Here's one for you

The quality isn't the greatest but here is a promo I was involved in producing. The script isn't mine but I helped with the shooting and editing. And if the voice sounds familiar... that's Scott Rummel. He does movie trailers. Lots and lots of movie trailers. I believe he's the voice for the new TV trailers for I Am Legend and Sweeny Todd.

I posted this one because I beleive it has some of our nicest visuals to date. I'd love to know what you think.

5 voice guys in a limo

I may have mentioned this one before but Ijust have to post it. For anyone that works with voice over guys... you'll love this. And your voice guys (or gals) probably will, too. Ours did. ;-)

It's not a promo...

But it's a fun ad. I laugh every time I see this new Verizon Wireless spot. "Does he... bite? Yeah."

Speechless

I am 100% behind the writers when it comes to the current strike. Studios are trying to screw them over. As much as I hate to miss out on new episodes of my favorite shows (or see some of my new faves not get renewed as a result) the writers still have my full support. That's why I absolutely love the messages several high profile actors are putting out there. This is one of my favorites...



And be sure to check out some of the other clips from the site as well. http://speechlesswithoutwriters.com/ It's nice to see the actors getting behind the people who put the words in their mouths... ;-)

A cool new spot

Has anyone seen the new promos for the Sarah Conner Chronicles on FOX? I was only mildly interested in the series until catching one the other night. I have to admit the promo did what it was supposed to do. I am so watching the premiere. I especially loved that creepy shot of the Terminator sans skin there toward the end. Nicely conceived and edited.

Here's another spot I came across while browsing YouTube. Can you imagine the time this one took? Yikes!

Thank God...

It's over. Another November sweeps has come and mercifully gone. A lot of the aggravation was washed away when our promotion manager treated us to a nice celebratory dinner at Ruth's Chris, however. I recommend the upside down chocolate souffle. I'd put up with twice as much sweeps irritation if I could have two of those at the end of it all.

So I'm wondering if any stations out there had some new, really ground breaking investigations or stories. Something we've not seen before. And if the news departments didn't deliver what about the promos? I saw our competition picking up their game a little bit. They had some really nice spots that made me stop and take notice. They also goosed my competitive nature a bit. Always a good thing.

Two of our biggest stories revolved around sports figures. We did a very interesting interview with Colts' punter Hunter Smith who chose our station to confess his battle with depression. The other was the big 3 interview I've mentioned in previous posts. The story did in fact pull in some big numbers and we held our quarter hour with both part one and part two. Tackling these interviews like they were stories instead of sports pieces made all the difference. My former news director who has moved out to California caught my spots for the Big 3 when our sports anchor sent them to him. He sent along a very nice note that just made my day. And I must confess that I've never done a spot that had more people talking. It was weird, and very gratifying, to get that much feedback.

We also did a story that's gotten us sued. Don't you just hate it when that happens? Our station, and our parent company, are standing by the story.

Our other big stories? You can never go wrong with stories about the state wasting your money. And property taxes have been a huge issue here in Indy. We did more on that. We also had a few stories about air travel - specifically people stealing from your luggage and air traffic safety. That was about it.

Anyone out there with some sweeps stories to share? That includes stories that didn't work. That info is gold.

On to year ender promos and the next big image campaign for the AFC Championship game...

Inspiration... and where to find it.

There is nothing worse for a promotion producer than when the well of creative ideas runs dry. I'm not talking about writing the script. Staring at that blank computer screen is a different kind of hell. I'm talking about coming up with a "look" for your promo. Something you haven't done before. Something that pushes your skills to a new level. Perhaps you had a boxes phase. Then maybe you moved on to your circles phase. Then maybe you got really creative and did a boxes AND circles phase. Now you're bored with your work and you need some knew creative inspiration to get your imagination kick started again.

I usually keep the list I'm about to post here a guarded secret - something I only share with co-workers and a select few other stations in our broadcast group. But with so many people now sharing their creative ideas and talents with us on the world wide web I started to feel a little selfish. So now I'm going to share the love... or at least my list of inspiration...

Art houses and post houses have the coolest ideas. In my spare time at work (what little I have) I always look out for new sites. Over the years I've collected a bunch. Whenever I'm in desperate need of a creative kick in the pants I've found it on one of these sites. I hope they're useful to someone out there. If you have any to share that aren't on the list I'd love to see them.

Without further delay... the list.

