Blip.tv, The Collective and Jane Espenson - #webseries news!

Blip.tv and The Collective graphic (taken from blip.tv sizzle reel)

A big day!
This morning Blip.tv and The Collective announced their new partnership live on Livestream:

Watch live streaming video from bliptv at livestream.com

This is huge news and will change the landscape in the webseries world. From the Blip.tv blog:

 "This partnership breaks new ground for blip.tv and validates the position we’ve taken for years about the relevance of original web series, and our dedication to the success of their creators.  The Collective, like us, takes a long-term view that places the creator and star firmly in control of their own destiny.Our partnership was the result of a ton of exploration about how we can work together to add value to the web series creators who will be a part of it.

Starting today, the creators working with Collective Digital Studio will build upon their amazing success by adding new audiences on the blip.tv destination site and our network of distribution partners.  We’ll also work with them to take advantage of opportunities with advertisers so that they can make more and better content for their fans, which will be available on the new blip.tv destination site, on YouTube, and on their own sites."

Tubefiler had live coverage and Newteevee have also covered this news.

We choose Blip.tv for our upcoming webseries "Mind My Brains, Darling!" because their distribution and management backend gave us what we needed. When they unveiled their completely revamped site a couple of weeks ago we were thrilled to be part of their new focus on the viewer's experience. Thanks to Jeremy Hodges' help our Blip.tv pages looks amazing:

I'm looking forward to seeing what this new partnership will bring.

More things that make you go "Squee!"
One of my very favourite TV writers - in fact, one of my favourite writers, period - is Jane Espenson. I first encountered her on Buffy and I have tracked her since, enjoying her work whenever and wherever  I find it. We won't dwell on the heartbreak that is the cancellation of Caprica, but rather rejoice in the fact that Jane has several projects on the go. There is a wonderful interview with her in the Huffington Post today.

It is full of insights but it is the very last lines that really got me going:

"Is there a story you're dying to tell? If you were given complete freedom, ratings weren't an issue and there were no studio restraints, what story would you write? 

 I do have such a story -- a comedy idea a friend and I came up with and co-wrote a little script for. It's something that I think would inevitably change with studio input, and I want to keep it clear in my head at least until we've captured our clean vision of it, so I think we will shoot it as a web series. Ask me about it again in about a month or so!"

A new* Jane Espenson webseries?!? This is outstanding news! More details as they are released...

P.S. If you are reading this, Jane, I really do have a set you can use - @worldofhiglet on twitter and I'll hook you up. You like Vancouver, right?

EDIT: During #webserieschat today I realised that some people might not know that Jane is a Streamy Award winning webseries writer! She won in 2009 for the Battlestar Galactica webseries, "Face of the Enemy". I blogged about it here and here - and have some pictures on Flickr. She has also been linked to a new Torchwood webseries!

Updates and observations: OH HAI INTERNET

Caution: Hubby at work!
So then, what's been going on with you? Seems like a long time since I wrote anything here but even I was shocked to see it was nearly 2 weeks! I'll be out of the Blogger's Loose Association with No Set Agenda at this rate. So - what have I been doing, I hear you ask? The answer is Pretty Cool Stuff. And because it is traditional for me to mark periods of not blogging with a megalistpost, here's a quick rundown:

• Building Sets & Polishing Scripts for 'Mind My Brains, Darling!': new posts up on HigletFilms.com about our progress. And don't forget that you still have 23 days left to help us raise the last $239 we need to reach our goal on Indiegogo.com. A huge thank you to all the generous people who have donated so far - you rock!
• Follow ups from VCON: We made some great new contacts at VCON and we're hoping to be able to share some more of this in the coming weeks. And I'll be publishing an interview with Alyssa Ciccarelli from Riese the Series on PinkRaygun soon. Riese is a Steampunk webseries that was launched in 2009. It has been picked up by Syfy.com and will be airing every Tuesday and Thursday on http://www.syfy.com/riese/
• Fighting GDS with Legend of Neil and Jeff Lewis 5 Min Comedy Hour: Guild Deficiency Syndrome can be temporarily relieved by ingesting quantities of these two shows, although 'ingesting' might not be the word to use given the last 'Jeff Lewis...' ep. And next week is the LAST EVER episode of Legend of Neil, which is a whole other type of syndrome waiting to happen. Will our suffering never end? Yes, because 'Knights of The Guild' podcast is still running with new shows and competitions! Guaranteed to cheer up the most down-in-the-mouth Guildie :)
•  IAWTV opens its doors to....everyone!: After months of debates, it seems the IAWTV has decided to allow anyone with an interest in webseries to register as a member. You might have missed this because it is not on the public IAWTV website or Twitter stream because there are issues in updating these sites. But Jack Ferry has done an admirable job of spreading the word, and it was this article by him that really got the ball rolling. Liz Shannon Miller wrote about the change on NewTeeVee.com and Tubefilter also reported on the changes. I think the challenges for the IAWTV are large but not insurmountable, and it will be interesting to see what happens. I think this a massive step in the right direction.
• Castle - must-watch TV!: Ah, there are only 2 things I'm watching on TV atm and Castle is one of them. Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic and all deliver a dependable dollop of pure enjoyment.
• Caprica - also must-watch TV!: From the ridiculous to the sublime? Possibly. All I know is that I love this show immensely and hope it is renewed for another season or five.

