desk and he thought that was lame... well, that's fine, but what he doesn't realize is it was designed that way purposely as all the controls are floating monitors and virtual touch screens, etc. - the monitors have appeared in Season 1, but the other controls don't appear until Season 2 (spoiler alert!). Lol.
Anyway, I appreciate them taking the time to review the show and hope other sci-fi bloggers will do the same.
Right now you can watch the series episodically (commercial-free) on indie subscription TV network JTS.tv or as one "long episode" played back-to-back via our VOD partner Distrify, and starting July 10th we'll be releasing it weekly on our YouTube Channel (ad-supported).
Note though, the YouTube release will most likely be a limited one, meaning the show (minus a few preview episodes) will be removed in the future. The plan is to use the "free" YouTube run as a promotion to build up awareness for the show and for Season 2, which will premiere this fall (date TBA). It'll also be a preview for folks to hopefully buy the full season via Distrify and/or DVD that will be released later too (with lots of extras). I'm still figuring all this out however.
The main idea though is to make the show easily available in a variety of ways for fans to enjoy, and at the same time allow us (the creators) to monetize it and continue to do more work!
-Blake
Season 1 of my sci-fi series Continuum is now available to watch instantly via indie VOD platform Distrify. The nine episodes have been edited together to play seamlessly and continuously as one "long episode" of more than 40 mins. in total length!
You can watch the trailer below as a free preview, then simply rent the show from the same player for only $3.99.
Make sure to expand the player to full screen to see it in all its HD glory. Hope you enjoy and thanks for the support!
Blake
P.S. The new website and blog are now online too for the show, so please check that out sometime when you have a chance.
Been a while since I posted here!
Very busy recently working on a wider Continuum release (coming soon on YouTube, etc. along with our current JTS.tv run), also finishing up post on the new feature film Phobia (a fun period thriller with a vampire twist) and also dabbling with some new stuff for Pink.... yep, you heard that right. Working on some cool stuff there that I hope to share in the near future. :)
And speaking of movies... my recent film SPILT MILK is available on iTunes and Google Play if you didn't know, and now the movie's score is also available on iTunes.
The score is really good too.
If you haven't heard it or paid attention (if you've seen the film), it has a very quirky, cool vibe going - kind of a Wes Anderson movie feel from Bottle Rocket (Mark Mothersbaugh's score).
The composer for Spilt Milk's score is Douglas Edward. Anyway, I really dig it and think you will too so please check it out on iTunes here.
Blake
I've been brought on to direct the pilot episode of a new indie TV series called "Drifter".
Jeff Koenig is the creator of the show and is producing through his outfit OMFGeek. But, before we can actually shoot this project Jeff and team are doing a crowd-funding effort.
The series will feature many well-known web series folks both behind and in front of the camera, like Julie Emory, Al Thompson, Rob Gokee, etc. To check out the really great group involved and to possibly throw some coin at the project please visit the Mobcaster page...
http://mobcaster.com/project/drifter
It's a 60 day campaign to raise $25k. The shoot will be in NYC this summer.
Thanks for checking it out!
UPDATE: Check out this good article on the series from Gigaom, "Can Drifter turn a crowd-funded pilot into a television deal?"
-Blake
PS. To see my current sci-fi series "Continuum" go to www.watchcontinuum.com. It's now on JTS.tv with season one about to wrap up.
As previously mentioned my new sci-fi series Continuum is now playing at JTS.TV. This is a new online indie TV network... think Netflix meets HBO for independent web series. It's a subscription-based site that is only $3.99/mo. or $39.99/year. And the content creators get 50% of the revenues, so it's very filmmaker friendly.
Currently there are 4 episodes of Continuum on the site, with new episodes rolling out each Tuesday. And, there are also a dozen or so other series on there that you'll have full access to - on your computer, phone, tablet and coming soon Roku box for your TV.
As of today 2/28/12 I'm happy to announce that my new sci-fi series CONTINUUM is now playing on a new independent TV network called JTS - Just The Story, and the first season will play exclusively on their platform.
The show joins a dozen other great series such as BLUE MOVIES, ASYLUM and CLUTCH - just to name a few. And I hope you'll join me in supporting this new venture.
