Actors
MyModelTalk Webseries Casting
Currently, My Model Talk is casting for a new webseries starting production February 1st! Looking for male in teens/early 20′s, short under 5’8″ preferably blonde and caucasian but taking all resume’s.
Character is a quirky, extremely horny, straight male that people occasionally mistake as homosexual because of certain feminine tendencies as well as his stature, shares a room with his best friend from high school and the two are at each others throats constantly. Auditions are Jan. 20th, more information will be given upon email of headshot and resume, it’s checked constantly so the sooner we hear from you the sooner we can get you information. There is no pay, but if the webseries goes anywhere you’ll continue to be part of it and it will look good on a resume. Shooting schedule is flexible as well to allow you to shoot around your job, we understand people need to work for a living.
PS. I have no direct affiliation with this organization. Simply received the casting call from a friend, and am sharing the news.
American Idol Kris Allen’s Wife Stars in Webseries “The Bloodstone Diaries”
American Idol Kris Allen’s wife, Katy Allen, stars in a new web series called The Bloodstone Diaries from Arksansas-based filmmaker Gerry Bruno.
The pilot episode of a new webseries, “The Bloodstone Diaries,” starring Katy Allen, wife of American Idol Kris Allen. The pilot series titled “Sleeper” then goes live online at TheBloodstoneDiairies.com website at midnight January 8.
“The Bloodstone Diaries,” written by David Koon, is an action-packed thriller about Bettie Lawrence (Allen), a small town girl who stumbles upon a mysterious jewel, The Bloodstone, said to be a conduit that can harness the powers of the universe and has been coveted for centuries by kings and thieves. Bettie, a young woman on the run, becomes the latest in a long line of reluctant proctors tasked with keeping The Bloodstone’s power from those who would use it to bring about the end of the world. As Bettie learns how to use and control its power, while seeking revenge on the men who destroyed her simple life, she must answer the ultimate question: If you could save the world, but die trying… would you do it?
The Bloodstone Diaries: Sleeper from Gerry Bruno on Vimeo. Also an interview with Mrs. Kris Allen
Webseries Eavesdropping
I love new media. I love webseries. Almost more then I love standing in a long line attempting to gain entrance into a jammed bar to attend a webseries social. The Disneyland ride length entry line was just this side of ridiculous. I had planned on stopping by the meetup for only a short amount of time, and the line nearly detered me from coming.
Obviously, it creates a curiousity as to just what exactly is going on, as well as network while in line. Yes, the line went by fast, but it just seemed as if only two people taking names and markign them off seemed a poor reason to keep people in line for so long.
Bonus: I got to eavesdrop. Yes, I was eavesdropping, and what I heard was either very inspiring or depressingly stupid. Here are a few things I heard in line.
“I am so excited about….”
It was amazing to see a group of excited individuals passionate about their talents and their medium. I was able to speak with Shawn (Creator of Dirty Bomb Diaries) who is possibly the most excitable and interesting writer I have had the pleasure of connecting with over the course of the evening. He was excited about new media. He was excited about his project, as well he should be. It is always inspiring to surrounds yourself with passionate people who are running headlong into innovation.
“This is the year for webseries”
Lets not get too hasty, and make claims that may only prove to depress us as the year moves forward. There is bustling interest once again in new media, and more particularly webseries. Let us claim the year for forward progression. Lets not claim the year for us. Its kinda like a fatties, like me, swearing off sugar. We know we can’t keep it up, but we sure will try.
“Wheres the bar?”
Over there. Yes, behind the 100 people. Yes. Behind. No. You won’t get to it. I tried for over a half hour. You see I’m not against an open bar per say. I worked as a bartender for years at social mixers so I was able to get a front row seat to the madcap traffic. The trick is in the placement of the bars. You must spread them out in the most efficient way. This allows the party to spread out, and allow for more mingling and less hip hugging. I swear about two different people spilt beer on me. It was all I tasted the entire night. Better spread ‘em out next time.
Conclusion
By the time I got home later that I night I realize that my most memorable moments at the mixer were the small ones shared by eavesdropping. So basically I stole a conversation, called it my own, and even wrote a blog about it. Sheesh…Egotistical…
By the way Tubefilter can throw a demn fin party. You should come to the next one.
