First Weekend on Toyota Live in LA!

It's always fun to have guests on Toyota Live and this weekend was no exception.  We had a few fun guests to liven up a very busy weekend at the LA Auto Show.  First up, Tay Zonday, a YouTube sensation from his video, "Chocolate Rain".  If you haven't seen it yet, where have you been?  He has over 74 million hits.  When I first interviewed him for The Web Files in 2009, he "only" had 34 million hits.  Tay has one of the best voices in the world in terms of depth and vocal quality.  It was awesome to have him open up the show.

Our scheduled guests for the show included Toyota NHRA drag racers, Del Worsham and Alexis DeJoria.  Del's top speed in one of his top fuel dragster?  Only 327 MPH.  Pretty impressive from a world champion.  Alexis comes to the NHRA with an interesting background as her dad owns the Paul Mitchell hair care and the Patron tequila empire.  You wouldn't expect someone with that background to enter the NHRA circuit, but she's an incredible driver with an exciting future after her big win in Seattle this year.

Me, Del Worsham,Trackside Tina, Alexis DeJoria, and Matt Troyer after the show.

Finally, I love this photo (see below)!  You look at a photo like this and think, "what the heck is going on?"  Well, it's your turn to caption the photo.  Leave your quote in the comments below.  I will pick a winner on Monday, November 28th.  I have a great prize for the ladies filled with makeup and mani/pedi goodies.  If a gentleman wins, don't worry, I will find something good for you in the KB prize closet.  Ready, set...be creative!

What the heck is going on here?

Publicity and Web Series

A few months back I did a post on the Dos and Don'ts on the Red Carpet and I think it is time to write a companion piece called Publicity and Web Series.  I am going to throw out a few guidelines that are specific to The Web Files, but I know there are new media journalists out there that are seeing some similar issues.  Liz Shannon Miller at NewTeeVee has posted some helpful guidelines for submitting your show to her for review, but what is pure comedy is the email she received this week.  It made me realize that it was time to write the post that has been formulating in my head for awhile.  


We all know that publicity is a key component to driving viewers to your show and keeping the buzz out there in the web series world.  I would imagine most of the Streamy-nominated shows have seen a nice lift in viewership over the last six weeks, you want to keep that momentum going.  How do you do it?  Here are some suggestions:


1. Festivals:  I have really started to pay attention to what is happening on the festival circuit from ITVFest to NY Television Festival to SXSW.   Take a look at the success stories from ITVFest 2009....Al Thompson with an Atom.com deal, MERRIme.com with distribution on The Frisky, Oz Girl's Streamy award (and more news to come), and Urban Wolf's distribution deal with Crackle.  It is thrilling to watch the success happen in less than a year's time.  The festival circuit is a great place to start to create some buzz, so head on over and submit your series.


**Update:  This category continues to grow and I want to make sure to get some of those higher profile festivals out there for you to check out:  iTVFest, NYTV Festival, AFI DigiFest, Comic Con, and Sundance's New Media Lab.  Good luck! **


2.  Networking Events:  There seems to be a new media event, launch party, red carpet, screening, or meet-up each week.  While we see a lot of the same faces over and over, it isn't a bad thing to stop in and hand out a business card or two if you are ready to launch your show.  In fact, we nabbed our first two interviews for The Web Files at Geek Out 2009 by meeting Tay Zonday of Chocolate Rain fame and Brett Register of The Crew.  Without them, we wouldn't have had such a successful start to The Web Files. 


3.  Reviews and Interviews:  Now some of you are lucky enough to have new media publicists who take care of all of your publicity needs.  There are some fantastic representatives out there who are working  hard to promote the heck out of your show.  I can name seven publicists off of the top of my head that we have worked with on a consistent basis.  If you can afford a publicist, go for it.  It is tremendously helpful and it takes a lot of the burden off of your plate. 
    However, I know the reality of budgets in the web space and you are probably doing the publicity at the same time you are producing, writing, and starring in your show.  So, how do you give your series that extra push?  I have already given you Liz Shannon Miller's tips for "How to Pitch Me Your Web Series".  Everyone needs to remember this word, "pitch".  You should pitch your show in an email the same exact way you would pitch your show in a meeting with distribution executives.  In fact, this should be excellent practice for all of the meetings you will be taking after your web series is a huge hit, an award winner, and it opens doors on even bigger platforms.  That is exactly how the pitch should be handled.
    So, while I DO want links to your reviews from Tubefilter and NewTeeVee, here's what I don't particularly enjoy:  
          -"Check out my link.  You should interview me."  
          -"Why haven't you interviewed me yet?" or "When is it my turn?"
          -"The Streamys are over, so let's sit down so you can cover my show."
          -"Come interview us. We have an event tomorrow."
Yes, these are all direct quotes.  So, you can see I am getting some unprofessional emails and it is a little surprising.  I certainly can't email the studio publicists and say, "It's time for The Web Files to interview your talent.  We will be there tomorrow."  I have to pitch my show and let them know why it would be beneficial for their shows to be interviewed by us.  I submit a formal email with links, a press release and talent bios.  I want them to see The Web Files as a professional media outlet, not some hack entertainment web series.  Please treat your show with the same respect whether you are dealing with a small show like ours or a huge network like E!  You spent so much time and effort on the creative side of the business, remember that once it is completed and you are dealing with publicity, monetization, or distribution, it is all business. 
     The other issue is contacting us a day before your event.  If pre-production took a month for you, it will be the same for us.  We have a crew to organize, a show to plan, and we have to make sure I am in town. (Easier said than done during my travel season.)  I love covering events, but some notice is appreciated and it is necessary for us to produce a quality show for you.  I want to make sure I have done my research on the talent and we want to have our core crew on hand. Trust me, they are GOOD, so a little calendar courtesy goes a long way in our world.  


