Behind the Scenes: Diversity

Never let it be said that the STBD cast isn't all-inclusive...

We're in the Trib PM!

Justin Kownacki directs Ann Turiano and Hans Rosemond,
on location at Vivo in Bellevue
Josie Roberts, a reporter for the Trib PM (the free evening supplement to the daily Tribune-Review), came down to our shoot at Vivo last week and interviewed a few of us for an article that's running in today's edition of the paper. It's also available online. Just in time for our 4th season, which starts on Monday!

Registered for PodCamp!

Having been busy with real life stuff for the past couple weeks (i.e., moving apartments), I almost forgot to register for PodCamp in Boston on September 9-10.

That would be pretty embarrassing, considering I created the promo for it...

It's all fixed now. But it begets the question: are YOU registered for PodCamp?

(To see a preview of the venue, click here.)

Behind the Scenes: Subtlety

With Season Four launching in just over a week (September 4th!), we thought we'd give our viewers a glimpse behind the scenes at how Something to Be Desired really works. Watch and learn! (First of a series!)

Snakes on a Plane: Review!

Hans Rosemond talked me into seeing the 10 PM showing of Snakes on a Plane last night at Loew's in the Waterfront. Unsurprisingly, the viewing was nearly sold out, filled primarily with web-savvy college students.

The movie? Exactly what I expected. In fact, possibly better, though I obviously went in with loooooooow expectations.

The experience? One of the best theatergoing evenings I've had in awhile.

** WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD! **

This was the ideal crowd to see the movie with: upbeat, energetic, sarcastic without being cynical. They paid attention. They were quiet when they were supposed to be and loud in all the right places.

They cheered for the snakes. They cheered for the humans. They cheered the deaths of snake and human alike.

But mostly they cheered for the snakes.

In fact, from the time the word "Snakes" appeared on the title screen, there were cheers. When the snakes first appeared onscreen, there were cheers. And when the snakes made their presence known, the theater erupted with glee.

(Mind you, this is an audience that cheered the first time the AIRPORT appeared onscreen...)

I have to say, I was really impressed with the audience's moviegoing sensibilities. They appreciated the cheesy aspects AND the schmaltzy aspects. They mocked what deserved to be mocked, but they also appreciated the sublime idiocy and the primal entertainment value of it all. Had they been any more cynical, the experience would have turned into a nonstop mockery, but fortunately they steered clear of that downward spiral.

HOWEVER

The kids sitting behind us were the exception to the rule. They weren't rude, but they WERE hip, and they needed everyone within earshot to know it. Thus, the evening was peppered with loudly exchanged inside jokes that proved they knew what they were talking about.

Examples:

ONSCREEN ACTION: Rick, the pilot, makes an appearance
HIPSTER REACTION: "I had no idea Champ Kind from Anchorman was in this film, but I'm so glad he is!"

ONSCREEN ACTION: An overly-attractive couple get up to use the plane's restrooms, leading to gratuitous sex
HIPSTER REACTION: "Damn you, First Rule of Horror Films!"

ONSCREEN ACTION: Actor Todd Louiso makes his first appearance in the film
HIPSTER REACTION: "I love you, guy from High Fidelity!"

And so it went, throughout the evening. Hans and his roommate, Nate, sighed loudly in response to most such comments, but I opted to suck it up. After all, these kids have very little to return to in the real world, so why not let them shine in the dark?

Ironically, these metacultural sages got their comeuppance during the closing credits, when the Cobra Starship video for "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" hit the screen. I bobbed and sang along with the track -- yes, it's catchy -- only to hear sounds of confusion from the hipsters behind us. I know they were confused because they said things like, "Dude, I am so confused right now," with the earnestness of people who truly cannot comprehend that something in the world of pop culture (i.e., a music video for the zeitgeist-driven film of the year) has escaped their radar.

Then one of them noticed me jamming along with the video.

"In front," he said.

I can only presume they stared at the back of my head with a mix of disdain and desire.

I also presume they Googled the video as soon as they got home.

PodCamp, Ho!

STBD has been invited to PodCamp on September 9-10 in Boston. (What's PodCamp? Watch our promo!)

