Late to the news, but huge congratulations to Legendary Entertainment for managing to broker a deal with video legend, Felicia Day, for the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel.
Ms Day has a fearsome reputation for insisting on being fairly compensated for her ground-breaking work and keeping control of her intellectual property (it sounds logical, but how many creators have lost these rights to their own work over the years?) In 2009, when The Guild was the subject of intense negotiations with various parties, Ms day stuck to her guns and came out with a deal with MSN/Xbox that allowed her to keep ownership of her work.
It's too early to know what this might mean in terms of cross-platform work, but there is every reason to be excited about this news.
Day reiterated her excitement: "As someone who's been working in digital entertainment for eight years, I am excited to see my company grow with Legendary, and to be able to keep making award-winning content within the changing digital landscape. And as a creator, I look forward to making fantastic things together, bringing projects I am passionate about to all platforms."
It's easy to forget that YouTube was launched less than ten years ago, Amazon is only just ten years old, and iTunes was released less than 20 years ago. In that short time the way entertainment is created and distributed has undergone a phenomenal change. Creators have not always negotiated the new reality well, and future-proofing contracts to protect works is an on-going challenge.
Congratulations to Ms Day (and Kim Evey and Sheri Bryant, who set up Geek & Sundry with Ms Day in 2012) for showing that it is possible to forge your own path and create a future that is, well, legen - wait for it -
Someone asked me recently how I could imagine that people I met on the Internet were 'real' friends when we have never talked or even seen each other. They used Facebook to keep in touch with people they knew IRL, but couldn't imagine making new friends via the Internet, and likened them to imaginary friends. It was hard not to pity them.
When we first moved to Canada, some of the first new friends I made were online. They were, and are, more than virtual friends. One of those friends is celebrating her birthday today. Not with fancy-schmancy LA glitz, but with a muscle car, Rock Jocks and home-style cooking. There might even be collard greens. And to start the day right - Twinkies:
Birthday breakfast: first cappuccino I've had in six months, croissant and breakfast Twinkie. Nomz. http://t.co/vcGiEzRQmf
— Felicia Day (@feliciaday) June 28, 2013
UPDATE: The link to the SUBMISSIONS page is now working! Are you going to give it a go?
If you've been waiting for your big chance to break into the next level on YouTube, then you need to know about a hugely exciting opportunity that has just been announced.
Felicia Day's multi-layered Geek & Sundry YouTube Channels have just added a new venture - Geek & Sundry Vlogs. There is something for everyone, so if you're looking for a new vlogger - or want to check one out for the first time - head on over to YouTube (also: Felicia with bangs...)
It kind of gets better, if that’s possible. These lucky vloggers? They’re not vlogging for us in a vacuum. Each of the twenty vloggers will be personally mentored by Miss Felicia Day herself, as well as the extremely talented and very awesome Jenni Powell, who hails from the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. (Squee?) Vloggers will have access to marketing training, extra promotion, exclusive collaborations, opportunities for access to events, resources, and even a per-video stipend. Yeah, totally dream job, right?!
But, but … how can I be a part of Geek & Sundry Vlogs? You ask, stomping your foot in the Wonka Chocolate Factory … You’re in luck, Miss Veruca Salt. We’re accepting submissions for new vloggers all summer long!
How often do you get the chance to work with such talented people? Felicia Day has won so many awards and accolades for her work, and she has always been focussed on giving back to the community. Jenni Powell is another powerhouse with years of experience developing and creating online work, and is one of the founders of Celebrate The Web. They are fantastic people to work with and this is a huge opportunity.
If you have a current Vlog, or have been preparing to set one up, then you need to head over to the Geek & Sundry website. The submission page is due to be up today (May 20th) and as soon as it is I'll update this page with the link. In the meantime check out the new Vlogs that are already there!
Why did I start it? Because of Joss Whedon. Factual.
The first post I made here is titled "numfar, do the dance of shame......" and if that doesn't mean anything to you, then you're probably in the wrong place.
Joss introduced me to Felicia. And Felicia introduced me to so many amazing and wonderful people that the past five years have been filled with adventure.