The Streamys: Rebuild the trust?

This is what the Streamys 2010 should be remembered for - excellence rewarded. Felica Day FTW

EDIT: Added link Derek Housman's tumblr post

These wounds are made for picking
The last two weeks have tested the mettle of many supporters of Web TV, webseries and web communities as a whole. After the events three weeks ago there have been claims and counter-claims across the web. And now there is a new movement afoot. Here are some recommended reads:

http://news.tubefilter.tv/2010/04/26/the-truth-about-the-streamy-awards-and-the-iawtv
A special Tubfilter Editoral from the creators of the Streamys Awards, Drew Baldwin, Brady Brim-DeForest, Joshua Cohen, Marc Hustvedt and Jamison Tilsner

http://rebuildthetrust.org/
The Manifesto from RebuildTheTrust

http://www.caseymckinnon.com/blog/personal/2010/04/26/the-elephant-in-the-room/
A rebuttal from Casey McKinnon, new media creator

http://rebuildthetrust.org/community/comments.php?DiscussionID=6&page=1#Item_2
@theonetruebix has asked for details about who does what at the IAWTV, Tubefilter and the Streamys

http://rebuildthetrust.org/community/comments.php?DiscussionID=7&page=1#Item_1
@Jeff_Koenig has asked for clarification on the 'takeover' section of the RebuildTheTrust manifesto

http://www.barrettgarese.com/post/551640683/my-total-speculation-on-what-the-truth-about-the
@SpyTap, Barret Garese, speculates on what it all might mean

http://kentnichols.com/2010/04/26/streamys-and-iawtv-there-can-be-only-one/
@kentnichols (AskANinja.com) looks at what might happen

http://derekhousman.tumblr.com/post/551571819/building-the-future
Derek Housman adds his take on the situation (thanks to Jeff_Koenig for commenting with this link)

The road to hell is paved with good intentions
My Gran was fond of that saying, usually applied when one or other of us had neglected to do homework, dishes or another decade of the Rosary but really meant to do it very soon.
Most people mean well but the gap between the intention and the result can be - well, very gappy indeed.

Confusion Reigns
I have no idea what is going on.
You have no idea what is going on.
We have no idea what is going on.

All I know is the following:

• I love me some webseries and have a lot of respect for the creators out there doing their thing
• I cannot shake the suspicion that money, influence and things unrelated to promoting new media/online entertainment are behind many of the issues being aired in public on both sides
• Transparency is a good thing as long as it works both ways
• Change is not always good, or bad

What I hoped the Streamys would be about:

• Celebrating achievements and efforts of the whole community of creators in the new media space.
• Promoting online entertainment as an industry to the world as a whole.
• Showing that creators can come from anywhere - that the quality of the product and the sincerity of the pursuit of the craft is more important than where you live, who you know and the funding you receive.

What I hoped the IAWTV would be about:

• Setting standards of propriety and openness that the rest of the new media/online entertainment industry could work towards.
• Building on the efforts of the creators to establish online entertainment as a vibrant and diverse community with common goals, standards and aspirations
• Organising, or at least setting standards for, outreach, learning and technical workshops for ALL the community

What happens next?
I have no clue. Letting the dust settle seems an appropriate response at this juncture because I have no idea what is really going on. The last three weeks have left me heartsore for all our community. There is more shock and disbelief today. People are trying to do the right thing. It's just a pity that there is no consesus on what that might be.

Nominate The Guild creators at The Streamy Awards!

Remember The Streamys?

The biggest major New Media Blogs: Tubefilter, NewTeeVee and Tilzy.tv have created a new Awards show The Streamy Awards especially for webseries. Ever since I first watched 'The Guild' last year I've been a convert to webseries. The writing, acting and production is all top rate. Now here's your chance to nominate the show and it's creators in The Streamy Awards. Vote now!

