Not only is there a new dot-com in my life, but I'm tweeting @gwendangerous.  Before you know it I'll sign up for Friendster.

gwendolyndangerous.com is live, featuring the teaser for the new series.  I'd write more, but it would just slow you down from enjoying the teaser.  Quick go watch!

Photo Courtesy of John Pellett

There are two very fun events coming up in the next couple weeks.:

First, the NYTVF is doing an free outreach meet & greet event.  Representatives from the festival in New York will be here to talk about the festival and competitions and answer questions.   This event is put-on in conjunction with the 48 Hour Film Project, so representatives from the 48 will be there as well.  It will be a great opportunity to meet the people behind two of the coolest festivals on the planet, meet other DC-area filmmakers, and there's even a free drink in it for you if you're one of the first 30 to arrive.

The deets:

NYTVF in Washington DC

• THURSDAY, MARCH 31
• Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
• Location: The Passenger, 1021 7th St. NW, Washington D.C.
• Free to attend

For additional information or to RSVP, RSVP@nytvf.com  FIRST 30 GUESTS TO SIGN-IN AT EVENT RECEIVE FREE DRINK TICKET

The next event is a class given by yours truly and The Gribbs.  We'll be doing an intensive one-day filmmaking workshop where we show as many of our tricks-of-the-trade as possible in one day.  While there will be a slight focus on producing 48 Hour Films, really the workshop is geared toward anyone that is trying to make better quality films on tight schedules.

Cost is $48, or $40 for two people from the same 48 team.  It's FREE to CDIA students & alum.  The class will take place April 3rd in Georgetown at Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts.  Seats are limited and RSVP is required, even for CDIA attendees, so for more information or to register, go to the registration page.

I hope to see you all at both events!

Congrats to Bjorn Munson & crew who have released the opening of their sci fi-epic-radio-drama-space-adventure-retro-podcast-extravaganza:  Rogue Tyger.  Throw the pilot episode on to your i-device, and spice up your commute.  It's about 1,742 times more entertaining than WTOP, and arguably more informative.  Careful not to crash your car while enthralled by the adrenaline-fueled bits, lest the legislature gets ideas:  "No texting, hand-held mobile phones, or Jabberwocky Audio Theater while driving" the signs will read.

I'm always going on about fearlessly treading new territory-- throwing ambitious ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks.  You may already know Bjorn for his hugely ambitious and hugely successful Stonehenge Auditions.  If you don't, ask any actor in the Washington-Baltimore area and they'll tell you all about it.  More props to Bjorn & the gang for putting together this new series that looks both like a lot of fun, and nothing anything else I know out there.  I'm looking forward to more.

Tech Crunch was the first big site to feature our Word Lens video.  Now they're doing their end-of-year awards and Word Lens is up for 'Best Technology Achievement".  This after they already (along with some other sites) featured Word Lens as one of the best apps of 2010.  Go to the voting page at Tech Crunch and place your daily vote.  Although it's a major site with a helluva readership and already 50,000 votes for this, so I don't know that our direct efforts will sway it.  But it can't hurt.

And for those of you who haven't seen the video yet...

Bienvenido al futuro.

A video is worth a million words.  Word Lens is the first release from my brother Otávio's new company.  He's been working on it a couple years.  The first language pack is now available in the App Store for iPhone.

Hey gang.  A bit of a hiatus here while I take a break in Rio.  Although it's not much of a break really as one of my main purposes is to work on scripts for our next upcoming pilot.  My less pressing purpose is to goof off with 3D cellphone pictures of me being dumb.  Guess which one got finished?

Those of you with green/magenta anaglyph 3D glasses, enjoy what cellphone 3D has to offer.

Registration in advance is required - no walk-ins. Email classes@integralarts.com to reserve your seat.

This is a one-day hands-on filmmaking class for novice to intermediate filmmakers with two of the premiere filmmakers/instructors in the DC area - Kevin Good and Barry Gribble. Kevin and Barry focus their classes on:

• Making films that look and sound better without spending more money
• Using a hands-on, interactive approach to learning
• Excelling by getting the basics right, every shot
• Having fun

This class provides an overview of many of the basics of film production from concept to final cut. The main topics include:

• story and script
• camera work
• shot flow
• lighting
• directing actors
• editing
• students shooting a scene with professional actors

Kevin and Barry's filmmaking resume is extensive:

• Created a scripted comedy pilot for FOX Television Studios
• Created a pilot, "Dog" for under $100 which:
  
  • Won "Best Overall TV Show" at the 2009 Independent Television Festival
  • Won "Best Drama" at the 2009 New York Television Festival
• Won the 2009 DC 48 Hour Film Project, Best Film, Writing, Effects and Costume
• Won the 2008 48 Hour Panasonic HD Showdown
• Won the 2007 DC 48 Hour Film Project, Best Film, Writing, Acting
• Had many additional festival screenings and awards

Kevin and Barry are highly acclaimed instructors at Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA), where they teach a large range of week-long classes as part of the nine-month certificate program. They have also spoken on panels at the New York Television Festival and New York Comic Con on making your own television show, among others.

