Rewriting History: IAWTV Style

This could have been a good week. The IAWTV town hall meeting on Wednesday, the apocalypse on Thursday and an epic struggle for the future of the planet on Friday. How could anything go wrong? Well, it did.

The IAWTV town hall meeting was an opportunity to set a new agenda. Power struggles often create internal tensions that allow for solutions to come forward and in one moment of clarity the future becomes visible. The IAWTV Los Angeles town hall meeting by all accounts was not that moment.

What had been assumed by many in the community to be a struggle between a Wayne-Felicia coalition and the "Tubefilter guys" for the future direction of the IAWTV never materialized and the meeting was more like one of those firework rockets that fizzled but never leaves the bottle. What went wrong?

The Streamy Awards were held on April 11, 2010. What followed what many now describe as a "debacle" was a fairly vigorous debate but it mostly focussed on the Streamys and less the IAWTV. The hope was that the internal struggle within the Board of Directors of the IAWTV would now create the opportunity for quick and effective change.

Everyone knows that there needs to be drastic changes to the Board of the IAWTV and that was never more apparent than from what happened at the town hall meeting. Listening to your membership is one thing but they had weeks to do that and this seem more like a play for extra time for the status quo rather than a game changing move. That said, they did promise change in the future but the phrase "too little, too late" jumps to mind.

So how did this happen? On April 12, 2010 Wayne, as chairman of the IAWTV, wrote an open and frank "Letter from the Chair" which was really the first indication we had of discontent from within the relatively quiet Board of Directors of the IAWTV which seems to prefer to keep their operations behind closed doors. On around April 26, 2010 the TF guys countered with "Rebuild the Trust" which was an agenda that showed they had listened to critics and then came up with suggestions to appease the angry crowd but leave Tubefilter in ownership control of the Streamy Awards. This initiative found little support and their discussion board became a litany of unanswered questions; some going right to one of the core issues of how the IAWTV members were selected and more importantly why specific people were rejected for no apparent reason.

Then word of IAWTV town hall meetings began to surface and on May 3, 2010 a new 'Letter to the Membership" appeared on the IAWTV web site that talked about the role of the town hall meetings. What was less apparent was that this letter which was now signed by both Brady of Tubefilter and Wayne, the chairman of the IAWTV was not a new post, but rather an edit of the original post which appears to no longer exist. There are many, many links on blogs about the Streamys to a post that has been fundamentally changed. Talk about rewriting history!

Clearly something had changed but it would not become clear until the actual meeting what it was. The most likely scenario is that Wayne (and possibly a few other Board members) had probably struck a compromise deal with the TF guys behind closed doors and they are still working out "details" before bringing the plan to the full body of the IAWTV. Sure, there are mechanisms to give feedback but with the Rebuild The Trust discussion board being taken down members now have to use a discussion board on the IAWTV web site which is not viewable to the public. Anyone see the draw bridge being raised?

Is this how you, the web series community, want to see the IAWTV being run? Some members of the IAWTV probably support this direction because it seems like an easy path forward, but it is not. It is a path to revise the status quo with its core problems of conflict of interest and back room deals. Only with true structural reform can the "award show" be removed from the "ugly underbelly" of controversy that has in the past divided the community into "insiders with power," and "the rest of us." In a best case scenario groups like the IAWTV lend them self to accusations of bias and elitism and that is why the IAWTV and an award show it owns need to be set up with clear systems of checks and balances that prevent that from happening.

To prevent the draw bridge from being raised the community and the membership of the IAWTV really only have two options. The first is to accept the status quo. The second is to lay siege to the castle.

