19 December, 2007
WSC Show #41 - Diversity Day: Interview with Jason George
Today's episode is a continuation of Diversity Day at the picket lines in front of Paramount Studios. Here, we’ll hear an interview with actor Jason George. He is one of four vice presidents currently serving the American Federation of Television and Radio Arts (AFTRA) and if anybody from the leadership of WGA is listening, he’s got a parting shot for y’all at the conclusion of this podcast. Recorded Wednesday, 12 December 2007.
Unbelievable
Wow. I just got in from seeing "I Am Legend" at the new Arclight Cinemas in Sherman Oaks with my friend N. Afterwards, we discussed the significance of the year 2012 in the Mayan calendar, singularity and the bird flu. (The bird flu was N. stirring the pot. I told N. I can't listen to that shit or it will freak me out too much). So, after an evening discussing the post-apocalyptic future, I was already a little anxious when I come home to read the following in the UK Guardian -- the first result in a Google news search:
Read the entire article here.
Un-fucking-believable.
AKIIIIIIIIIRAaaaaaaaa!!!!!
Update: 12:50 a.m. - OK...I'm officially freaking. I just went out in the rain to get my recorder out of the car to mix the next podcast and this raccoon was scurrying by the door as I opened it. I thought it was one of those "infected" from the movie I saw tonight. It scared the shit out of me! Fucking hell.
11.30pm GMT / 6.30pm ET
FCC opens door for US media consolidation
Elana Schor in Washington Tuesday December 18, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lifted limits on media ownership today, clearing the way for Rupert Murdoch and other magnates to buy newspapers and TV stations in the same city.
The FCC's vote fires the first shot in a high-stakes battle with members of Congress from both parties who have accused the agency of aiding the consolidation of US media, to the detriment of minority businesses and the public interest.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin pushed through the relaxed ownership rules with the backing of fellow Republicans, while the two Democratic commissioners pleaded with Congress to "save the FCC from itself".
Read the entire article here.
Un-fucking-believable.
AKIIIIIIIIIRAaaaaaaaa!!!!!
Update: 12:50 a.m. - OK...I'm officially freaking. I just went out in the rain to get my recorder out of the car to mix the next podcast and this raccoon was scurrying by the door as I opened it. I thought it was one of those "infected" from the movie I saw tonight. It scared the shit out of me! Fucking hell.
18 December, 2007
D U Hulu?
I still haven't heard back from Eugene Wei , the Director of Product Management at Hulu (see this blog post for reference). For those of you just tuning in, Hulu is an online video on demand service and it's a joint venture of NBC Universal and News Corp.
OK, so like I really didn't expect him to respond, but I was kinda hoping he would.
Anyway, today I finally received the green light from Hulu Beta and in my in-box is an invitation to participate. Well, like finally! It's been like three months since I first pestered them about this.
Woooot! I'm in! (Happy dance, happy dance!)
But like, I don't have time to check it out right this very minute, but perhaps over the holidays I'll have some time to play around on it. Expect a report back in a few weeks.
OK, so like I really didn't expect him to respond, but I was kinda hoping he would.
Anyway, today I finally received the green light from Hulu Beta and in my in-box is an invitation to participate. Well, like finally! It's been like three months since I first pestered them about this.
Woooot! I'm in! (Happy dance, happy dance!)
But like, I don't have time to check it out right this very minute, but perhaps over the holidays I'll have some time to play around on it. Expect a report back in a few weeks.
WSC Show #40 - Diversity Day: Interview with Kimberly Myers
In the next series of podcasts we’ll be hearing from men and women of color on the picket lines at Diversity Day in front of Paramount Studios. Today, we’ll be talking to Kimberly Myers, the Director of Diversity for the Writers Guild of America. Recorded Wednesday, 12 December 2007.
The Future of the Internet by Tim Berners-Lee
Please indulge me as I am still on a quest to get back to the future. In a post I did yesterday, I enjoyed a chuckle as the blogosphere got their panties in a bunch about Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the Internet, and his criteria for contacting him. It all began because somebody wanted to know what his take was on the future of his little invention.
So I found this testimony that Berners-Lee gave last March before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. And here's a snippet in which he delivers his vision of the future:
Read the entire testimony from Tim Berners-Lee here.
So I found this testimony that Berners-Lee gave last March before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. And here's a snippet in which he delivers his vision of the future:
"In the future, the Web will seem like it's everywhere, not just on our desktop or mobile device. As LCD technology becomes cheaper, walls of rooms, and even walls of buildings, will become display surfaces for information from the Web. Much of the information that we receive today through a specialized application such as a database or a spreadsheet will come directly from the Web. Pervasive and ubiquitous web applications hold much opportunity for innovation and social enrichment. They also pose significant public policy challenges. Nearly all of the information displayed is speech but is being done in public, possibly in a manner accessible to children. Some of this information is bound to be personal, raising privacy questions. Finally, inasmuch as this new ubiquitous face of the Web is public, it will shape the nature of the public spaces we work, shop, do politics, and socialize in."
