Big Teeth Productions Video Blog

Big Teeth Intern Danny McCarthy at the plate: Locavore Dinner Video

2010-07-27T22:04:17Z

As a small business we have to be creative in the way we operate - both in who we employ and in the projects we choose to take. This blog post is a convergence of those two things - we allowed our intern Danny McCarthy to oversee a project for the “Locavore” movement and he writes about his experience below. The final video is at the bottom of this blog post.

Last month I worked on a project for a friend of Big Teeth Productions - a video about the Locavore Movement focusing on a dinner held at the Hopleaf bar and restaurant that was put on by food scientist Jim Javonkoski, Michael Roper (owner of the Hopleaf) and Ben Sheagren (Executive chef of the Hopleaf).

This project was brought to the Teeth by Jim with no money but a good heart so it was embraced. Because of the lack of budget and more relaxed schedule I was given the chance to produce it on my own, under Elise and Gregg’s guidance. Initially, I took this opportunity as a way to gain more experience working on different aspects of projects from start to end; but through the experience I gained a greater appreciation for the local food movement. One of the things that really helped with the production of the video was all of the participants passion for the cause.

(See Video)

PRODUCTION
One thing that I enjoyed was actually shooting the event. I didn't have much experience shooting and this gave me a chance (especially because it was an event) to experiment and get more comfortable with operating a camera. The Hopleaf was a good setting and everyone seemed relaxed, so I was able to get some great interviews with guests. However, one thing that I had been taught but really became ingrained in me by this experience is that as much as you want it to, a camera cannot capture anywhere near what the human eye can. The lighting at the event was very dim as it was an intimate candlelit setting – great for ambiance, not ideal for shooting. While not what I would have preferred, it gave me a lesson on planning ahead and troubleshooting.

POST-PRODUCTION
After loading the footage from the event it was clear that something was needed to shed some light on the project, literally and figuratively. So, I returned to the Hopleaf and sat down with Jim, Michael, and Ben. I found a location away from where most of the customers were - the only issue being that they were doing some noisy prep work on the floor below. While not ideal, it was okay because it captured the ambiance of a restaurant and was only an issue when they started aggressively banging what I assume were iron pots together (or at least that's what it sounded like).

Earlier, I mentioned how passionate my subjects were and this was clearly evident while filming the interviews. They had a lot to say. A lot. This was another learning experience for me. If this was a documentary about sustainable agriculture and the benefits of being part of a local food system, this wouldn't have been an issue, but with the video being geared for the web, the target length was around two minutes. At a certain point I had to direct the interviewees to give shorter, to-the-point responses. This helped a bit... so did editing. This second day of shooting completely changed the video. Besides the interviews, I got B-roll of the interior and exterior of the Hopleaf and its kitchen which filled in some blanks. With this second day of shooting, doing some color correction and laying B-roll and some graphics over the darker of the shots, I was able to make it work.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Though I’ve mainly discussed the production aspects of this experience, I have to say something about the food. During the event I had a plate and glass on the side and got to sample the various courses. With Jim and Michael’s beer knowledge combined with Ben’s culinary skills, the dinner was great. I am a beer fan and an amateur foodie and the pairings were on point and delicious.

Overall, I have to say that while I’ve worked on many projects with various levels of involvement, I’ve come out of this experience with a higher level of gratification gained through being the sole creator of the project from beginning to end.

The final video is here so let me know what you think about my first independent project at Big Teeth Productions.
Note: Learn more at http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/eatlocal/ or Jim’s blog at http://www.localfoodwisdom.blogspot.com/

Old Spice Man is not the manly smelling grim reaper you think he is for the Old Spice brand

2010-07-22T20:31:53Z

Chances are if you opened your eyes at any point last week you saw or heard about the Old Spice YouTube campaign where they sent out customized video messages from the wildly popular "Old Spice Man" played by a ripple-abbed former footballer to all sorts of tweeters. The first reaction by the masses was "Wow, this is the best thing that's ever happened to my eyes and ears. Hooray Old Spice." The digital marketing/social media set immediately began carving their idols of Old Spice Man as this was the campaign that would change marketing FOREVER! Then it all crumbled as we got report after report about how sales are going DOWN not up after the flashy and exciting campaign.