When I was covering Dr Horrible I often wondered how awesome it would be if Joss had been on Twitter, and how much fun it would have been to see the Fail Whale called to action again and again.
In the past I have gently poked fun at the fact that I never thought I would see the day that Mr WhedonMr J Whedon Joss Whedon would ever take up any form of Social Media. And I may have hinted that he was incapable of wresting utility from this dread technology.
But, dear reader, I was wrong. Very wrong.
After being snowed under with work I dipped into Twitter tonight to do a little catchup. And I saw this by Felicia:
Truth be told, I'm a bit sad. Not having Joss on Twitter meant something. It meant that he was too busy working to care about new things, and we still had something that was not mainstream. And it didn't matter about doing silly stuff because no one would ever know.
My writerlyness has given out, and this is more than I meant to say, anyway.
But if he turns up on the red carpet wearing Google Glass, I think I'm going to really lose it...
It's hard to believe, but it's been four years since I stopped freaking out long enough to interview Felicia Day. Back then she had just managed to negotiate a ground-breaking deal with Xbox after sticking to her guns over ownership of her work, and Season 2 of The Guild was just airing. Who could have predicted that Season 6 of The Guild would be airing four years later?
Since that interview I've kept tabs on Felicia and watched her develop her career with aplomb. She has worked hard to make her future her own, and her successes have been many. I hope one day we meet up and have a nice cup of tea and a scone. That would do very nicely.
Not only is Episode 2 of The Guild Season 6 released today, but Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog is airing on TV tonight for the very first time on The CW at 9:00 PM. AND a new interview with Felicia is now out on The Hollywood Reporter.
It's been over four years since Dr Horrible first took the interwebs by storm, and Felicia puts this into perspective in terms of the advances webseries have made in that time:
..."It's a big victory as far as mainstream Hollywood acknowledgement of web series as a legitimate format," web series creator/producer/star Day tells The Hollywood Reporter. "I really hope that it's not just a singular thing anymore, that it becomes a trend. That's my biggest hope."
And Day should know: she not only starred in the series but it was her work on The Guild that inspired Joss Whedon to explore opportunities that existed outside of the traditional Hollywood studio system, where creators could have complete control over their content from budget to casting and everything in between...
The Guild Season 6 is going to blow our minds. Like this.
The writing, acting and delivery of The Guild has always been consistently good, and the team has done a great job of expanding and developing the universe each season.
But this season? That whole office warehouse is amazing. Watch the behind-the-scenes video and see all the people involved, the level of detail, the graphics, drawing, models...the fully-developed and immersive nature of the space.
How many Codex-hours did it take? Just astounding.
And yes, the stage is set for another season of mayhem for our Guildies as everything changes for them once again. Enjoy:
Kim Evey opens the BTS of Ep 1 video talking about the reveal of the gaming company office:
..The epitome of what The Guild Always is...a lot of hard work, a lot of different people contributing...We always want our fans to say "How did they do that? I thought they were an indie webseries! That's impossible!"..
The steadycam work is beautifully done, and I recommend you watch it fullscreen for maximum impact. They have a freaking animatronic !!!! It seem unreal that it was four years since I first interviewed Felicia Day, just after the deal with Microsoft/Xbox had been announced for Season 2. Felicia made the decision to keep ownership of her show and has steered it, and her career, into uncharted waters and come out firmly on top of the world. And now Season 6 is exclusive to their own 'Geek & Sundry' channel on YouTube - part of a stable of quality programming. So much has changed in that time, but one thing is certain. Our little webseries is all grown up.
Gone for so long....and so has The Guild! But Felicia and crew have been hard at work on Season 6 and now it's only DAYS AWAY!
The trailer has just been released:
Season 6 is going to be EXCLUSIVE to the Geek and Sundry channel on YouTube and premieres on OCTOBER 2nd, so make sure you are subscribed to Geek and Sundry.
I'm not sure what I'm more excited about after watching the trailer - but I can't WAIT for the return of Bruiser! I can only hope that we see more of J Teddy Garces dancing - maybe Gangnam Style? Who knows....?