Our first episode is currently available as a free preview on the JTS site, and starting today new episodes will be released weekly for the next eight weeks (9 episodes in season one, then later 9 episodes in season two for a total of 18).
JTS is not only offering a free preview of episode one from CONTINUUM, but they are also offering a free preview of their entire site - granting access to all the ad-free shows for a test drive to see if you like it.
Here's the link if you'd like to do a free trial:
http://www.jts.tv/ContinuumTrial/
The cost is only $3.99/month or $39.99/year.
For that you get unlimited access to all the shows on the site, including the exclusives such as my show CONTINUUM, and also favorites like BLUE MOVIES and ASYLUM along with the only place to watch THE JEFF LEWIS 5 MINUTE COMEDY HOUR or COMPULSIONS or CELL completely ad-free.
Additionally you can watch these shows on pretty much all devices like your computer, phone, tablet and coming soon set top boxes like Roku.
JTS also has a very filmmaker-friendly revenue share model and so hopefully creators such as myself will be able to make money on our shows, and ideally continue to make new episodes in the future.
As indie content creators we need this subscription model to work for us to keep this nascent industry sustainable.
So in saying all that... I hope you will subscribe! :) Thanks for the support!
-Blake
A new episodes from "The iPhoneographers", a show I produce...
You can also watch it on YouTube if you prefer.
Thanks for checking it out!
I'm producing a new tech-related show called The iPhoneographers that primarily concentrates on the video capabilities of the iPhone and the iPad - from apps, gear, accessories, movies and more. And it's not just for pro level filmmakers... we're covering all angles for hobbyist and pros alike.
This is my first attempt at a hosted "lifestyle" type series. All of my other online work has been narrative (Pink, 88 Hits, Exposed and Continuum). I'm not abandoning the narrative stuff at all by the way, I'm just working to create a slate of shows that cover a wide variety of topics and interests. We've got several other shows in the pipeline too including a cooking show, fitness show, an interview-style show and even a movie parody show - all with a twist of course. ;)
2012 looks to be a pretty busy year!
Here's the main site for the new iPhone series:
http://www.iphoneographers.tv
And then of course you can follow the series on Twitter or Like it on Facebook.
You can also watch it directly on YouTube and Blip.
Let me know what you think!
-Blake
Lots of talk these days on free versus paid downloads of films, etc. and so I found it interesting that Joe Swanberg would release his latest feature or free on Vimeo.
The film is called Marriage Material. I haven't watched it yet, but Joe makes primarily "Mumblecore films", which are definitely an acquired taste.
Here's the film:
Like most "free" things on the Internet this looks to be a marketing play to promote his other work. I'm not saying that negatively either by the way, I actually this it's pretty smart.
Here are a few of the reasons he sites for releasing it for free:
2. The Collected Films set is an attempt to try something new and find an alternative to conventional distribution. I figured it would be fun to celebrate that by giving away another film in an unconventional way.
My feature film SPILT MILK was released on iTunes today! It's been kind of a long journey on this film, so I'm pretty happy to finally have it out to the world. :)
Here's a direct iTunes link:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/spilt-milk/id489101084
You can buy or rent it in SD or HD. And here's the trailer to refresh your memory...
The film stars a lot of great folks including Jake Johnson (currently co-starring on FOX TV's New Girl), Chase Jeffery (Mind of It's Own), Kim Matula (CBS TV's The Bold & The Beautiful), Matthew Tompkins (Phobia), and many others (see IMDb for full cast).
Soon it should be available on Netflix and Hulu too... I'll post here when it's online.
Thanks!
Blake
Happy to announce that the early preview episodes of my new sci-fi series CONTINUUM have been nominated for two awards at the inaugural IAWTV Awards.
The show is up for Best Production Design and Best Visual Effects.
Big shout out to our production designer Eric Whitney and to our Visual FX Supervisor Chad Briggs and his team at Element X Creative.
The awards are being given in Las Vegas on January 12, 2012 during CES.
I'll let you know how it turns out!
-Blake
P.S. The full release of CONTINUUM will be announced in early 2012.