#
http://www.602communications.com/
http://www.72andsunny.com/
http://www.168designgroup.com/
http://www.1741films.com/
http://www.2000strong.com/


A
http://www.a52.com/
http://www.activateyourimage.com/
http://www.aerodrome.com/
http://www.attik.com/
http://www.autonomy.tv/


B
http://www.beehive.tv/
http://www.belief.com/
http://www.bigstudios.com/
http://www.blur.com/
http://www.brickyardvfx.com/
http://www.broadwayvideo.com/
http://www.buckla.com/
http://www.bungalow3.com/


C
http://www.ca-square.com/
http://www.charlex.com/
http://www.citizenpictures.com/
http://www.click3x.com/
http://www.computercafe.com/
http://www.conceptfarm.com/
http://www.crash-sues.com/
http://www.creativebubble.com/
HTTP://WWW.CROSSROADSTELEVISION.COM/
http://www.curiouspictures.com/
http://www.cuppacoffee.com/

D
http://www.d-kitchen.com/
http://www.devastudios.com/
http://www.drfilmdesign.com/
http://www.dzpusa.com/


E
http://www.eargoo.com/
http://www.edgeworx.com/
http://www.editionaleffects.com/
http://www.elevate.tv/
http://www.eviltwinproductions.com/
http://www.exopolis.com/
http://www.eyeballnyc.com/


F
http://www.filmworksfx.com/
http://www.filternyc.com/
http://www.freestylecollective.com/
http://www.fueldesign.com/

G
http://www.ghostmilk.com/
http://www.giantoctopus.com/


H-I-J-K-L
http://www.homenyc.tv/
http://www.hothauscreative.com/
http://www.iamelement.com/
http://www.imaginaryforces.com/
http://www.impossiblepictures.com/
http://www.industrialcreative.com/
http://www.interspectacular.com/
http://www.interfacevideo.com/
http://www.kachew.com/
http://www.light-borne.com/
http://www.loopmedia.com/


M
http://www.makinestudios.com/
http://www.mfactor.com/ (seriously cool snipes)
http://www.moceanvenice.com/
http://www.montgomerycreative.com/
http://www.motiontheory.com/
http://www.moving-picture.com/


N-O-P
http://www.nailgun.tv/
http://www.newspeak.tv/
http://www.nthdegree.tv/
http://www.oceanvisualfx.com/
http://www.perceptv.com/
http://www.phoenixeditorial.com/
http://www.picturemill.com/
http://www.primalscreen.com/
http://www.prosceniumpictures.com/
http://www.psyop.tv/
http://www.pwny.com/
http://www.pyrocreative.com/

Q-R
http://www.radium.com/
http://www.red8studios.com/
http://www.ringoffire.com/
http://www.riotmanhattan.com/
http://www.riverstreet.net/
http://www.rudehoney.com/
http://www.rushes.co.uk/


S
http://www.shilodesign.com/
http://www.smashpoint.com/
http://www.splicehere.tv/
http://www.stardust.tv/
http://www.studiocity.com/
http://www.steelevfx.com/


T
http://www.t-a-g.com/
http://www.teamgroup.tv/
http://www.the-archipelago.com/ (this is the website for Lee Hunt and Concrete Pictures)
http://www.the-mill.com/
http://www.thestudioupstairs.com/
http://www.thinkc.com/
http://www.trancedesigns.com/
http://www.transistorstudios.com/
http://www.troika.tv/
http://www.trollback.com/
http://www.twistfilm.com/


U-V
http://www.unioneditorial.com/
http://www.uvphactory.com/
http://www.verbmedia.com/
http://www.videoboxstudios.com/
http://www.viewpointstudios.com/
http://www.vidiots.tv/


X-Y-Z
http://www.yuco.com/
http://www.zapcast.com/
http://www.zonadesign.com/

The Big 3

So I've found myself in a bit of a dilemma with a recent special report. Our sports anchor landed an impressive interview with Tony George (owner of the Indy Motor Speedway), Herb Simon (co-owner of the Pacers) and Jim Irsay (owner of the Colts). All three men sat down for one interview together. Truly a moment in Indiana sports history. We wanted to start generating buzz early in October so I put together a POP of sorts reminding viewers of all the exclusive sports interviews the guy has landed before. We tagged it out by saying wait till you see who he has November 5th. It worked. We had radio stations calling us, athletes asking the reporter, even our own sales staff was begging to know who it was. So what's my problem? Do three team owners in one room together justify the buzz or would we let people down when they finally saw who it was?

We did switch to promos for the actual interview last Thursday where their identities were revealed. Radio stations still wanted interviews and people who aren't normally sports fans admitted to being more than a little curious to see what these guys had to say. The interview airs tonight so we'll see if our strategy pays off. If it fails it certainly won't be from a lack of promotion. The spot aired on the DomeVision at the Colts/Patriots game as well as airing during the broadcast of the game itself. The game had a freaking 65 share. Too bad it had such a bummer ending...

