Dailymotion: Feeding Your Daily Viral Fix
July 22, 2008
Aimee Carlson has one of those 21st Century dream jobs: getting paid to surf the web and watch videos. It’s up there with video game tester or ice cream taster. Carlson is the US Creative Director for Dailymotion.com, an international viral video site that has built up a community of budding filmmakers, animators, and content creators from around the globe. Aimee took a break from staring at the screen to… stare at the screen and share her thoughts, and favorite videos!
What’s your day like at Dailymotion? How do you decide what to feature on the site?
The day usually begins and ends with me slapping on my headphones to dive into all of the recently uploaded videos from our Official Users and Motionmakers. I program videos across 18 channels organized by interest (Music, Sports, Film & TV etc) and change the homepage every day. I keep an RSS of profiles I can feature videos from – and it’s an extremely diverse list. I get to choose videos from huge media companies like MTV Networks, to online-exclusive content from Next New Networks, For Your Imagination, Vuguru, or MyDamnChannel, music videos from record labels of all sizes, and user generated content from our Motionmaker program. The homepage is purely editorial, so I’m picking content that would appeal to a broad range of interests, with an emphasis on video that is of extremely good quality and exceptionally creative.
Because of Dailymotion’s commitment to respecting copyright laws, we feature only videos from our Official Users and our Motionmakers. Our Official Users are professional content providers, and their online presence is usually not the only part of their business. Record labels, magazines, marketing companies, TV studios, and sports organizations are all included in the Official User program. Motionmakers are what make our site unique. These are users who are uploading professional-quality videos, but don’t have the backing of larger organizations. Their primary goal is usually exposure – and they represent all of the artists, musicians, filmmakers, reporters, and athletes who are raising the bar for what we think of when we think about Consumer Generated Media.
What have been some of the your favorite user submitted videos lately?
We recently ran an animation contest on the site and got some extraordinary submissions. We worked closely with Loren Bouchard, the animator behind Adult Swim shows “Lucy Daughter of the Devil” and “Home Movies” – Loren created the call-for-upload video, and judged the contest. The prize was a development deal with Loren. The winner of the contest was a young animator named Daniel Cardenas, and his winning submission remains one of my favorite videos on the site – ever.
We also have some excellent licensed music videos from indie labels both in the US and other countries that I think we help our users discover through programming:
This Motionmaker is inspired by the French music site La Blogotheque. His other videos are Athens, GA versions of La Blogotheque’s take-away shows; but he also made this beautiful music video:
This is a Motionmaker who made an innovative cover of “Umbrella” – and filmed it in a way to showcase that he plays every instrument he uses in the song:
This video was recorded using MacBook webcams:
A French Britney Spears parody band called The Spears made an amazing video about Britney’s downfall. It’s hilarious and charming. And it’s a great illustration of what’s so unique about Dailymotion. We originated in Paris, and have a huge international audience – but it’s really a global community of creative web producers. A video like this works in the US because it’s about an icon like Britney. But we also have wonderful films from international Motionmakers that have no language in them, so they play wonderfully to an international audience. And it’s nice to be able to promote their work and introduce them to an American audience:
Remi Gaillard is a French performance artist whose videos work anywhere – this video is a classic.
We have localized homepages in the US, France, UK, Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, Russia, Belgium, a catchall International page and are adding more localizations. With that in mind, just as I can feature cool videos from our other countries, I get to suggest features for each of the other homepages. Again, videos without any dialog are universal and work great. It’s nice to be able to write to a Motionmaker to tell them – not only is your video blowing up in the US, but you now have fans in these other countries – and wild untranslated comments to go with it!
What are some of the ways people use the site besides entertainment? Are businesses using it as a promotional tool?
Absolutely. Online marketing is huge, and sometimes some really excellent videos come out of it – in fact, most of the big virals in recent weeks have been a result of online marketing, like the Levi’s pants jumping video. The best promotional videos are either really random, high-production videos that look like viral videos, but are in fact, the online equivalent of a Superbowl commercial – or, when marketers distribute full, compelling clips of TV shows or Films or great music videos. Entertainment is entertainment – if a marketer provides a hot trailer or a really great clip, I may put it on the homepage.
Do you feel breaking the site down into channels makes it easier for users to find specific content?
We try to move users around Dailymotion to point them to relevant content through the channel programming. Currently, our homepage features 18 channels with one featured video per channel. When you click on each channel, you get a featured history – so we’re presenting our past recommendations to the user as well. We have some developments underway to expand on the channel experience. Unfortunately, I can’t get into too many specifics – but I’m very excited about the idea that if you come to Dailymotion to see, for example, great Arts videos, I’ll be able to point you to a diverse offering of high quality videos across any number of possible subgenres within Arts. Each channel has the potential to become a destination rather than limiting our entry point to the homepage.
What’s the most common feedback you get from users?
I’ve learned that our Motionmakers are primarily interested in exposure, and ultimately of course, money! But I feel that everyone knows that web video has made a lot of stars, but not so much money for individuals. I also think it’s very interesting that currently, most web video creators are using internet exposure to ‘move up’ to traditional media. It makes sense from an ‘internet as star-making’ perspective – what with representatives from every major agency scouting on the web, and network development deals for series like Quarterlife (and if you haven’t seen Independent Comedy Network’s spoof: 2/8 Life)
The concept of verticals from Film & TV to the web and back is very easy for consumers to wrap their heads around – at least until the money starts to really shake out for web video. And I think it will – in fact, it already is.
The challenge is, what incentives do we provide to our Motionmakers while the dollars catch up? We’re trying to help them get that exposure through participating in established showcases like the Viral Film Festival and organizing our own. We’re doing a screening of comedy videos this month and inviting influencers in the comedy, web video, and film/tv worlds to check out our Motionmakers’ work. Future Motionmaker events will follow for the arts and music. And the contests we run on the site focus on meaningful mentorships as well as traditional prizing. In addition to the animation contest I mentioned earlier, we ran a very successful sketch comedy competition with producer Jim Biederman of Kids in the Hall and The Whitest Kids U Know, and the winners, a NYC based sketch group called the Dregs, won a development deal with Jim.