UPDATE:*** I just saw this today on Facebook (thanks Anna!), about Anita Sarkeesian's Kickstarter Project "Tropes vs. Women in Video Games"which has also attracted a huge avalanche of hatred. Why is this happening now, and is it a new trend or more of the same thing that has happened throughout the history of the Internet? This is a great project and one that is desperately needed - if you were in any doubt about that you only need to read about what Ms Sarkeesian has had to put up with.***
So then, while I've been busy doing stuff* I've missed out on what can only be described as a avalanche of hate directed at a video posted this week. No, it didn't contain kittens, puppies or any cute animals being injured, and it didn't feature politics, elections or any kind of -ism. It was a light-hearted music video.
It is by a well-known and respected artist, and (apart from a heroic choice of eyeshadow) it is catchy, well-produced, interesting to watch and has some surprises in there, too. Try it, you might like it:
Haters going to hate?
YouTube comments...they can be the absolute pits. Seriously, any video that has more than 100 views is likely to attract a few mean-spirited comments, usually left by bored people wanting to get a rise out of the channel. This video, though, has attracted a massive amount of negative comments, and it seems to come from a variety of types: male gamers who hate the idea of 'girl gamers', female gamers who don't want to be stereotyped, gamers who feel that gamers are just gamers no matter what gender, people who hate country music, Artistic People Against Yellow Eyeshadow - and so on.
Many are just plain nasty, some are truly awful and some are threatening, borderline incitement.
Why do I say Felicia doesn't need defending?
Fans and friends have been quick to defend the video, and the people behind it. That is heartening and not surprising - people on the whole genuinely enjoy what she produces and are open to new directions (even country music). Felicia has done a very good job of setting out her thoughts on the subject, including the ideas behind the song and video.
For me, this sums up a lot of what I've always admired about Felicia:
"In all my years of championing gaming, I have ALWAYS avoided the title “Gamer Girl”. I always just said I’m a gamer, and left the gender unsaid. I don’t mean to disparage anyone who uses that title, to me, you change minds by being who you are, representing, and not pointing out you’re different from anyone else."
But I don't think Felicia needs to defend her work or herself because the majority of this attack is not really about either of those things. It seems to me that the comments section of this video quickly became a convenient arena to go over arguments that have been raging all over the Internet for years about geeks, fakes, gamers, women, girls, men, boys and what everyone's real place in all this is.
And I'm not even clear who the real haters are here. It's impossible to tell from looking at the commenters. I'm not sure it's even worth worrying about what the truth is because people who are willing to expend so much energy posting vicious comments have already lost the plot.
For my part, I thought the video was innocuous and the song catchy, and I was glad to see that so many people took the time to leave positive comments on YouTube and Twitter.
Take Aways for Creators
Sometimes people don't like what we do, and that's ok.
Sometimes nasty comments do not reflect the majority response to your work.
Even the most popular creators can face a barrage of negativity, the trick is to handle it in a mature and intelligent manner.
Read the well thought-out comments and ignore all the rest.
Don't use yellow eye shadow if you have a pale complexion. It drives people insane.
Xander called country music "...the music of pain..." for a reason.
Don't be afraid to support your fellow creators in their endeavours, and if you don't like what they do, find a way to express it that doesn't degenerate into name-calling hatred.
Everything happens
Hope you have a great weekend, Felicia, and get to take some time off soon!
*Stuff includes, but is not limited to: writing, editing, plotting, working PLUS preparing for eldest son's High School graduation tomorrow. How time flies...
Earlier this week Felicia Day announced that she would be hosting a TEN HOUR GOOGLE+ HANGOUT MARATHON to promote her new programmes on her new YouTube 'Geek and Sundry' channel. With a whole new stable of shows in the pipeline there is bound to be something for everyone. AND it's a fundraiser for charity, too.
11:00am – Introducing our charity: Best Friends Animal Society
11:20am – Sword & Laser Show interview with co-host Tom Merritt
11:40am – J!NX Tee-shirt Giveaway with the owners and creators
12:00pm – The Art of Web Series Panel: Featuring Kim Evey (The Guild), Tony V (Black Box TV), Wilson Cleveland (Leap Year), and Tina Cesa Ward (Anyone But Me)
1:00pm – LIVE Fan Art Contest! We want submissions from YOU – draw and win prizes based on chat votes!