Working hard getting the word out on the exclusive Facebook Preview of Continuum... last night I was a guest on the Indie Intertube podcast (I'll have a download link for that soon) and here's our lead actress Melanie Merkosky talking about her love of all things sci-fi and what drew her to the show...
The first 3 episodes are currently playing on Facebook and a wider release is slated for early 2012. Hope you enjoy!
-Blake
Been a while since I posted here.... been busy producing a new genre film called Phobia and recently releasing an exclusive preview of my latest online series Continuum. And that's what this post is about today...
I'm releasing the first 3 episodes exclusively on Facebook to say "thank you" to the fans that have supported the show since we announced it back in 2010, and to hopefully build up the page with new fans as we move forward to a wide release in early 2012.
Here's some nice coverage of the release:
Digital Chick TV:
Blake Calhoun Previews First Episode of New SciFi Series Continuum
Tubefilter:
Continuum Teases Out with Facebook-Only Release
GigaOm:
Is Facebook the way to go for new web originals?
And here are the first two episodes (you need to be logged into FB to see these)...
Episode 3 launches tomorrow and I'll post it here soon.
UPDATE: Here's episode 3...
UPDATE #2: (3-20-12)
The above two FB videos have been pulled as the show is now rolling out on the new indie TV network JTS.tv... to see the entire first season please check out http://www.jts.tv/continuum.
Hope you enjoy!
-Blake
If you're on Facebook and a friend of mine or my company Loud Pictures, then you've probably heard me mention the new feature film I'm producing. It's a mystery/thriller called "Phobia" and will be directed by Jon Keeyes and was written by Anne Gibson.
Casting on the film starts this weekend in Dallas and our LA casting director has been talking to folks for the past few weeks. We'll have an announcement soon on our leads.
In the meantime, if you'd like to follow the progress of the film please "Like" our Facebook page www.facebook.com/PhobiaTheMovie and/or follow the film on Twitter www.twitter.com/PhobiaTheMovie. I'll be posting stuff during production and post, etc.
Speaking of production... we start principle photography in just over 3 weeks! I better get back to work. :)
-Blake
This is an interesting piece from Variety. Somewhat surprising to me too with all the competition Out There. But also a bit scary to see the real numbers... AND to see how strong DVD sales still really are (although declining, but still far bigger than digital downloads).
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iTunes dominates digital movie sales
Apple gains market share despite increased competition
By ANDREW WALLENSTEIN
Apple's iTunes reasserted itself as the top seller of movies in the U.S. on digital platforms in the first half of the year, according to new research from IHS Screen Digest.
Even as more aggressive competitors pour into the space, iTunes ticked up after two consecutive years of declines. Apple commanded 65.8% of spending in the category, up from 64.9% in the first half of 2010.
Though also-ran services from Microsoft and Sony registered declines over the same period, Walmart's Vudu service also posted a gain on the strength of increased visibility from the retail giant's stores to a new iPad app.
That there's any growth at all in this category, which IHS focuses on digital services that handle streaming-rental or download-purchase transactions of the a la carte variety, is somewhat surprising given that the monthly subscription model epitomized by Netflix has captivated the industry.
An NPD Group study in February found that 61% of video streaming and downloading on the Internet in the U.S. belonged to Netflix, which doesn't even allow downloading. Apple was a distant third in a three-way tie with DirecTV and Time Warner Cable, all with 4%. Comcast finished second with 8%.
But even as its overall share of the digital-movie marketplace falls behind the dominant but declining DVD, surging Internet subscription VOD and cable/satellite VOD, a la carte entrants like iTunes and Vudu are finding there's still room to grow. Getting theatrical product day and date with homevideo release and positive user experiences may be key reasons why.
Though iTunes' .09% increase may not seem much, it's significant given Apple's market share dropped nearly 12 percentage points in the first half of 2010 vs. the same period in 2009.
IHS attributed iTunes' renewed dominance to a variety of factors, including the increasing popularity of the iPad and AirPlay, which connects iTunes with TVs.
Remaining a distant second is Microsoft's Zune Video Marketplace, which fell from a 18.5% share in 2010 to 16.2% in 2011. Jumping two places to No. 3 is Vudu, which showed the year-to-year gain, moving from 1% to 5.4%.