WatchTheGuild.com posted this reminder today that there was still time to get your nominations in:

"The deadline for nominations is midnight Jan 23rd (Friday). If you could spare a moment, we’d love for you to go to Streamys.org consider us in the following categories:

Best Comedy Web Series: The Guild

Best Directing for a Comedy Web Series: Sean Becker

Best Writing for a Comedy Web Series: Felicia Day

Best Male Actor in a Comedy Web Series: Sandeep Parikh, Jeff Lewis or Vincent Caso (Zaboo, Vork or Bladezz)

Best Female Actor in a Comedy Web Series: Felicia Day, Robin Thorsen or Amy Okuda (Codex, Clara or Tink)

Best Ensemble Cast in a Web Series: The Guild

Best Guest Star in a Web Series: Fernando Chien (Wade Wei, the Stunt Guy)

Best Editing: Sean Becker

Best Cinematography: John Schmidt

Best Art Direction: Leah Mann

Best Visual Effects: Doug Luberts

Best Animation: Matthew Brackney (for the Season 2 credits)

Best Original Music: Don Schiff (Theme) Eanan Patterson (Season 2 Scoring)

We know it’s a lot, but every single person contributed their amazing talent to this season, so if you have the time, please vote for us! :) We appreciate it so much."

They have my nominations!

Who else could you nominate?

In order to qualify for nomination the webseries has to be (from The Streamys website):

"Any original production produced for broadband distribution with at least three (3) episodes released in the 2008 calendar year can qualify for consideration. The show must also be easily viewed and available online, either via a major video sharing site or unique URL."

So, there are plenty of other webseries you might consider nominating - like Doctor Horrible and With The Angels. Are there any other webseries you are nominating?

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Birthday wishes and exciting announcements!

Yes, I am very definitely over the hill 

And you know what? I could care less! This year has been momentous with highs and lows, beginnings and ends and all manner of wonderfulness in between. I'm going to do a reflective look back for New Year, so for today this is a little post to say how much I appreciate all the friends I've made online in the last year. Thank you all for the support, well wishes and fun! Even those people who visit here and never comment - I know where you live, remember, and I appreciate you popping by.

So, what's the news?

There's tons going on and I have some very special announcements to make before I head off for some birthday fun:

In January I'm going to writing for PINK RAYGUN!

Ever since I first visited Pink Raygun I've been enthralled. I always spend much longer over there than I intend because it is packed full of fanly-goodness! From the hilarious comic strip, Intergalactic Law to the reviews of all your favourite TV, Film, books and web content, there is something for everyone (yes, even boys are allowed). Pink Raygun: Lisa Fary, Julianna Weiss and John Dallaire were on my list of people to queue to see at Comic Con so when they said they wouldn't mind if I wrote for them I was over the moon. 

The format's still to be decided but there will be interviews - lots of lovely interviews. So, who would you like to see given the full Higlet treatment? Felicia Day seems to have survived the ordeal ok, and Kim Evey and Vince Caso are recovering, but who will be the next victim? If you have anyone you would like me to interview let me know. I have some ideas....

The Streamy Awards are announced!

In a very exciting move Tubefilter have teamed up with NewTeeVee and Tilzy.TV to present the Streamy Awards. Tubefilter have all the details on their website, and this is what the awards are all about:

"Anyone can nominate their favorite web series, stars and creators starting today at Streamys.orgin any of the 25 award categories. From the nominations, an independent non-profit organization called the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV), will select the final nominees in each category. The most-nominated entries in each category will automatically be one of the final five nominees. There’s also an Audience Choice Awards that will go to the web series (of any format) that receives the greatest number of public votes. The winners will be announced live at the 2009 Streamy Awards Ceremony held in Los Angeles on March 29, 2009."

This is going to be a huge event and we have a say in who wins! Now, who are you going nominate?

Evil WorldofHiglet is set to return

Well, the news from the Evil League of Evil Applications Processing Office (that is such a catchy title, don't you think?!) is grim indeed. Evil WoH finds out whether her application has been accepted or not and there's the ELE Christmas Humbug Party to deal with, too! I'm actually slightly afraid for Goggle-head - I can't see how this is going to end well...! If The Guild can do a Christmas special (which is very, very funny) then I'm sure Evil WoH is up to the challenge. More news to follow soon - betcha can't wait :)

And finally....

I hope you all have a great day, weekend, festive season, etc. Thanks again for all your kind words and I'm off now to have some Birthday Fun!

P.S.

Thanks to Soma, who added a Forum topic on The Guild Community site about my birthday - and to everyone who commented. And to Edgar who wrote a touching blog post, too. You guys are AWESOME!