_

2011-08-23T20:41:00.001-07:00

View Survey

Learning the Art of Drama

2011-06-16T12:31:00.002-07:00

Mortal Combat Viral Hit Demonstrates Bright Future for Web TV Series

2011-04-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Mortal Combat Viral Hit Demonstrates Bright Future for Web TV Series

Body Basics Slate

2011-03-01T23:32:00.001-07:00

Watch the Video

Created using After Effects, this is a slate designed for Body Basics. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: Microsoft Video (.avi), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v)

Tags: after effects, body basics, view from above, vfa, fitness, training, heath

Arizona Urban Arts - Slate

2011-02-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

Watch the Video

Arizona Urban Arts (AUA) was built to inform the world about the beauty of Arizona. Our mission is to create an open door gallery for all artists of Arizona to be known around the world. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v)

Tags: after effects, view from above, aua, vfa, motio ngrapics, arizona, arts, community, networking

Scriptwriting in the UK: Joss Whedon's Top 10 Writing Tips

2011-02-16T09:06:00.001-07:00

Scriptwriting in the UK: Joss Whedon's Top 10 Writing Tips: "At the Screenwriters’ Festival launch last week, I picked up 4talent Magazine from C4 reception. It’s an impressive and polished publicatio..."

What's New in 2011 - Partnerships

2011-01-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

What's New in 2011 - Partnerships: "

We are about 3 weeks in and already its been a great start to 2011. And now, we are introducing a new feature on IndieGoGo - Partner Pages!

We have some pretty amazing partner organizations that we have been working with for a while, and now we have made it easier to showcase their campaigns for everyone to see.

All of our partner affiliated campaigns have this orange ribbon indicating that they are a part of something bigger then just their campaign.

Perpetual Burn is fiscally-sponsored by SFFS The Bully Project is fiscally-sponsored by FA

IndieGoGo is all about evening the playing field with funding. Through our partnerships, we are helping organizations offer more fundraising tools to all of their clients. It's a win-win! Are you involved with an organization that might want to partner? Send us an email at partners@indiegogo.com.

Episodic Appeal – patterns of serialised stories

2011-01-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Episodic Appeal – patterns of serialised stories: "

We are surrounded by episodic stories. On TV and online, in newspapers and magazines, even Hollywood feature film franchise sequels are effectively episodes of a macro story. The art of the serialised story told in parts is one that has a long history and deep penetration in our culture. The current golden age of episodic broadcast TV we appear to be in is matched by the wave of quality online TV and original web-series that operate to huge potential audiences in an on-demand narrowcast manner. And, just as Charles Dickens understood the power of the serialised story to engage a long-form narrative in literature, so to are we in a period of popular engagement in high quality screen-based episodic forms.

But Why do ‘episodic’? Why break a story into parts and instalments? Is it just because the story is long and no one will watch an 12hour movie (though the increasingly common practice of TV binge-drinking that shows like The Wire seem to induce might argue the counter.)

Is there something else to episodic serialised stories? Is there something about episodic narratives that makes them more attractive? Is there some essential quality that makes the staccato rhythm, breaks, recurrences and patterns of watching embedded in Episodic stories more compelling?

Dickens understood, and deftly exploited, the crucial Returnable Element of serialised stories; the embedding in a long story the element that brings the reader back over and over. The Returnable Element may vary enormously between different stories but without it episodic narratives die.

To address the powerful attraction to episodic screen stories we need recognise and articulate both the returnable element and the episodic pattern structure that enables and empowers the returnable element.

In observing episodic structures and articulating them in a functional way, I have identified 4 fundamental patterns. These patterns don’t just apply to ‘TV’ as we traditionally know it. but may be seen as 4 patterns with applicability across episodic storytelling irrespective on the medium of delivery. The guiding principle of these specified patterns is Closure; when, how often and in what rhythm narrative closure is offered to the viewer between the two defined time paradigms – the Episode and the Series.

This pattern is the simplest structure whereby each episode operates as a self-contained story arch. Whilst characters and settings may be continuous, each episode resolves its discreet story over the course of a singular episode. Whilst there may be consistent thematic elements there is little or nothing in the way of macro narrative over the season. Shows such as Law and Order exemplify this episodic pattern where by the procedural solving of a criminal case is unique and self-contained to discreet episodes and there is virtually nothing by way of macro-narrative or a series story-arc. Episodic documentary series may often use this pattern where by individual eps are self contained relating to each other thematically and conceptually but not narratively. A prime example may be seen in the exceptional doco series 7 Wonders of the Industrial World. Here each episode tells a singular story with no narrative continuum to episodes preceding or following. What connects the episodes together as a series is a consistent theme and idea but not an over-arching plot or progression..

At the opposite end of the spectrum to the Self Contained pattern is the Serial. This episodic structure denies closure at the level of individual episodes and focuses on a single ongoing narrative arch that spans a season. The Serial pattern can be deceptive in the kinds of narrative complexity it supports. At one end, soap opera like Neighbours is firmly within this pattern where each episode spills into the next with no discreet closure at the end of episodes. However much more narratively sophisticated dramas such as Deadwood also fit within and exploit the Serial pattern. Deadwood doesn’t seek closure within discreet episodes, rather (much like soap opera) Deadwood story-lines are ongoing and spill one into the next. The closure of some story-lines and the instigation of others can and does happen at any given point in any episode. The murder of Wild Bill and the recovery of Swerengen from kidney stones as examples both offer closure on defined story-lines but these arcs are not directly connected to an episodic pattern’ rather are part of a macro-series arch that operates in an ongoing serial fashion.