The second which seems like the sensible alternative is for the membership of the IAWTV to call for an immediate dissolution of the current Board of Directors of the IAWTV and a membership initiative to hold an extraordinary special election of a new Board of Directors for the IAWTV. This would clear the deck and allow for vigorous healthy growth into the future. Only once that Board is in place should they decide with their membership, and the community at large, how any award show will be run and hopefully the IAWTV would choose to own and operate its own show because that goes to the core of the problem. It is not that the Tubefilter guys are bad or have not worked hard. It is simply a matter of them having created the wrong structure and ensured its failure by forwarding an agenda that favored their own internal needs. The membership of the IAWTV and the community need to ensure that that mistake does not perpetuate itself and a special election would at least give their membership a clear and decisive voice.

The good news is that the rest of the week went well and the season finales of Supernatural and Smallville were both epic.

mm

Other reactions to the IAWTV Town Hall Meeting
http://www.webseriestoday.com/2010/05/community-reaction-to-iawtv-town-hall.html

Original image for the story icon: http://www.pbase.com/carrhighlander/image/43074555

The Door Opens- StormGenie

StormGenie — May 14, 2010 — It's good to see you again, my friends.
How long has it been?
It's hard to tell from here, you see.
Ever since that wonderful, lovely Bitch sought to put an end to me.
I've been here ever since...traveling...
...through your phones...your cables and wires...your televisions and computers.
You invite me into your home with the flick of a switch and you stare at your screen...
unaware that I am staring back at you.

I am the god in the machine.
So, smile for me, my friends...while I search...

Music: incompetech.com

http://bobsamuels-innerworld.blogspot.com/

A Good Knight’s Quest: Episode 12

Agent Zero has to find a way to get her allies free, without being detected.

The Steps

The Steps - video blog #7


The Steps Ep. 7 - "Falling Further"

www.followthesteps.net. Phipps starts taking a keen interest in this interloper from Los Angeles that Simpson told him about, and confronts Charlie with some pointed questions about his whereabouts on the night of the bartenders murder. Scared as hell, Charlie turns to one, then another member of his recovery group for guidance and help. But his presence on Doris front porch is no more welcome than it is in the city limits by the Chattanooga detective.

Level 26 News

Quick Clicks: Craigslist Web Series, Break’s Dew Pilots, ‘Level 26′, ‘inTransit’

Justine Bateman has signed on for a role in the second season of Anthony Zuiker’s ‘digi-novel’ series Level 26, according to a tweet today from the Easy to Assemble star

http://news.tubefilter.tv/2010/05/13/quick-clicks-craigslist-web-series-breaks-dew-pilots-level-26-intransit

Community Reaction to the IAWTV Town Hall Meeting

It was surprising how little was said by the board of directors considering how many of us have written blog posts about our ideas on where to go from here.

http://www.caseymckinnon.com/blog/appearances/2010/05/13/all-talk-no-action-yet/

IAWTV TOWN HALL MEETING – A SUMMARY AND THOUGHTS

This proved to me that there is a great need for the discussions and issues brought up in these meetings to make their way out into the internet community at large.

http://www.jennipowell.com/2010/05/14/iawtv-town-hall-meeting-a-summary-and-thoughts

New Mediacracy # 13 The One About the IAWTV

... if one is interested in the functioning of the IAWTV it is worth the time.

http://www.webseriestoday.com/2010/05/new-mediacracy-13-one-about-iawtv.html

The IAWTV Is Figuring Out What It Wants To Be When It Grows Up

One of the big revelations to come out of the meeting was the fact that the IAWTV simply hasn’t come together as an organization yet.


http://newteevee.com/2010/05/13/the-iawtv-is-figuring-out-what-it-wants-to-be-when-it-grows-up/

I Heart Vampires: Temptation - take180com

Watch episodes one week early at http://www.take180.com/vamp... William makes Nick an offer that's hard to refuse.

Ashrab min Damhum / Diary 1 - AshrabminDamhum

I just need to show everyone what's happening. I need everyone to know.