Did you hear me! Sales are going down and the videos have been up for almost a WHOLE week. Uh, I know we love immediacy in the age of digital, but isn't that a little premature to determine the epic failure that so many want to proclaim? For real insights as to the overblown nature of this claim, check out an article from Video SEO leader ReelSEO, which points out, amongst other things, that the sales figures are vague in their sources - but for more of my prescient opinions, scroll down, dude.

People are proclaiming that despite the excitement and freshness of this video campaign that deodorant/body wash buyers don't care because Old Spice is Grandpa's brand. But let me put this out there... I remember entering the junior high gym changing room where we had to wear uniforms for the first time and after class you showered (maybe) but always sprayed, or rolled on the deodorant. In my day you wore Right Guard. I don't know why but you just did.

Now put yourselves in the shoes of an 11-13 year old boy who is soon to become a lifelong deodorant consumer - and has yet to establish any feelings about Old Spice's previous brand image. Isn't it possible that this young lad sees these videos (and accompanying hilarious TV spots) and identifies with the NEW brand image? Let's take that a step further... his mom.

A big point of the campaign is that ladies are the buyers these days so let's show them a rock hard shirtless dream of a man that they'd like to ride backwards on a horse with. You know Mom likes to watch these videos (she may be married, but she's not dead!) and she probably wants sonny boy to think she's cool, so wouldn't buying sonny boy some Old Spice and making a joke about "smelling like a man," maybe convert to future sales for the brand?

The digital age has brought on this dichotomy of everything happening at a mile a minute, while at the same time trying to build lasting relationships and establishing long term brand loyalty. As an online video producer, I try to create videos that share personality and honesty more than just cramming a product down your throat, so you'll excuse me if I wait a few years before grabbing my shotgun and bringing Old Spice behind the barn to put him out of his misery.

What do you think? Is a dip in sales at the exact time the buzz is created an automatic death blow, or do you wait and see the bigger picture?

VidBits: Tubemogul Rescues Lonely Videos on the Web

2010-04-08T21:53:27Z

If you're like me, then you are an intelligent human being with above average hygiene. You are also someone who likes things that make your life easier. In the world of web video there is a tool that can do just that - Tubemogul.

Tubemogul will distribute your videos to all of the web's greatest hosting sites, let you track views and other important stats, and link your vids to the top social networking sites ... oh, and that's just the free version. As a video production company with a focus on the web, using this site has become an almost daily ritual.

I started to write in explicit detail the steps to signing up, uploading your content, and tracking videos, until I realized that they have a bunch of how-to videos that'll explain better than I can. The first ones can be found at http://www.tubemogul.com/about/getting_started (and I've embedded one here as well).

If you are planning on using video on the web for anything more than making strangers gasp, Tubemogul is quite the useful partner in crime. Essentially, after some initial set-up (both on Tubemogul and on the individual sites you want to post on), you have one place where you can upload your files to multiple sites and track whether they are reaching your desired goals as well.

Beyond the basics, you can also do things like:

Track other video publishers, like say, your competitors - might want to know what they're up to.
Add Tubemogul's "inPlay" in-depth stats to your own player (Premium)
Target your videos to specific audiences (Premium)

Overall, this is a site that we recommend to our clients to get to know if they are placing their videos online and it's one that once you start using it, you'll enjoy your web video life a whole lot more.

What did SXSW 2010 look like?

2010-04-01T02:36:59Z

Here's a look at our time at South By Southwest (aka SXSW). All of the footage and photos used here were shot on the Canon T2i DSLR camera. These cameras are changing how us video people do things and this was a chance to put that to the test. What do you think of the first time out with the camera?

SXSW 2010 Recap from Gregg Jaffe on Vimeo.

SXSW 2010: Big Teeth Film Recap

2010-03-29T04:45:07Z

In our previous blog post Elise gave some great insights into how we navigated through the action of SXSW, so I thought I'd give a recap of the films that I saw.

I'm no Roger Ebert (more recently known as @ebertchicago) so I'll keep it short, but if you want more details about these and other films check out ifc.com's SXSW blog.

If you saw any of these and have any thoughts, or saw others you'd recommend, let us know in the comments.

THE FILMS (In order of when I saw them)

Click on the film title to visit it's website. All photos used here are from the SXSW website.