If the Serial and the Self-Contained represent polar extents of the episodic continuum, then the Micro-Macro occupies a missile space that exploits the tenets of both. The Micro-Macro structure – which is widely common in television drama – sees the parallel execution of self-contained stories within a single episode (where closure is delivered at episode end) in combination with a series-long story arch that is given closure over the course of. Season. Each episode therefore devotes itself to contributing incrementally to the larger narrative whilst delivering a self-contained story in parallel. Many police-procedurals function on this level where a case is solved each episode but the broader lives of the characters, or an over-arching macro-plot is persistent. The superb Australian drama East West 101 works exactly to this model where by the first season series arch sees Detective Malick pursue the case of his fathers attacker outside (and in breach of) his role as a detective solving individual crimes in each episode.

The key advantage of this model is that it is able to deliver consistent weekly closure and resolution whilst still maintaining a more sophisticated macro-level un-resolved driver to act as a returnable element.

Acting with a higher degree of flexibility and sophistication is a pattern we might call Tiered. With three levels of narrative pattern this structure seeks to leverage both creative and practical solutions to episodic story-telling.

In a Tiered structure we see, in addition to self-contained episodic arcs and macro-level, series-long arcs, a third form of multi-episode arcs. These ‘to be continued’ segments, than span and join several episodes together, provide periods of a serial experience within an otherwise self-contained structure.

Battlestar Galactica stands as a very prominent example of the style. Each season as a clear set of macro-level series story-lines that are contributed to incrementally. In tandem are self-contained story-lines that offer closure at an episode by episode level. Operating amidst this are clusters of multi-episode arcs that deliver a third form of closure to a story-line played out over several episodes grouped together.

The common manner for this kind of delivery is to place these multi-episode arcs at the top and tail of a series. The season kicks off with a cluster of episodes with cliff-hanger continuations; it then moves into self-contained stories through the mid-season and then builds to a final multi-episode finale. The objective of such an approach to Tiered episodic patterns can serve a decidedly practical purpose tied to broadcast distribution. The use of a blend of stand-alone and multi-episode arcs is an attempt to please both dedicated viewers (who commit to the whole season) and casual ones (who may drop in and out of series, watching occasional episodes.

What is interesting in this context is the changing nature of broadcast distribution for long-form drama. Time-shifting, on-demand, download and the persistent presence of the dvd box-set for (what has traditionally been called TV) means that the traditional mode of watching weekly to a set schedule is quickly losings its relevance (if indeed it hasn’t lost it already). There is a perception that the role of the old ‘weekly scheduled broadcast’ has shifted in recent years to one where it serves as sampler and promotion for the sale of the series in a different medium than the prime advertising sales point.

In this light it is interesting to consider how this shift in viewing habits may effect episodic structures. The Tiered structure in particular was driven by a distinct mode of broadcast distribution and consumption; a mode very much decline. With that mode evaporating does there remain narrative reasons and engagement benefits to be exploited by using a Tiered mode?

It is Important to recognise that these structures are not rules or formulas but rather observed patterns to prompt writers to think about the two most important elements of episodic stories – Closure and the Returnable Element. It is these two that make episodic stories distinct and point us toward that appeal that Dickens and Victorian novelists understood so well. If you can develop your project with clarity in regard to how and when closure is offered and identify what it is that will keep viewers returning, then you’ll be in a more empowered position to devise and exploit an episodic pattern and structure that supports and elevates the experience.

Storify

2011-01-10T01:03:00.004-07:00

What is Rhythm?

2010-12-01T18:19:00.002-07:00

Tempe Art A Gogh-Gogh

2010-11-21T14:10:00.002-07:00

Watch the Video

Capoeira Brasil Tempe performed for the "Tempe Art A Gogh-Gogh" art festival at the Sail Inn on Nov 19th 2010 Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v)

Tags: capoeira, tempe, cbt, media tempe, vfa, art a gogh-gogh

ApplicationGap : Makers of Easy Release, Professional Model and Property Release App for iPhone, iPad and Android : APPS

2010-08-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Professional-grade releases, created and signed, right on your iPhone, iPad and now even: ANDROID!

ApplicationGap : Makers of Easy Release, Professional Model and Property Release App for iPhone, iPad and Android : APPS

Capoeira for the Cause

2010-05-04T17:37:00.001-07:00

On April 25th 2010, a rally was held at the Arizona state capital in opposition to the recently enacted Immigration law, SB1070. Members of the local capoeira community attended to lend their voices and their "Axé" to the cause. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: Windows Media (.wmv), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: capoeira, arizona, axe, freedom, immigration, performance

2010-04-13T12:20:00.002-07:00

VFA Media and Design

My Vision (guesses) for the Future

2010-04-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

My Vision (guesses) for the Future: "

These predictions are based on my experience at SXSW:

1.The film and music industry will create casual games for Facebook. It will be an effective way to organize fan communities, sell them digital goods, merchandise, tickets to new media events, and introduce them to similar films and music they might like.

2.Apple, Amazon, and Netflix will compete against each other as film buyers to have exclusive rights to hot titles at the Sundance Film Festival.

3.Tastemakers who curate music and film content will actually get paid for their service.

4.Film studios will do more to reach out to Silicon Valley and fund/acquire their own web startups.

5.More entertainment created specifically for the web will be optioned to become TV shows or films.

6.Most film schools will teach 3D film production.

7.With a growing audience excited to watch everything in 3D, including ads, more TV shows are going be produced.

8.Major corporations will create platforms that support entertainment and finance the creation of content. They can own their TV network online versus paying for ads to place on another network.

9.Film studios will hire community managers and some will volunteer to manage fan communities for a movie even after a flick has left theaters.

Who Moved My Brain? Revaluing Time and Attention

2010-04-07T20:39:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Who Moved My Brain? Revaluing Time and Attention

View more presentations from merlinmann.

Today we officially announced doubling video views in the past...