Next up for me is another sports related special report. Then I'm off to work on a few things for sister station WNDY. I hope to experiment with getting some videos up on here in the near future. Wish me luck...

Here we go again...

Another sweeps month is now upon us. I'm coming out lucky this month since I only have two special report promos to edit. One is already in the can. The other should be completed tomorrow. Of course something always pops up during sweeps months so I'll probably have at least one more in there before it's all said and done.

A link for you... http://youtube.com/user/wish. We now have our own YouTube page for all our stations. There should be user pages for WNDY and Indy Univision as well. At least now I'll have a place to put my promos, as will the rest of the staff. The quality of the videos isn't the greatest but we're working on it.

The Indiana Broadcasters Association is having their Spectrum Awards this weekend. All told I believe the department is up for four (a record). None of us has ever won this one so we'll see if we can finally add this trophy to our department awards shelf. Of course if we do win one I'll have to lose a Family Feud or Bernie Mac bobble head doll to make room for it, but I suppose some sacrifices must be made...

Finally I have to share a superstition with you. I've been with WISH for almost 7 1/2 years. Over those years, I've learned that any time we're doing very well ratings-wise going into a book we usually wind up tanking the first several nights. Conversely the opposite is also true. When we're completely sucking going into a book we suddenly pull huge numbers when the book launches. Right now we've been doing very well as we head into tonight. That makes me nervous. We've got great stories and good promotion, not to mention a nice lead-in in Without a Trace, but you just never know. Viewers can be very fickle as we all know.

I'll be back in the next day or so to chat more about the promos I mentioned in my last entry. After tonight the cat will be out of the bag as to the identity of the big interview.

Hello again...

I've apparently been neglecting my blog. I realized my last post was over a month ago so I thought I'd better check in. There is nothing major to report on the work front. November sweeps will be upon us soon as will winter weather in Indiana. As such I'm working on special report promos and a winter weather image. We do have some great special reports this month so I'm hoping that will translate into even better ratings. Fingers crossed. As for the weather... it's supposed to get to 83 today. Seems odd that I need to swing by the office later to log snow footage. Bleh.

So have you been following the latest goings on in Hollywood lately? No, not Brittney and her custody crap... the possible impending writers' strike. I can't say that I blame the writers for threatening to walk. We're no longer just a TV and multiplex world. We've got I-Tunes, DVDs, online distribution... the entertainment product is making its way to viewers in a multitude of new ways. It seems only fair that the writers get a nice slice of that money pie. But the thought of what a strike could do to everyone else with a job in the entertainment industry... ouch. I'll be watching closely to see what happens in the coming week or so. I just wonder what the networks will do once they run out of programming. Will they switch to British shows as some have suggested? Will they simply opt for cheap and lame reality programs? Their choice, if it comes to it, will be telling.

I guess I do have one little thing to talk about when it comes to work. I finished a promo that teases a big sports interview we have for November. We don't say who it is in the spot and that approach seems to have revved up people's curiosity. It's fun to do promos like this but also a little odd. The spot serves to get the public talking but it's also obviously designed to be a little of a mind game for the competition. I feel so devious... I'll talk more about this when I get to a point where I can identify the subjects of the interview. This one has been a wild project to take on.

I'll try not to let a month go by before my next post. See ya.

How the other half lives...

Today's pics... Night shooting for ids... A million dollar + view in the daylight... Taking over a neighborhood... The million + view at night. The city shots were taken from the 7th floor of the Villagio on the south side of Indianapolis. Pretty sweet...

We wrapped up shooting yesterday with the Steadicam but I forgot to bring my camera for that one. Oops. The shots we got at the Villagio were absolutely beautiful. We shot them on HD and our anchors looked gorgeous.

I love night shoots. I hate the long day that usually goes with them... but it always seems worth it if the fates aligns to give you beautiful shots. The fates were indeed kind. I can't wait to get the transfers back. This should make the competition a little green with envy. At least we hope so! :-)

The Steadicam shoot was interesting. I was a bit rushed for my part of it (late anchors) but I saw some shots that I'm hoping will look as kickass on a big screen as they did in that small monitor I was watching. Fingers are crossed...

I think the pace is about to pick up at work. A lot of things seem to be materializing in the pipe and rushing at us with quite a bit of speed. I may not have much time to post in the next few weeks but I'll try...

Finally...

My days of being the Susan Lucci of the promotion department are over. It only took nine nominations but last night I finally won a freaking Emmy. Oddly it was for a promo I came in and did on a weekend because there were a lot of reservations from management about doing it. It was decided that I would put it together so we could show off a finished product instead of trying to explain what it would look like. It paid off then and apparently now. How about that?