American: The Bill Hicks Story (Documentary)

A look at the life and times of controversial cult-comic Bill Hicks who died young. The film tracks Hicks' development into a brutally frank political comedian who couldn't seem to find the mainstream acceptance he desired in his home country, but did overseas.

This one is most notable for use of animation during interview segments in place of talking head footage.

Harry Brown (Narrative Feature)

Michael Caine stars in this gritty British film that I liken to a cross between "Gran Torino" and "Falling Down." Caine is an older gentleman who can only stand so much of the decay that his neighborhood is experiencing, and after dealing with difficult situations with his beloved wife and best friend at the hands of violent drug dealers, he takes matters into his own hands.

I particularly loved the cinematography and acting in this movie. It had a down and dirty feel that you rarely see in Hollywood films. And it has Michael Caine!

World's Largest (Documentary)

Full disclosure: One of the filmmakers, Lizzy Donius, is a friend of ours and the former head of IFP Chicago. However, we had absolutely no stake in the making of this film.

Donius and collaborator Amy Elliott tell a story that is all at once fun, whimsical, sad and thought-provoking. The documentary takes us to seemingly every small town in America that boasts the world's largest statue of something, that often represented that town's main industry. Most of these towns are crumbling and often the industry that propelled them is gone. The film is shot with a very tourist with a handi-cam feel but manages to convey the true nature of these towns and their inhabitants. I was really glad that I enjoyed the film so that I didn't have to lie to Lizzy!

The People Vs. George Lucas (Documentary)

We all have opinions about George Lucas. This film talks to hundreds of people about the highs and lows of one of film's most polarizing figures. We love him for Star Wars and then hate him for everything he did to the original series and the new one that followed. The film also includes archival footage of Lucas along with many clips of fan-made films.

If you've never thought out loud about whether Jar Jar Binks was worse than the Ewoks or not then you can skip this one... otherwise, it's fun to watch.

Dirty Pictures (Documentary)

From the film's website: "DIRTY PICTURES is a documentary about Dr. Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, the rogue chemist who discovered the effects of MDMA (aka Ecstasy) and over 200 other mind-altering drugs. Shulgin’s alchemy has earned him the title “The Godfather of Psychedelics,” and a reputation as one of the great chemists of the 20th century."

This was a film that I was really excited to see and was left not sure how I felt. I think Shulgin is definitely an interesting enough character to be featured, I just felt that it delved a lot deeper into the science of it all for my liking. But if you dig the equations, this is a guaranteed winner. Plus, there's a lot of humor and Burning Man sequences.

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (Narrative Feature)

Film festivals so rarely have flat-out comedies, but fortunately they make exceptions. Tucker and Dale was just a fun movie to watch. Seeing at a theater that serves beer at midnight didn't hurt my enjoyment, but this one will no doubt make it's way to multiplexes and I'm glad for that.

The film does a 180 on the typical backwoods hicks hunting the college hotties story and instead gives us two rednecks with hearts and brains (sort of). Tucker and Dale just want to hang out and fish at their new "summer home" (a dilapidated cabin on the lake) and find themselves implicated in a series of unfortunate accidents. There's lots of goofy gore, so if you love horror movies but have a sense of humor you'll love this. If you get squeamish from on-screen blood, then sit it out.

So there you have it. I don't know if any of these won awards or not, and while I liked some better than others, all in all I'm glad to support independent filmmaking in whatever capacity I can. Again, I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of these films or others you might have seen or heard about at SXSW.

SXSW 2010: A “Teaser” to 2011

2010-03-19T19:05:06Z

I’m feeling exhausted and achy, have very little voice left and can’t wait to sleep in my own bed! But the weirdest thing is that I still want to turn around and get back to Austin! In fact, if I were able to, I’d have already booked my flights and hotel for next year… unless we decide to pack up Big Teeth and actually MOVE down to Austin before 2011.

What an experience! And one without a BADGE. I read several blogs prior to heading to Austin about people’s experiences without badges, most seemed positive – and my experience was no different. Being in Austin only 3.5 days, there were only a handful of panels I really wanted to attend and I didn’t think I could hit more than 2-3 films a day plus wasn’t that particular about which ones -so costs didn’t add up. Waiting in line even with a film badge wasn’t appealing – but going 15 minutes before a show to see if there are extra tickets, seemed to be the way to go – especially if the film was at the Paramount.