2010-03-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today we officially announced doubling video views in the past...: "

Today we officially announced doubling video views in the past year, and that major advertisers running campaigns on blip.tv include PepsiCo, Chevrolet, Samsung, AT&T, Scion, Starbucks and MetroPCS. In the past year we’ve worked on campaigns with Chilis, Best Buy, Warner Brothers, Puma, Starburst, TJ Maxx, Cannon, Nikon, the Las Vegas Board of Tourism and others.

Each of these advertisers is helping to support a new form of media: original, independent Web shows.

(And thanks to our friends at drop.io for the cool form of this release, using PressLift.)

IndieGoGo Acquires Distribber: Expanding tool suite - from funding to distribution

2010-03-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

IndieGoGo Acquires Distribber: Expanding tool suite - from funding to distribution: "

Hey GoGoers,

We have an exciting announcement for you today. We acquired Distribber - a super innovative distribution company that gets your completed works onto the various digital distribution channels of the world. Now IndieGoGo offers you a full suite of DIWO (Do-It-With-Others) tools - from fundraising to distribution.

What does this mean for you? More ways to monetize your work and engage your fans! With Distribber, now you can start selling your completed works on iTunes, Netflix and Amazon and:

keep all your rights

get 100% of your revenues

submit once for multiple stores

withdraw your earnings on demand

track sales across stores

Check out our press release below and Distribber here. Start selling your work now!

IndieGoGo Acquires Distribber

Reality Check Incorporated

2010-02-28T11:49:00.001-07:00

Having trouble figuring out why your all alone? ( mock-commercial)

Formats available: Windows Media (.wmv), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: mockcommercial, reality check inc, vfa, view from above, comedy, spoof

CreateSpace and the Future of Content

2010-02-25T17:48:00.002-07:00

Q&A: CreateSpace and the Future of Content

Posted using ShareThis

Project Solstice: Test 3526 ... Energy Whip

2010-02-10T19:57:00.001-07:00

Plasma generation and manipulation... Energy whip Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: after, effects, vfx, vfa, view, from, above, solstice, project

Project Solstice: Test 7589...Weather Domination

2010-01-29T21:30:00.001-07:00

Meteorological convergence...weather control Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: after, effect, weather, lightning, rain, vfa, view, from, above

How to improve audio quality in your videos | GeniusRocket Blog

2010-01-19T21:35:00.001-07:00

How to improve audio quality in your videos | GeniusRocket Blog

Project Solstice: Test 2203- Teleportation

2010-01-17T13:13:00.001-07:00

Matter translocation...teleporting. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: teleportation, after, effects, vfa, view, from, above, vfx, visual

How To Pitch an Idea (on IndieGoGo) - Scott Berkun knows what he's talking about.

2010-01-11T12:38:00.001-07:00

How To Pitch an Idea (on IndieGoGo) - Scott Berkun knows what he's talking about.: "

Hi Folks,

I recently tweeted about public speaker Scott Berkun and his piece on How to pitch an idea. The twittersphere response was suprisingly positive. So I wanted to make sure all our IndieGoGo projects didn't miss out!

Whether your project is a film, book, music, piece of art, venture, community effort, technology product, invention or political campaign, all projects are ideas.

And the difference between interesting ideas and good ideas is THE PITCH.

Successful projects on IndieGoGo tend to go the extra mile to pitch their project, not just show it. By now you probably know how important a pitch clip is. So I recommend you take a few minutes to read what Berkun has to say and amp up your pitch page on IndieGoGo. Make sure your IndieGoGo project screams GREAT IDEA, not just interesting one.

* * * * * * * *

How to pitch an idea

By Scott Berkun

Coming up with good ideas is hard enough, but convincing others to do something with them is even harder. In many fields the task of bringing an idea to someone with the power to do something with it is called a pitch: software feature ideas, implementation strategies, movie screenplays, organizational changes, and business plans, are all pitched from one person to another. And although the fields or industries may differ, the basic skill of pitching ideas is largely the same. This essay provides a primer on idea pitches, and although most of my experience is in the tech-sector, I pitch to you that the advice here will be relevant to pitching business plans, yourself (e.g. job interviews), screenplays, or anything else.

The nature of ideas

Ideas demand change. By definition, the application of an idea means that something different will take place in the universe. Even if your idea is undeniably and wonderfully brilliant, it will force someone, somewhere to change how they do something. And since many people do not like change, and fear change, the qualities of your idea that you find so appealing may be precisely what make your idea so difficult for people to accept. Some individuals fear change so much that they structure their lives around avoiding it. (Know anyone exhibiting the curious behavior of being obviously miserable in their job, their city, their relationship, but still refusing to make changes?). So when your great idea comes into contact with a person who does not want change, you and your idea are at a disadvantage. Before you can begin the pitch, you have to make sure you’re talking to someone that’s interested in change, or has a clear need that your idea can satisfy.

See the entire article here on Scott Berkun's site. He walks through the 8 Steps on How To Pitch.

Project Solstice- Grid Test

2010-01-09T17:55:00.001-07:00

The Project Solstice program is under way... Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: vfx, after effects, noodling. view from above, vfa

Declaration of Independence: The Ten Principles of Hybrid Distribution

2009-12-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Declaration of Independence: The Ten Principles of Hybrid Distribution

Believe Me: A Free Business Storytelling Book for Innovators

2009-12-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Believe Me: A Free Business Storytelling Book for Innovators: "

Extraordinary Business Storyteller Michael Margolis has had his new storytelling book out for just a short while now. It's called, 'Believe Me: Why Your Vision, Brand, and Leadership Need a Bigger Story.'

In the holiday spirit, Michael is now releasing the book to everyone as a free digital unabridged download version.