How do you combat the flow of content that is copyrighted? What is your policy?
We are probably the most progressive company in setting copyright protection policies and technologies. We have implemented audio filters and video fingerprinting from the leading technology providers. We are also signatories – along with Viacom, Disney and others – of the Copyright Principles that outline how to best protect copyrighted content on the Web.
What has been the reaction to the 18+ channel you have?
If Dailymotion is offering a wide range of channels to cater to a number of interests, the Flirt and Sexy channels are just another way to organize that content. We have a family filter in place to protect users who aren’t interested in that experience – it’s similar to a cable system where you have a wide variety of content, with channel blocking for family-safe viewing.
Where do you see consumer generated media heading in the next five years… or maybe even just five months!?
We’re emphasizing premium content though our Official User and Motionmaker programs as well as programming because we feel there is a clear distinction between user generated personal videos and user generated entertainment from professionals and semi-professionals. Individual entertainers will be become even more important as they continue to create more content specifically for the web.
Project Rungay Make It Work
July 15, 2008
In its fifth and final season for Bravo, Project Runway premieres this week with a whole new slew of wannabe designers ready to live out their wildest fashion fantasies. We figured the best people to talk to about this undoubtedly benchmark season are two guys who seem to know it best–Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez of noted fan blog “Project Rungay.” Not only does the pair extensively blog about every style that goes down the runway (don’t get too comfy in those judging chairs Nina Garcia and Michael Kors), but they also keep fans updated on any and all Project Runway mumblings during the season. Project Rungay doesn’t take a break when the series does, Tom and Lorenzo (they write together as “TLo”) update the blog almost daily with news and correspondence from past contestants and judges, exclusive contests for PR swag, and their own “in or out” observations on celebrity fashion. Read on to find out their opinions on Runway’s Season 5, the show’s move to Lifetime, and what to wear what NOT to wear this summer. Give your own opinions on Project Rungay here.
Q: In any other context this would sound creepy, but what are you wearing right now?
Oh, so it’s gonna be THAT kind of interview, is it? We’re gonna wind up killing our image by admitting this, but we are currently sporting shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops. Hey, blogging is hard work and you have to dress comfortably.
Q: Was it one episode, or one personality that began your initial blogging romance with Project Runway?
Oh, one personality, definitely. That juggernaut of fabulosity and attitude, Miss Laura Bennett. Truth be told, it was the vintage Louis Vuitton that hooked us, but then it turned out she’s a fantastic designer and a hoot to boot.
Q: Do you watch many reality shows? What makes Project Runway different from other competition reality shows?
Define “many.” We tend to check out all the reality shows on Bravo at least once, but we’ve only ever become fans of PR, Top Design and Shear Genius with Top Chef getting an honorable mention. As for other networks, we don’t watch American Idol but we can admit we have a guilty pleasure in The Biggest Loser. Yes, yes, it’s inspirational but really, we tune in to watch fat people cry.
Q: If you could create a challenge to be aired on the show, what would it entail?
Drag queens. And lots of them.
Q: What mistakes do you think that real men and women make with everyday fashion?
It all boils down to one mistake: not knowing their bodies and what looks good on them. Sometimes that means not dressing age appropriately but more commonly, it means not wearing the right sizes and colors.
Q: Have you ever been confronted by a celebrity that you have blogged about? (Perhaps “Frau Seal” [Heidi Klum]?)
Darling, this may come as something of a shock to you, but blogging isn’t generally all that glamorous. Fabulous as we are, we don’t tend to run in the same circles as celebrities. Unless you’re talking about reality show “celebrities,” in which case they just refuse to have their pictures taken with us.
Q: As you’ve blogged about, Project Runway is going through a lot of changes next season. How do you feel about the show’s move to Lifetime? How do you think the Season 6 contestants’ experience will change by being in LA instead of New York?
We’re…wary about the Lifetime deal. We won’t make a lot of doom and gloom predictions, but there’s a major demographic shift when you move from a network like Bravo to one like Lifetime and with that shift, inevitable concessions will come. It remains to be seen what, if anything will change about the show once it’s in L.A. We’re dreading one dreary red carpet challenge after another.
Q: Which coast has better style, east or west?
East. Definitely.
Q: What TV show or TV character do you think has the best style?
Pushing Daisies looks like nothing else on TV but for sheer visual orgasmia, we have to go with Mad Men. Bullet bras and skinny ties are HOT.
Q: What did you think of the Christian Siriano-designed outfits that Whoopi Goldberg wore to the Tony awards?
Sloppy looking, but better than almost anything the Whoopster’s worn in public.
Q: What are your competitor blogs? Who do you aspire to be like?
It’s all one big, happy blogging pool. The water’s fine and all are welcome. There’s no such thing as competitors in blogging. As for who we aspire to be like, we’re not ashamed to admit that we learned a lot from the Fug Girls. They showed us how to be bitchy without being nasty.
Q: What are your thoughts on Michelle and Barack Obama’s fashion? How about Cindy and John McCain? Bill and Hilary Clinton?
To be honest, we haven’t thought about it much. Too much emphasis is put on style in the political arena. They all dress appropriately for themselves and the circles in which they travel. They’re politicians (and co-politicians). So long as they’re well-presented and not showing up in an “I’m With Stupid” t-shirt, it’s all good.
Q: Who are the biggest divas in the fashion world right now?
Miss Karl Lagerfeld. Although she was a bigger diva when she was fat. We miss the fan.
Q: What do you think Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi should wear to their wedding?
Whatever flatters them and makes them feel comfortable. But no tuxes. Or sneakers.
Q: What styles are in and out for summer? (Or, should we really toss our cargo shorts and wedged espadrilles?)
You can probably still get some wear out of the espadrilles, but the cargo shorts and the capris need to go. A walking short is more flattering than the capris, which gives even the slimmest women cankles and the cargo is just so OVER.