Any of you ever have any pearls of wisdom gathered from a webseries social?
Improve Your Artistic Health
We are most concerned with our physical health, as it happens to be the most obvious. When we are physically unhealthy we become prone to sickness to which we reply with vitamins, medicine, and rest. However, what may occur if you are artistically unhealthy? This may spell the sickness of your artistic passion and creativity, which may lead to eventual income’s demise. How do you fuel your artistic passions to maintain your vision and drive to lead your peers? First, you must approach the topic of your creative health as a whole, not entirely separate from the your physical/mental wellness. These are intertwined principles and can be best improved upon if approach as a whole.
Physical Health
Foods : Avoid eating heavy foods if you are going to be working at your desk for any longer duration of time. This will slow your metabolism, and can cause you to feel nauseous or gain weight.
Break : Take frequent breaks. (Or ELSE!) This is typically one of the most ignore concerns amongst professionals. We are proud of our long session in the editing bay, or at our desk creating the perfect pitch. Do not forget that you may be overlooking a crucial issue which is your craftsmanship integrity. Every profession has a standard and this standard is frequently compromised due to the simple fact of overworking yourself.
Rewards : Set short term goals while you are working, and you will find meeting these goals you will treat yourself. Feel free to give yourself an extended break.
Exercise : Simply because your work schedule or chosen profession does not incorporate manual labor does not mean you should live a sedentary life. Get out, and enjoy the outdoor. You may miss something. I am NOT saying join a gym and adhere to a strict physical workout regime. Find a hobby that can easily become physically beneficial. Biking with your significant other can be a excellent way to spend quality time with the one you love, and you get out of your small cubicle.
Mental Health
Read : Our minds are rigorously exercised in specific regions typically due to our jobs. I regularly read media blogs, write social commentaries, etc. However I rarely read a cook book, or philosophy anymore which were at one time some of my most prized moments. I highly recommend reading multiple formats of literature primarily that which has nothing to do with your field of interest. Read everything from short stories, novels, articles, essays, anything out of the ordinary.
Relationships : Perhaps this goes without saying, but many digital artists are typical alone. We have work loads, assignments, deadlines, and all sorts of responsibilities. Take some time to allow yourself room for other people. Do I have to remind you that its your life so…live a little?
Play : A friend once gave me the best advice, and that was to play with my niece. There is something so simplistic and fun about playing with a baby that makes you feel fresh again. Avoiding all adult entanglements and technological contraptions is excellent. I haven’t played a board game in months, and just recently I sat down with my girlfriends roommate to play scrabble. I forgot how good I was without spell check.
Visual Health
Environment : The environment you find yourself working in can have a direct impact upon your mental health. It can help or hinder you from artistic desires. Working within a cubicle, or looking at your office wall will be visually draining not to mention staring at a computer screen for hours on end. We computer geeks all know to take regular breaks, and I would encourage you to go outside, and take a look where you are at. One month my goal was to watch every sunset. It wasn’t romantic. It was a chore. One that helped very much so, and I find myself repeating it regularly.
Challenge : We often have a very limited visible spectrum. We live, work, and play within the confines of a view communities, and seldom have interaction outside of our secure bubbles. Go look at something you rarely do. Sit in the grass in your backyard for ten minutes. Walk barefoot to the mail. Challenge you visual spectrum. Easiest was is to visit the opening of art galleries, attend street performing artist.
Auditory Health
Silence : Stimulate your other senses by exposing your ears to an audio adventure you otherwise would not. Have you ever sat in silence? I find this very healing. I am not speaking of meditating, praying, or counting sheep. Simply sit still and listen to silence. It’s as if you are tuning your mental capabilities. You will also find how shocked your mind will become. Often we crave the commotion within our minds.
Classic Music : Don’t just listen to your favorite pop culture album. Rather take a few moments and relax while listening to classic music. Research indicates that this may not only be creatively appeasing, but also cause your work flow. There is a wide variety that is readily available, and you will be amazed out how sophisticated you are sounding when you retell others of your listening habits.