I bought my copy the day it came out on Amazon.com but, hey, you can now get your copy for free. And yes, it's a fabulous book and I highly recommend it. Check out the book's awesome reviews on Amazon.com for yourself.

Heck- what are you waiting for? Go grab your free digital download from the book's website, 'Believe Me The Book.'

PS. If you're going to tweet this, mention @getstoried or hashtag #bigstory.

New Celtx Add-ons - 'Special Equipment' & 'Arrow' Art Packs now available!

2009-12-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

New Celtx Add-ons - 'Special Equipment' & 'Arrow' Art Packs now available!: "

Attention Shoppers!

The utility of the Celtx Sketch Tool has just been enhanced with the addition of two handy new Art Packs!

Use the 'Special Equipment' and 'Arrows' packs to create lighting setups, production diagrams and documents in advance, and save valuable crew time on shoot days later.

Purchase these (Art Packs IV & V), or the 'Full Bundle' now, and save 25%! For details, see screenshot samples below, and check out the Celtx ToolBox.

Enjoy! And Happy Holidaze!

Your pals at Celtx HQ

Special Equipment (Art Pack IV):

Arrows (Art Pack V):

theHeretical Life-- The Intro

2009-12-13T14:51:00.001-07:00

Watch the Video

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg)

Tags: blog, vlog, random, heretic, intro, view, from, above, vfa

Final Report: Power to the Pixel's Think Tank 2009

2009-12-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

Final Report: Power to the Pixel's Think Tank 2009: "

For those of you who couldn't be in London for Power to the Pixel last month, Michael Gubbins’ final report (embedded below) from the conference's Think Tank is a good read.

A few key learnings / outcomes include:

What technology has provided is a means to reach beyond national boundaries and industry models to find communities selected by common interest rather than on accident of birth.

The business model of the film industry is not broken because of lack of demand, goes the argument. Quite the opposite. It is that demand cannot be financially channeled through the current narrow rights and window-based models.

If you know your audience, you can create tailored content for a known fanbase. Collaborate with that audience and you gain an engaged community on which to base business. Aggregate audiences and you begin to see the basis for bigger-budget models.

Thanks to the kind folks at Power to the Pixel for sharing!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Think Tank was the culmination of this year’s Cross-Media Film Forum, bringing together Power to the Pixel’s participating experts for a day of discussion and debate with a view to defining practical steps in developing cross-media film practices in the film industry.The concentration of this year’s Think Tank at Power to the Pixel was on cross-media developments.

This Think Tank session aimed to debate issues in a much more open way – not just about the effect on the existing media and film industries but about the potential for new forms of creativity, finance, distribution etc.

The emphasis went beyond the technical to the real core issue of customer interaction with content.

Final Report: Power to the Pixel’s (PttP) Think Tank 2009

theHeretical Life -- The pitch

2009-12-06T01:24:00.001-07:00

Watch the Video

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg)

Tags: pitch, blog, vlog, view, from, above

theHeretical Life Teaser

2009-11-26T11:53:00.001-07:00

Watch the Video

Theheretical Life ( pronounced theoretical life) is a mildly hyperbolic, semifactual, Totally scripted reality blog that explores the world, reality and occasional rants of its narratorME © 2009, Ita Udo-Ema. http://viewfromabove.icopyright.com Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: MPEG1 Video (.mpg)

Tags: blog, rant, random, pop, culture, morlocks, eloy, us, them, viewfromabove

CBT Music Class 11-7-09

2009-11-15T23:43:00.001-07:00

Special thanks to Instructora Lua, Instructor Bode, Professor Axe and all our friends from CBLA and CBNY in attendance for our Sunday music class. It was great to have the CB family in town and rocking the house. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Formats available: Windows Media (.wmv), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: trovao, axe, lua, bode, cbt, capoeira, capoeira, brasil, music, tempe, az

CBT in Brasil

2009-11-11T23:59:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Over the summer we had the magnificent opportunity to visit the birth place of capoeira, Brasil. For many of us, it was like visiting the home we had never know. Amazing food, amazing culture, and amazing capoeira...

CBT Music Class 11-7-09

2009-11-11T23:57:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

On Average, Online Video Viewership Peaks Mid-Week

2009-11-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

On Average, Online Video Viewership Peaks Mid-Week: "

Although it can vary widely by site and other factors, online video viewership peaks in the middle of the week, on average. Taking a random sample of 343 million video streams across six of the top video sites our InPlay code is integrated with, we broke down viewership by day (results below). About half (45.9%) of all streams occur between Tuesday and Thursday, it turns out. Note: this sample excludes long-form content (i.e. Hulu or TV shows).

Tweet This Post

ShareThis

Promise: The Sgt. Lane Chronicles- Episode 4

2009-10-22T13:03:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

On their final day with the dedicated trooper the film crew records Sgt. Lanes attempts to obtain a warrant of the FLDS community from his Lieutenant, and Christopher reports that his attempts to aid Sgt. Lanes investigation have attracted the attention of the communitys brutal enforcers. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Promise: The Sgt. Lane Chronicles- Episode 3

2009-10-15T08:15:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Episode 3 Sgt. Lanes attempts to get Christopher to come clean on his situation finally bear fruit on the third day as the desperate, young, FLDS outcast calls Sgt. Lane and offers him a chance at uncovering a deviant crime within the FLDS community. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Promise: The Sgt. Lane Chronicles- Episode 2

2009-10-08T17:29:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

While filming Sgt. Lane for a second day, the monotony of state police work is broken when Sgt. Lane once again comes across the FLDS-outcast Christopher and must protect him from a mysterious assailant. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Promise: The Sgt. Lane Chronicles- Episode 1

2009-10-01T14:16:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Ted and Jack, film students at Northern Arizona University, follow a member of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Sgt. Lane, on his daily patrols and witness his first encounter with Christopher, a young man who has been banished from a nearby religious community. Distributed by Tubemogul.