Unfortunately we didn't do so well in some other categories. It's tough when you think your co-workers have the best stories but don't take home the trophy. Just to show you how fickle the whole process is, however, one of our reporters won ever major award for an investigative piece, including a Peabody, then didn't even get nominated for the Emmy. Weird.

Research is back so we'll soon have a new slew of promos to produce. In the meantime I've been wrapping up all the launch and re-launch work for our My Network affiliate. Tomorrow will be the worst of it then it should get considerably easier. I do have promo shoots the first three days of the week. I'll bring my camera along since we'll be working with a Steadicam on one of them.

Back in action...

I've been a little remiss in updating this blog recently. Truthfully I haven't had a whole lot to report. Work has been busy but there are no huge projects on my plate at the moment. I'm sure that will all change once we get our research back at the end of this week.

Saturday was SkyConcert - the Labor Day fireworks show in downtown Indy. I worked most of the day setting up our station's tent and handing out goodies to everyone. Man, you want attention at your booth at any event... get a prize wheel. People flock to it like it's crack. I'm not a fan of participating at events but I don't absolutely hate it, either. I'm just happier sitting in my edit booth or working on a script in my nice air conditioned office than mingling with the masses.

I'm getting more involved with our web projects which has been very educational. I spent Thursday in our regional internet director's office trying to come up with a tag line and promotion campaign for a new site we're working on. When I left we were pretty up beat about some of the ideas we generated. Right now I have to admit that this is the project that's got my creativity sparking. It's nice to step outside your comfort zone every now and then - especially when you don't fall flat on your face...

I'll be serving in more of a special projects producer role this coming Monday. I'm sworn to secrecy about the shoot for now, but I can say that it's a huge interview and that there are lots of cameras involved. The reporter actually asked me to come which I thought was nice. I'm not usually a fixture on interviews. I'm the one who promotes that we have them.

Off to paint my spare room. Hope everyone has a nice Labor Day!

So I finally checked out Saving Grace. I missed the pilot since my DVR decided to record black instead - again. The show is a bit over the top, yet, I found it engaging. Weird but engaging. Give it a try if you're looking for something to watch. Just prepare yourself. The language is not what you're used to if you're a network watcher like me.

I also gave Mind Control on the Sci-Fi channel a shot. It was good for one episode but I can't imagine checking in week after week. And speaking of Sci-Fi... what is wrong with their promo department? Could they make Flash Gordon look any more boring? The show's lead is a handsome guy but the promos make him look dull as dirt. I have never gotten this channel's way of promoting their shows. Still don't. The only one they ever managed to promote halfway decently was Battlestar. If they'd give their other shows a little more promo love they'd probably do better in the ratings...

So now that I'm yapping about promos I might as well turn to the promos I'm working on. I'm still wrapped up in the fall launch for our My Network affiliate. I had made a lot of progress - until the programming department went and changed the whole syndicated schedule!!!!! Ouch. My head hurts from banging it against the wall. So now all the work myself and an editor did is in the toilet. We start over almost from scratch next week. Blah.

I'm also still working on Colts promos. I hope to have one done on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed.

We're also looking at launching a new website so I'm fiddling around with a spot for that. I can't say more until things firm up on this front but the project has the potential to be a lot of fun. I'm hoping I can jump into this one with both feet. Any additional experience I can get with on-line stuff is a good thing.

Oh, as for on-line stuff... Check out Denver's CBS 4 promo reel on YouTube. A co-worker stumbled across it the other day. They've got some really enjoyable spots - stuff that stands out from the norm. Maybe the folks at Sci-Fi should take notes...

Later.

Colts' week continues!

This morning we worked with Dallas Clark (Left) and Bob Sanders (Right). I wish I could work with these guys every day. They're hysterical. When we had a moment of downtime they asked, "What should we do now?" My reply? "Dance," I said jokingly.

They did.

I'm pretty sure it was some version of the infamous Colts' Crunk. I was laughing too hard to really pay attention. Seriously, both Dallas and Bob were genuinely nice guys and a pleasure to be around. And I was the lucky girl who got to put her arm around both of them in the group picture. But I'm not going to share that one... ;-) That's WISH sports anchor Anthony Calhoun in the middle on the second shot. We kept calling them the three sexy men during the shoot. I think they liked that.

So it was a crazy day at work. I'm pretty good at juggling lots of things at once, but this morning there were just one too many things in play. I knew I was going to forget something. I could feel it. Lunch finally rolled around so I left for a bit to regroup after running around like a demented chicken with its head cut off all morning. On my way back I got a call from the boss. "Aren't you coming to the web meeting?" Crap. Told you I was forgetting something.

So I rushed back to the station in time to catch the last 20 minutes or so. Then I stayed afterward for a bit to chat with our internet director. He's got some really amazing ideas. I'm looking forward to helping implement them... and being on time for the next meeting.