Check out a preview of Season 5 here.
Bloggers Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan are the sass and snark behind online celebrity fashion rag Go Fug Yourself–a blog devoted, but not limited to, putting those who trot down the red carpet in their places. When celeb clothing choices lean more towards abhor than couture, the gals deem them “fugly”–their own adjective, a contraction of “fantastically ugly.” GFY was praised as “viciously funny” by our friends at The Hollywood Reporter and has been named as a favorite by Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle Magazine. Heather and Jessica took a break from promoting their new book, “The Fug Awards,” to tell us about their bad-fashion passion…and how to stay off their homepage!
Q: How did you get started blogging about fashion and how did that turn into Go Fug Yourself.
JESSICA: GFY was how we started blogging about fashion! We just sort of started it as a joke between the two of us. We never thought anyone else would read it.
HEATHER: It was a goofy trip to the mall that turned into us cracking up at all the mannequins and movie posters that were supposedly so stylish and appealing, but actually looked terrible. That spiraled into us taking those jokes to the Internet, and four years later, we’re still going.
Q: Have you ever met or been confronted by a celebrity that you blogged about?
J: Not that I can remember. We’ve definitely never been confronted. We HAVE been in the same room with celebrities we’ve written about — usually at fashion week — and I usually have to think back to what I’ve written them to make sure it wasn’t too evil.
H: We’ve gotten e-mails from a couple of them, but the actual well-known people who’ve contacted us — like Elisha Cuthbert from “24,” for instance — have all been incredibly cool and good-humored about it. The crankier ones are the lesser-knowns. We actually got an email from a “Random Fug” girl whose name we didn’t mention in the post — she was a girl at a red-carpet event that we’d never seen before and didn’t recognize — and she read it and was furious not about us hating her outfit, but that we didn’t think she was as famous as SHE thought she was. She actually asked us to edit her credits and name into the piece. We laughed and laughed and laughed. And never edited it. Amusingly, just the other night I saw her co-hosting an infomercial for a pill that, er, increases a man’s private girth. I’ll be sure to mention that if we ever fug her again — you know, in the name of being thorough.
Q: Which celebrity do you think should heed most to the old adage “Look in the mirror before you leave the house and take one thing off” …or, maybe even put one more thing on?
J: I think we all wish Lindsay Lohan would look in the mirror and put on some pants!
H: I used to feel that way about Hilary Duff, who would just swallow her neck in string after string of cheap-looking necklaces. She’s gotten better about that, though. I most recently felt it about Megan Ward at the Daytime Emmys. That outfit was a casserole of disaster.
Q: If you were trapped in a closet (sans R. Kelly) and only have pieces from Lindsay Lohan’s legging’s line, Chloe Sevigny’s Opening Ceremony Collection, and a trunk of Bai Ling’s old Halloween costumes to choose from, which would you choose to cover yourself?
J: Oh, that’s a good question. I think I’m going with Chloe. I feel confident that there’s something in there that won’t make me look too much like Donna Martin circa 1993.
H: I don’t WANT to be trapped in a closet without R. Kelly, so hopefully it will never come to pass. I’m going to go with Bai Ling’s old Halloween costumes, because I like to think that on Halloween, she would try to dress up as something DIFFERENT than what she usually is, and therefore half of them might actually cover my navel and reach as far down as my mid-thigh region.
Q: LiLo issues aside, why do you hate on leggings so much?
J: I just think leggings are kind of needless. They’re rarely flattering, and half the time you could wear tights instead and look much more streamlined. People write to us sometimes and point out that they’re comfortable, but so are sweats, you know? I am sure part of it is that I already lived through leggings once (and wore them!) so my leggings tolerance is all used up.
H: That’s got to be part of it. It’s like, “Really? This again? Did we not LEARN already how annoying it is to take your leggings off at the end of the day and have those little indents in your skin from the elastic waist that comes up to your ribcage?” But, amen to all the stuff about how they’re usually unflattering. I see them almost as an extension of when people wear dresses over jeans or other pants. Just wear tights! It’ll look better, I swear.
Q: What is one trend from yore that you think should never be ressurrected? What’s something you’re seeing now that you wish you could blast back to the past?
J: Speaking of leggings…I just pray stirrup pants don’t truly come back.
H: Seriously. I would’ve said high-waisted jeans, but OOPS, they totally did come back, the bastards. So I’ll put in a vote against snap-crotch bodysuits ever getting resurrected.
Q: Everyone makes mistakes once in a while when it comes to what they wear, but what are some cardinal rules that celebrities ignore that land them on the homepage of Go Fug Yourself? Who are your favorite fashion disasters to write about?
J: I’d say the biggest mistake, truly, is when people wear clothes that don’t fit them properly — either way too small and falling-off too big. It’s not as sexy to write about as, say, wearing pasties instead of a top, but it’s something we see a lot. I do enjoy writing about the celebrities who really wear outlandish, crazy stuff, though. Bai Ling, for example, is always good for a chuckle.
H: Another problem is when people look quirky just for the sake of quirky. You can kind of tell the difference between someone who’s style is genuinely offbeat and a reflection of who they are — I would say Rihanna falls into this category, for which I give her credit, even though I think she’s hit-or-miss; Juliette Lewis kinda fits into that category too — and people who are just spinning around in their closet picking things out at random because they think crazy is cool. Samaire Armstrong used to be that girl and it drove me nuts. Like, four wrongs — or even four maybes — do not make a right, so please, recheck your math.
Q: Did you see “Sex and the City: The Movie“? Do you think Patricia Fields’ costume design added to the characters and story?
J: We did see it. I said at the time that I could have watched it on mute and be perfectly happy — I think the clothes were the most interesting part. Though I don’t know that they added to the story, actually. In many ways, I think the movie was too concerned with clothing. We didn’t need so many montages, and so many plot points about shoes and purses. The clothes were great and fun, but they should have been great and fun and never commented on. It started to feel like they were more important than the story itself, which hurt the film overall, I think.