IndieGoGo and San Francisco Film Society Strike Fiscal Sponsorship Partnership

2009-09-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

IndieGoGo and San Francisco Film Society Strike Fiscal Sponsorship Partnership: "

Hey Folks,

We're excited to announce our new fiscal sponsorship partnership with the San Francisco Film Society!

In joining forces with SFFS, now filmmakers have a single platform solution integrating fiscal
sponsorship with their audience-building and crowdfunding efforts.

SFFS fiscally sponsored films using IndieGoGo now enjoy:

Tax receipts for donations raised on IndieGoGo, including donations less than $250

Discount on Fundraising (IndieGoGo's 9% fee is 100% waived)

Automatic IndieGoGo project profile creation upon Opt-In

Integrated social media and community management tools

For IndieGoGo filmmakers interested in fiscal sponsorship, see our new SFFS Resource.

To read more about the partnership, see our press release below.

Creating Contact Us Panel Screencast

2009-09-26T12:26:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Creating Contact Us Panel Screencast

Promise: The Sgt. Lane Chronicles

2009-09-18T23:54:00.001-07:00

New EVENTS module on IndieGoGo! Take Your Online Fans Offline.

2009-09-14T00:26:00.000-07:00

New EVENTS module on IndieGoGo! Take Your Online Fans Offline.: "

Every project profile is now equipped with an EVENTS tab, where followers can find date, time, location and ticket information for upcoming events.

Events can range from fundraising house parties to screenings or showings to launch parties and more. Plus each time an event is added, the project's followers are notified via email.

To View Events & Get Tickets:
Go to a project profile and click on the EVENTS tab.

To Add An Event to a Project:
Project owners, go to your project profile, click on the EVENTS tab and click "Add an Event."

Veeple Success Story Template.m2v

2009-09-09T19:54:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Veeple Success Story Template.m2v

Building a Global Audience Part I

2009-09-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Building a Global Audience Part I: "

The major focus that changes when you head off into the sunset is that you need to build a global audience. If you have been following this blog series, you have already read The Benefits of Going Global, and Taking Your Business Online. In this post, we will be focusing on some of the online tools that will help you to build online networks, increase your site traffic, and position you to reach a global audience. The two best tools I have found for this are Blogs, and Social Networking.

Global Outreach & Networking

We have just changed the game from local to global, and with that, the rules have changed. You no longer need to focus on ‘looking big’; you need to focus on looking real. Part of the glory of committing to your niche is the ability to cut the crap of trying to look impressive, and just genuinely be who you are. People want that. Your audience knows they can’t afford the big dogs and they want to work with real people that understand them. People like you!

The absolute best advice I can give is to be exactly who you are. This is a Big Transition for most people! When I first started my consulting practice, my focus was twofold: I wanted to look big, and I wanted to look professional. But, the problem was, I wasn’t focused on a niche, and I was promoting the part of myself that I thought people wanted to see.

I was trying to draw a big thick line between my professional life, and my personal life.

I realized that my business was suffering because I was not attracting my ideal clients. I needed to let people into my personal life, and promote what I cared about most: lifestyle. Yes, I was a business consultant, but I have realized that the whole reason I am motivated to help people change is so they can have a better lifestyle. I needed to focus on business owners that wanted to go global, live like a rock star, and have the ability to travel more and work from anywhere in the world. It was time to erase the line in the sand and start putting myself out there in all new ways. Here are the best ways you can do this for your company…

Blogs

If you don’t have a blog, you are completely missing out. They are by far the most cost-efficient, time saving, positioning and advertising tool that currently exists.

Last month, I asked Social Media and Blog Consultant, Cody McKibben, where I was at with my numbers. I had 1,500 unique visitors that came to my Business Backpacker site and stayed for an average of two and a half minutes. Now, think about this for a moment. Is there any other vehicle you can think of where you can get in front of thousands of people in your Target Market and hold their attention for that long? I am not networking, I am broadcasting. I am sitting anywhere in the world and getting my message out there… and so can you!

Blogs create an incredible opportunity to:

Build an online community that is niche specific

Continue to position yourself as an authority and expert on your topic

Increase your SEO and ‘findability’ online

Develop a strong following of strategic partners that can help you increase your readership, sell products as affiliates, and refer you clients

Even if you are new to blogging technology, you can do it. I have built a great following and a fun audience in a very short time-right around six months. Learn more about if you are cut out to be a blogger.

Thanks for reading, and in Part II we will go further into Social Media and Networking to further establish trust with your readers and help you to build a Global Audience.

I’m signing off, but you shouldn’t! Leave a comment below!

CBT in Brasil

2009-08-29T14:19:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

The World As We Know It Is Over? 10 Insights on the Movie Biz

2009-07-19T10:28:00.001-07:00

The World As We Know It Is Over? 10 Insights on the Movie Biz

Shared via AddThis

AYN Brand : Web 2.0 & Social Media for Filmmakers

2009-06-02T16:42:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

AYN Brand : Web 2.0 & Social Media for Filmmakers

View more Microsoft Word documents from Ayn Brand.

Content is King

2009-01-29T00:49:00.004-07:00

I've got an important question for you...Got a 24/48/72 hrs Film Challenge sitting on a shelf? Got a short film dying to be seen? Got your killer independent movie trailer that need, nay deserves more exposure? Well we want to see it. View from Above Entertainment is looking for original content for promotion and distribution and we are extending an invitation to all you indie filmmakers out there. We want you!

The best submitted projects will be published in the VFA distribution channel; which includes, the Horizon Community and The Big 10 of online video outlets: Youtube, Metacafe, Break, Revver, Crackle, Daily Motion, Blip TV, Veho, Viddler, and Imeem.