Not much else to report. I still haven't checked out Saving Grace, yet. Hopefully I'll get around to watching it this weekend. I did finally see last week's "summer finale" of Ghost Hunters. The one that took place near the site of the Manson murders. I don't know if the show is real or not but I got goosebumps on that one. Maybe they have the voice they caught on tape on-line at Sci-fi's website. Creeeeeepy.

Something you don't see everyday...

For the football fans out there... yes, that's Colts' coach Tony Dungy in the middle of both shots. I'm happy to report he's as nice and genuine in person as he comes across on television.

The top picture features WISH and WNDY personalities Karen Hensel and Eric Halvorson. The second photo has Tony flanked by some folks from United Way of Central Indiana. Toss in Radio One personality Amos Brown and former Indiana 1st lady Judy O'Bannon. The rest? Anchors from all the stations in this market. WISH, WXIN, WRTV, WNDY, WTHR, WIIH... they're all there. In one place. Like I said. Something you don't see every day. Why are they all looking up, you ask? There's a still photographer right next to me on a ladder taking their picture. In fact my foot was holding the ladder still while I snapped the shot. Am I a multi-tasker or what?

So I was back at the very cool Studio Midwest this morning for the above mentioned shoot. We were producing a special for the United Way which will air simultaneously on all the stations one night in August. We shot the open, the tag, bumps, and promos for each station. It was fun seeing all these guys in one place and everyone was on their game. Especially the coach. The guy is just a pro - period. The stations in our market take turns producing the special so it will be awhile before it comes our way again. Thankfully things went well and we actually wrapped an hour early. Love it when that happens...

I'm not finished with the Colts just, yet, though. As I mentioned in my previous blog we'll be shooting Dallas Clark and Bob Sanders on Thursday. I'll see what I can do to get pictures of that as well. The set won't be nearly as neat. We're shooting green screen. Hopefully I'll eventually have some cool before and after pictures by the time all is said and done.

I'll let you know how it goes on Thursday...

That burns my biscuits...

Imagine Yosemite Sam's growl for the title of today's post. I just got a bill from my former apartment complex for 264.00 bucks. This comes after paying them nearly 1700 to get out of my lease early. According to them there was "pet damage" to the carpet... uh, where? I didn't see any when I moved out. Of course, the carpet was also about 10 years old when I moved in and it even says they had to replace it due to normal wear and tear. So I'm being charged because? These people are going to get a nasty little note from me. Of course my note will start off sounding royally pi**ed before being edited to sound ticked to the final draft which will make me seem mildly put out. I always manage to talk myself out of a full fledged rant. That may seem more prudent on the surface but it's not nearly as emotionally gratifying... Hmph.

So let's talk TV. I've started catching up on The Closer. Wow. Even better than last season. At least the two episodes I've caught so far. "Ruby" was an especially well done hour of television. I believe the other episode was called "The Round File." Also well done. It wasn't as much of an emotional gut punch as "Ruby," but I bet it left a lot of people checking in with their elderly relatives. During both shows I saw promos for TNT's new series Saving Grace. I'm not sure what kind of show this is supposed to be. Perhaps the network in being intentionally vague. I think they're going with the idea that they can just say that Holly Hunter is in it and that will get people to watch... Okay so that works on me but I'm not sure about everyone else.

I've also started watching Kathy Griffin's Life on the D-List. It's pretty entertaining stuff but I can't believe my mother watches this show...

I'm currently watching the 1st season of Stargate Atlantis on DVD. I didn't come into the show until this past season (the show's 3rd) so I have some back story to catch up on. These DVDs have some great commentaries and features. Some of which are laugh out loud funny. I recommend it to anyone looking for something fun to watch. The pilot episode where the city rises out of the water is one of the coolest shots I've ever seen on a television show. Pretty nifty CGI...

Finally, I just recently caught the 5th episode of Sanctuary (on-line at www.sanctuaryforall.com). The website is still not the most user friendly place but the latest installment in this on-line web series was the best, yet. Anyone who likes sci-fi, werewolves, or even Jack the Ripper stories will find this a lot of fun. You can find the first four episodes at Youtube for free. Just search for "sanctuary webisodes."

So this week I'll be working with Colts' coach Tony Dungy on a project. I'm looking forward to that. He seems like a very classy gentleman. I also have a separate shoot with two of his players - Dallas Clark and Bob Sanders. I can't wait to see what a Super Bowl ring looks like up close... :-) Both players have worked with us before and are reportedly quite professional. This will be my first shoot with them. Should be fun. I'll let you know how it goes.

Until next time...

Two posts in two days...