1:40pm – Chat with Steve Dengler of MegaCynics (CHARITY SPONSOR)
2:00pm – Novel Writer’s Panel: “Creating Great Characters” with Patrick Rothfuss (Name of the Wind), John Scalzi (Old Man’s War), Amber Benson (Death’s Daughter)
3:00pm – YOMYOMF Chat with Kev Jumba
3:30pm – Dark Horse Motion Comics Chat with Erik Bruhwiler, Animator and Producer
4:30pm – LIVE DANCE BREAK and Fan Dance competition to Public domain songs!
5:00pm – “Romance in Video Games” chat with Dragon Age creator David Gaider
5:30pm – “Indie Video Games: How To” with Bastion creator Greg Kasavin
6:00pm - “Casual Games: Designing Good Ones” with PopCap producer Matthew Johnson (Bejeweled, Peggle)
6:30pm – E-Sports! Chat with Day[9]TV’s Sean Plott
7:00pm – Chris Hardwick talks Nerdist YouTube Channel
7:30pm – NASA Astronomers Chat with Carolyn Brinkworth and Robert Hurt
8:00pm – LIVE Crowd Source writing “Geek and Sundry”, the one hour buddy drama.
9:00pm – WORLD PREMIERE: The Guild cast members Sandeep Parikh & Robin Thorsen and more perform to the fan-written “Geek and Sundry”
9:30pm – FIRE SALE; Give away remaining Prizes
9:50pm – GRAND PRIZE Giveaway!!!
10:00pm – ANNOUNCE CHARITY FUNDRAISER TOTAL – GOODBYE!
Yes, it is April Fool's Day tomorrow but no, this isn't a joke. I mean, you can trust Felicia, can't you? She would never try and trick people*. With lots of audience participation built in, so many prizes to be won and a great line up I am curious to see how the Google servers hold up!
Will Felicia Day be in your stocking this Christmas?
The answer is - with any luck! The Guild Season 5 DVD is out tomorrow, December 13th 2011, and you can order it from Amazon.com right now* It looks like it won't be available from Amazon.ca until March 13th 2012, so this will be the only way to get the DVD for now.
Try Before You Buy
If you haven't seen Season 5 yet, then why not take a look? Then go and order the DVD and make sure you have a very Guildie Christmas!
*This link takes you to Amazon using a referral code. That means that if you order via this link I get a little something back from Amazon. Thank you!
I spent my youth reading epic fantasy and sci-fi series and they will always have a special place in my heart. You've probably already heard about the upcoming webseries, Dragon Age: Redemption and Elf Quest. They are due out later in the year and are based on works (a massive role playing game and cult comic book respectively) that already have an established fanbase.
The Dragon Age panel at San Diego Comic Con was packed. Felicia Day and team clearly had a blast creating this new series (video of the panel from BuffyFest here). Similarly, the Elfquest panel united the original creators Wendy and Richard Pini with the webseries' creators Stephanie Thorpe and Paula Rhodes (coverage here).
Border Guardians of Ackernon poster from Ackernon.com
Try something new today! Standard Action and Border Guardians of Ackernon: The University are new, independently-produced webseries that explore fantasy worlds. You don't have to wait until Elf Quest or Dragon Age are released to enjoy some quality fantasy story-telling because both of these webseries are currently releasing their Season 1 episodes now!
Border Guardians of Ackernon: The University
I've written about Border Guardians of Ackernon: The University before. We met the creator and director Paul Best at VCON in Vancouver last year. We were hugely impressed with the TV pilot he took to VCON and he was intrigued by Mind My Brains, Darling!, as webseries were a new concept to him. Since then we kept in contact and Paul is now one of my consultancy clients.
This epic story is set in Ackernon, where the ancient wards on the city walls are failing. Galiene and the students from the University must fight to protect Ackernon from their enemy, the Pert - and from other dangers inside the city itself.