Read the entire testimony from Tim Berners-Lee here.
17 December, 2007
The Future of the Internet
After reading some drama on the blogs today, I have to ask myself what the hell am I doing running around asking Star Trek writers the future of entertainment as it pertains to the Internet? It's illogical!
The way to do it, IMHO, is exemplified by whip smart journalist Nicole Ferraro, who had the white hot bright idea to go straight to the source and contact Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Internet (um, sorry Mr. Gore) directly!
Her experiences (as recounted in this blog posting) in tracking the esteemed Mr. Berners-Lee is priceless. Oh, you go girl!
The follow-up blog post from Stephen Saunders, who's Ferraro's boss and founding editor of the Internet Evolution, is just as awesome.
The way to do it, IMHO, is exemplified by whip smart journalist Nicole Ferraro, who had the white hot bright idea to go straight to the source and contact Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Internet (um, sorry Mr. Gore) directly!
Her experiences (as recounted in this blog posting) in tracking the esteemed Mr. Berners-Lee is priceless. Oh, you go girl!
The follow-up blog post from Stephen Saunders, who's Ferraro's boss and founding editor of the Internet Evolution, is just as awesome.
As Strike Wears On, More Screenwriters Explore Internet Ventures
The current story as of this morning on PaidContent.org is by Joseph Weisenthal who writes:
The parting shot of the article is:
Read the entire article here.
"At least seven groups of striking WGA members are shopping internet-based ventures along the lines of Will Farrell’s FunnyOrDie.com, reports Los Angeles Times. The business models, however, have yet to be worked out. Some see these ventures as a breeding ground for content that could then be licensed to TV, a la Quarterlife. Others see them as self-sustaining online-only plays, possibly tying into social networking sites for distribution."
The parting shot of the article is:
"Once the strike is resolved, some writers undoubtedly will opt for the relative security of the studio system, but as the article makes clear, a growing number are now committed to going into business for themselves."
Read the entire article here.
2008 Top 10 Internet Trends
Today, venture capital firm M/C Venture Partners released its "top ten trends" to watch in 2008 for the Internet and communications sectors.
Number 1 on the list:
Number 1 on the list:
1) “Mobile broadband is becoming the medium to bridge the digital divide worldwide,” said James Wade, managing general partner, M/C Venture Partners. “Many people in the world, even developed economies, don’t have regular, affordable access to the Internet for a variety of reasons, but mobile phones and the business models around them are profitably penetrating even the low income sectors of the economy. Now more than ever, people of many means can use mobile phones to enable their lives. Quite simply, mobile broadband will democratize communications.”
WSC Show #39 - Interview with Anonymous Writer
In today’s episode I talk to an anonymous writer at the picket lines in front of Paramount Studios. In this recording I omitted the name of the person he was with in an effort to conceal his identity. Recorded Monday, 10 December 2007.
16 December, 2007
WSC Show #38 - Interview with Claudia Lonow
In today’s episode, I speak with writer Claudio Lonow at the picket lines in front of Paramount Studios. I first met Claudia at the Fremantle Rally over a week ago. We then met up again at the close of the Star Trek picketing event earlier this week. Recorded Monday, 10 December 2007.
15 December, 2007
Hulu Announces New Sci-Fi Content
Eugene Wei, the Director of Product Management at Hulu and also an aspiring film director, announced today that the enterprise has added new sci-fi content on their line-up. Included are shows like Tin Man, Firefly, The Outer Limits, and Futurama. FYI, the latter is a show that I contributed to as a massage therapist to the animators of Rough Draft Studios back in the day.
Wei, like me, claims to have a particular fondness for the sci-fi genre. But frankly, I don't know a techie who doesn't! I think I'll shoot Wei an e-mail and turn him on to the "Star Trek" series of interviews in my podcast. I'm curious what his take might be. How's that for social networking on the World Wide Web 2.0? Let's see what happens (if anything) next. Stay tuned!
Wei, like me, claims to have a particular fondness for the sci-fi genre. But frankly, I don't know a techie who doesn't! I think I'll shoot Wei an e-mail and turn him on to the "Star Trek" series of interviews in my podcast. I'm curious what his take might be. How's that for social networking on the World Wide Web 2.0? Let's see what happens (if anything) next. Stay tuned!
Get ready, 'cause here it comes!
Did you know that Congress has passed a law that by February 17, 2009 all television broadcast stations must switch from analog to digital?
Get ready for the Digital Transition!