Amazing what I'm capable of doing now that I have an internet connection again...

So I promised a post on the new line-up for My Network TV. I must admit - I'm encouraged. There is certainly nothing in the works that will win any Emmy's, but at least some of the shows could potentially pull in some ratings. The network is switching to mostly reality series but some of them look like they could be a good guilty pleasure. I'm especially curious about JAIL and Decision House. Both look capable of bringing the drama in a voyeuristic sort of way. I'm less enthusiastic about The Academy. The jury is still out on Meet My Folks. I'll set the DVR for all of them, though. And nice job to whoever was doing the promos. Much improved over last year.

This is the time of year that I find to be the most taxing in my profession. The re-launch. It's not that it's hard or unpleasant. It's just very, very monotonous and all too easy for something to fall through the cracks. Our My Network affiliate here in Indy is doing a significant overhaul of the schedule which means I'll be cranking out new end tags, ids, and "this show is moving" promos for the next several weeks. I was creating cart numbers for a bunch of new spots today. Twenty or more in all, I believe. A necessary evil is what I call it.

Along with the re-launch comes the opportunity for custom tags. I remember the first time I wrote copy for something like this. It was for Whoopi Goldberg to cut when she was doing Hollywood Squares. I was so excited. Freaking Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg was going to read MY lines. Boy, did I get over that in a hurry. Most recently the cast of Law & Order: Criminal Intent cut some stuff for us. Hearing Vincent D'nofrio (hope I spelled that right) say "Whatcha Wanna Watch" was priceless. I have to admit that Judge Marilyn Milan on The People's Court was always really good at this. I'll hate to see her show move to another station in the fall...

Last but not least I have to tip my proverbial hat to my friend Darin on his Emmy win. You go, sunshine... ;-)

I'm baaaaack...

At long last... I return to the world of the internet from the safety and security of my own humble abode. Yes, after weeks and weeks of no internet and no cable I am once again connected to the world thanks to AT&T and their new U-Verse product. I'll let you know what I think of the service after I've given it a good test drive. Just be aware if you're thinking of signing up for it... installation took 5 HOURS! They estimated that time and they weren't kidding. But hey, they came out on a Sunday and put it in. That's saying something...

So work has been rather busy. Since I last posted I've cranked out several promos including one for severe weather and an I-Team special report. The Emmy nominations were announced as well and I was fortunate enough to receive three. I think that brings my total number of nominations to 8 or 9. I'm the Susan Lucci of the promotion department. All those nominations but still no shiny gold trophy to show for them. Oh well. I've got a PROMAX silver muse. That has to count for something. Right?

On the TV front I haven't seen squat. No Closer. No end of Stargate SG-1 (I'll be buying the DVDs, of course). I feel oddly cut off and kind of stupid when it comes to the world of pop culture. It's been moving on without me. On the up side... I've read about ten books in the last few weeks. At least I can claim to be well read... just not well... uh, watched?

I'll have a few topics to chat about in the coming days. Most especially the new schedule for My Network TV, having syndicated talent read custom lines, and on location shoots. But for now I have to fire off an email to my parents to let them know I'm reconnected to the world wide web. They'll be so proud...

Almost there...

This will be my last update for a week or two. My move is Friday (finally) so I'll be dismantling the computer and its various peripherals to haul over to the new digs. Since I don't have Internet service at the house, yet (or cable if you can believe that), it will be a bit before I post again. Unless I can squeeze in one from work. At least the move is here and I can stop whining about it.

I again urge everyone perusing this blog to check out www.sanctuaryforall.com if you haven't already done so. They seem to finally be working out some kinks on the site. The third webisode is up and it's not bad. Not bad at all.

Another cool site to check out is actually another blog - www.josephmallozzi.blogspot.com. Mr. Mallozzi is actually one of the show runners for Startgate Atlantis and was also heavily involved in the making of it's sister show Stargate SG-1. He's got a great (and very twisted) sense of humor, some awesome food reviews, and is kind enough to answer questions from curious fans. If that's not enough for you check out the pictures of his three pugs... It's funny that every time I leave a question or comment for him my own profile on this blog enjoys a few hits. A few fellow SGA fans clicking on my link to see what kind of nut job I am, probably... But check out his site if you're a fan of the show or interested in TV. Heck, he's even answered my questions a couple of times.

So I completed my reporter promo. I have to admit, I loved the way it turned out. It's been awhile since I did a spot where I left the edit suite feeling that upbeat. Now I'm turning my focus on a promo for our 10:00 news as well as our Colts image campaign. Lump those in with a sales tape to put together and I'll be a tad busy when I return to work next week. That's okay. I've always said I'd rather be busy than bored.

Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday at work...