Spoken Word: However if classic music may not be your thing try spoken word poetry. I was first exposed to Bradly Hathaway several years ago, and it spurned me into a new passion, and has given me a degree of creative relief. I enjoy spoken word for its rhythmic poetry. I particularly love creative frenetic poetry that has a topic and a result, but very abstract in between. Its as if you were mentally painting a verbal picture.
Tactile Health
Connect on a fundamental or personal level by creating something with your hands. This may be some thing as simple as toothpick designs or clay. You can find any childrens art section of your local supermarket has a wide variety of fun, inexpensive things for you to play with.
Conclusion
Hopefully you will be able to take a few things from this list that may be able to improve your artistic health. I’m sure that I didn’t get every trick or tip to improve artistic health. Feel free to add to my list.
Mixer Networking 101
I most recently had the pleasure of being invited to the Producers Guild of America’s New Media Council. (For those of you acronym prone thats the PGA NMC.) I must say I was most impressed with the overall organization, beneficial industry contacts, health benefits, and tasty treats.The event was orchestrated by two newfound friends, Susan Zwerman and Alison Savitch.
While there I had an interesting discussion with several other webseries creators regarding the intent and benefit of social mixers. We came up with the following short form list to help all those entering into the social underworld of new media how to network. Feel free to add to this list to your hearts content.
1. Scout : Scan the room, and identify the persons you would like to speak before the night is out. Perhaps it is a popular web or television star, producer, or agent that you recognize. DO NOT approach these people first. You need a bit of time to practice your pitch. Everyone from professional athletes to musician need time to prep and warm up before they knock it out of the ballpark or take their place on stage. Why should this be any different for those pitching their profession?
2. Network : This may seem like an over simplified step considering you are at a social event, but you will be surprised at how many people attend a mixer and talk to only one or two people. Remember this is like speed dating. Make a great first impression, get an overall understanding of who they are and what they do, and move on to your next person. They may be your next best friend. I have several now, and they all started out as strangers. Don’t be afraid.
3. Pitch : I have heard thousands of pitches over the course of the years, and the most impactful pitches are passionate, informative, but most importantly SUCCINCT. Your pitch should consist of only a few sentences, ending with a call to action. Stay on target, cover the basic information. Avoid false starts and rabbit trails. Don’t forget to smile. Remember you like what you do! No one wants to work with a Negative Nancy. How do you perfect this pitch, you ask?
Pitch Tip #1 – Begin by practicing your pitch even before you leave your car. Remember to actually say it out loud. It may feel strange, but you will be able to catch your verbal fumblings and ramblings faster. One attendee stated she forces himself to say it 7 times. Each time slightly different and she picks the one she likes best. It’s somewhat similar to actor’s rehearsing.
Pitch Tip #2 - Next try your pitch on the greeter at the front door. These persons are naturally friendly, and have waded through everyone that has already pitched them. Follow up after you are done, and ask them if they need clarification. Finish by asking, “Who else is here that you think I should talk to?” They will point you in the right direction. One of my best leads last night was Greeter Drew, a Post-Production Supervisor at Fox.
Pitch Tip #3 – Before you go and pitch to the few persons you REALLY want to talk to take a brief moment, and perfect your final prep pitch. Waiters/Bartenders. Every mixer wouldn’t be complete without one. Some of the best critiques I received have been from waiters. If you can inform an innocent bystander with you and your profession, especially given they are unfamiliar with you turf, then you are well on your way. Besides that they may reward you with tasty good treats. (Last nights food was delectable. I still crave those pot stickers.
4. Communication Etiquette : Current pop culture topics are always great conversation starters. Its a lonely place to be the only one standing around with no clue what happened in todays news. Avoid inflammatory topics as much as possible. Religion and politics very quickly parts the room, and you don’t want to be caught in awkward silence from an easily avoidable slip-up. Also make sure you do not interrupt another persons conversation. Very irritating, and a horrible first impression. I overheard somewhat of a heated argument regarding the recent election. Does it really matter right now at that moment? Probably not.
5. Enjoy Yourself! : The reason mixers are thrown is to build a sense of camaraderie and friendship between people of similar interests, not to mention the networking benefits. Bring a camera take plenty of pictures of you and your new found friend. Upload them to your social network and give them a reason to stop by for a follow up visit.