4.  Press Releases:   A simple and free way to get the word about your show out there on the net.  PRLog just requires a short registration and it is a fantastic way to get the word out about your news of season premieres, finales, distribution, and events.  We have utilized this service quite a bit and we always see a lift off of the press release.


5.  Timing:  Yes, timing is important in terms of publicity.  Take it from the master, Felicia Day.  When she is writing The Guild, she puts herself in a media blackout creating more of a demand for her when she returns.  I am sure she wants to avoid the distraction, but it is a brilliant idea.  When your show is launching, ending, there is distribution news, casting news, or a red carpet event, that is when you want to hit the PR wire.  That is exactly when we want to interview you too. We want launch our episode with you because it is a win-win in terms of buzz and viewership.  In fact, the next six interviews we are shooting involve: a Streamy winner, a launch, distribution news, casting news, DVD release, and a new media event.  As they say, timing is everything.


6.  Patience:  I think Liz said it best, "Please be patient with me. I eventually watch everything I’m sent, but I only write one review a day and you web series creators have been freakin’ BUSY."  I know at The Web Files, we are doing our best to keep up with your emails.  We do have an official list and we banter back and forth as to why we should do a particular series now or later.  It is an ongoing discussion and it changes each month.  The best example of that is our interview with the series, Chick.  It had been on our list for a long time, but the timing felt right in early 2010.  I even wrote about the timing in my Behind the Scenes post for Chick.  The show did extremely well for us in terms of views and we received more emails about this show than any other episode so far in 2010.  Chick has a lot of heart and I think that resonated with many viewers, so I was thrilled we gave a smaller show a boost and we felt like we did it at the right time.  


Where can you hone your PR skills? Well, I know there are several new media workshops going on in the month of May with NewMedialocity and WebTV Workshop, or you can go back to the basics with UCLA's Extension program and sign up for PR 101. I am hoping the Web TV seminars address the publicity issue in depth because it will be beneficial to many content creators.


I hope this was helpful to you from a media perspective.  I would love to hear your comments on this topic because I know many of you will have even better suggestions from a creator's point of view.  So, let's get some dialogue started! 


To submit to The Web Files:  TalkToTheWebFiles at Gmail dot com
We look forward to learning more about your web series!


**Update** I received an email from a content creator accusing me of being part of the LA web series "bubble" and some unknown clique out here.  I have to take issue with this.  We do not have a travel budget for The Web Files right now.  If you know of someone that would like to sponsor us, we would gladly take you up on that offer and cover web series all over the country. 
   Please do not accuse me of not supporting web series.  I have worked hard along with everyone else at The Web Files for FREE since May of 2009. We want to tell your stories and we are doing the best we can on our limited resources.  We are happy to cover any web series that is visiting LA and we try to take advantage of that situation whenever we can make that interview happen.  So, please keep me in the loop of your travels, especially if you are coming in for Digital Hollywood or itvfest.  Off my soapbox.  :) kb

PS.  I must be doing something right if I got my first piece of hate mail.  Yay!

Behind the Scenes of A Comicbook Orange

Cupcakes, yes, more cupcakes. I think it is starting to become a theme here at The Web Files. I'm going to blame this one on Casey McKinnon though. She agreed to an interview in exchange for a double chocolate cupcake. How could I say "no" to that? You ask for cupcakes, you will get cupcakes. So, now we have a Web Files cupcake trilogy with Tay Zonday, MERRIme.com, and A Comicbook Orange.

This was our very first shoot in 2010 and we headed on over to their apartment which doubles as a studio for A Comicbook Orange. Rudy and Casey's story is a fascinating one since they did not follow a traditional route into new media and film. Casey worked for a "dicklomat" (you must watch the episode until the end to understand this.) when they came up with some grand ideas for starting their own online network. Yes, I said NETWORK. I find that so darn ambitious and impressive, don't you? In the interview, you will see how that worked out for them, but it inspired the beginnings of Galacticast and A Comicbook Orange. It is also interesting to note that Casey was not the original host. Find out in the interview who was the face of the show first.