More information on CDIA: http://www.cdiabu.com/overview/washington-campus.php
see Kevin's Good's IMDB listing
see Barry Gribble's IMDB listing

The Integral Arts production demo reel

EDIT:  Barry has a last-minute trip.  I will be going ahead with the class, but we'll be limiting the atendees to 8 people, so as to still give everyone the personalized attention.  Everything else remains the same, just one instructor and a smaller class.

-K

Registration in advance is required - no walk-ins. Email classes@integralarts.com to reserve your seat.

This is a one-day hands-on filmmaking class for novice to intermediate filmmakers with two of the premiere filmmakers/instructors in the DC area - Kevin Good and Barry Gribble. Kevin and Barry focus their classes on:

• Making films that look and sound better without spending more money
• Using a hands-on, interactive approach to learning
• Excelling by getting the basics right, every shot
• Having fun

This class provides an overview of many of the basics of film production from concept to final cut. The main topics include:

• story and script
• camera work
• shot flow
• lighting
• directing actors
• editing
• students shooting a scene with professional actors

Kevin and Barry's filmmaking resume is extensive:

• Created a scripted comedy pilot for FOX Television Studios
• Created a pilot, "Dog" for under $100 which:
  
  • Won "Best Overall TV Show" at the 2009 Independent Television Festival
  • Won "Best Drama" at the 2009 New York Television Festival
• Won the 2009 DC 48 Hour Film Project, Best Film, Writing, Effects and Costume
• Won the 2008 48 Hour Panasonic HD Showdown
• Won the 2007 DC 48 Hour Film Project, Best Film, Writing, Acting
• Had many additional festival screenings and awards

Kevin and Barry are highly acclaimed instructors at Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA), where they teach a large range of week-long classes as part of the nine-month certificate program. They have also spoken on panels at the New York Television Festival and New York Comic Con on making your own television show, among others.

More information on CDIA: http://www.cdiabu.com/overview/washington-campus.php
see Kevin's Good's IMDB listing
see Barry Gribble's IMDB listing

The Integral Arts production demo reel

This week MAGfest kicks off.  It's four days of nonstop video game madness at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in VA.  My brother Paul (who's 3D graphics wizardry you've seen in Gwendolyn Dangerous and the Great Space Rescue, amongst other things) is one of the head organizers.  He spends the better part of his year putting this event together.

Basically MAGfest is 96 hours straight of:

Playing video games, playing old video games, playing new video games, talking about future video games, listening to concerts of live bands performing music from video games, playing arcade games, playing console games, playing LAN/PC-based games, occasionally dressing like people from video games, competing in video game tournaments, [attempting] setting video game world records, and even playing board (not video) games.  There's also a jam-room for musical types.  Just walk in any time 24 hours a day and get your groove on.  It's like RockBand but with better animation and worse music.

Pre-registration is $40, at the door is $45, and there are one-day passes available for $25, which is a lot less than most people I know spend at D&B in an evening.  And there's no comparison here:  we're talking around two thousand gamers getting together to eat sleep and breathe the best games of all time.  The event kicks off with a New Year's celebration and goes through the 4th.

I'll be there taking pictures, helping at the reg-desk, and of course kicking my brother's ass at Race Drivin'.  For more info, and to preregister, visit the MAGfest site.  I'll see you there!

Once again, I had a cooler weekend than you.  First of all, mad shout-out to Patrick for winning the song contest I mentioned in my last post.  Good on ya'.  Do I get a check as a 'finder's fee' or do you just pay me cash?  I'm not sure how it works?

Last week we had the priviledge of participating in the 48 Hour Film Project International Shootout.  Since we won 'Best Film' in DC this year with Gwendolyn Dangerous and the Great Space Rescue, we got to compete in the shootout round in which the best teams from around the globe make another movie for the top honors of the year.  It's like the Superbowl.  But movies instead of football.  And there are a lot more teams.  And it's international.  And the pay is worse.

This is the second chance we've had to take part, the first was two years ago after winning the DC round with 'The Kumbio Takedown'.  I am so glad that we made it again.  Our first effort on this massive stage was possibly the worst thing Barry & I have ever written (notice no link to that one).  Well 7pm last Friday night we kicked off an opportunity to vindicate ourselves.  We got the word that the required elements for this movie were simply: feature the city we're in, and it's the end of the world.  And although I expect some seriously stiff competition from around the world, I am confident in saying we have thrown our hats into the ring with vigor.

The festival is trying to work out a DVD distribution deal for some of the choiciest films, which means I won't be able to feature the movie on this site for some time.  You'll have to befriend me and come watch my DVD in person.  For now you can make do with this behind-the-scenes still photo of some of the cast & crew watching the first cut-in-progress.  We were watching the assembly of the first scene whilst mid-shoot on the rest.  The name of the movie?