I had no badge but I WAS armed with business cards, bookmarks, recipe cards, stickers and pins for both Big Teeth and Fooditude. It was especially funny to meet people, then figure out if they’d rather me put on my Big Teeth or Fooditude hat. One thing was certain, I met way more people than I’d ever imagined meeting and people that may have NEVER known about either of my companies had we not ended up in the same elevator, shuttle, line for a film or in the same row at a panel.

I made it to 4 Film Screenings (all of which were great) and 3 Interactive panels, and a handful of parties (only one that I tried to go to and couldn’t, being badgeless). I can only imagine how much I’ll be able to do next year if I have a little more time to plan and don’t have to spend a day just trying to get the lay of the land.

A few things I learned:

I really like Austin!
If badgeless and you can handle the anxiety and you only have a few panels you really want to go to, hide behind a tall friend and carry a very large bag in front of you.
If you have a friend that stays out later than you and you KNOW won’t be up first thing in the AM for a panel you want to go to, convince them to lend you their badge!
Make friends with people that are only there for a couple days, seems everyone wants to share the love and offers up their badges or shuttle bracelets to others before they head out of town. WHY NOT?!?!
The shuttles from hotels outside of the city were wonderful, but I’d still prefer to stay in the city!
Never be afraid to chase a car down that's leaving an event you're to ask for a ride, especially if its raining
If you like food, Austin is a great town, but don’t just eat on 6^th street, that’s not where the good stuff is.
Austin is a really great city for vegetarians and breakfast lovers! (2 things I am) Even if I didn’t have a chance to hit up any of Citizen Taco (Austin Food blogger) I’d read before my trip but had the privilege of meeting in person while there)’s top spots for breakfast tacos, I found that even the bad ones were great.

I see my experience as a taste of what is to come in the future. Until next year SXSW!

Can Small Business Owners be Spontaneous?

2010-03-11T18:28:32Z

I’m not the most spontaneous person. Most people who know me would agree. Normally typing my to-do list instead of handwriting it is as “out there” as I get. There are only 2 truly spontaneous things I’ve done as an adult: Left New York City to move to Chicago with NO job and few industry connections; and quit my full time job to bum around Costa Rica for a month – but that’s where it ends.

Since becoming a business owner those decisions seem CRAZY. I over-think every decision, weigh the pros and cons and make sure its what’s best for Big Teeth, and us both in terms of creativity and of course money.

But then last week within 36 hours of the idea coming up, I booked a flight to Austin, Texas only 7 days later to head to South by Southwest (or SXSW for those in the know) an interactive and film festival. I’ve wanted to go to for years but always had an excuse why I couldn’t attend, usually it was money, or lack there of. What made this year different? Perhaps I see the potential of increasing Big Teeth’s visibility and reaching outside of Chicago. Perhaps there’s comfort in the fact that I know more people going this year than in the past. Perhaps I should just stop wondering why and leave it to the feeling in my gut, something I usually trust.

Despite my impulsive decision, just minutes after booking my flight I thought, “Am I crazy?” Which brings about the question – Am I doing a disservice to my company leaving for 4 days? Will any current clients think we’re putting fun in front of their needs or will they respect the decisions we make for our business? I hope in this case and in future cases it’s the later because I’m kinda liking this new leaf I’ve turned.

Can You Pitch New Business in Flip Flops?

2010-03-04T23:42:53Z

MOVIECLIPS.com - What is it, and what isn’t it

2010-03-03T06:18:14Z

In a recent completely unscientific survey of web video usage, I estimated that people watch and share video clips online no less than 1 billion times a day. Most of these are via YouTube, but now there's a new player in town, Movieclips.com.

According to "Fierce Online Video," Movieclips.com online video service is seeing growth, which leads me to wonder...

What the hell does Movieclips.com do?
What does Movieclips.com not do that it should.

WHAT IS MOVIECLIPS.COM

Movieclips.com is an online video site that has,"... over 12,000 movie clips, [where] you can search, find, view, discuss and share scenes from your favorite movies."