I think the other important thing to note about A Comicbook Orange is how much it has grown. If you look back at the first episode compared to the season premiere of Season 5, you will see the production values go up, the tighter editing and writing, and the strong show flow. A Comicbook Orange has found a good rhythm. In order to be a long running show, you have to change, adapt, and develop with the space and the viewers. I think Casey and Rudy are amazing examples of that. On the cutting room floor for this episode was a greater discussion on what it is like to have representation in this field. George Ruiz of ICM represents the duo and the show, but I think it is important for web content creators to understand how the relationship works in new media. For an actor, it is a more simple process: an agent represents you, you go on an audition that they secure for you, you either book it or don't book it, and then you might get some feedback from the casting director. In new media, it is about finding the right sponsors, distributors, partners, for each person and show. I think it is a more delicate balance and ongoing developing partnership in new media.

Finally, the cupcakes! Valley-dwellers, this is a new place to check out at the mall in Sherman Oaks. Fashion Square Mall has opened a cupcake extravaganza with Swirls Cupcakes. It is not to be missed. A plethora of choices, rich, moist cake, and the right amount of sweet frosting. As a cupcake connoisseur, they're delicious.

Coming later today on The Web Files, The Legend of Neil. If you missed our A Comicbook Orange episode (one of our hottest episodes to date), check it out here: A Comicbook Orange.

2009 in Review: May

May was another month I had to whittle down the photos because my month was jam-packed, but this time my work was based in LA. It was nice not to have to travel for once which is a rarity in my world.

I started working for a media outlet, Focus Hollywood, doing red carpet interviews. Unfortunately, the outlet was a victim of this lousy economy, but my interviews are still up. And yes, I am still looking for a media outlet for 2010. I miss doing my regular gigs. This event was A Time for Heroes at Universal Studios' Backlot.

One of my standing jobs with LawInfo. I have worked with these amazing people since 2008 and it is always a pleasure to head to San Diego to work with them. Notice my footwear....

The episode that started it all for The Web Files with Tay Zonday. We filmed at one of my favorite cupcake places in LA called Big Sugar. If you haven't seen Episode 1 in awhile, check it out here .

I am sure I was the envy of every guy out there when I covered the MAXIM Hot 100 party. It was one of the most challenging red carpets I have ever covered because it was filled with reality "stars" and C-listers. Oh, the gossip from this night! If you want to know the less than glamorous part of the red carpet, I will happily give you the scoop in exchange for a Coffee Bean tea latte.

The super fun GeekOut event with my EP, Sandra Payne. This was the event where we met Tay Zonday and the cast from The Crew where they agreed to be interviewed. Thank goodness our enthusiasm didn't scare them too much.
Come back tomorrow where June brings MJ coverage, more red carpet, and a day at the wax museum.

Behind the Scenes of This Week in YouTube

This was one of the most difficult episodes to schedule. If it wasn't my schedule crimping the shoot day, it was Shira Lazar's nutty schedule. It was hard to figure out when the two of us would be in town at the same time to shoot. It went from an August to a September to an October shoot. The calendar gods finally aligned and we hit the Mahalo Studios in Santa Monica on October 22nd.....the same day that I left for a job in Miami. (I told you it was tough to schedule.) Actually, my work life looks tame compared to the woman with a million jobs, Shira Lazar. She is one of the hardest working, savviest, and nicest hosts in the industry. Shira and I have crossed paths a few times, but we had never officially been introduced. Everyone kept tell me how fun and kind she is. You know what? They were right.

Now, I cannot forget about Lon Harris. I met Lon at the GeekOut event in May of 2009. That event certainly brought a lot of interviews for The Web Files. We met Tay Zonday, who was our first guest EVER on the show along with Brett Register of The Crew, which became our 2nd episode. So, one event netted three interviews along the way, guess it speaks volumes for power of networking. I find Lon to be sweet and funny all at once. He is the veteran host of This Week in YouTube and it is his steady presence and writing talent that helps drive the viewership of the show.

We were able to check out a taping of an episode which happened to be their first shoot using an TelePrompter. As any host knows, this is always a welcome sight since it takes half of the time to shoot versus memorization. They banged out the script and then sat down with us for an interview. You can definitely see why the show works as Shira and Lon have an easy natural chemistry off screen which carries over on screen. Lon also gave away some strong trade secrets on how to get hits on the saturated YouTube site. He is a master at drawing them in, so make sure to watch the interview!

Off-screen, Shira was really excited that we had brought our makeup artist, Melissa Anchondo to set with us that day since Mahalo does not use an artist for TWIYT. If you like Shira's hair and makeup in the episode, tell Melissa, it is all of her artistry. Also, Mahalo has a chef on the premise. How cool is that? I find that to be a very Google-like office perk.

Finally, I love my dress from Roni B. worn in this episode. Roni even let me borrow the shoes since I didn't have a pair to match. Thanks, Roni! Makeup provided by e.l.f. Don't forget to check out the episode below! Thanks for watching.....

Notice anyone hanging out in the background of this photo? The best set dog ever....Indiana!