Here's the FAQ's, courtesy of the FCC:
Get ready for the Digital Transition!
Here's the FAQ's, courtesy of the FCC:
- - What is the digital TV (DTV) transition?
- - Why are we switching to DTV?
- - What do I need to do to be ready for the end of analog TV broadcasting?
- - Do I have to wait until after February 17, 2009 to watch DTV?
- - If I have an older analog television, will I have to throw it away after February 17, 2009?
- - If I want a new TV, will I have to buy a High Definition TV (HDTV) to watch digital broadcast television after the transition?
- - How can I be sure that I am buying a digital TV (DTV)?
- - How do I know if I already have a digital TV (DTV)?
- - What is the difference between “Integrated” DTVs and DTV or HDTV “Monitors”?
- - What about my VCR, DVD player, camcorder, and gaming console? Will I be able to use them with a digital television set?
- - How do I get DTV or HDTV programming?
- - Will I need a special antenna to receive DTV over-the-air?
- - How do I know if I already have digital programming through my cable or satellite TV service?
- - My cable operator offers a digital cable package. Is this the same as HDTV?
- - Do cable TV networks, like CNN, MSNBC, Lifetime, etc., have to switch to digital broadcasting as well?
- - Can my cable system move programming to a digital tier that makes me subscribe to digital service?
- - Can I hook up more than one TV and video recorder to a single digital-to-analog converter box?
- - What about my portable, battery-powered analog TV? Will I be able to use it to watch broadcast TV after February 17, 2009?
- - I have an old antenna that attaches to my TV with two wires. Will I be able to use a converter box with this antenna?
- - What will happen to the old analog TVs that will be replaced by DTVs? Will there be an effort to recycle them?
- - Will the February 17, 2009 date for the end of full-power analog television broadcasting be pushed back?
- - What are low-power (LPTV), Class A, and TV translator stations and how does the DTV transition affect them?
- - Will digital-to-analog converter boxes (used to convert over-the-air digital TV broadcasts for viewing on analog sets) also convert digital closed captioning?
- - Will I be able to use parental controls like the V-chip with digital TV the same way I now can with my analog TV?
WSC Show #37 - Heroes Fans: Monique and Ronan Darling; Also Jeff Berman on Pencils2MediaMoguls
In this episode, we go to the see the Heroes cast at the picket lines in front of Universal Studios and meet with fans Monique Darling and her son Ronan. Then we’ll talk to United Hollywood’s Jeff Berman to find out how things went with the Pencils2MediaMogul campaign that took place earlier that day. Recorded Tuesday, 11 December 2007.
14 December, 2007
Well Said
A group called Center for Creative Voices in Media just posted a blog entry entitled "Will WGA Strike Send Writers to Web?" Here's a snippet:
Will writers choose to do an end run around the producers they are on strike against and create programming for the Internet? Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick have done just that with their Quarterlife webisodic series, which has, ironically, now been licensed by NBC for primetime telecast in the spring. If this migration to the Net is to succeed, better get on board for Net Neutrality. Or the writers will face the very same distribution bottleneck on the Internet that they do today with the AMPTP controlling television.
WSC Book Club
Two books in our list today. The first is a recommendation from one of my listeners. I have not read it yet.
"What Happens Next A History of American Screenwriting"
by Marc Norman
Harmony Books: 560 pp., $27
(Note: the author is on the negotiating committee for the WGA).
And this book is one I would recommend back to my listener:
Darknet: Hollywood's War Against the Digital Generation
by J. D. Lasica
Wiley: 320 pp., $25.95
(Note: This book is available in a Kindle edition.)
"What Happens Next A History of American Screenwriting"
by Marc Norman
Harmony Books: 560 pp., $27
(Note: the author is on the negotiating committee for the WGA).
And this book is one I would recommend back to my listener:
Darknet: Hollywood's War Against the Digital Generation
by J. D. Lasica
Wiley: 320 pp., $25.95
(Note: This book is available in a Kindle edition.)
WSC Show #36 - Star Trek Day: Anthony Montgomery and Bob Skir
This is the final episode of "Star Trek Day", a picketing event held in front of Paramount Studios. We’ll hear from actor Anthony Montgomery and writer Bob Skir. Recorded Monday, 10 December 2007.