Walmart has been aggressive in its deployment of Vudu since acquiring it 19 months ago, broadening its footprint across connected devices and expanding its presence on the Web via its own website and Walmart.com.
Falling out of the third spot was Sony's PlayStation Store, which dropped from 8.2% to 4.4%. IHS chalked up the decline to both Vudu's growth and the hacking that disrupted Sony's service worldwide during that period.
Amazon sunk to fifth, having remained relatively flat at 4.2%. That number could potentially sink further as the company shifts gears from an a la carte offering to monthly subscription service Amazon Prime.
Some big names in this space that haven't made the list yet are Facebook and YouTube, which both introduced a la carte options earlier this year. There are still plenty more market entrants just beginning to get their feet wet in this space that have yet to amass marketshare, including Blockbuster, Best Buy and Sears.
One would-be entrant that still hasn't made up its mind as to how exactly to enter the market is Redbox, which has indicated a willingness to go digital but hasn't yet specified a gameplan. It could opt to go the SVOD route like Netflix, but its kiosk business has already accustomed its massive customer base to an a la carte model.
The figures take into account both rental (Internet VOD) and purchase (electronic sell through). IHS projects EST will deliver revenues of $247 million in 2011 versus $240 million for 2011. Combined, that $487 million will put the digital a la carte market for movies well ahead of its 2010 tally of $385 million.
While both sides of the digital business represented relatively even spending levels in the first half of 2011, IHS projects that iVOD will likely eclipse EST going forward as the rental model seems to have much more momentum in the digital marketplace. Regardless, both EST and iVOD together are still just a fraction of spending on DVDs, which may be in decline but are still dominant.
U.S. spending on discs in the first half of 2011 amounted to $3.87 billion, down 18.3%, according to the Digital Entertainment Group.
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Definitely something to think about as an indie filmmaker too. Should you do a digital distro strategy only or still do a DVD release too?
-Blake
Yep. Maybe... Seems Dick Clark Productions has teamed up with Tubefilter (the folks who own the Streamys) to develop a show for TV - not Web TV - but television.
At first glance this might seem counterproductive... why would an awards show geared towards "web video" be on (traditional) TV? Shouldn't that be online?
Some will definitely argue yes it should be online, and some will say what the heck are the Streamys? Most will fall in the latter category.
And that's the point.
Most people have no clue what "web video" is... oh sure, they've seen the Evolution of Dance or David After the Dentist... but have they heard of The Guild (some) or The Bannen Way (a few) or even my show Pink (a handful)?
By putting the Streamy Awards on TV with some of the "rising stars of online entertainment" (meaning new media is it's own entertainment or could lead to other forms like TV or film) along with established industry players who have been early adopters of online entertainment (see Joss Whedon, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Pollack, etc.) and this nascent industry we like to call "new media" just might have a fighting chance.
Perhaps mainstream acceptance could mean mainstream revenue streams (and/or ad dollars, sponsors, brand integration, et al) for more shows?
I personally find this very exciting for the space and all the very talented folks involved.
And by the way, my being a Streamy winner for Best Director of a Dramatic Web Series (ahem, for Pink) has nothing to do with my feeling this way. I've said for a long time that we need "the average TV joe" to at least know about web series before things will really start to take off.
Will "average TV joe" watch this new show (if it gets made mind you)? Maybe not. At least not at first. But overtime it will create awareness of the space and ultimately could/should bring new viewers to all our shows.
In the end that's the most important thing.
Here's the full story copied from Variety (you have to have a subscription to read it otherwise)...
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Dick Clark Prods. eye Streamy Awards for TV
DCP, Tubefilter to shop Internet programming kudos to TV outlets
By Andrew Wallenstein
EXCLUSIVE: With the fate of the Golden Globe Awards in the hands of the courts, Dick Clark Prods. is developing another kudocast.
DCP has pacted to produce the Streamy Awards, a two-year-old franchise devoted to recognizing the best in Internet entertainment. The company is currently looking for a TV home for the event, though some if not all of the Streamys will be situated online. No date or location for the next Streamys has been set.
DCP aims to make the Streamys as big an event as any of the ones currently on its roster.