Of course, once you find these clips you can watch them on the site and embed them on the usual suspects of movie embeddom. Another big difference is that this is apparently all legal and above the board with Hollywood giving it's hard-earned permission.

Movieclips.com is set up to make money by having affiliate links to buy products related to the clips you watch. There are links to iTunes, amazon.com, allposters.com, Fandango and more. Presumably you watch the clip and then have to have the movie poster. Maybe hearing "Go ahead make my day" isn't enough, you need a full "Dirty Harry" fix streamed to your laptop.

WHAT COULD MOVIECLIPS.COM BE THAT IT IS NOT

With all the iphone/blackberry zombies out there who can't have a single thought without internet backup, having a warehouse of one-liners and scenes at your fingertips definitely has some value. Where the site is lacking is the usability for video content creators.

Think about all the people putting video up on the web. Those who make a living at it, like we do, but also the ones who create mash-ups, film their kids hopped up on novocaine, re-subtitle Hitler movies etc. These are the ones who would love to have access to high quality clips to use for their video projects, and might well be willing to pay a reasonable fee for it, but again are shut out.

I'm not suggesting some way to open the door for video pirates to swashbuckle their way into easier stealing, but think about all the fun videos people love to create in homage to their favorites - why not allow them to download these files and use them for non-nefarious purposes? It's fun to be able to watch scenes from all these movies, but had they gone a step further and made this more inclusive and useful, we'd be stepping in a much better and more interesting direction.

What do you think? Is Movieclips.com good enough just showing you the clips, or do you agree that we should have the chance to borrow some Hollywood magic if it's used for the purposes of good and not evil?

New Media Revolution: From No Tube to YouTube in 5 Years

2010-02-24T04:39:27Z

YouTube was founded in February of 2005. This became slightly significant to me as I was unearthing video samples that I created and came across the first short films that I wrote and directed from, you guessed it, February 2005.

Five years ago what did New Media mean to us? I'm guessing not a whole lot. Blogs existed but not everyone on the planet had three of them. How many podcasts did you download in 2005? I listened to more this week than I did that year. We didn't tag photos on Facebook, we didn't converse in tweets, and we certainly didn't upload high quality videos that could be played back in real time on every computer in the world.

On a personal note these videos are also the first collaboration between Elise and I production-wise. She produced three shorts that I wrote and directed. Now in 2010, every day of our lives involves Elise producing video that I write, direct or edit. The emergence of YouTube and New Media/Social Media has essentially allowed us to be in business and had things not progressed how they did, Big Teeth Productions might not be around today - perish the thought of course.

Here's one of the videos that I'm referring to titled, "All In."
(full disclosure, this one was actually done in March 2005, not February):

Not exactly a cinematic masterpiece but in terms of story and production value right up there with most of what you see on YouTube. Had there been a YouTube like it is today in 2005, its possible that I would have been able to show these videos to more than the few friends and mentors that actually saw it. Then maybe some of those people would have embedded it into their blogs or Facebook pages and thousands more might have seen it. Maybe PETA would have insisted I take it down because I encouraged dogs to gamble, which would have led to some PR for me and more eyes on the video. Then I would have been signed to a 3 picture deal at Dreamworks and become a filmmaking superstar... Then again, maybe I'd be right here where I am. Either way, my life is a totally different one thanks to the New Media Revolution.

Has the New Media Revolution effected what you do in your personal life or your career? Do you think we are better off with YouTube and other New Media outlets or worse?

Web TV for You and Me (A dream deferred)

2010-02-17T17:12:50Z

In 2008 HBO lined up some dough for a couple of dudes to build a website filled with funny videos. Wow, where can I get that deal, you ask? Well, if you're names are Ferrell and McKay and you are responsible for the film "Anchorman" its a lot easier to grab that slice of the pie. Now, two years later, according to Web TV News Warehouse Tubefilter, HBO is using "Funny or Die" to launch new content for their TV network.

Well, what good is that for me? I didn't play George W. Bush on SNL, who's gonna buy my show? Wrong-o buster, take this as a good sign for you, the small but plucky Web TV wannabee.

The more stories that emerge of those with the cash (a la HBO) spending any of their precious pennies on video for the web, and better yet having success with it, the likelier these honchos will be more inclined to find new talent.

So what should you do if you're an aspiring Web TV Creator?