The Twisperers

Meet Harold Procter. He’s an ex-soldier, he served in Iraq, and he’s in possession of a mysterious jewel-encrusted box.

http://www.argn.com/2010/05/the_twisperers/

ARG Update

66 Letters: A Mystery from the Not-So-Distant Past

Several German ARG players, along with two Americans, myself included, were sent vintage cassette tapes made in “Western-Germany.”

http://www.argn.com/2010/05/66_letters_a_mystery_from_the_not-so-distant_past/

Lost Souls: Burning Sky Opens New Trilogy for Young Adults

2012 marks the end of the world in the Mayan calendar, and, in Lost Souls: Burning Sky, 13-year-old Nathan Richards must play the Game of Lost Souls to win mankind a place in the new world cycle.

http://www.argn.com/2010/05/lost_souls_burning_sky_opens_new_trilogy_for_young_adults/

Lewis Hamilton Completes His First Mission

Earlier this year, Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton sent out a call for help, but not with his racing career – he uses his globe-trotting lifestyle to track down and recover stolen works of art, and his latest case was proving a tough nut to crack.

http://www.argn.com/2010/05/lewis_hamilton_completes_his_first_mission/

"Bumps in the Night" Live Tip #12: Headshots

28 days later, you're still dead on account of being stupid.

Chicken Roll-ups for Dinner - eastgirlie3

This video for the Real Women of Philadelphia Contest teaches you how I make my FAVORITE childhood recipe - chicken roll-ups. Now that I'm a pescetarian and only eat fish, I thought I would also make a crabmeat version. Both are delicious and can be made with low-fat options!

Digital Hollywood 2010 Content Summit Panel Wrap Up Part IV

This is the final part of our wrap up coverage of some of the Content Summit panels at Digital Hollywood 2010. In these panel wrap ups I'll give you what I felt were the key points made by the panelists followed by a Key Panel Takeaway. You can also read Part I Part II, PartIII. If you are interested in some of the other panels from Digital Hollywood video is available on their site.

The Multi-Hyphenate: Actor-Writer-Director-Facebook Expert

• Jeanne Wolf, West Coast Editor, Parade Magazine, Moderator
• Kevin Pollak, Actor, Creator, Vamped Out- Pollack stressed you need both a champion and a home. He announced there would be a Season 2 of Vamped Out.
• Joshua Malina, Creator, Backwash- Backwash is a 13 part series that will appear on Crackle. It’s about three guys who inadvertently rob a bank with a salami. The story has had many incarnations from TV pilot, to film, to stage play before finally becoming a web series.
• David Nett, Actor, Creator, Gold- Gold was originally a screenplay. Nett announced they are currently making Season 2.
• Brett Register, Actor, Creator, The Crew- Register explained that the first three episodes of The Crew were written as a TV pilot. When they started to put episodes online they just kept making them until the web caught up.
• Key Panel Takeaway- All panelists cited creative freedom as a prime motivator in creating for the web. All, (except Malina whose show hasn’t premiered yet) have targeted online forums to look for audience. Register targeted Star Trek forums, Nett went to Dungeons and Dragon forums and Pollack went to vampire sites.

New Mediacracy # 13 The One About the IAWTV

On this week's episode of New Mediacracy, hosts Chris McCaleb, Zadi Diaz, and Steve Woolf are joined by Casey McKinnon and Rudy Jahchan from A Comicbook Orange, Brett Register from The Crew and A Good Knight's Quest, Barrett Garese from Spytap, and Tony Valenzuela from Harper's Globe and The Phil DeFranco Show. As always New Mediacracy is less about being a structured podcast and more about a group of people discussing various topics, much like the Victorian philosophy groups but with less drinking and fewer orgies. Therefore, a rough outline of the various topics is below in order to make it easier to follow along, because if one is interested in the functioning of the IAWTV it is worth the time.

The episode is available for streaming at the show's website or the MP3 can be downloaded directly from here.