I know what you're thinking, " I already have my video on Myspace/Facebook/Youtube" or " I'm a movie maker, I don't need my stuff online". Well consider this:

Data shows that exposure INCREASES across the board as you post to multiple sites
By partnering your content with other, or "cross-pollination", you can exponentially increase your audience.
Online video has become on of the top priorities for marketing budgets in 2009

Now, old videos aren't you first, or maybe even fifth priority. But, you spent a lot of time and energy on that little gem. Doesn't it deserve more than a single showing? Even better, how would you like to and an established audience clamoring for that new project you're working on?

Send a message to mailto:submissions@viewfromabove.net for more information. Your brilliance deserves it!

Watch Over Me goes gaga for GoGo

2009-01-04T19:54:00.002-07:00

Another gem for filmmakers is on the scene...IndieGoGo. It is a site geared towards giving filmmakers tools to help raise funds and promote their projects. Now we are all interested in anything that might make the long hard road of filmmaking that much easier. To that end, we are putting Indiegogo to the test.

Need your Feedback...

2008-12-26T16:42:00.008-07:00

Going into 2009, we are looking forward to bringing you, our pubic :-D, more interesting and entertaining content. At the same time we are looking for the best ways to bring it to you. We are building a new VFA Community. Now, we know that last thing you need as another log-in and password to remember. Between MySpace and Facebook and on and on and on, do you really want to sign up for anther social networking site??? Well...we're doing it anyway. But we are looking for some feedback from you. Take a look at each of the sites. Let us know which one like/feels/moves better to you.

Ning-
http://viewfromabove.ning.com

Flux-
http://viewfromabove.flux.com

Which VFA Community Site do you think is better? ( surveys)

CBT Batizado 08

2008-12-22T19:03:00.002-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

We are please to announce the Capoeira Brasil Tempe 2008 Batizado is ( finally) available on DVD. Click here to visit out catalog.

Falls by Fetish Falls

2008-12-22T19:01:00.002-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

Our favorite resident star, Miss Victoria Paege has been doing a little modeling work fro Fetish Falls. Check her out.

Watch Over Me- Renatus pt1

2008-10-20T00:24:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

Promise Teaser Trailer

2008-09-30T00:23:00.002-07:00

Here's the latest trailer from our friends over at Zoned In Productions...

source: VFA Horizon

Watch Ove Me- Why ask Why?

2008-09-04T13:00:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

Watch Over Me- Smite Thee

2008-08-23T15:17:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

New Shop

2008-08-12T00:26:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

We've setup a new shop on the site. Powered by Amazon, it list Original VFA content, some of my favorite DVDs and books. You can find them under "Ca… more

A New Look

2008-08-08T18:18:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

The Horizon Community has a new look!!! I decided to play around with the color scheme a bit. Have a look and let me know what you think. http://… more

Watch Over Me- Spot 2

2008-08-03T11:58:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

Wachovia V-Cam: Buried secrets

2008-07-08T16:52:00.001-07:00

H4

2008-06-25T21:04:00.001-07:00

This content was shared from a community In Flux

Watch Over Me- Feedback

2008-06-20T09:13:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

We've been getting alot of positive feedback on our new web series, Watch Over Me. People who have read the initial scripts really get it. Here's wh… more

Watch Over Me- New Art

2008-06-20T09:00:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

We 've just added to the Watch Over Me art Gallery. Shot a little footage, took a few pictures. Take a look... ***View Gallery***

Digital Distribution & Marketing

2008-06-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

Digital Distribution & Marketing for Filmmakers

From: skirsner, 8 months ago

| View | Upload your own

Slides for a workshop on how filmmakers can use the Internet (and other new technologies) to market and distribute their work. This is a talk I've been giving at film schools, and most recently, the Film Arts Foundation in San Francisco. Related blog: http://cinematech.blogspot.com

SlideShare Link

infoMania 05.15.08

2008-05-21T00:28:00.001-07:00

http://changethis.com/

2008-04-30T10:11:00.001-07:00

This content was shared from a community In Flux

"Watch Over Me" is the Celtx Project of the Week!!!

2008-04-11T10:41:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

Check it out!. Our latest endeavor,"Watch Over Me" has been selected as the Celtx Project of the week. As a POW winner, 'Watch Over Me' will be feat… more

Celebrity Poker Tournament

2008-03-19T12:27:00.001-07:00

source: VFA Horizon

New Look for the Shop...

2008-03-13T19:41:00.001-07:00

Good News!!! The VFA Shop has a new look and a boat load of new items. Have a look...

http://www.cafepress.com/vfashop

Realilty Check Incorporated Update...‏

2008-01-24T11:04:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,
It has been awhile since our last email about the movie, so here is an update!

Ita and I are submitting the film to the Arizona State University Short Film Festival which takes place April 12th. We will know by the first week of April if we have been selected. We are in the process of deciding which other festivals to enter it into as well.

To those that helped with the production of RCI...

Thank you all so much for all of your hard work and effort with this! We appreciate it and we look forward to working with you in the future--several scripts are in the works and we'd love to have you back for the next big production!

Site of the Week - Sound Snap

2007-10-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

Sound Snap- Sound Effect and Loop Library

Sound snap is pretty straight forward. It is a free sound library. Here's what the creator have to say:

A resource and community for musicians, sound designers, producers, film makers and web/video game developers, Soundsnap provides user driven content for use in virtually any kind of media production. Users can freely download and upload content to be legally shared and used in any media project.
"We like to think of Soundsnap as 'YouTube for sounds" where users not only download sounds for their own use, but submit their sounds and help the library grow organically,"

A free sound library no more no less. It IS NOT a place to feature music or new artists. It's a resourse and handy one at that. Growing daily, I no longer feel the need to maintain my own sounds FX library. Of course, there are time you'll need to create custom sounds, but for the basics of elements Sound Snap has a really good selection....and its hard to beat the price.

go to: http://www.soundsnap.com/

Enjoy...

