Please check out our NEW episode of "88 Hits" on Koldcast TV...



Direct link:
http://www.koldcast.tv/#/video:side_projects

Thanks!
Blake

Nice interview about the new WB web series "The Lake". Jordan Levin is the CEO of Generate... they also produce my show "Pink".



-Blake

Koldcast TV is a player in the Web TV distro business, and now they're stepping in to the productiong side of things opening a studio to create original programming.

This is a great thing for New Media in my opinion, but the pioneers before them have died a quick death... 60Frames anyone? However, since Koldcast already has a nice sized audience to their destination site (www.koldcast.tv) they have a head start on the competition, and not to mention a very driven and enthusiastic founder/CEO in David Samuels. That's probably the biggest part.

My shows "Pink" and "88 Hits" both play on the Koldcast site, and I plan on pitching some other shows to them in the future.

Read the story here from Tubefilter.

-Blake

Check out this fun new music video from Felicia Day and her show "The Guild"...



-Blake

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