The story-telling is paced and exciting, the acting is solid and the production is sumptuous. Paul's years of experience in theatre and film show in every scene. The music and costuming are pitch-perfect and Laura Olsen from Blue Steer Studios has done an amazing job.
Standard Action Joanna Gaskell created and stars in the comedy/fantasy webseries, Standard Action, which is original and fun even if you have never thrown a multi-sided die.
The story follows an unlikely band of travellers as they trek across their magical land in search of lost friends. With plenty of laughs, heroic action and intrigue you'll be glad there are already 11 episodes up to watch. Episode 1 is below and you can view them all on http://www.youtube.com/user/Phasefirefilms.
I met up with Joanna and Vanessa Driveness (Associate Producer, PR Manager) at Can't Stop The Serenity in Vancouver a few weeks ago and we will all be on a panel together at this year's VCON and Geek Girl Con.
In case you (like me) missed the livecast from the LA CSTS today with Joss Whedon, Tim Minnear, Felicia Day, Jane Espenson and many more - you can watch it on GeekWeek on Justin.tv:
I'm already counting down the days until I attend the 6th Annual Vancouver Can't Stop The Serenity day at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC, on June 25th (11 am until 6 pm). It will my fourth year and I look forward to it for weeks in advance! CSTS is a global sci-fi charity event all about raising money and awareness for Equality Now and other charities.
Last year we had a great time and we made these videos:
We had a wonderful time, met friends old and new, and more importantly the BC Browncoats raised lots of money for Equality Now and the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre Foundation. Because that is what CSTS is all about - communities coming together to raise money causes we believe in - all while enjoying some high class entertainment with friends.
From the CSTS Press Release: "Whedon has been outspoken in his support of the organization and gender equality. In 2006, Whedon was honored with a special recognition award from Equality Now. In his acceptance speech, he told a story of how he’s often questioned as to why he writes strong women characters such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His response:
“Because equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women. And the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who is confronted with it.
We need equality. Kinda now.”
A very special announcement for the 2011 season is that Joss Whedon himself will be attending and speaking at one of the events: Can’t Stop The Serenity in Los Angeles on June 25th, hosted by the California Browncoats. Taking the excitement one step further, the event will be broadcast live via the web so people can enjoy the night from around the world. Using multiple cameras, the feed will show the live events from the stage, interviews with attendees and general footage to capture every moment from this unprecedented event.
Now in its 6th year, Can’t Stop the Serenity has become a worldwide benefit movement in the name of Whedon’s beloved works. Browncoats are part of a global family that believes doing the impossible makes one mighty. The fight for basic human decency will continue for as long as there are people in need and those willing to answer that call. In trying to raise awareness for that call, Mr. Universe said it best, ”Can’t stop the signal.”
The last time I saw Joss speaking live over the Internet - at the 2009 Streamys
LA is about to be star-struck
Yes, you fall over stars and starlets on every corner in LA, but this year Joss Whedon himself will attend the LA CSTS. This is wonderful news and should mean even more money can be raised. I predict that tickets for the LA CSTS will be selling out right about now....[Edit: they are sold out in LA but check out all the CSTS events on the CSTS website] But that's ok, because we'll all be able to join in, live!
Not quite Joss...
We might not have Joss Whedon, but I know the Gayle and all the team have worked out a magnificent day for us all in Vancouver and will be putting on another brilliant day. We'll be there - and we have a very special announcement to make about what we will be doing there soon. But it might have something to do with our new webseries "Mind My Brains, Darling!"....More soon!
I know, I know - that headline is horrible!
But I figure that since people already get to this blog using some truly eye-popping searches, this won't make things that much worse. We can hope. Anyway, there is actual footage of Behind The Scenes of The Guild Season 5 that includes Felicia in the bathroom along with Sean Becker and a host of people all working hard. Ms Day has her own YouTube channel and that''s the place to get see these vids (and here, obviously).
Felicia Day Glamour Shots!
I mean - using a bathroom as your control room IS glamorous, you have to admit. This video is pure Hollywood...