VFA Consumer Media

2007-10-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

View from Above Consumer Media - View and be Viewed: Share your vision with the world.

"View from Above Entertainment is rolling out its new Consumer media page. Have a trailer, short, or random project you'd like brodcast in the View from above Screening room?"

Site of the Week- Indie Flix

2007-10-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

IndieFlix - your source for Independent Movies online

"IndieFlix is the do it yourself marketplace for festival screened and internationally produced content (exceptions are made upon approval) where independent filmmakers from around the world are encouraged to be both artist and entrepreneur, create and promote their work, and be the drivers of their own success."

Site of the Week- Film Gravity

2007-10-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

Film Gravity

"Filmmakers in unity. Building networks. Grounding community. Sharing perspectives. Seeing their ideas come to life. In this new global village of world cinema a revolution takes hold. Interacting minds. Insights abounding. Finding fruitfully financing. Distribution possibilities unfurling. Create a connection.
Gravitate to the center and sing your story."

It's still a little to early to tell how powerful a tool Film Gravity is going to be. Just out of Beta, it is another profesional networking site. What sets it apart are the tools that they are developing.

Job posting, casting calls , and events- fairly standard

Film Market- "a shop window of your projects for distribution"; similar to what inDplay is doing (http://www.indplay.com/) and Withoutabox (http://www.withouthabox.com/) is moving toward.

Film Finance- "List you film for Finanace - FilmGravity Finance Network is designed to help filmmakers connect with potential film financing for their "

This site is SO new, there are hardly any posting. In fact one of our films is the third ( of three) listed in the Film Market at the time this is being written. On the other hand, since signing up, I've gotten new network requests nearly everyday. The say it's not what you know, it's who you know. While it maybe another networking site Film Gravity, with the atmosphere that is being created and the functions the are being built may prove to be a worthwhile professional meeting place.

Go to: http://www.filmgravity.com/ or see my profile : http://www.filmgravity.com/Deacon78

Enjoy...

Site of the Week- Without a Box

2007-10-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Withoutabox

"Filmmakers and screenwriters, submit your work to festivals and competitions worldwide, quickly, easily, and economically. It's the patented system that started it all!"

Site of the Week: Genuis Rocket

2007-10-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

Genius Rocket

"GeniusRocket acts as a trusted third party intermediary between the talent of its online creative community and advertisers to create fresh and compelling new advertising and marketing content – such as 30 second TV spots, online video promotions, banner ads, and widgets - in a timely and effective way without the endless meetings, story boards and false starts."

An interesting site, Genius Rocket seem to be bringing creators and those in need of creation together. As an ad based site, companies submit RFB's ( Requests For Brilliance). This is just a cute was of saying the company is looking for someone or a team of someones to create an ad. The specs, guideline and deadlines are all laid out. One can choose to work alone, join a team, or start a team of their one to complete the assignment.

Once the a team completes their project, they upload it to the site. At this point "The advertiser chooses the submissions that best meet its needs, with the winners earning cash rewards. Creators can also earn cash by gaining the most support from their peers in monthly Rocket Award competitions."

I love this concept. It's similar to Current TV's V-CAMS ( http://www.current.tv/). Everything is laid out for you. This site definitely feel like it was created of the commercial artist.

Winning at Bob's DownHome Film Festival and getting a certificate is nice. But I rather like the idea of putting my creative talents to work on something like this. Credit for a national ad campaign looks good on a resume and I definitely would mind the payday to help finance my Sundance Film Festival project.

go to : http://www.geniusrocket.com/

Enjoy...

Site of the Week: Celtx

2007-10-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Celtx - Scriptwriting Software, Breakdowns, Collaboration.

"Celtx is the world's first fully integrated solution for media pre-production and collaboration. It replaces old fashioned 'paper, pen & binder' media creation with a digital approach to writing and organizing that's more complete, simpler to work with, and easier to share."

Celtx is a one of a kind software, designed to aid in several aspects of pre-production. Some of the features include:

5 dedicated industry standard editors for writing- operates in the same fashion as any other industry standard script writing software. If you can use Final Draft you'll feel right at home.

Scheduling- Fairly basic calender

Storyboards- more of a storyboard projector. This feature doesn't create the images for you. However, once you upload them, you can rearrange and play them back, almost like an animatic.

Script Break Down and Tagging function- for highlighting the various elements needed for your project ( i.e: props lists, cast list and contacts, F/X lists, Locations)

Collaboration - Celtx allows to you publish your project (publicly of privately) on their secure server. Those you grant access can download and update the project. Notifications are left ion your inbox whenever a change has been made.

Create a home base- everything , script, notes, cast info, reference material, can all be stored in one place, where it be to share with your team or save as a backup.

Celtx is easily one of my favorite programs. The tool that are available are great. All my projects are on it and it is one of the staples of my production process. And best of all, to date, it is entirely free. There are still a few functions that we users are clamouring for, (like budgeting and production boards) but the Celtx team is working on that too.

For more info go to : http://www.celtx.com/

Enjoy...

Voices is COMPLETE

2007-07-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Voices is finished. You can see the trailer on the View from Above website ( www.viewfromabove.net) as well as Youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIoIN0-K2l0), and a few other spots on the web. Please help spread the word.

Voices has been submitted to Steve Weiss at No Festival Required and Lauralann Porter at Film Nuit. Pending approve, we're looking a screening in August. They scheduled the first Sunday and first Wednesday of the month respectively. Once we've locked a spot I'll let you know.