Conclusion
Hopefully this has been either an eye-opener or a refresher course for you on how to not only survive, but thrive in this social media world. Thank you once again to Susan and Wendy for throwing a great mixer! Feel free to add any comments, rants or raves, anecdotes or accolades from your mixers. Enjoy.
5.5 Questions for Creative Communication Success
Often we filmmakers must be one part creative genius, three-fifths entrepreneur, and about 20% therapist. We must also understand braille, pig-latin, sign language, and any other relatively obscure methods of communication. I have often found that a majority of unending, unrewarding film work is due to either miscommunications between client and production house or creative shortsightedness.
I submit several questions that should be asked in any meeting that will get your clients talking, and you will hear their intentions for your interaction. Always remember they want you to succeed as well!
1. “How can I help you?”
This idiom is typically overlooked or reduced to a sappy yokel introduction, but the mystic is within the profound direction it contains. It frames the conversation in their terms, and on their turf. Remember they have a problem, and they are looking for you to fix it, because they either can’t or won’t. Think of them as a damsel or dude in distress, and your the knight in shine armor.
2. “What do you hope to gain?”
Now that they have previously framed the conversation you are now plotting a destination. What exactly is the end game? Naturally more money, but how? Lower overhead? You now have perimeters to work within to give your pitch
3. “Is this something you are interested in?”
Perhaps you are NOT the answer to their problem. However if you can point them in the right direction they will appreciate it, and remember you and your work when they need it.
4. “What changes do you want to see?”
This allows them to realize the position you have given them. They hold the power. It is a very creatively bare place to be. Open to all criticism for the benefit of the project. Never be defensive. You may deflect an ingenues notion. Also you have allowed them to see your flexibility and ease of work flow. Everyone wants to work with a friend. Be that friendly face.
5. “If you like this, you should see what I am working on now!”
This is an excellent showstopper at the end of a meeting, but must be said with utmost sincerity and respect. You are now showing instant growth. It does not demean your current project in the least, but it does spark their interest on your current workload. If you have a trailer, concept art, or exciting casting development give a little taste of it. This is your fallback. Perhaps your meeting didn’t go as well, but this opportunity may leave something with them to call you back in the future.
5.5 “Thank you for ……”
Never forget the power of being polite. Before you leave thank them for their time, their effort, their perspective. Whatever. Everyone loves to be validated and appreciated. You will find that once you set the cordial tone this will continue on into the more tense situations which are bound to arise.
Hopefully now you have some great questions to keep in mind for any creative meeting you may be heading off to. I’m curious to see if these questions are applicable to other creative arts. Can anyone add to this list?
Cure Creative Impotency
Feeling creatively impotent? Has your creative juices stopped flowing? Just don’t have that loving feeling anymore?
FEAR NO MORE! No more nights alone and cold in the dog house!
I’ve concocted, R.A.D., a handy-dandy acronym in soft chewable tablet form to assist with Creative Impotency.Take as many as needed.
- Rekindle the Romance: Remember the way you felt when your creative muse first touched you? The tingles she sent throughout your…cerebrum. Enticing you onward and upward through all those o-so-long nights at the office all in the hopes to see her on the silver screen for others to gasp at her beauty. Realize that teenage-hormonal-creative lust again! If its reading that same poem, watching that short film again or whatever it may be, feel free to take some time to get revisit your original love story. Personally, I find avaunt guard photography regarding my topic very interrogative.
- Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: This is a wise old adage that rings true. Take some time off and leave your first love. Place her on the shelf, and leave her be for some time. A day, a week, or a month you will know when you just can’t live without her. Personally I encourage a distracting weekend tryst away from your original love to see if you really do still have that special something. (This is why I encourage having at least three projects active within the same time frame.)
- Dead Bury the Dead: You may need to face the fact that the love is gone, and it will not return. If you are feeling that slight twinge of guilt perhaps it was never meant to be to begin with. You have had your fill of that challenge, learned your lesson, and must now do your best to move on. Its dead. In the past. Move on.
Now you are well on your way to creative fulfillment!
Let me know how it goes. If you wake up drunk, bloated, and missing a kidney don’t complain that I didn’t warn you.