H: I completely agree. The clothes were a monster of their own creation that ended up swallowing the whole enterprise. Not that they weren’t entertaining, but after a while it felt like if I had to describe Carrie Bradshaw to someone who never watched the show, I would say, “She is a writer who somehow affords really, really crazy and unrealistically expensive stuff.”
Q: What TV show or TV character do you think has the best style?
J: Ooh, that’s a great question. I think Mad Men has the best style on TV, hands down. I can’t get enough of the crazy clothes they give Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl (and I think Gossip Girl is really fun, style-wise, in general, although it’s way over the top). And when it comes to clothes real people could get away with wearing, Alyson Hannigan’s character on How I Met Your Mother wears reliably cute clothes.
H: Going in a different direction, I’m watching reruns of the first season of “Felicity,” and I thought they did a great job costuming Keri Russell. Not because I loved the khakis and huge sweaters, but because I felt like it was brave to keep her clad in stuff that a shy girl living in New York and a winter climate for the first time WOULD have worn during that era. Totally felt true to the character. Nowadays they’d be like, “Okay, she’s sort of shy and geeky, but she’s SKINNY, right? Can’t we put her in spandex tank tops all the time until we have to have it snow?” As far as what show or person has clothes I actually like, for MYSELF, Jess is right that Alyson Hannigan always looks great. And they give Sophia Bush a lot of really cute dresses on One Tree Hill. I will forever lament the cancellation of “Cashmere Mafia,” too, because Pat Field was cracking me up with the stuff on that show. Lucy Liu went jogging in a huge fur vest. I mean, that’s priceless.
Q: In your opinion, what is (or was) the best reality makeover show? (Ex: “What Not To Wear” US or UK, “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style,” “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” “Extreme Makeover,” “The Swan,”…)
J: I LOVED “Queer Eye” when it first kicked off. It was so fresh-feeling at the time and so much fun. I really enjoy “What Not to Wear (US)” too. “The Swan,” on the other hand, was kind of fascinating for 10 minutes and then totally freaked me out.
H: I’ve actually only ever seen two of those — some “Queer Eye” episodes and two episodes of Tim Gunn’s show. I’d agree that the first season of “Queer Eye” worked well for me. I’m more of a sucker for interior-design makeover shows, though. I was a “Trading Spaces” junkie for a while back in the day, and whenever I turn on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” I get all excited for those people who are getting brand new stuff they truly need. See? I have a heart! For real!
Q: Do you watch “Project Runway“? If you could create a fashion competition reality show, who would be your judges?
J: I love Runway! I think I’d want Karl Lagerfeld, Naomi Campbell, and Anna Wintour. If only to witness their own interpersonal interactions.
H: Definitely Lagerfeld. Always and forever. Maybe Glenda Bailey from Harper’s Bazaar, who seems like she has a wicked sense of humor. I’d also want to keep Michael Kors because I find him divine, and then maybe I’d kidnap Cate Blanchett and force her to do it — she’s got such an avant-garde eye sometimes that I’d love to hear her talk more about clothes. To host? Clearly Stephen Colbert, because it makes no sense and therefore makes PERFECT sense.
Q: What band or artist do you think has the best taste in clothing? The worst?
J: That’s tough. I have to say that whenever Beyonce’s mother dresses her, it’s kind of a mess. Kelly Clarkson, as much as I love her, is usually poorly turned out. But there is hope! Fergie used to look CRAZY and she looks adorable almost all the time now.
H: I’d add Nelly Furtado to the “worst” list — that girl drives me bananas. As for my favorites… I find musicians, more than most, have a Jekyll/Hyde thing going because there’s often this chasm between their red-carpet wear and their performance-wear. Carrie Underwood seems to have a screw loose when she’s choosing what to wear on stage. Alicia Keys is all over the place too. So is Gwen Stefani, who can look fabulous for the paparazzi and then will go on-stage dressed like a half-hearted pirate.
Q: If you could have any celebrity’s stylist dress you for an awards show, who’s would it be?
J: I would have to say Rachel Zoe, just for the stories I might get out of it.
H: Yeah, as much as I am not a fan of her in some ways, she does nail it with a lot of her clients — Jennifer Garner being one in particular. I will say Tina Knowles, Beyonce’s mother. Not because I think it would be successful, but because I want to see Jessica’s face when I show up in ruffled hot pants.
Q: What is some good advice that men and women can follow to stay in the good graces of the 2008 fashion gods?
J: Just stay away from Hammer pants.
H: We should all have that tattooed on our souls.
Ode To Joystick: ‘That VideoGame Blog’ Talks A Good Game
June 11, 2008
Video game blogger Rain Anderson set down his controller for a few minutes to give us the up-down-left-right on everything gaming. As the founder and managing editor of That VideoGame Blog, Rain and his team of writer/gamers post up to the minute gaming news and more. Rain discusses his hopes for the future of consoles, what old games he’d like to see resurrected, and what titles he’s given a big “Game Over.”
Q: Explain to us a little about That VideoGame Blog and how/why you started the site.
That VideoGame Blog was started after I realized I wasn’t quite happy with what I was doing. I started thinking about where to venture next when someone suggested that since I like to play a lot of video games, maybe something in that field. A year later, TVGB was up and running and a few months after that, a number of great people had joined me in writing about stuff that we all love.
We offer daily news, (p)reviews, interviews, event coverage, articles etc., and we’re just getting started — with all the things we’ve already accomplished in the few short months we’ve been doing this, we’re looking forward to lots more.
Q: Of course we’re going to ask this…what is your favorite game and platform?
Obviously each platform has its pros and cons but if I had to choose one as things are today, I’d pick the Xbox 360 simply because of the amount of new quality titles that are available for the system. I’ve been a PC gamer since the early ’90s, but things are a bit quiet on that front right now, and the PS3’s/Wii’s libraries aren’t quite there yet for my tastes.
As for games, I can’t seem to tear myself away from GRAW 2′s multiplayer. And single-player wise, it’s hard to think of anything more majestic than Mass Effect at the moment, which in my opinion is one of the greatest examples in recent memory of what a videogame can be and evolve into.