The Rundown

• 3:30 Introductions
• 17:20 Streamy Talk
• 18:30 IAWTV Meeting
• 27:15 Recounting of the meeting
• 37:45 Back to the Streamys (community, voting, celebrities and validation)
• 46:20 should the Streamys be in LA?
• 51:10 Back to the IAWTV Meeting
• 53:20 Gatekeepers
• 54:00 Lack of communication and a disconnect with the board
• 1:03:00 Doesn't the Academy have some responsibility?
• 1:10:30 Gatekeepers again
• 1:16:50 New Media west
• 1:20:40 The board should be doing stuff
• 1:23:30 Back to the Streamys
• 1:25:50 Back to the Meeting
• 1:35:00 "We're not an executing body"
• 1:39:40 Buzzwords
• 1:42:20 Michael Wayne
• 1:45:20 Vacumm of leadership

Digital Hollywood 2010 Content Summit Panel Wrap Up Part III

I was able to catch a few panels at Digital Hollywood 2010 and just about all of them were for the Content Summit. In these panel wrap ups I'll give you what I felt were the key points made by the panelists followed by a Key Panel Takeaway.

The Writer as Entrepreneur

• FX Feeney, writer, moderator
• Christian Taylor, Writer/Director/Producer, Valemont- Electric Farm presold the concept of a show about vampires in college before he was brought in to write it.
• Kaleena Kiff, Writer/Director/Producer, Riese- Riese was made with private investment and shot in Canada. It was originally a short film. Kiff explained they wanted to take advantage of all the talent that is already up in Canada shooting television shows. It’s important for them to remain transmedia oriented and if/when the show makes it to TV it would have companion webisodes.
• Ruth Livier, Writer/Producer/Actress, Ylse- Ylse originated as a half hour pilot. The dialog is written in Spanglish then versions are subtitled in both English and Spanish to maximize audience.
• Randy & Jason Sklar,Writer/Producer/Actor, Back on Topps, Cheap Seats- The Sklars would rather do a web series than a pilot that no one would ever see.
• David Fickas, Writer/Director/Producer/Performer, The IceMan Chronicles- The IceMan Chronicles, a Twin Peaks style comedy was created for 15Gigs and then distributed to My Damn Channel.
• Key Panel Takeaway- Once you attain a certain level you are able to bring advertisers onboard.

This is Part III, you can read Part I and Part II. If you are interested in some of the other panels from Digital Hollywood video is available on their site.

On This Day In Lonelygirl15 History: May 12, 2006 - The Birth of an Era

Can you believe it? It was four years ago today, on May 12, 2006, that the Lonelygirl15 account was created on Youtube, and the domain lonelygirl15.com was anonymously registered.

These events are becoming real history now--they aren't last month's gossip anymore.

Yet, the immense impact that Lonelygirl15 had on the internet has never really been written about. At least not in the way that longtime readers of this website know it.

Bree launched a new industry that had sky-high hopes and spawned great experimentation in web video. Whole networks for web video were launched, thousands of webseries were created, talent agencies and web-talent divisions were created. Deals were struck left and right between social media sites, networks, music companies, you name it. Even websites covering web video and web video award shows appeared. Hundreds of panel discussions and conferences have been held about web video, and that's just counting the ones that included someone from the lonelygirl15 team. Vibrant online communities were created that revolved simply around being the audience for web video, and interacting and creating in return.

And hundreds of later-famous vloggers were inspired by Bree, even if many of them wouldn't readily admit it. But the 16-year-olds of today are watching them, and being inspired in turn.

And many millions were made and lost. Even mega-millions: Via KateModern, lonelygirl15 made a so-so website known as Bebo look so cutting edge that a desparate-to-be-relevant AOL spent $850 million in CASH to acquire it.

And sitting here on May 12, 2010, after the Creators mercifully admitted last month that Lonelygirl15 is kaput, we know that making sustained money on a webseries is next to impossible. Any one that tells you different is either wishing, lying, or Felicia Day.

But the original spark of lonelygirl15, before the money got involved (because we all need to eat), was about entertainment, and about interaction and creativity, and about being new and groundbreaking. Which is why, when there is "another lonelygirl15"--it won't look anything like lonelygirl15. But it will generate that same special feeling of excitement and true awe that is, in my experience, very rare.