Top 5 Suggestions to Conquere Creative Frustration
Good day to you! Yes, I am rather chipper at the moment for I have finally finished a blog series which I have tentatively entitled “Top 5 Suggestions to Conquer Creative Frustration.” Somewhat gaudy if you ask me, but nonetheless I seem to have grown quite attached to it. Needless to say, the below begins on Number 3. Why you ask? Because its my favorite, and I do believe very helpful. Hopefully this piques your curiosity enough to sojourn back to this little spot of the internet to see this blog series in its totality. I shall pick up this blog halfway through a thought in the total series. Enjoy!
3. Creating Creative Momentum
I woke up exhausted. Mentally. Physically. Artistically. A far cry from my typical creative zen. I had no motivation. The cruel business world, and day to day necessities had strangled my dreams from me, and I was left wanting. I needed to get up and get going. Being a self-employed filmmaker has its up and its downs, but I had grown tired of that, and simply wanted to have my cake and eat it too. So I came up with a portion of the solution. Found below. Creating Creative Momentum.
What is Creative Momentum? Its harnessing that wild inspiration through your Gibson to create the perfect rock ballad. Its infusing your passion into the limited perspective of a small snapshot. Its coaxing your Muse to stay long enough, and whisper to you so you can finish writing that damn blog! Or in my case finding the right combination of light, composition, and movement to bring my film frames to life. Its difficult. Nearly impossible. However if you are able to muster the energy from nothing, then master building, and even riding this creative momentum. Well, then my friend… Congratulations you are a professional.
First, I would recommend you begin by set up a personal goal to indicate artistic success. A personal one that is realistic. If your primary goal is to become the best blogger in the world, and yet you have poor writing skills then perhaps a more immediate and personal goal would be to attend either classes or find a mentor. This will spark the fire.
Secondly, create a process to achieve this goal. This will motivate you gradually and create artistic momentum. You will break through that writers block, or have that burst of inspiration which will launch you through your task at hand. Thus fanning the growing flame through positive reinforcement of gained goals.
Thirdly, trial and error comes into play. You must perfect this process and eliminate things that are restricting you from growing and building artistic momentum. If you have a negative influence, may it be person or circumstance, deal with it quickly and efficiently. A steay blaze is growing though it may have set back, and frustrations, you are becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Finally, become dedicated. Once you have set your goals set, your process perfected through trial and error, you now have the coveted answer to create your own creative nirvana.
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For example. I love examples don’t you? I hate to read something that is hardly applicable. Here was the course of events which lead to my epiphanies.
A previous company I was working for was in dire need of premium HD content which would not only separate itself from the rest of new media, but also become an attractive alternative to traditional advertising. Tall order to say the least. Essentially a start-up company needed to have the quality and brand strength of something equivalent to a online HBO. I was only slightly demoralized, but after establishing a personal, realistic goal, which was to create one automotive program to receive critical and mass acclaim, I got to work.
First, my goal of “becoming the HBO of the internet” required study of the competitive landscape, and a careful examination of my own limitation both creatively and technically. Had I the mental prowess to do this. Naturally. I’m a bright guy. Did we have the technical capability? With nearly $30k in equipment we had better! We shot a promotional piece for testing which was well received by our focus groups. So far so good.
Secondly, my process was to build a reliable cast and crew who all believed the goal was attainable and each brought specific talents to the table. Frustration mounted due to talent troubles for hosts, and technical limitations, which I quickly set right. By this time we were two weeks into the “Fuel Time” project with two episodes out, to which we had cleanly broken through the top ten. Very good most would say. But not my personal goal.
Thirdly, I began to play with the format of our little “Fuel Time” project. Shorting some potions, lengthening others, adding characters. I got rid of some cast and crew, and only kept those that were encouraging and helpful. It was very difficult, but needed. These were days in long meetings with the executives, and even in the editing bay. However it was exhilarating. Our baby was not only walking but I felt like it was running. Episode 3 was to come out, and I was ready for it. It came out and hit #1! Very encouraging. I hit my goal. My team was thrilled.
Lastly, we had to get up and do it again. Rain or shine. Through the best and the worst. We have seen some hiccups, and some successes. Get up and do it again.