Q: Were you shocked when you first heard that Grand Theft Auto IV outsold Halo 3 and set a new record?
I wouldn’t say shocked since GTA IV is available on both the 360 and PS3, so the number of potential buyers was of course much higher than was the case with Halo 3, but maybe a little pleased since now we have something else to look forward to that would smash GTA IV.
Q: What was the biggest letdown game that you played this year?
There aren’t really any that I want to complain about this year (yet), but I can’t get around last year’s Assassin’s Creed – a technical masterpiece was brutally butchered by not having anything much at all for the player to do. The game world was really a marvel and a total blast to explore, but once you’ve seen all the cities, it’s basically ‘Game Over’ excitment wise. The rest of the time you’re forced to do the same exact things over and over again. Fun to enjoy in little bursts here and there, but unfortunately that effectively kills the immersiveness.
I personally even feel gamers were a bit misled as to the nature of what the game was. Definitely my biggest disappointment of this console generation.
Q: What is the next gaming release that you’re most excited about?
If I had to pick just one then it would without a doubt be Beyond Good & Evil 2. The original game is all kinds of cool and truly one of the games that didn’t deserve the brush-off it got from the consumer. But next to that, the new Prince of Persia has really grabbed my attention as well. And Mass Effect 2, and BioShock 2, and Too Human, oh I could go on and on here..
Q: Guitar Hero or Rock Band?
Neither.
Q: What’s your favorite movie based on a video game? If you could make any game into a movie, what would it be?
I’d be lying if I said I’ve seen them all, but out of those that I have seen, I’ll have to go with a tie between the original Resident Evil and Tomb Raider movies, even though I think both failed to capture the feel of the games. As for what movie I’d like to see made, I’ve been actively playing a game in the Ghost Recon series ever since the original PC game was released in 2001, so I have to say a Ghost Recon movie, Black Hawk Down style.
Q: So, do you have a Second Life character? If so, what does he do that you don’t or can’t do in your real life?
I don’t have a Second Life character. But if I did, he’d be a pimp. A huge zebra hat wearing pimp. With a cane and a cigar, naturally. And he’d look like Jean-Luc Picard. Yeah, that sounds about right.
Q: How do you think the public’s view of gamers is changing with the widespread popularity of videogames?
The public are becoming gamers themselves at a rather rapid pace, so I hope in a very positive direction 
Some people still look at games as something for the kids, but most seem to be coming to terms with the idea that videogames are just another form of entertainment, and a great one at that.
Q: If you could bring back an old school videogame and remake it for a new platform, which would you choose?
Doom. I feel that Doom 3, while a solid game, just didn’t get it right. ID Software recently announced that they’re looking for worker bees to work on Doom 4, so I have my fingers crossed the next Doom will end up being more true to the original.
Q: If you could create a videogame based on a movie or television show, what would it be?
I’d like to see a Battlestar Galactica game that doesn’t suck (I’m pretending the Xbox LIVE Arcade and PS2/Xbox games never happened). They need to put the BSG franchise in the hands of a competent developer, quickly. A well made title based on the reimagined series would really be something to behold, there’s just so much awesomeness there to work with.
Q: What are some of your favorite places to get the latest gamer news for your blog?
I can’t say that we have any certain place that we check regularly, we get news wherever it happens to come from. But since the biggest sites update most frequently then they also tend to be the biggest sources. Overall, I’d say it’s a healthy mix of press releases and news from other sources.
Q: What do you see (or would you like to see) for the future of videogames and platforms?
I thought long and hard about this but things are changing so fast in this industry that it’s nearly impossible to make a valid guess. Even people who do the guessing for a living tend to get it wrong more often than right, so I’ll skip the ‘what I see’ part of this question and leave that for [industry analyst] Michael Pachter to answer.
But what I’d like to see is Sony and Microsoft getting their act together the next time around. The quality of the 360’s hardware should have been better to avoid the failure rate issues, and same goes for the PS3’s software, it just wasn’t good enough out of the box. If both systems were launched a year later, I believe these issues wouldn’t have existed, so I hope they’ll take their time in the future and release products that their clients won’t have to struggle as much with.
But overall, I think the industry is in great shape. 2007 was a great year for gamers and 2008 looks to be just as good. There’s never been a better time to be a gamer.
Is Hey! Nielsen Having The Best Week Ever?
June 4, 2008
Well, we can’t really say for sure (it’s only Wednesday), but this week is definitely looking up since we had the chance to talk to Alex Blagg, the managing editor of VH1’s Best Week Ever blog. Alex scours the interweb daily to post and comment on the random pop culture stories, photos, and videos that you may have missed during your lunch hour blog skim. Alex likes candid television freakouts caught on tape, could do without any more Britney Spears/celebrity rehab stories, and will show you how to make a Top 10 list to rival the Ten Commandments. Oh, and he’s not afraid to admit his penchant for Shia LeBeouf, but that’s another story…
Q: What are the main differences between Best Week Ever: The Show and Best Week Ever: The Blog?
I would say the two main differences between the show and the site are the topics we cover, and the overall tone. Since we’re doing almost 20 posts a day, 5 days a week, compared to the 20 or 30 topics the show might hit in a given episode, there’s naturally just a lot of more random and obscure stuff we cover on the blog that probably wouldn’t register on the show’s more mainstream “pop culture radar.” And as blogging is – by nature – a very subjective medium, our content and commentary comes from the very specific world views of our three writers whereas the show has teams of writers and creative producers, not to mention the actual panelists themselves, taking a more unified angle on each individual topic they discuss.
Q: What is your favorite embarrassing celebrity YouTube clip?
Right now, it’s the Bill O’Reilly freakout clip (and the re-mix), hands down. I’ve been working on a special segment we’re producing for the Webby Awards, and the O’Reilly clip is part of it, and no matter how many times I see him yell “We’ll do it live!”, it never stops being funny to me.