And if you find it first, please let me know.

One year ago:


Two years ago:


Three years ago:


Summer 2006:




See all This Day in Lg15 History posts.

The Web.Files #38 - Urban Wolf

On this week’s episode of The Web.Files the effervescent Kristyn Burtt interviews Laurent Touil-Tartour, the creator of Urban Wolf, winner of the best drama category at the ITVFest last year. Tartour took an interesting course to funding his series; he pitched it as a startup to venture capitalists, a bold move that paid off for the French writer - director. In the interview he recounts his experience making the series, his plans for future seasons, and his own bout with paranoia, which inspired the series.

Urban Wolf is a gritty drama about the pervasiveness of security cameras in modern society. The series centers on a newly arrived American tourist in Paris, who is stalked by a security camera operator for unknown reasons. The series was the recipient of the best drama award at last year’s ITVFest and is scheduled to debut on Crackle on May 13th.

Ten Questions with Felicia Day

Felicia Day answers questions from Reddit users. The video is rather lengthy, clocking in at over 1/2 an hour, but as one can expect Day is both witty and charming and easily makes the time fly by. However, if one is pressed for time, or feels like skipping ahead, the various questions and links to her responses are delineated below for quick viewing.

1. If you could have any acting job you wanted, what would your dream gig be? → Watch Response
2. You're in a desert, walking along in the sand, when all of a sudden you look down and see a tortoise. It's crawling toward you. You reach down and you flip the tortoise over on its back. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping.
   Why is that, Felicia? → Watch Response
3. Given the success of low-budget projects like Dr. Horrible and The Guild, it appears that money (particularly equipment costs) are becoming less of a barrier to entry for aspiring film makers. → Watch Response
4. If you had the opportunity to hire developers to craft a sequel for any game you've ever played, which game would that be? → Watch Response
5. The Guild is said to be partly based on your past WoW addiction. Are any of the characters on the show based on people you actually used to play with? Also, why weren't the people in my guild nearly that interesting? → Watch Response
6. Now that you've had a good taste of both styles of work, when you're acting in someone else's production, do you feel more relieved that you don't have to be involved in writing, production, and editing, or more freaked out that you can't? → Watch Response
7. Do you get much fan mail? What's the weirdest thing you have received? → Watch Response
8. Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like? → Watch Response
9. Quite recently there has been a fair amount of discussion on sexism, or the lack of sexism, towards female gamers. As a female gamer yourself what has your experience been while on-line, in the past and in the present? → Watch Response
10. What is one question you haven't been asked in an interview before that you wish you would have been asked, and what is your answer to that question? → Watch Response

The Webventures of Justin & Alden Ep. 3: Back to the Present

"Season 1 Ep. 1.3 Two words. Vampires! OK, we know that's just one word. Justin & Alden fight a battle of wits against Hollywood's latest craze, then find themselves within reach of their ultimate goal: getting to the Streamy Awards to give Felicia Day their web series script! Special appearances by Scott Chernoff, Adam Leiphart, Jessica Rose, Douglas Sarine and Taryn Southern. Tell us what you think at http://facebook.com/tridentgum."

PEN your story challenge- Olympus

"Now's your chance to get the new PEN E-PL1 and $5,000 to make the creative project you always dreamed of. Simply submit a video proposal to the Olympus YouTube Channel telling us what you want to create with the PEN E-PL1. It can be anything — a funny short film, a mini-documentary, an amazing slideshow — just as long as its uniquely you.

Six entrants will be awarded $5,000 and a new Olympus PEN E-PL1 to bring their proposal to life, and one grand prize winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York to show their work at the US Open. So go ahead, PEN your story and start sharing it with your friends — online viewers will help determine who advances."

Digital Hollywood 2010 Content Summit Panel Wrap Up Part II

I was able to catch a few panels at Digital Hollywood 2010 and just about all of them were for the Content Summit. In these panel wrap ups I'll give you what I felt were the key points made by the panelists followed by a Key Panel Takeaway. This is Part II, you can read Part I here. If you are interested in some of the other panels from Digital Hollywood video is available on their site.