An interesting day at work today. Part of my morning was spent in the projection booth at the IMAX theater at the Indiana State Museum. We were shooting an opening segment featuring our anchors that will run before each feature. I've seen IMAX film reels before (they're huge), but I had never witnessed the entire process of what it takes for a frame (the size of a wallet) to be projected on screen. Impressive. That's the only word for it. I was also amused that most of the crew needed to wear little booties over their shoes but hey... a piece of dust looks like a Buick on screen so I could understand. It's just that this was the second off-site shoot in a row where these booties were involved. Weird.

After the IMAX theater we all wandered down to the canal for another quick shoot for a totally unrelated spot. It was a gorgeous day to be outside and I must confess we didn't rush getting the shot. In the end it looked great, though. We're blessed with a great photog and a very easy going group of anchors. I know other stations sometimes have issues between the news and promotion departments but thankfully that's completely missing here. For a glimpse of how awesome the day looked scroll on down to the bottom of the page...

Tomorrow I start editing on my reporter spot. I'll let you know how that goes. We've also just completed the first round of image spots for our My Network affiliate. They turned out awesome. Hats off to the producer. I'll have to try to get some screen shots. It was an enormous project to tackle and it really paid off. We're getting good feedback inside the building. I'm curious to see what the public reaction to it will be.

Not much else to report... still moving after all so I have no life. I guess I'll mosey on and set the DVR for Ghost Hunters tonight on Sci-Fi.

Happy promoting.

Still moving out and a show that's moving on...

Moving sucks. I just want to get that off my chest before I move on to other matters. I'm sick of cardboard boxes and that squeaking, ripping noise packing tape makes when it's snatched off the roll. I've got two more weeks of this before I'm finally, officially in the new digs. Then I get to do everything I'm doing now in reverse. Ugh.

I've been away from TV for the last few days. Well, other than what I do for a living that is. You can see the above paragraph as to why I haven't had time to watch. Did anyone see the second episode of Traveler on ABC? The pilot intrigued me but I haven't gotten around to the new episode on the DVR. Same for the latest episodes of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. I've had a few people tease me because I watch the "gates." Then they check them out and see what fun they are. Converting people to my TV passions is apparently a past time of mine. Just ask all my friends and family members that I got hooked on The X-Files and Lost...

I'm slowly but surely checking out the new series for the fall. Pushing Daises has me charmed with the concept. It's so original that I'm afraid it won't stand a chance in hell. I applaud ABC for taking a shot with it. CBS has me worried, though. Another series about a good vampire that works as a private detective? I saw that show already. It was called Angel. I hear it even has one of Angel's show runners. Perhaps it will surprise me. I hope so. The rest of CBS's line-up also leaves me less than impressed. Cane? Love Jimmy Smitts but I'm just not feeling it on this one. Maybe they need a better promo... hmmm...

And for those who haven't heard, Battlestar Galatica is taking its final bow next season. Apparently this was the producers' call. They said Sci-Fi didn't fight them on the decision but the ratings have, sadly, never really been there (they should have left it paired with the Stargate shows!). If you've never watch the show, rent the DVDs. It doesn't matter if you like science fiction or not. This is a show about being at war and it is brutally and exceptionally done. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell deserve Emmys for their performances. Katee Sackoff's Starbuck is unlike any other character on television. And Jamie Bamber's Apollo? Well, let me get girly here and say he's just plain hot. I'm always amazed at the issues they tackle. And you're never really sure who the good guys are. If you want an adult show that tackles complex themes and paints life in the thousands of shades of grey that it is - Battlestar is the one to watch.

Off to bed early. I have a seriously overgrown back yard to mow tomorrow. Ah, the joys of home ownership...

Clever or too cute to count?

So I was surfing the web the other night and noticed a post on www.zap2it.com about the new promos for ABC's Sam I Am. This is the new show starring Christina Applegate that will air in the fall. Apparently the promos play up the amnesia angle (which the main character has) and as a cutesy way of promoting the show never even say the show's name! I have to admit that went right by me when I saw the spot, but now that it has been pointed out I see it. This doesn't seem like the smartest advertising move to me. You've got a new show - shouldn't you tell people what it's called? Or am I playing it too safe with my belief in stating the obvious on this one?

I haven't been watching too much TV as my moving date fast approaches. Not that there is much to watch anyway. I'm looking forward to The Closer's return in a few weeks. I'll also admit that I don't mind Ghost Hunters on SciFi. It's good for summer viewing. Anything else out there I'm totally missing out on? With all my favorite shows pretty much in re-runs I'll watch just about anything - once.