Q: Speaking of political talk show hosts, your site claims that Tim Russert farted on air? Did he?
It could really go either way between a fart and some weird murmur of agreement by one of the other panelists on the show, but in my heart of hearts, I want to believe it was a fart (that rhymes, for no particular reason).
Q: In an all-out cage match to be the first women nationwide to see “Sex and the City: The Movie,” who would win: audience members from “Oprah,” “The View,” or “The Tyra Banks Show“?
In this scenario, there would be no winners. We would all lose.
Q: What reality television show do you think you could win?
I harbor secret fantasies of applying to be on Top Chef because ever since my fiancee, who went to culinary school, taught me how to not cook like a moron, I fancy myself as some kind of Iron Chef or whatever.
Q: The BWE “My Lil Lohan” Facebook application has now turned into “My Lil Miley”…do you think Miley Cyrus is the next Lindsay Lohan?
I think the South Park guys hit the nail on the head when they pointed out that Miley Cyrus is the next sacrificial celebrity virgin that will be devoured by our horrifying tabloid media complex.
Q: At this point in your blogging career when you hear the word “rehab” coupled with a celebrity’s name, does it elicit some sort of Pavlovian response?
I actually freak out because I have to start thinking of jokes appropriate to the situation that haven’t already been made (and there are none).
Q: Every morning you put up a Best Week Ever Alarm Clock with a new YouTube video for your readers to greet the day with. If you could have an alarm clock that could play any phrase or tune to rouse you in the morn, what would it be?
“The Final Countdown”, by Europe.
Q: If you could wish for a prequel or sequel to any movie ever made, what movie would you choose? What questions would you want answered?
Let’s just say I’m really keeping my fingers crossed for “Norbit 2: More Fat Suits!” I’d also love to see a prequel to “Wild Hogs” that further explored who those men were prior to their hilarious biking trip.
Q: If you could come up with the greatest celebrity disaster of all time, what would be and who would it involve?
David Hasselhoff on a meth-fueled car chase across Los Angeles, in which the Hoff carjacks one of the old Knight Rider cars from the Universal lot and plows through town firing a gun indiscriminately from the sunroof, laying waste to all of Hollywood before crashing into an In ‘N Out Burger and rubbing a double cheeseburger all over his face.
Q: We can see that you’re a sucker for a good Top 10 list. What are your “Top 10 ‘Best Week Ever Top 10′ Lists?”
Yikes, I would be embarrassed to actually look back on ten of these. They’re sort of like Mad Libs, in that it’s just filling in certain blanks and re-writing the same list over and over. Here’s my formula:
“The” + (Number) + “Most” + (Over the top adjective) + (Subject) + Of All Time (Synonyms like “in History” or “Ever” will also be accepted) = Popularity
This list explains it all: Top 10 Tips For Writing An Awesomely Funny Top 10 List On The Internet
Q: Your blog features an eclectic mix of topics, from bizarre rat-moles to bizzaro PSAs to bizarro Tom Cruise. What’s your favorite thing to write about? Your least favorite?
My favorite is, by far, a magnificent entity known as Shia The Motherf***ing LaBeouf (or “The Beef”, for short). My least favorite is Britney Spears, because I no longer find anything particularly funny about her.
Q: What summer movie are you looking forward to seeing the most? Which one do you think will not live up to the hype?
Looking forward to The Dark Knight. And I already know the answer to the latter half of the question, and it’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Are You F***ing Kidding Me George Lucas, Aliens!?!?“
Q: What’s your favorite music video?
Of all time, I have no idea. Right now, “DVNO” by Justice.
Q: Ne-Yo wrote a track for Lindsay Lohan’s new album that he said he said will ’surprise.’ What do you think is the surprise?
They were actually dead the whole time.
Q: Do you get any sort of fan mail or hate mail? What’s the craziest thing someone has ever sent you?
I don’t really get hate mail anymore, which is one of the things I miss most about my old blog, Blagg Blogg. Now when I piss people off, they just leave a comment like “You’re a jerk – Vh1 should fire you!” or whatever, but I used to get such insane, awesome hate mail from DJ’s and other broad groups of people I’d ridicule on Blagg Blogg. I miss those, because there’s nothing more hilarious-tarded than a death threat from some part-time DJ who can’t spell.
Q: According to BWE’s Wikipedia entry, the show and blog have been criticized as a signal bearer for our nation’s quickly shrinking attention span. What are your thoughts on this?
We have a Wikipedia page? AWESOME!
Q: Where do you see the future of blogs and bloggers in the next 5 years? What are your thoughts on Perez Hilton taking his blogging success and parlaying it into a television show, clothing line, and A&R position?
It’s funny, because it appears to me that bloggers only achieve crossover fame or notoriety (which is misinterpreted by the mainstream media as “success”) if they’re willing to cannibalize aspects of their personal and private lives, and make a full time job out of putting themselves on display in the most absurd, cartoonish and degrading ways imaginable (and thus making ALL “bloggers” look equally terrible in the process). Perez is probably the most obvious example of this, but at least he was honest about the fact that he just wanted to be famous, no matter what kind of negative attention he attracted along the way. What’s sad is when I see much smarter people emulating Perez’s model for “success” by trading their own dignity for Internet attention, and further contributing to that ugly voyeuristic “reality show” thing that seems to lie beneath every aspect of our culture these days. But yeah, I’d totally take the reality show, clothing line, and A & R position.
Kevin Croy is the founder of LostPedia, a worldwide Wiki that details the ever-expanding minutiae of the tv show Lost. Recently, Kevin spoke at the Paley Center for Media in New York, as part of a panel (along with Jenny from OfficeTally) about the growing impact of fan sites on how fans interact with their favorite shows — and how the network producers keep their eye on the communities that follow their shows. As the season comes to a close, the LostPedia site has become a must-visit destination for the obsessive fan, the curious newbie…and interested bloggers like us.
Q: What was your inspiration to start LostPedia?
