A New Me
11/18/10 06:23 AM
Because I can’t ever have enough me on the web, I’ve put up a new site that will, eventually, replace this one. It’s more of the same but in a new and improved (with fresh lemon scent) package.
Find it here.
Find it here.
Telefuture!
10/21/10 10:37 PM
Coming of age during this technology shift was a complete and total non-event. Only now is the predicted impact being felt by corporations and consumers alike.
Via boingboing.
Human Target
10/17/10 12:56 PM
My current gig. Co-exec, consulting, general dogsbody. Promises to be an exciting season. It’s been super darn exciting making it. Super darn. Oh, and the promo is wrong. Season 2 premieres Wednesday, Nov. 17th, 2010. Seems Lonestar’s demise prompted some schedule shifting.
W R I T I N G
08/11/10 12:31 AM
Always nice to be nicely reviewed
07/30/10 09:10 AM
Deric Hughes, writer-pal on Warehouse 13, alerted me to this a few weeks ago. Robert Berg (Rob Will Review...) was gracious and (be still my heart) observant in his review of the final episode I wrote for Syfy’s Warehouse 13.
Robert says:
“Beyond Our Control” was written as an homage to my television beginnings. Playing with the form and embracing television tropes is always fun and, for a writer working in television, it keeps things fresh. Anyway, thanks Robert.Last season, I might never have imagined an episode of Warehouse 13 that involved, as Allison Scagliotti tweeted, “cowboys, gladiators, squawking Farnsworths, and a Snuggie.” And she didn’t even mention the World War II marines, the gangster, the mad scientist, or the killer, magnetic robot. ”Beyond Our Control” presents practically every geektastic, B-movie reference one could think of, satirizing everything from their cheeseball, overwrought dialogue to their silly effects, while also managing to add to the series’ Farnsworth mythology–steampunk 3D projector that brings film to life, for the win–not to mention throwing in some excellent meta jokes and references for good measure, my favorite being the act break in which Pete indicates that if someone fast forwards through commercials, it could spell their doom.
Warehouse 13: Beyond Our Control
07/21/10 10:01 AM
Yes, I invented the latest iPhone
06/12/10 11:51 PM
(check out this fan-built prop replica)
Each week Pete, Myka, Artie and Claudia video-gab back and forth about the latest mystery. Oh, okay, so maybe I was inspired a little bit by iChat.
Click on the (Apple site image) to see their Farnsworth in action.
You’re welcome, Steve. ;-)
TED: Touch your data
06/03/10 04:54 AM
Via Engadget:
In February 2010, the man who built the technology of Minority Report twice -- once for the movie, and once in real life -- spoke at TED about the future of user interface design. Yesterday, TED posted John Underkoffler's entire fifteen-minute video presentation -- a copy of which you'll find right after the break. Get a curated glimpse into his company's tech in the following demo, and hear from the man himself when the gloves might come off.
In February 2010, the man who built the technology of Minority Report twice -- once for the movie, and once in real life -- spoke at TED about the future of user interface design. Yesterday, TED posted John Underkoffler's entire fifteen-minute video presentation -- a copy of which you'll find right after the break. Get a curated glimpse into his company's tech in the following demo, and hear from the man himself when the gloves might come off.
Art & Copy
05/19/10 09:10 AM
“I think creativity can solve anything. Anything!”
– George Lois
Just watched the documentary Art & Copy about advertising. Streamed it via Netflix on my iPad (hello, future). Pretty brilliant. Hopeful, even. Trailer below.
– George Lois
Just watched the documentary Art & Copy about advertising. Streamed it via Netflix on my iPad (hello, future). Pretty brilliant. Hopeful, even. Trailer below.
The Art of Manliness
05/18/10 12:18 PM
Working where they don't know "why?"
05/10/10 09:10 AM
This nails it.
Fortune studies a TED talk by Simon Sinek that works on so many levels it’s incredible. How many jobs have you had where the folks in charge have no clue as to why they’re there. I know why I’m there. And knowing it is usually what gets me canned.
Fortune studies a TED talk by Simon Sinek that works on so many levels it’s incredible. How many jobs have you had where the folks in charge have no clue as to why they’re there. I know why I’m there. And knowing it is usually what gets me canned.