Web Series Development- Pilot Season Without a Net.

• Miles Beckett, CEO Eqal, Creator, Lonelygirl15, Moderator- This panel marks Miles’ first appearance as moderator. Beckett advocates a slow grow approach. He recommends building marketing into the content. Beckett feels shows should embrace interactivity and the lack of a fourth wall.
• Hayden Black, Creator, Good Night Burbank- Black warns after the show is created, you’re just starting and if you’re not prepared to do all the non-creative work yourself maybe it’s not for you. Back in the days where only a handful of content existed, they were on the front page of all the video sites. Today what appears on the front pages are not viral but paid for by studios.
• Chris McCaleb, Partner, Big Fantastic- McCaleb feels when you work with a studio you have more money which translates into higher production quality and better distribution but when you remain independent you retain complete control. He knowing what other shows are out there and not do that but be unique. McCaleb agrees with Beckett that when you own your own IP you can exploit if over time.
• Will Marks, Head of Business Development, Monkey Wrangler Productions, Code Monkeys- Marks revealed that they don’t do projects without a corporate partner to do the non-creative. When they work with a corporate brand they build marketing into the budget. Marks commented that working with a corporate partner is not selling out. He recommends creators build a reputation by establishing a portfolio. Partnerships=people who can vouch for you. They can make 6-7 figures on their projects.
• Jim Lauderback, CEO, Revision3- Lauderback says when you do it yourself you prove what you can do. That’s when they like to come in because they are really good at selling and bringing in sponsors. He told how the Annoying Orange brought in iJustine (as a pomegranate) to access her audience. Revision3 don’t look at the web as training wheels for TV. He also reveals some of their shows gross over a million dollars.
• R Blank, Armor Blank- If you know you aren’t capable or comfortable doing SEO and social media marketing then get someone.
• Key Panel Takeaway- I thought this panel was about the process of getting a web series onto distributions channels. It was about taking web series off the net and onto TV. This panel for me really illuminates the chasm that exists between the haves and the have-nots. It’s really easy to say make corporate partnerships; it’s a lot harder to do. A good portion of the panelists made their reputation in a different era. As a result they are at a higher level than anyone starting out today who a) don't have that advantage and b) can't really duplicate what they did to get to that level. The bottom line is if you are starting from square one, there is no magic bullet. You are on your own and be prepared for the long haul.

Looking For Awesome: An Open Casting Call

Looking For Awesome: An Open Casting Call from John Cabrera on Vimeo.

"SO WHAT IS THIS?: Quite simply, my team and I are casting for a musical webseries, and we’re looking everywhere we can. If you know someone who may be right for this, please share this page or the video with them. Help us get the word out. If you think you’re right for this, please let us see what you can do. If you’re a musician with little acting experience, that’s okay at this point… we’re open to seeing what you can do never the less. The music in this series will be critical to its success, so that’s where we’re starting. Cool?"

Source: Casey McKinnon's Twitter

LGPedia Goes 436

It seems like our beloved LGPedia has fallen victim to the 436. If you try and access http://www.lg15.com/lgpedia on LG15.com it appears to just re-direct to the home page. At this point their is no indication of what happened to it.

Iamamiwhoami is a Mandrake!

Becky Germann Crider explains what the codes are and also gives us information about the ancient stories of mandrake.

http://www.ihavesynth.com/wehavesynth/iamamiwhoami-mandrake

Source: BYH/femaleprodigy

See previous article:
http://www.webseriestoday.com/2010/05/u-2-iamamiwhoami.html

Introducing ONLINE WEB SERIES SCHOOL

Mission and Objective:
The Online Web Series School seeks to give people an inside look at the process of making web series through video interviews with the insiders themselves: directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, writers, actors and much more.

http://www.webseriesnetwork.com/profiles/blogs/introducing-online-web-series