I have always been a big fan of Wikipedia and I’ve always wanted to start my own wiki. After the 1st episode of the second season, my mind was just a mess with all of the stories lines in LOST. It just occurred to me that a wiki would be the perfect format to keep track of all this stuff. After searching and not finding one, I decided to create one and the rest is history.
Q: Are there any drawbacks to running a community site about your favorite television show?
Sometimes my focus has to shift away from the show itself in order to help with issues the community is facing. A good example of this is during season Finales. Sometimes I have to pause the Finale in order to handle server issues related to high traffic loads.
Q: Do you participate in the Lost ARG (alternate reality game)? What do you think of melding a storyline to a television show with an online and real-life game?
I follow along with the ARG, but don’t do a lot of original research for it. I think the ARG is really a great way to keep an audience entertained and involved in the series during the off season. I hope LOST continues to develop their ARG.
Q: What can you tell us about the people who visit and comment on Lostpedia? Why do you think so many people are drawn to Lost?
Lostpedia users are a really diverse crowd. University Students, Business men and women, stay at home moms. You name it!
I think people are drawn to Lost because it’s constantly making them think and re-evaluate ideas that they have about characters and the story. The fact that every episode builds on the one before is a key to their success. Fans have invested a lot of time in the series at this point and no one wants to miss an episode and fall behind.
Q: We’ve noticed that you’ve suspended registration until Lost’s Season 4 is over because spoilers were being posted. How do you balance people’s desire to know more about the show with a spoiler policy?
We give users an area to discuss spoilers in the forum that is clearly marked as such. I think there are a few different levels of spoilers. Sometimes people who live on the west coast that visit Lostpedia after it’s aired on the east coast, but before it airs on the west coast can get spoiled. I think that’s the nature of the beast. However, spoiling the finale weeks before it airs is totally unacceptable and I don’t think serves anyone’s best interest (except for maybe competing networks!) So we try to draw the line there and we do our best to prevent the spread of “unaired spoilers.”
Q: What are your favorite characters and storylines in the series?
Ben Linus, John Locke and Sayid are my favorite characters. They keep the audience guessing about Ben. Is he a crazed mad man or a genius that really has everyone’s best interests in mind? My favorite storyline of this season was when Desmond was traveling through time and I also liked the concept of him needing to find a “constant.”
Q: If you could write one episode of Lost, what would happen?
I would write an entire episode on the numbers and I would explain where they came from, why they’re so special! I’d also like to see Hurley get over his fear of his Lottery money and do some cool things as a multi-millionaire.
Q: What are your other favorite shows?
I’ve recently gotten into Dexter. I watched all the episodes back to back over a 3 day period (gotta love Comcast On Demand!). I still love watching Seinfeld, even though I’ve seen every episode at least 10 times.
Q: Imagine you’re a studio head. Program the ultimate Thursday night lineup from 8-11… you can use any current show on any network.
8:00-8:30: Seinfeld (Rerun if necessary, but if I’m a studio head then I’d bring the crew back together and make some new episodes!)
8:30-9:00: Rob & Big
9:00-10:00 LOST
10:00-11:00 Dexter
Q: No matter how Lost ends, do you imagine fans being upset and trash talking it a la The Sopranos backlash?
I really hope not. I was really disappointed with The Sopranos ending. I’m sure no matter how it ends some fans will feel they were let down. My gut feeling is that most fans will be pleased with the ending. The writers of LOST definitely aren’t dummies. I think they definitely are going to try to avoid a Sopranos type ending. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Q: If we offered you a book with all of the secrets, explanations, and plot twists in the remaining seasons of Lost, would you read it? Or, would you rather watch the show every week to find out what happens? Note: We don’t have said book… or do we?
I wouldn’t want to read it. I think the twists and turns are an exciting element of the show. Even though the cliffhangers at the end of each episode can be pretty rough of fans sometimes, I’m glad I don’t know how it’s going to end. I think if you had a book like that you could make a lot of money selling copies of it, because a lot of people definitely would want to read it.
Mmmm…Pop Waffle
April 29, 2008
What exactly is a “Pop Waffle”? Well, you can’t eat it and you probably won’t find it on any breakfast menu. Pop culture gormandizers Erika Brooks Adickman and Adam Chase have taken their loves of celebrities, entertainment, blogging, and Crayolas to create animated mini webisodes of weekly pop culture goings on. The pair use stop animation, the latest indie music track, and a marble notebook to produce each edition. We asked Erika some questions about Pop Waffle and pop culture and she was kind enough to make us our very own Pop Waffle episode! Take a look at our interview below and check out the Pop Waffle site to see some past Pop Waffles. Oh, and would you mind passing the syrup?
Ingredients: Kids Incorporated, Tina Fey, David Pogue, Miranda July, Ira Glass, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, Demetri Martin, Guitar Hero, Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, Mates of State
Chatting With I’m Not Obsessed’s Gossip Girl
April 24, 2008
Ever wonder what Britney Spears is doing at 4 am? How about Lindsay Lohan’s newest fling? Or even perhaps what John Mayer had for lunch? Vera Sweeney, editor and creator of pop culture/celebrity/gossip blog I’m Not Obsessed knows. It’s her job to troll the web and get the dirt on the newest celebrity happenings and post about it on her blog. Though Vera claims she’s really NOT obsessed, we picked her brain on some pop culture hot topics, her favorite Hollywood goings on, and what it’s like to be a celebrity blogger. Read on.
Have you ever come face to face with the celebrities you blog about? What did they say when you told them you were a gossip blogger?
I’ve met Carmen Electra who was very nice and appreciated the press I was giving her. That was a great experience. Then I met Mira Sorvino and was lectured for 10 minutes about the right way to report news. Then she practically made me pinky swear I wouldn’t write anything bad about her. It was embarrassing. She had an idea of what a gossip blogger was and hated me before she got to know me. I try so hard to keep it clean and pleasant, so that was really upsetting to me.
What are your favorite blogs to read?
Truth be told, I don’t read a lot of blogs for personal reasons. I am online so much for work that when I have some free time it’s spent with my kids. But Dlisted.com is the one site that I find to be hysterical. He really is a funny guy.