"12-25"

A shout-out today to Patrick who recently submitted a song for the 48 Hour Film Project song contest.  As I gear up for our winners-round of the 48 HFP next weekend, it seems appropriate.  Everyone who has taken part in a 48 before hears this and laughs their asses off.  Those who haven't: well, actually I don't know anyone that has not taken part in one of these.  I don't get out much.

"Cooler Weekend" by Patrick Tyrrell

Lyrics:

God needed six days to create His world.
I'll take a third of that and give it a whirl.
And though Jack Bauer gets more done in only half the time,
he doesn't have to incorporate some preset prop and line.
48 hours isn't much time to compose a hit,
but life is short and this short film's sure to make the most of it.
So it really doesn't matter what you look like, say, or do
I know that I had a cooler weekend than you.
It's 3am on Sunday, I feel like crap.
I've been too busy to eat, drink, bathe, or nap.
Here I sit alone in my dark editing bay,
cursing my actors as they beauty-sleep their nights away.
Work on monday's going to suck but here's what gets me through:
I know that I had a cooler weekend than you.
The eleventh hour normally means the home stretch,
but at that point the script is still a sketch.
At hour 47 we'll burn the DVD, it feels so good to watch that bastard rendering. Still rendering ... It's taking a really long time to render.
Is the progress bar moving at all?
What the fuck do you mean I don't have the right codecs installed?
The stakes are high, the time is short It's cinema, designed as sport.
Even if we don't win, just ask any of our crew:
We made a movie and possibly some friends. We'll tell you all about it but you'll never comprehend how hard it was but good it felt to get to the end.
We know that we had a cooler weekend than you ... ... at the 48 hour film project!

Registration in advance is required - no walk-ins. Email classes@integralarts.com to reserve your seat.

This is a one-day hands-on filmmaking class for novice to intermediate filmmakers with two of the premiere filmmakers/instructors in the DC area - Kevin Good and Barry Gribble. Kevin and Barry focus their classes on:

• Making films that look and sound better without spending more money
• Using a hands-on, interactive approach to learning
• Excelling by getting the basics right, every shot
• Having fun

This class provides an overview of many of the basics of film production from concept to final cut. The main topics include:

• story and script
• camera work
• shot flow
• lighting
• directing actors
• editing
• students shooting a scene with professional actors

Kevin and Barry's filmmaking resume is extensive:

• Created a scripted comedy pilot for FOX Television Studios
• Created a pilot, "Dog" for under $100 which:
  
  • Won "Best Overall TV Show" at the 2009 Independent Television Festival
  • Won "Best Drama" at the 2009 New York Television Festival
• Won the 2009 DC 48 Hour Film Project, Best Film, Writing, Effects and Costume
• Won the 2008 48 Hour Panasonic HD Showdown
• Won the 2007 DC 48 Hour Film Project, Best Film, Writing, Acting
• Had many additional festival screenings and awards

Kevin and Barry are highly acclaimed instructors at Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA), where they teach a large range of week-long classes as part of the nine-month certificate program. They have also spoken on panels at the New York Television Festival and New York Comic Con on making your own television show, among others.

More information on CDIA: http://www.cdiabu.com/overview/washington-campus.php
see Kevin's Good's IMDB listing
see Barry Gribble's IMDB listing

The Integral Arts production demo reel

"Dog", fresh on the heels of a "Best Television Show" award at the Independent TV Festival, took home the best-in-category award of "Best Drama" at the 2009 New York Television Festival.  As Barry said in the acceptance speech, this is both awesome, awesome, and awesome.  I don't have an official laurel to include so I've made one myself!  :)

We also had a blast, met a ton of great people caught up with old friends.  You can see more photos on my flickr page.

In other news:  I'll be talking on a panel tomorrow night (Sept 29th) for the DC Professional Digital Filmmakers September Meetup.  The event takes place at Interface Video at 6:30pm, and all are welcome.  If you are going to come out, send me an e-mail (you can through the "About Us" menu link) so we can meet up.  AWESOME!

Address for the meetup:

1233 20th St NW # 203
Washington, DC 20036-2304

And more info at the meetup website.

Greetings from the MegaBus to New York. The New York Television Festival (NYTVF) runs this week mostly at the New World Stages in midtown Manhattan. 'Dog', recent winner of the top prize at the LA Independent TV Festival, and an official selection of the Independent Pilot Competition for the NYTVF, will be screening Thursday @ 9:45pm and Saturday.@ 2:15pm. Tickets only cost a service charge, you just need to reserve them online. So those of you in the megalopolis area be sure to come check out what all the hype (if you can call my posts on this site that) is about.

But wait: it gets better/more ridiculous: I'll also be on a panel discussion at the festival. That's right, someone has decided that they want to hear what Senhor Gribble and I have to say about producing independent TV pilots. The icing on this cake is that there's going to be a live webcast of this bout of awkwardness. So wherever you are on the planet Earth, watch us Saturday at 4pm EST! Then you can comment endlessly about the panel; it will make me feel like a massive celebrity.