"The goal is to create another franchise along the lines of our American Music Awards or the Academy of Country Music Awards," said Ariel Elazar, VP of digital distribution and brand licensing at DCP. "I believe in it."
The rights to the Streamys are owned by Tubefilter, an online publication devoted to online video. "It's very validating that a Hollywood stalwart like Dick Clark Prods. is coming on board with us," said Drew Baldwin, co-founder of Tubefilter.
Both orgs see the time as right to expand the Streamys to capitalize on the bustling intersection of entertainment and technology. DCP and Tubefilter aim to mine star power from the overlapping spheres of Internet sensations like Rebecca Black and the increasing amount of artists with legs planted in both the online and offline worlds, from Justin Bieber to the Old Spice Guy.
A relaunched Streamys could also be in position to recognize the increasing number of premium programming efforts that are in development from non-traditional TV sources like David Fincher's "House of Cards," a series in the works that will initially be exclusive to Netflix, and Hulu's "A Day in the Life," from documaker Morgan Spurlock.
Turning the Streamys into a mainstream staple of awards season would amount to quite a reversal of fortune for the franchise, which was roundly criticized after its 2010 edition was marred by numerous technical problems. That fiasco prompted the Intl. Academy of Web Television to disassociate itself from the Streamys after teaming with Tubefilter to produce that event.
The Intl. Academy decided to launch its own event in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association. The IAWTV Awards will be held in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
The Streamys have been loosely structured like the Emmys or Oscars, handing out dozens of awards for acting, directing and writing in mostly short-form entertainment restricted to the Internet. While mostly a niche attraction for the indie scene that has arisen around digital entertainment over the years, Streamys has drawn appearances from Hollywood glitterati as prominent as Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Kudrow, who have produced and starred in webisodes of note like "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" and "Web Therapy," respectively.
Back in April, MTV Networks tried a similar concept with the O Music Awards, an online-only event that handed out huzzahs for everything from best tweet (winner: Kanye West) to best viral dance (Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair").
And the appeal of launching a new franchise for DCP is likely further whetted by how even the established kudocasts like the Academy Awards have been supplemented in recent years by aggressive social-media components that are credited with helping to stem the long-term trend of declining ratings for televised awards fetes.
While many of the details of the new and improved Streamys are still being worked out, DCP and Tubefilter are already conceiving it as less a one-off event than a multi-month interactive extravaganza that incorporates audience participation including voting on select categories well in advance of the show itself.
Also in the works is a blue-ribbon panel of digital-minded figures from the music, TV and film industries whose votes would be tallied for nominations and winners. Elazar is hoping to recruit so-called influencers who could be in position to maximize exposure for Streamy winners in the same fashion as the Oscars helps raise visibility for some of the more obscure films the Academy honors.
Meanwhile, DCP and the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. await a decision on the Golden Globes. U.S. District Judge Valerie Baker Fairbank is said to be close rendering a judgment that will determine which entity will control the future of that franchise.
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Last year's Streamy Awards bombed and was trashed throughout the industry (I won't relive it with links) and really actually hurt the new media space I think, but that's behind us and we've all moved forward (most of us) and I think now this could be a really great thing.
-Blake
My friend and actor Julio Cedillo has a nice role in Jon Favreau's new film "Cowboys and Aliens". He plays a character named "Bronc". I haven't seen the film, but here are some cool pics he gave me to share from the shoot and the Comic-con premiere...
Julio on red carpet at Comic-Con
Julio on red carpet at Comic-Con
Julio and director Jon Favreau on set
Julio is probably best known for his title role in Tommy Lee Jones' directorial debut "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada". If you haven't seen that movie definitely check it out. He also starred in my indie action flick "Killing Down" and my WB web original "Exposed". A very talented and versatile actor!
-Blake
This is a cool parody done by YouTube's Freddie Wong (with the help of Jon Favreau and Universal - nice!)...
Direct YouTube link: http://youtu.be/71YsRO6G7Ks
And, a good behind-the-scenes piece too...
Direct YouTube link: http://youtu.be/iRLUY6dMF8k
I really dig seeing these VFX shots on low to no budgets. Fun stuff.
-Blake