Do you ever get any crazy celebrity fan mail a la YouTube “Leave Britney Alone” guy?
Every single day of my life. I also get the “Where does X live?” or “Give me X’s email address” from younger readers. I think they think I am taking the pictures of the celebs.
How do you stay up to the minute on breaking celebrity news?
I don’t sleep. I have great sources and feeds that come directly into my inbox. Lucky for me, the INO community helps out as well. Readers are always sending along breaking stories. Not to mention my entire family and most of my friends are all on payroll.
What is your favorite celebrity-based reality show?
“The Hills“! Does that count?! My husband and I have quiet time during that show.
What has been the story that you’ve gotten the most reaction about (good or bad) on your site?
Big ticket items – Anna Nicole dying, Britney losing her mind, Heath dying etc. Anything that basically makes it on CNN.
How do you feel about Ashton Kutcher’s new show, “Pop Fiction,” designed to trick celebrity bloggers and paparazzi?
At first I thought it was such a great idea. But now it’s boring. We end up finding out that it’s fake before it even airs. Ruins the fun of it all.
Who is your favorite Hollywood couple right now?
Angie and Brad always put on a great show when they hit the red carpet. But I’m more of a Ben and Jen kind of fan. They seem so down to Earth.
What are your thoughts on Perez Hilton’s “Queen of All Media” title that he’s given himself?
It’s deserving. Have you seen his numbers? He started out with just a computer in his bedroom and now he has his own shows and the paparazzi follow him. That’s truly an accomplishment.
Are you sure you’re not obsessed?
No… I’m not. 
Forces Of Good Take Over The Blogiverse!
April 22, 2008
In these trying times, it’s nice to know you have the Forces Of Good on your side. Run by Stefan Blitz (which is a pretty good superhero name if you ask us), FOG is an oft updated blog with interviews, features, and posts on pop-culture with a heavy emphasis on sci-fi, comic books, video games, and other noble nerdly pursuits. Stefan is known for asking his interview subjects five questions, but we’ve added two bonus questions here at no extra cost to you. Enjoy.
If you ran a network, what lineup would you put together for your best night of programming?
For shows currently being produced, we’d have to start at 8pm with “Heroes“, followed by “Lost” at 9 and “Battlestar Galactica” at 10pm, and we’d lose the news, instead showing “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” followed by an unedited “Dexter” at midnight.
If we’re using old shows, “Batman” starting at 7pm, followed by “Futurama” at 7:30. At 8:00 I’d have an Apatow Hour with episodes of “Undeclared” and “Freaks & Geeks.” Nine PM brings rotating episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” followed by “Kolchak the Night Stalker” rotating with other short lived series like “Firefly“, “Brisco County” and “Twin Peaks.” We cap off the night with “Seinfeld” followed by “I Love Lucy.”
What video game should be turned into a movie or tv show? What TV show or movie should be a game?
I’d really like to see a good Tetris movie. As for a property turned into a game? I’d go with Barry Levinson’s movie Diner.
If you could create and cast a reality show, what would it be like?
The reality show that I would pitch is called “Solitary.” One person. One empty room. The longer they stay, the more they make. Granted the room occasionally rotates and is filled with water and has vast temperature and extreme sound and light changes. Therapy not included.
What do you think about musicians like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails having fans name their price for music?
I think that Radiohead and NIN are smart. Get the music out there. The money for the artist comes from touring, not selling records. The artists make a hell of a lot more on a tour t-shirt than the album. Make the music free (or let the fans name the price). The artist gets the music out there, makes more of a profit in the long run and keeps the corporations from exploiting them further.
What summer movie are you looking forward to seeing the most?
There are more movies this summer that I want to see more than any other in recent memory. The Dark Knight, Speed Racer, Iron Man, X-Files 2, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy 2, Indiana Jones, The Happening, Get Smart, Wanted, and the documentary American Teen are all on my “must see” list.
How do you divide your entertainment time between screens?
I’m a pretty voracious reader, and I have stacks of dvds that I’m trying to catch up on. I see less and less in the theater, unfortunately, but I’m going to try and see Forgetting Sarah Marshall this week.
Who is your favorite person that you’ve asked the famous 5 (but most of the time 6) questions to?
I still haven’t asked some of my dream interviews (who are mostly childhood heroes) such as Adam West, Lee Majors, William Shatner, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and writer Robert B. Parker. Of all of the people who I have interviewed so far, I’m really thankful for everyone’s participation. On a personal level I’m really happy with writer Scott Rosenberg’s interview. As the writer of one of my favorite movies, Beautiful Girls, he was extremely gracious and humored me by answering several questions that weren’t part of the interview.
Jennie Tan knows cubicle life. Perhaps that’s why she’s just the right person to run OfficeTally, a website devoted to the US version of the popular series ‘The Office.’ What started as a site for fans to rate their favorite episodes (hence the name) has blossomed into the site for ‘The Office’ news, gossip, and more… even her new BFFs, the stars of the the show, read it when they’re killing time at their fictional desks. So enjoy this interview… then get back to work! Oh, but not before playing our Trivia Quiz which features a question from OfficeTally.
Q: We all have our favorite shows, but what attracted you so much to ‘The Office’ that you started a website?
It was all by accident, really. I’m a huge web nerd, and I wanted to learn how to create and maintain my own blog. I had just started getting interested in ‘The Office,’ so I figured that would be a good topic. If it hadn’t been ‘The Office,’ I might have started a blog about eating or restaurants or geek gadgets.
Q: As I write to you from my stylish beige cubicle, I have to ask… did you ever work in an office? If so, was it more or less soul-sucking than [the paper company on the show] Dunder Mifflin?
Uh, I’ve worked in an office for … years! That’s all I’ve ever known professionally. I am used to sitting in an 8×10 cubicle in front of a computer all day. Fortunately, the company I work for is way less soul-sucking than Dunder Mifflin. In fact, it is one of Forbes’ “Best Companies To Work For”!