CBS loves it some iPad
05/09/10 02:12 AM
Another aspect of the iPad that stands out for CBS is that the user base is already at one million. That’s important for a content company as large as CBS because while there are other interactive TV initiatives — like Roku, Boxee and others — those products haven’t achieved the reach that the iPad has.
I’ve been iPadding for a little over a week (using Macs since 1987) and can assuredly say that this little appliance has become a solid member of my family. The biggest hits so far -- Alice and Wonderland (here) and Marvel’s comic book reader app.
3D bag
04/25/10 09:19 AM
The Los Angeles Times has a good article on the pervasive reach of 3D. I liked AVATAR but this 3D nonsense has got to stop.
Oh, Lord, yes
04/23/10 10:58 AM
– John D. MacDonald
The new thing
03/03/10 07:28 AM
Bob and Saul explain it all for you
03/01/10 10:35 PM
And, to get even more Warehousey, check out Saul Rubinek’s (our Artie) video interview.
K.I.S.S.: Writing to be grok'd
02/16/10 05:55 PM
The Story of Macintosh
01/18/10 01:14 PM
Police Story Teller
01/08/10 09:07 AM
Thanks, Mr. Gerber.
I couldn’t have been more than 12 or 13 when I found a copy of Joseph Wambaugh’s novel, The New Centurions, on my mom’s nightstand. Read it. Then saw the movie with George C. Scott and Stacey Keach. Loved it. More than anything, I was intrigued with Joseph Wambaugh. His cop tales were so much more than what Jack Webb was turning out. Wambaugh’s stuff was sexy and violent and for a kid in the midwest growing tired of “Just the facts, ma’am,” Wambaugh’s cops were the perfect antidote. David Gerber brought it to our living room. Cool.
I couldn’t have been more than 12 or 13 when I found a copy of Joseph Wambaugh’s novel, The New Centurions, on my mom’s nightstand. Read it. Then saw the movie with George C. Scott and Stacey Keach. Loved it. More than anything, I was intrigued with Joseph Wambaugh. His cop tales were so much more than what Jack Webb was turning out. Wambaugh’s stuff was sexy and violent and for a kid in the midwest growing tired of “Just the facts, ma’am,” Wambaugh’s cops were the perfect antidote. David Gerber brought it to our living room. Cool.
SueTube
01/04/10 09:45 PM
Via CNET.
Stephen Colbert, the comedian, political satirist, and host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," is funny on his show. The animated characters on "South Park," created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, are hilarious.
But will they be as witty on the witness stand?
Colbert was recently questioned by Google attorneys during a legal deposition as part of Viacom's $1 billion copyright lawsuit against Google and YouTube.
Stop. Give it away. We’ll want it more. Lesson #1 from The Wire’s drug dealers.
Stephen Colbert, the comedian, political satirist, and host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," is funny on his show. The animated characters on "South Park," created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, are hilarious.
But will they be as witty on the witness stand?
Colbert was recently questioned by Google attorneys during a legal deposition as part of Viacom's $1 billion copyright lawsuit against Google and YouTube.
Stop. Give it away. We’ll want it more. Lesson #1 from The Wire’s drug dealers.
Back in the Warehouse
12/30/09 09:21 AM
And, just because I’m procrastinating (and yet feeling like I’ve earned it) I’m employing The Pomodoro Technique. 25 minutes on. 5 minutes off. Getting things done. Page by page. You should look into it.
Back to work. I’ve got Pete and Myka in a jam and I’m eager to see how they’re getting out of it.
What was the question?
12/27/09 11:03 PM
A brilliant bit of early television for this holiday season.
Poke around here for some truly wonderful stuff.
Poke around here for some truly wonderful stuff.
No, really?
12/02/09 09:40 AM
Wait. What? People are watching TV shows on the internet? Who knew?
The Nielsen Company said Tuesday that its television measurement homes would soon be Internet measurement homes too, bringing the company a step closer toward providing the integrated ratings that media companies are demanding.
From the New York Times.
The Nielsen Company said Tuesday that its television measurement homes would soon be Internet measurement homes too, bringing the company a step closer toward providing the integrated ratings that media companies are demanding.
From the New York Times.