Voices- Looking for angels

2007-03-05T00:16:00.000-07:00

Voices has been greenlit and primary funding has been locked down. But you can never have to much of a good thing.

To that end we are reaching out to you, our public. We are asking for donations to "pad the war chest", a little seed money to cover any unexpected eventualities. If you would like to contribute to this project, simply follow the link below.

There is no set amount. Anything you choose to give is greatly appreciated.

Contributions over $50 well be credited in the film.

Voices- Entering Pre-production

2007-03-04T23:58:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that our second project of the year, Voices, has entered into pre-production. David Quiroz, director on The Lonely Ones, has come aboard to pilot the project and the script has entered the final vetting process.

Voices (2007)

The mind can be a dangerous thing when emotion overwhelms reason.

Upon returning home early one afternoon, Detective John Taylor’s emotions and reason are passionately at odds when he discovers his wife is locked away in a back room with another man.

Directed by:
David M. Quiroz

Produced by:
Ita Udo-Ema

Written by:
David Hayes

Genres:
Suspense, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Psychological, B-Movie, Tragedy

Duration:
0 hour 10 minutes

Language:
English

Rated:
R

MySpace for Artists???

2006-11-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

Web Reviews - Locist
http://www.locist.com

Here's the official line:

Locist.com provides innovative tools that expose actors, artists, and musicians to their local and national entertainment industry. We submit thousands of actors to casting calls and auditions to promote careers and find our members work.

Locist is the newest in a long line of networking site. This one, however, has found it's own niche. The focus is on the plight of creative artists. ( A subject we here at VFA are particularly interested in.)

My first impression was that this was going to be just another MySpace clone. Suprisingly, Locist has positioned itself as a true tool for artists. A few of the features the caught my attention were:

Gorilla films: this feature allows you to post casting notices, production notices, and the like. Once the project wraps it will be featured on the site. There is also an online film festival to add to your exposure.

Online Multimedia Portfolio: Here you can post your headshots, resume, press clippings and endosments. Talent scouts and agents have their own set of tools the allow them to recuit and offer representation.

Attention Musicians: All the sevices offered to us filmmakers are available to you too. Talent scouts, portfilio, and featuring your work.

Membership is free, good news for talent. But to post casting notices and take full adavante of all the feature there is a $4 monthly membership fee. Not bad if you're producing a project. Just take out of the DP's salary, LOL.

The network is still small but the tools and the services provided have a lot of potential. They say the networking is the name of the game. Locist is there to make that task easier.

Our specific goal is to simplify the process of artists trying to make a living or entering the entertainment industry by giving them tools that are utilizing superior connectivity technology, transparent, promotional, and simple to use.

...kind of sums it up. I look forward to seeing how things progress. I keep you posted.

Website Updated

2006-10-31T00:33:00.000-07:00

As you can see, The website has been updated a bit. We've changed the look of the introduction player. It now plays three videos, to wet your appetites. We've also added a newsletter sign up so we can keep you up to date with all the goings on.

November 11th...
We'll be hosting a meet and greet on Saturday, Nov 11., 7pm and Studio 301 ( formerly know as The Owls Nest. Nothing too formal, but everyone is welcome to attend. For mor information check out:

http://indiefilm.meetup.com/163/

Looking for talent...

2006-09-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

We will be attending the the 2006 Summer Portfolio Review at the Art Institue of Phoenix on Friday Sept. 22, 2006.

We looking for graphic designers, web designers, video production. Anything and everything. Happy Hunting...

Word Games

2006-09-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

The lastest Current TV Promo is now up and running. Enjoy

Finally...

2006-09-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

Thats right... The new website is up and running. If you've made it to this page you probably already know that. If not be sure to check it out.

Vai, Vai, Vai

2006-08-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

For those keeping score, we have 4 new videos in the screening room. These vid's feature the Afro-Brazilian art, Capoeira. You might also want to check out www.capoeirabrasiltempe.com Enjoy.

Guess whos back...

2006-08-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello,
It's been a slow news day. That is to say a series of slow news days, but here are some highlights for you.

The Lonely Ones hits shelves Aug. 22. Thats right, tomorrow. http://aaronrottinghaus.com/thelonelyones/thelonelyones.html
Actress Megan Yennie is going to be working with Manuel Zarate, a very talented local photographer. Looking forward to seeing what comes of it. Manuel has an exhibit coming up at the ASU Art museum. You'll want to check that out. http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/newamericancity/
David Hayes (http://www.davidhayesonline.com/) is working on a script for us. It's a short and if it turns out like I expect, we'll definitely want to put him to work on the next feature.
Noelle Wheeler ( yes that's her real name) has agreed to give use a glimpse into the world of drag racing.
We're meeting with Ashley Celeste. I don't know what we'll be planning yet, but she's a phenom. I can't wait to work with her. http://ashleyceleste.com/
Our boy, the good Dr. Bastian DDS. is working on a short. Should be fun. We'll be trying some things we've never done before.
... I think that's about it. Oh yeah. SNAKE ON A PLANE. Better than you think. But come on, could it really be worse???

Ok Kiddies, that's it for now.

Love, Peace, and Chicken grease

New Current TV Proto Promo

2006-07-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings...
We have a new Promo for Current TV. Help us out by giving us a greenlight. You have to sign up in order to vote. But take a few minutes. Make it your good deed for the day.

In the beginning...

2006-06-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

In the beginning there was darkness, and the Lord said " Let there be light", and there was light. And it was good. Then, somewhere along the line, someone said " Lets... have a drink", and it was VERY GOOD.

Welcome to The Fringe. This is the collective ramblings from the greatest evil geniuses on the Valley of the Sun. Stay tuned...