1. Keep Creating

Hone your skills, discover your voice, sweep the leg (only applies to Kobra Kai's). Do whatever you're doing to build up a following but also just to get to know what works and doesn't work for your own Web TV goals.

2. Support Others

Find people creating Web TV shows that you like and show them support. Watch their show and share it with your friends who might like it as well. The whole viral/social media thing is real and it's a great way to get your product out to people.

3. Join the Community

Find those people who are doing it too and reach out to them. Offer to help them and they'll help you too. Most of us trying to create original content for the web don't have "Talladega Nights" money lying around so we need to help each other create.

In Chicago, I am working with other likeminded souls to create an actual community who meet, network, hang out and get to know each other's projects. If you're in Chicago, ask me about "Let's Create". If you're not, find those people in your area and do the same.

Stay vigilant friends, and keep doing your thing. We won't all get rich and famous with our Web TV shows, but then again, maybe we will.

Who . . . is relevant?

2010-02-09T17:42:23Z

from who dat to the who we give you our outsider perspective to the biggest insider event of the year, the superbowl.

Being at the Superbowl was a thrill for a number of reasons and was definitely something we'll remember for a long time, in no small part thanks to one of the greatest rock bands of all time, The Who.

A lot of the buzz I read on Facebook threads and random outlets on the web was that The Who are not "relevant" and are too old etc... as an act for the biggest TV event of the year. It makes me wonder if in fact, the kids are alright?

This being our first experience (and probably last) at the actual game versus in front of a TV, I'm left to ponder whether the CBS broadcast just couldn't possibly capture the electricity of the live performance. I know in years past I felt ambivalent about performances by Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, Springsteen and other such mega-acts who phoned in halftime show performances.

From where we we're sitting (section 403, third row from the top of the stadium) the aged Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey rocked as hard as two social security aged people could or should. Sure there wasn't the same fire as the "Magic Bus" days and no Les Paul's were smashed (admittedly a disappointment), but to the best of what I could tell, the few missed notes sung by Daltrey or maybe a muffed chord from Pete meant that these guys were actually playing their instruments and singing - NOT lip syncing. If you want to rag on them for anything, it could be the choice to play a set consisting of mostly songs that have been absconded by CBS' CSI franchise; but for the godfathers of heavy metal I'll let that slide.

Back to the whole "relevant" thing. Who would you consider to fit that bill? Would you rather have empty party anthem singers Black Eyed Peas take the stage and sing the most overplayed, uninteresting song of all time "I Gotta Feelin'"? And when I say "play" is there any doubt at all that it would just be a recorded track that Fergie and the boys would hop around to? Or the American Idol of the moment? If that's the case then I guess I'd rather not be part of "My Generation."

SB44 - Live at Super Clematis - We Built This City

2010-02-05T15:44:38Z

Our first official "super" activity took place last night as part of Super Clematis Live - a football-themed version of the weekly nightlife activity in West Palm Beach. Now for all of you fame watchers waiting to be regaled with tales of shoulder rubbing with the Jonas Brothers, you may want to skip this post.

Clematis by Night an outdoor street fair with food, drinks and some live music acts who work tirelessly to cover every cheesy pop song ever written. They nailed it by going from "Don't Stop Believin'" right into "I Gotta Feelin'" - The dynamic duo of overplayed karaoke fare. Now what made this particular night "super" were the few non-descript former NFL players signing autographs and a couple of inflatable games with football logos. Oh, and we think we saw Freddie Falcon and Bobby Bronco running around the place too.

The Evening's headliners were none other than soft-rock legends Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas, not to be confused with Jefferson Starship. Mickey and a group of musicians half his age trotted out all the classics you know and love (and Elise REALLY loved a little too much for comfort).

For your viewing and listening pleasure here are a few of them captured with our new Kodak zx1 camera.

We Built This City - Encore style (listen closely, at one point it sounds like "live goes to tape)

Just when you thought you had been soft-rocked to the fullest, they encored with the classic "We Built This City." For one brief moment West Palm Beach was indeed built on (soft) rock & roll.

Super soft rock ballad - Sarah

Dedicated to our intrepid sports reporter chum Sarah Spain, who has been covering media week here in So Fla., by request.