You say tomato, I say procrastination
11/28/09 06:40 PM
The Pomodoro Technique.
Dave, I Hardly Knew Ye
10/27/09 10:36 AM
I'm working with Nell this year on Warehouse 13. I hope I can crack a good fart joke.
- I was the second female writer ever hired at Late Night. When I applied for the job in 1988, I had no way of knowing how much the odds were stacked against me. In 27 years, Late Night and Late Show have hired only seven female writers. These seven women have spent a total of 17 years on staff combined. By extrapolation, male writers have racked up a collective 378 years writing jokes for Dave (based on an average writing room of 14 men, the size of the current Late Show staff).
On the Media
10/24/09 01:43 PM
"V" The First 8 Minutes
10/23/09 10:14 PM
ABC is shoving the first 8 minutes of "V" out to the world. Kind have seen it all before.
Warehouse 13 Nom'd for People's Choice Award
10/22/09 08:08 PM
Winners announced in January. Vote!
Update: Well, not quite "nominated." More like nominated to be nominated.
Shut the Tweet Up
10/19/09 01:26 PM
Working for Fox
10/19/09 09:54 AM
A few years ago I was employed as a writer working on several Fox Network TV shows. Even then, while the paycheck was nice, I had some qualms about working for an organization whose news division was so... well, idiotic. And dangerous. Now Newsweek's Jacob Weisberg has a few thoughts.
Update: Jason Linkins on Huff Post. Some galling video, too.
- That Rupert Murdoch may tilt the news rightward more for commercial than ideological reasons is beside the point. What matters is the way that Fox's model has invaded the bloodstream of the American media. By showing that ideologically distorted news can drive ratings, Ailes has provoked his rivals at CNN and MSNBC to develop a variety of populist and ideological takes on the news. In this way, Fox hasn't just corrupted its own coverage. Its example has made all of cable news unpleasant and unreliable.
- And weepy Glenn Beck has begun to exhibit a Strangelovean concern about government invading our bloodstream by vaccinating people for swine flu. With this misinformation campaign, Fox stands to become the first network to actively try to kill its viewers.
Update: Jason Linkins on Huff Post. Some galling video, too.
Gearing Up for Season 2
10/13/09 10:28 AM
The goal is to get as many scripts written as possible before production starts (in Toronto) in early spring. We're trying to avoid the snow. And the cold. And the snow. Did I mention the snow?
We've got a lot of story threads to address and, just like you, we've got plenty of ideas toward ramping things up, keeping things fun and thrilling. We've have spent the hiatus chilling, digging into artifact research and ruminating on Pete, Myka, Artie, Leena, Claudia, Mrs. Frederic and MacPherson. They're a great, dysfunctional family full of hopes, secrets, lies, loyalties and betrayals. Can't wait to dig in.
And if anybody's noticed (probably not) I took myself off Facebook and Twitter. Both venues were weighing on me. Keeping up, keeping clever and keeping my mouth shut was just too difficult. Apparently, I'm in good company: Miley Cyrus also canned Twitter.
To catch season of Warehouse 13, check out Hulu or Warehouse 13 on Syfy's site.
Thanks for watching. We wouldn't be here without you.
Warehouse 13 Ratings Soar
08/04/09 12:08 PM
Summary only available when permalinks are enabled. Read More...
Meet Allison. She Delivers Great Ratings.
07/29/09 09:39 PM
Summary only available when permalinks are enabled. Read More...
Influences: Stingray
05/05/09 08:44 PM
Summary only available when permalinks are enabled. Read More...
An Interview with Joanne Kelly from SyFy's WAREHOUSE 13
03/29/09 06:46 PM
Summary only available when permalinks are enabled. Read More...
Here Today. Gone Tomorrow. Back on Tuesday, Maybe.
12/10/08 05:23 PM
Summary only available when permalinks are enabled. Read More...
Placing Product in Your 30 Rock
10/23/08 11:21 PM
Summary only available when permalinks are enabled. Read More...
Murdoch, Redstone & The Credit Crunch
10/21/08 08:03 AM
Summary only available when permalinks are enabled. Read More...
50 Years Ago Today
10/16/08 07:50 AM
Hey, I (Re)Wrote a Pilot!
09/19/08 05:10 PM
Read the Variety article here.