13 December, 2007
KPCC's Art Film Talk
Another podcast I used to listen in broadcast but now only on demand:
Art Film Talk #23 Marshall Herskovitz, Quarterlife
Art Film Talk #23 Marshall Herskovitz, Quarterlife
Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick have been producing high-quality television (My So Called Life, thirtysomething) and film (Legends of the Fall, Blood Diamond) for quite some time. Recently the duo launched Quarterlife, a contemporary coming of age series being streamed on the web along with an integrated social network. A significant aspect of the show is that unlike most television properties today, the producers retain full creative control and ownership. In addition to being available on MySpace and their own web site, they recently made a deal with NBC to air the show next year. I talk with Herskovitz about the origins of the project, its significance in the context of the writers strike, and what s different about producing for the internet compared to traditional film and television. Related to this interview is Are the corporate suits ruining TV?, an editorial by Herskovitz which appeared in the Los Angeles Times on November 7, 2007 in which he argues that Network control and media consolidation are wringing the creativity out of entertainment. Photo credit: Elisabeth Caren/quarterlife, the Art Film Talk theme music was composed by Colin Owens.
KCRW's "The Business" Podcasts
I listen occasionally to this show when I'm commuting, however it's been available for awhile in podcast format. From NPR's website:
Hosted by Claude Brodesser-Akner, The Business looks deep inside the business of entertainment. A half-hour of thoughtful and irreverent dialogue with Hollywood's top deal-makers, filmmakers, moguls, artists and agents, The Business will clue you in on who's making pop culture pop and what's keeping Hollywood's Blackberries juicy.
Will the Strike Kill the Soaps.; Inside Strike Negotiations
December 04, 2007
Will the Strike Kill the Soaps.; Inside Strike Negotiations
What's it like to negotiate during a strike. We talk with the man who led talks for employees during the acrimonious 1994 supermarket walkout. Plus, will the writers' strike be another nail in the coffin of once wildly profitable daytime soap operas.Note: This edition of The Business will not air live at its usual time slot on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by special holiday programming. It will air at 7pm.
The Strike and American Screenwriting, II; Video Games Rock On
November 26, 2007
The Strike and American Screenwriting, II; Video Games Rock On
To understand the current writers' strike, you need to understand the long and contentious relationship between screenwriters and the people who write their checks. This week, Part II of our conversation with Oscar-winning scribe Marc Norman about his new book, What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting. Plus, while the writers strike, video games rock on--literally.
What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting, Part 1
November 19, 2007
What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting, Part 1
To understand the current writers' strike, you need to understand the long and contentious relationship between screenwriters and the people who write their checks. We put that relationship in the therapist's chair with Oscar-winning scribe Marc Norman, author of a fascinating new book called What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting.
What's a Producer Do.; Hollywood-Washington Update
November 05, 2007
What's a Producer Do.; Hollywood-Washington Update
What does a producer do. We talk to two producers-turned-studio-execs about what they did then and what they do now. Plus, a chat with Hollywood's man in Washington, MPAA CEO Dan Glickman.
Cisco announces "Entertainment Operating System"
Last spring Cisco purchased a social network company that I currently participate in and when I talked to the CEO and founder of the network, he would not comment on the sale.
So I bookmarked this story and kept my ear to the ground for developments for the sole reason that I wanted to know how this would affect my on-line community.
Months go by, but no news until yesterday when Cisco announced its "Entertainment Operating System" in the New York Times. EOS will be a hosted software-as-a-service platform that Cisco will deliver sometime in 2008 to various media companies. From what I can grok, EOS will provide social networking capabilities, content distribution and content targeting.
(Scooby: Groo?)
I still don't know how this affects the social network I'm involved with, if at all. Perhaps it's time to ping the guy again.
FWIW, yesterday Cisco was also featured in the San Jose Mercury News where the company intends to demonstrate "program shifting" technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in 'Vegas next month.
So I bookmarked this story and kept my ear to the ground for developments for the sole reason that I wanted to know how this would affect my on-line community.
Months go by, but no news until yesterday when Cisco announced its "Entertainment Operating System" in the New York Times. EOS will be a hosted software-as-a-service platform that Cisco will deliver sometime in 2008 to various media companies. From what I can grok, EOS will provide social networking capabilities, content distribution and content targeting.
(Scooby: Groo?)
I still don't know how this affects the social network I'm involved with, if at all. Perhaps it's time to ping the guy again.
FWIW, yesterday Cisco was also featured in the San Jose Mercury News where the company intends to demonstrate "program shifting" technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in 'Vegas next month.
WSC Show #35 - Star Trek Day: Harlan Ellison and David Gerrold
This episode is a continuation of “Star Trek Day” at the picket lines at Paramount Studios and includes interviews with writers Harlan Ellison and David Gerrold. Recorded Monday, 11 December 2007.
Set up: this recording begins just slightly after Harlan Ellison had either just had an exchange of dialogue or an interview…I can’t tell which…with former Playboy model Irina Voronina who is now a reporter for Foxxy News, an Internet media outlet that claims to always be “fair, balanced and...hot”. After a few moments of Harlan radically self-expressing, I have an opportunity to ask him a few questions before he turns me over to David Gerrold.
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