For those still wishing to know about the Jonas Brothers, take solace in the fact that in another 30 years, they will be Starship.

Back for more later, in the meantime, you can follow along with some photos we've added on flickr.

Super Bowl from the outside in

2010-02-03T16:32:33Z

A series of blogs from our experience winning two tickets to the 2010 Superbowl in Miami

West Palm Beach, FL - I'm pretty sure there's a football game taking place on Sunday, and a pretty big one. As a matter of fact it's arguably the biggest sporting event on the American calendar. Yet it seems that all anyone wants to talk about is what celebrities will be on hand (Saints & Colts & Kardashians, oh my) and what party can you get in to, and not who has the better o-line, but who's o-line can sing better at Media Day's none-too subtle tie-in with "American Idol."

So rather than provide another insider report on whether Peyton Manning will root for the team he plays for or the one he rooted for as a child, we've decided to provide the complete outsider's perspective to Super Bowl madness. Throughout our week in Florida we'll make our way to a few of the coveted activities, but overall, let us be your eyes and ears at Society Ground Zero.

Notes from the Almost Front lines...

As noted above, we are not the media elite, we don't have a reality show on E! (yet) and have no discernible ties to the cash-heavy Mafia, so rather than a shimmering ocean view from a South Beach hotel, we're staying in nearby West Palm Beach. I say this not as a complaint, but as statement of fact. The takeaway from this is that we were fortunate to win two tickets to the hottest event and plan on taking full advantage of that - which means spending a week in intermittently sunny Florida during the worst weather month of the year in Chicago. If that wasn't good enough we were handed the keys to a shiny new silver Mustang as our official wheels of the Gregg & Elise adventure. A Super Bowl miracle.

Other things:

- Perhaps the two most coveted parties to attend before the Superbowl are put on by Playboy and Maxim magazines. Remember magazines? Those were the paper things that have all but been replaced by the Internet. If I were a more suspicious person I might surmise that these publications have stayed in business past their relevancy just to host the yearly bout of bacchanalia.

- The stories not involving the parties and celebrities are all about the advertisements during the game. Are these not the very same 30- and 60-second bits of cleverness that we go out of our way to DVR right past the other 364 days a year? The Superbowl spot seems to be the Betamax in a Blu Ray world. Do these ads bring a return anywhere near what it costs to air them?

- Why does politics ruin EVERYTHING? The Superbowl and its sideshow are beloved for the unnecessary excess, over the top half time and anything else that amounts to no actual substance. Now we have to tread out the abortion debate in between quarters of the Bud Bowl? What a downer!

Stay with us as the game approaches and we take you to all the places that you want to be.... when you couldn't afford the places you actually wanted to be.

Web TV - The British Sitcom Model

2010-01-28T06:11:48Z

Should Web TV follow the British Sitcom Model?

Through the magic of a Netflix subscription, my laptop and an HDMI to Mini-display port converter, I watched an entire British series (The IT Crowd) - from start to finish, every episode - in about 4 days time. Now before you accuse me of being a potato of the couch variety, keep in mind a few determining factors of this amazing feat.

1. My wife was out of town and left to my own devices very little happens.
2. British sitcoms tend to be only six episode seasons, and last about 3 seasons total. That's 18 episodes. In the early years, "The Simpsons" would knock that out before Thanksgiving.

So, right here on this very blog I am advocating the British Sitcom Model for the advent of the Web TV Age. As the medium matures and the inevitable mixing of regular TV with web TV takes place, this seems to make the most sense. What has made Web TV so intriguing so far is the experimental nature of it. The fact that you can produce a program by yourself, with little to no money, and distribute it as far as your Facebook friends will take you, truly lends itself to the short and unsentimental style of our former masters (oh I hate that King George III).

By developing an idea that you can play around with, get a feel for what the characters are like, but remain experimental, this could free up people to constantly come up with new material and challenge the network structure that would rather try out an unfunny, large chinned hack in prime-time over an interesting scripted show.

This is just a theory I'm playing with, and in trying to develop a few series of my own I decided to throw it out there and see how the rest of you feel. So, let me know what you would like to see from the shows coming out on the Internet.

Should we go with 6 episodes a season, 3 seasons max; or should we keep going and going and going until we get to the "Facts of Life Down Under" episode in Season 10?