Hey, I Wrote a Movie!
09/16/08 10:16 PM
Eighteen months ago my wife was pregnant with twins. I wasn’t working. Well, not “working” working but there was a lot of baby-prep going on. Dan Myrick, a good friend, approached me with an idea for a movie. We kicked it around some and, since I had a little time before the baby shoes dropped, I wrote it. He produced it. Ben Rock directed it. Julia Fair did a terrific production rewrite when the twins arrived and I was pulled into two wonderful other directions. Here’s the trailer for ALIEN RAIDERS.
Writing in a Vacuum
09/04/08 09:22 AM
Strange, this writer’s life. The only time I feel like I’m actually writing for television is when I’m on the set, the scene to be shot sucks, bad dialog is actually rearranging the actors’ teeth it’s so clunky and we’re losing the light. Then, when I have to whip out the pencil I never seem to have (“Hey, who’s got a pencil?!”) and grab the back of an envelope to try and work out, untangle, cut and recreate the moment, the nut of the scene that worked so well three, five, ten months prior in a first written-in-the-heat-of-creation draft... where was I? Oh. Right. Short version: I like bad scenes because they give me something to do. They fill me with nostalgia for what might have been. 
They’re like suddenly discovering you’re riding a tiger (that’s been gnawing your leg) when all along you thought you were on a horse and now, hey look, who’s got a tourniquet?! As much as I dread on-set rewrites I also welcome an actor coming to me and saying, “Um... huh?” Once I get past the “how dare they” moment it’s kind of interesting (see tiger). One of the best experiences I’ve had working with an actor was with Paul Blackthorne on THE DRESDEN FILES. Before each week’s work he would call me from Toronto (where the show was shot) and we would go through the script, page by page (and not just his scenes) working out the truth of the moments. Paul was always looking for a way to say less and mean more. What a blessing. I vomit words sometimes just to see if there are any bits of goodness worth the effort. If an actor can come along and keep me from puking by simply making my point with a smile, a look, an eye roll or a drop of the head then please, God, eye roll. Sometimes... well, most times great writing is not writing. Great writing is setting up a thought-circus then opening the gates and letting the audience in to wander at will. Actors are those midway barkers. But they’re not barking if they’re doing their jobs right. They’re winking or hooking a finger. “C’mere. Something to show you. No pressure.” You look. Without comment from the writer, actor or director. You simply see and the real circus happens in your head. Later, if the circus is revealed to be a little flat, someone will come along with the “perfect” score to shove you into phoney-emotionville or wow-wasn’t-that scaryland? But sometimes (see THE WIRE) the circus is perfect. I’ve yet to build the an even close-to-perfect circus but it’s great fun trying.
So, anyway, the vacuum thing. I’ve been working on a pilot for the Sci Fi Channel. WAREHOUSE 13. And this week, as the cut was being prepared for audience testing (yikes) I’ve been working on a story for a possible episode should the series get ordered. The story hits the beats promised in the pilot’s premise. Characters behave consistently (well, more consistently once the actors wrangle them). And, to toot the horn, I think it’s a pretty good yarn. But I dunno. I never know. For so long now I’ve let other people define what’s good and bad about my writing that I’ve sort of taken my ego out of it. Kind of have to to make a living doing this. Does it fit the container the network is trying to sell or doesn’t it? But for now this outline is finished and it’s been handed in for review and criticism. So it’s time to go get some fresh air.
So, anyway, the vacuum thing. I’ve been working on a pilot for the Sci Fi Channel. WAREHOUSE 13. And this week, as the cut was being prepared for audience testing (yikes) I’ve been working on a story for a possible episode should the series get ordered. The story hits the beats promised in the pilot’s premise. Characters behave consistently (well, more consistently once the actors wrangle them). And, to toot the horn, I think it’s a pretty good yarn. But I dunno. I never know. For so long now I’ve let other people define what’s good and bad about my writing that I’ve sort of taken my ego out of it. Kind of have to to make a living doing this. Does it fit the container the network is trying to sell or doesn’t it? But for now this outline is finished and it’s been handed in for review and criticism. So it’s time to go get some fresh air.
Lord Bowler, R.I.P.
08/30/08 10:46 AM