PodCamp is shaping up to be a very cool event for anyone who:

- creates podcasts
- publishes podcasts
- wants to learn how to create / publish podcasts
- wants to utilize podcasts in their business

It's being billed as an "un-conference," which means:

- it's free to attend
- food will be provided, and
- housing may be available from local volunteers

Thus, it costs next to nothing to attend (except travel fees), while the payoff could be huge. A roomful of podcasting luminaries + you could = a very good idea. A roomful of podcasting luminaries + STBD could = scandal and mirth, but we'll take our chances.

Getting Artistic at the Mattress Factory

Like most STBD cast members, Kellee Maize (aka Celeste) has a day job. She's the Promotions Coordinator for the City Paper, which is Pittsburgh's leading free weekly newspaper. As such, she gets to cross-promote numerous citywide events. One of them is a monthly music event known as Sound Kitchen, a collection of poets, MCs, bands and solo musicians. These events usually bring together disparate artists and crowds, exposing people to sounds they might not otherwise seek out on their own.

Last night's Sound Kitchen took place at The Mattress Factory, one of Pittsburgh's premier art galleries. Several STBD cast members were in attendance, which led to an impromptu video session as they wandered the museum in-character. Interesting? Yes. Amusing? Sure. Useful?... We'll find a way to work it in.

Suffice it to say that a roomful of mannequins covered in polka dots can be enjoyed by a gaggle of drunk actors in several different fashions...

Side note: a reporter from one of Pittsburgh's daily newspapers was on-hand to write up the event and inadvertently struck up a conversation with several of our cast members. Whether any of our quotes make their way into the finished article remains to be seen, but it's nice to know the powers-that-be are now aware of our existence...

Kingsfoil Video Shoot

Kingsfoil's Jordan Davis serenades Caroline (Ann Turiano).

On Sunday, we filmed a music video with the band Kingsfoil. They drove in from York, PA, to tape with us for 4 hours at the Affogato Cafe in Bellevue. Seven STBD cast members and numerous extras made an appearance in the video, which drove the temperature in the otherwise air-conditioned cafe up much higher than anyone was expecting. Walking in off the street, the initial blast of AC was quickly overtaken by the radiant heat from so many bodies.

Fortunately, things went smoothly (except for a small matter involving someone's idea of clever graffiti) and the shoot wrapped up right on time. The finished video, for the song "Hey Girl," will be available in conjunction with the launch of our 4th season on September 4. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for future location shoot announcements and related goodies.

Filming: Full Speed Ahead!

Liz (Jennifer Koegler) and Rich (Erik Schark), Hailey (CrystalAnn) and Tabitha (Courtney Jenkins) work at Vanity Press.

After two relatively "easy" months of filming -- an average of a day or two each week -- STBD's filming schedule finally heats up.

Yesterday we descended upon WQED in Oakland, home to the fictitious WANT FM, where much of the series' action takes place. The building is also filled with offices, conference rooms and a green room, all of which lend themselves well to this season's expansion in an entirely new direction: Vanity Press.

As you may have glimpsed from our preview, there are plenty of new faces on STBD this season. Many of them can be found at Vanity Press, Caroline's new job away from Shout! Magazine and WANT. All of those faces were present at last night's shoot, which motored through three new scenes in an (almost) brief amount of time.

One of the biggest hurdles we have this season is scheduling, both in advance ("What do you mean you have a wedding this weekend?") and on the actual day of shooting. Normally, actors have the luxury of:

A) Getting the script well in advance,
B) Getting the whole script so they understand scenes in context, and
C) Arriving for makeup, rehearsing, filming and then taking breaks as necessary, preferably in an air-conditioned trailer.

Here at STBD, we do away with all of these formalities.

Instead, we traditionally film scripts that were written up to an hour in advance, we improvise half the dialogue* and then we break for vending machine food. Sexy? Not quite. Hectic? Absolutely. Magic?

We'll see when the season begins on September 4th...

* Interestingly, despite the strong improvisational backgrounds of many of our new cast members, very few of them are straying far from the script this season. Instead, they're loading the script with subtext. As a writer / director who's become accustomed to widespread improvisation among the cast, I find this adherence to the script unnerving... and fascinating.