Bye, Bye Miss American Pie

BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES documents the pathetic state of the music industry -- so y'all in the entertainment industry could learn something here. Narrated by Forrest Whitaker and features interviews and performances by Erykah Badu, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, and Branford Marsalis.

Last year, BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES filmmakers Andrew Shapter and Joel Rasmussen walked away from traditional Hollywood distribution to instead pursue a large-scale grassroots release.

WSC Show #49 - Scene of the Crime: The Indictment

In today’s episode writers from over 35 crime dramas and police television series came together for contract justice with the “Scene of the Crime” rally that took place in front of the AMPTP-HQ in Encino, California. Featured are fans Heather Griffith and her sister Monique Darling. Also in this podcast: Rene Balcer (creator of Law and Order: Criminal Intent) and Marg Helgenberger (star of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation). Together they serve a three-count Bill of Indictment against the AMPTP and eight unnamed co-conspirators. Recorded Tuesday, 18 December 2008.

Extra: Interview with Rene Balcer on NPR's Talk of the Nation.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes

Music:
"Rockford Files Theme" performed
by Asterios Kokkinos and Melissa Kaplan

Photo:

Damon D'Amato

quarterlife deemed a "bomb". Ouch!

Podcasting News reports that quarterlife is a "bomb" claiming that: "Views for the show have plummeted, going from nearly 800,000 YouTube views for the first episode to just a few thousand for some recent episodes."

The more interesting aspects of this article are the comments, with one reviewer saying: "I think the show rocks! I could care less how many people watch it."

Read the article here.

NewTeeVee seems confused by the show as well in this post entitled "quarterlife Stats Draw Multiple Interpretations, Personalities"

This is a test

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-c4644bab406fe92a4f2fd4f805e5d895}

WSC Show #48 - Interview with Tristan Katz

In today’s episode I meet up with up-and-coming new media actor Tristan Katz at the picket lines at the “It’s A Crime” themed picketing event in front of the AMPTP business offices. Recorded Tuesday, 18 December 2007.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Today On YouTube

Today on YouTube, commentary from a professional journalist and some UGC by an amateur vlogger.




New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter tries to sort through the causes and effects of the work stoppage but stops short of identifying who is to blame for the heated rhetoric and stalled negotiations.




Word from the street: a television viewer's retrospective and commentary of what passed for news in 2007. Interesting take on the writers' strike, reality television programming and loss of TV viewership: "I watch YouTube videos more than television anyway....courtroom drama and reality TV suck!"

WSC Show #47 - Exclusive Interview with Santa Claus

Disclaimer: NSFW

We interrupt our regularly scheduled strike coverage to report that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has began the annual tracking of Santa Claus as he makes his way around the world. This year NORAD is implementing Google Earth to monitor Santa's progress and also began using special Santa Cams to upload videos of his travels to the NORAD Tracks Santa YouTube channel. For ongoing updates on Santa’s location, log on to the NORAD Tracks Santa website .

I recently had an opportunity to talk to Santa himself at SantaCon last weekend. SantaCon began as a Cacophony Society event in 1994 to celebrate the Yule season in a deliberately anti-commercial fashion by incorporating guerrilla street theatre, flash mobs, pranksterism, and public intoxication. It has now devolved into an international public bar crawl taking place in major metropolitan cities worldwide.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

You Better Watch Out!

From the NORADSanta.org:

The NORAD Tracks Santa (NTS) program has been around for a long time, since 1955 to be exact! We believe that Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of people throughout the world.

NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa - radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft.

Detecting Santa all starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system has 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

Santa can also be tracked on Twitter!

WSC Show #46 - Interview with Stephen Davis

In today’s episode we speak to AFI graduate Stephen Davis at the picket lines in front of Sony Studios. Recorded Thursday, 13 December 2007.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Bloody Hell! The Queen Launches YouTube Channel!

Read all about it in the BBC News. Cheerio!

Happy, Happy! Joy, Joy!

FairDeal4Writers Video Contest

WSC Show #45 - Interview with Bill Odenkirk

In today’s episode we’ll talk to strike coordinator Bill Odenkirk at the picket lines in front of Fox Studios. Bill has written for such shows as The Simpsons, Futurama and Mr. Show. Recorded Thursday, 13 December 2007.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Techno Tuesday

OK, it's Saturday, but a friend in SF just turned me on to this site.

‘Techno Tuesday’ by Andy Rementer began as an exercise in drawing comics and complaining. In fact it still is, after it’s inception in January of 2006. The comic, which is based on technology and the modern world, originally appeared on the Fabrica blog. And has since been published elsewhere online as well as in print.

Turn the beat around: STOP BIG MEDIA!!!!

The Bush-appointed FCC voted last Tuesday to loosen media ownership rules so media titans like Rupert Murdoch can swallow up more local news outlets. They did this despite a huge public outcry--when the FCC asked for public comments, 99% opposed media consolidation!

Congress has the power to step in, and a bipartisan group of 26 Senators already announced they'll try. We need to show the rest of the Senate we want action.

Sign a petition from MoveOn.org urging your Senators and Representatives to ask Congress to stop media consolidation.