Felicia Goes Blonde!
We know that hair colour can be a...sensitive issue. Here Felicia is encouraging more speculation, but of a different kind. Why in the world is she wearing a Katy Perry cast-off wig??
No Words...
I don't know where to even start with this one...
At least we haven't seen this yet:
[redacted picture of Sean Becker]
Sean Becker poised for "Action" on The Guild Season 5 (from @theguild Twitpic)
It's all happening!
After months of speculation and preparation the well-oiled machine that is The Guild is once more swinging into action. And once more we know we will be seeing things we have never seen before. Of course, no one knows any details about the plot for Season 5 outside the inner circle. Felicia Day is so (rightly) paranoid about spoilers getting out that she has mind-wiping ninjas on hand that preemptively strike anyone about to spill the tiniest detail. Apparently they can even work from a distance using a variety of top secret yet deadly methods.
Felicia herself is not above teasing us with tweets like the one above, but only she is allowed that privilege. So I'm not going to tell you that they are on location on Long Beach, or link to this picture taken from behind the scenes. And I'm certainly not going to tell you that...can you smell almonds....?
This is all about me...
...so apologies about that. If you're looking for a review about the awesome new Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: The Book, then head over to PinkRaygun.com.
Earlier this year I sold a play. And now my name, and words, are in a book. A book all about Dr Horrible. That also has words in it from Joss Whedon, Felicia Day and a whole host of other people, all of whom are way up there in the list of people who have influenced me over the last few years.
If Dr Horrible hadn't happened I wouldn't have been researching the people involved and might not have stumbled across Season 1 of The Guild. Or started stalking following Felicia Day. Or get mixed up in the crazy, heady world of new media/webseries. I probably would have stopped blogging, and I wouldn't have joined sites like Twitter and Friendfeed. I certainly wouldn't have made a webseries in 2008, and all the things that have flowed from that (like the new webseries we have in production now).
I also wouldn't have thought to interview Felicia Day if I hadn't already interviewed award-winning author PJ Haarsma. He created the remote control Dr Horrible uses to steal the Wonderflonium. I knew of PJ because of Kids Need To Read, the charity he set up with Nathan Fillion. He was very generous with his time and his interview ranked in the top 10 posts on Whedonage consistently. That interview caught the eye of Titan books, the publishers of the Dr Horrible book, who then asked if they could republish some of it.
And that's how I came to be in a book with Joss.
Page 23. Tell your friends
P.S. Someone else you will certainly have heard of is also in the book. The One True b!X, photographer, blogger and twitterererer, has photos in the book, too. b!X has lots of Whedon-Geek-Guild-related photos on Flickr. You can also buy some via his website.
Liz Shannon Miller talks to The Guild Creator, Felicia Day talking about The Guild, DragonAge: Redemption, webseries and New Media (Note: there was a 'share' button under the live feed during the session which I hope might turn into a permalink....we'll see! If the video is available after I will embed)
To celebrate the fact that you can now go into your favourite store and buy The Guild Season 4 DVD, there's a new competition over on WatchTheGuild.com. All you need to enter is a picture of you holding a Season 4 DVD and you could win a picture of the cast signed by creator/star Felicia Day.
Get your pics in quick!
The competition ends at midnight PST, Feb 24th so get snapping!
Your Favourite Extra...?
Which extra on the DVD is your favourite? There are lots to choose from, so which one do you think is the best?
Jimmy Fallon has come a long way since Felicia Day tried to help him create a World of Warcraft toon, but he tried to hold his own in gamerspeak with Felicia by talking Legend of Zelda. Clearly Felicia needs to tell him about Legend of Neil - there can only be one Link!
Felicia looking as gorgeous as ever, sporting non-staticy hair and some impressive guns!
At the end of the interview is a breathtaking trailer from the Dragon Age: Redemption. It is so action-packed that screengrabs are nearly impossible, but here's an almost-decent one.
Felicia Day as Tallis in Dragon Age: Redemption, from the trailer aired on the Jimmy Fallon show
The trailer look fabulous and sets the bar really high. I can't wait to see more of Tallis and her daggers!