Here is something to check out, though... www.sanctuaryforall.com. Some of the folks at Stargate SG-1 teamed up with a bunch of video game designers to create and all new horror/scifi/fantasy web series. Each week they post a new "webisode." Two have been posted so far and are still available. The entire series is shot over green screen then the game designers take over and turn the setting into a very cool, very gothic look. So far the show blends just the right mix of creepy and quirky. Have a look if you've not heard of it. This is where entertainment is headed and these people are leading the evolution. Heck, Jack the Ripper is apparently a character as well...

Speaking of web-based entertainment... anyone out there doing promos for your station/company website ON your website? Just curious...

Another TV season has come and gone...

I remember when this TV season started out with so much promise. Critics were saying we hadn't seen shows of this caliber in years. Funny, most of the shows they were talking about (Studio 60, The Nine, Six Degrees, etc, etc) have already been canned. I have high hopes for next season after watching the upfronts. We'll see if the networks fair any better.

I have to say, Lost, Heroes, Bones, and SVU went out with a bang. SVU will stay with me the most because pretty much every character was in some sort of emotional jeopardy. Throughout the seasons the detectives have had to bend the rules for the greater good and now those decisions have finally come back to haunt them. A very nice episode. Bones was just pure fun whereas Lost and Heroes both delivered roller coaster finales. I didn't think Lost could top Heroes, but I was very wrong. The Lost finale completely, totally, and utterly restored my faith in the show. The major character death was beautifully handled and the twist at the end means we're looking at a whole new chapter to the story. Hats off to them.

I don't have much in the way of promos to talk about today as I am on vacation. Actually it's more of a working vacation considering that I'm in the throes of a move. Painting closets, trimming the yard, packing boxes, moving boxes... Gee, I thought owning a house was supposed to be fun. When does that part start???

I am starting work on a reporter promo as well as Colts stuff for later in the year. And in case you hadn't heard, Indianapolis just lost out to Dallas for hosting a Super Bowl. That sucks quite frankly. Indianapolis is a very nice city and most of the major tourist attractions are right downtown. I know I was surprised when I interviewed for the job here. I wasn't expecting much from a capitol city whose state is known for corn, racing and basketball. I had my eyes opened very quickly and knew by the end of the interview that this was a city I would enjoy living in - and I do... except when it snows. Then all these nice Hoosiers go nuts.

Back to the Colts promos... does anyone know where I might find some cool sports spots? I've got 602 Communications bookmarked but I'm looking for additional sites. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Is it June, yet?

Another May sweeps period is about to come to a close. Is it just me or did this one seem much longer than most? It felt like the book that would never end. Probably because I've been moving into a new house over the course of the month. Not something I would recommend to another promotion professional. Moving and sweeps don't mix unless you like stressful, sleepless nights...

With the end of the book comes an end to the regular television season. My DVR can finally take a much needed breather. Anyone got any recommendations for my summer viewing pleasure? What finales rocked? Tanked? Bored? I thought Bones ended the season on a high note. Still trying to decide about Grey's Anatomy. Can't wait for Heroes and Lost. Lost was really disappointing there for a bit but I'm glad I stuck with it. It's really recovered during the back half of its season. Anyone think Charley is a gonner? I'll actually miss the little Hobbit if he is...

On the work front the summer looks to be a busy one. I'm gearing up for a lot of image campaigns and I'm currently on the prowl for cool new looks to use. I find searching graphic design houses' websites to be an awesome place to find inspiration. Sometimes it's just a color. Or maybe a transition. I'll just know it when I see it. I'm curious what others use as a tool when the creative well is feeling a little dry.

That's all for now. I've got packing to do. ***sigh***

Boldly going...

Where plenty of people have gone before. I'm finally giving this blogging thing a shot. Hopefully I won't be a complete fool at this. Time will tell.

I just wanted to create a place where I could talk shop and TV shows. Shop being what I do for a living which is make promos for 3 television stations. I won't get into the specifics of what I do unless you want me to, but suffice it to say it's my job to make the stations and their news and entertainment products look as good as possible - not to mention enticing you to watch them.

For those of you who have found this blog who do this sort of thing for a living - welcome. And please leave a comment. It's always nice to meet other people in the industry and share ideas. Basically, I'm writing this blog on the assumption that those who will read it will have some notion of what my rants and raves will be about. Promos. Especially local ones... and what it takes to make them.

The other part of this blog is to talk about prime time television - promos included. I've included a list of shows I'm obsessed with right now but it's not exhaustive. I watch a lot of TV and I make no appologies for it. I'm not much of a reality fan but America's Next Top Model is a guilty pleasure. Hopefully my list of other shows will elevate your impression of me after that little confession.

So I'll leave this blog with a few thoughts on the recent network upfronts. What new shows have your attention? Which network presented their line up best?

Let's see if anyone finds this blog and lets me know...