WSC Show #44 - Diversity Day: Interview with Monica Macer

In the last episode of this podcast I said it would be the last in a series of interviews from the themed picketing event entitled “Diversity Day” at Paramount Studios. But I was mistaken because this is the final episode in this series. Today I speak to Monica Macer who has written for three hit television shows including "Lost," "24" and "Prison Break." Recorded Wednesday, 12 December 2007.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

The Elf Strike

Ashton Kutcher's Christmas Card

"BREAKING NEWS: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY"

I swear, the AMPTP is one step away from getting a blog. And they need one 'cause whomever wrote this latest open letter doesn't grok netiquette and the meaning of "ALL CAPS".

At any rate, in an effort to be fair and balanced, here's their open letter.

And FWIW here's my open shout out to the AMPTP:

Will you guys (or a reasonable facsimile and representative thereof) appear on my podcast and have a chat? I'm not a WGA member, but in an effort of full disclosure, as a member of SAG I am WGA sympathetic. I'd really, really love it if you came on my show and answered a few questions. I want to help you tell your story. And just so's you know, you would be considered a guest on my show and afforded all the respect due as someone invited into my own home.

Think about it.

This is an open invitation.

MediaBytes 12.21.2007

Interesting stats on Veoh, Shelly. Since Michael Eisner is a member of Veoh's leadership team, I'm curious if that's why he poo-poo'd the writers strike last month when he went on Fox News and said "I see stupid strikes and I see less stupid strikes. And I see smart strikes. This is a stupid strike."

Oh, and BTW...watch free, full-length episodes of your favorite shows on Veoh including:

• Cane
• CSI
• CSI: Miami
• How I Met Your Mother
• Rules Of Engagement
• Numb3rs
• Shark
• The Unit

CNET Year in Review: Media giants fight back

Greg Sandoval of CNET blogs about Big Media's efforts to control digital media in 2007. He summarizes the YouTube copyright lawsuit filed by Sumner Redstone and even touches upon some noteworthy events in the music industry this past year. However, he fails to even mention the brouhaha taking place in Hollywood. Tsk! Annoyed by this, I went to check their masthead and find out if they were owned by Fox or some other such nonsense. But in fact, they are not. Where ya been Greg?

WSC Show #43 - Diversity Day: Interviews with Sherri McGee, Teri Jackson, Kellie Griffin, and Warren Hutcherson

In today’s episode we’ll conclude our series of interviews held at the Diversity Day themed picketing event that took place at Paramount Studios. Featured are Sherri McGee, Teri Jackson, Kellie Griffin, and Warren Hutcherson. Recorded Wednesday, 12 December 2007.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

The Mobile Entertainment Industry Podcast with JFRobinson

I just discovered a new podcast that I want to share. It's entitled "Everything about the Mobile Entertainment Industry" that provides in-depth discussion with the top executives in the Mobile Entertainment Industry. Hosted weekly by mobile entertainment innovator, producer and consultant, JFRobinson.

In the current episode, Robinson discusses the WGA strike and the health of traditional television networks as well as their place in the new Digital World Order. More info in this article: The Traditional TV Networks: Terminally Ill or Just Not Feeling Well?

Internet TV Platforms Come of Age

Jeremy Allaire, the CEO and founder of Brightcove, offers his perspective of the industry of Internet TV by looking back at 2007 and also looking forward 2008. Here's a snippet:

2007 showed us that video isn’t just for aggregators—it’s fundamental to the Web. The last 12 months saw an explosion in video publishing across a wide array of websites. Video is becoming so pervasive that if you have a web property without video something is wrong with it.

Read the entire article here.

The AMPTP Responds: "Divide And Conquer"

From trulydangerous

This message brought to you by the AMPTP.com (not .org -- the funniest story to come out of this strike thus far).

I've got a doctor's note.

It's official. I'm full blown sick. What started as a mild case of laryngitis Sunday evening is now some full-on bugaboo. So, by captain's orders I've powered down production of this blog to minimum and am focusing solely on getting the podcast out daily.

Having said that, a couple of interesting developments on the tech side of things came out in the blogosphere today that I wanted to share. I know you don't get your breaking news from me and that's probably good. Go read DHD or UnitedHollywood for that. And if you want to be fair and balanced, go read the AMPTP's blog. Oh wait, they don't have one. Doh!

OK, top on my list today is:

Hulu is currently in private beta, but today they started offering invites through many of the popular tech blogs, including ReadWriteWeb, GigaOm, Webware, Mashable, Download Squad and TechCrunch. My invitation to join arrived a few days ago but I've been too sick to play with the other kids in the sandbox. Go check it out for yourselves. I'll join you guys later.

Second up: Today NewTeeVee com announced that Wil Ferrell's "Funny or Die" just received $15 million from venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and unnamed institutional backers.

The most popular video is "The Landlord" and to-date has had over 50 millions views. Check it:



Also worth checking out is "The Landlord Criterion Edition" where Ferrell and his partner in crime Adam McKay provide behind-the-scenes commentary:

WSC Show #42 - Diversity Day: Interviews with Stacey McClain-Fields and B. Mark Seabrooks

This episode is a continuation of Diversity Day at the picket lines in front of Paramount Studios. My guests today are writers Stacy McLain-Fields and B. Mark Seabrooks. Recorded Wednesday, 12 December 2007.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com