STBD Kicks Off This Week's Viral

Sunny Gault and the fine folks at Veoh's Viral asked the STBD cast to do the lead-in for this week's episode of their webcast roundup.

This is our practice for eventually shouting, "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!"

STBD Review Hub Needed

The STBD cast forms Devastator. Photo by Kimberly Reed
After stumbling across a few reviews of Something to Be Desired this week (including a glowing review from 2Blowhards), we here at STBD have realized we should have a central repository for such media mentions -- and we don't.

So, if you know of any STBD reviews out there, or have written one yourself -- or would like to -- send them our way. Post links and excerpts in the comments section and we'll round them up for use on our site.

It's hard to have a media kit when we don't know where everything is...

STBD Sports Night

STBD creator Justin Kownacki will be taking part in tonight's Sportsocracy talkcast on TalkShoe @ 7:30 PM EST. The show is 60 minutes long and covers topics ranging from the NCAA Tournament to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pirates and Steelers.

Listen live or join in and find out (among other things) why Kownacki -- who's been watching college basketball for 17 years -- came in (nearly) dead last in the Sportsocracy Pittsburgh Celebrity NCAA Pool. (Hint: it's all Long Beach State's fault...)

[UPDATE: The show went very well. Some very smart sports fans make that show run very smoothly, all things considered. Lots of insights I wouldn't have expected -- which is exactly why I'd make time to listen to a show like Sportsocracy...]

Mini-Interview @ VON

Alan Weinkrantz interviewed many of the content creators featured at the Network2 pavilion at VON.

Here's a 1:41 clip of his interview with STBD creator Justin Kownacki.

(Our favorite part: when Alan accidentally zooms in on Galacticast instead of the STBD episode playing beside it. There's something magnetic about those Canadians, we reckon...)

Justin Kownacki Ego Trip

Evidently, some people were more impressed with my speech from VON than others.

Squarely in the fan corner is media executive David Eckoff, who writes:

"I have seen the future of online video and his name is Justin Kownacki."

A more inclusive quote might end, "and his cast of 25 extremely talented and unpaid volunteers," but here at STBD, we take whatever positive press we can get...

STBD On Stage

UPDATE: This original post was written when we only knew that Crystalann (aka Hailey) was going to be participating in this staged reading. Afterwards, we learned that Erik Schark (Rich) Courtney Jenkins (Tabitha) and John O'Connor (Curtis) will all be taking part. Your STBD cup runneth over!

ORIGINAL POST: Crystalann (aka Hailey on STBD) will be taking the stage at the Shadow Lounge next Monday, April 2 -- but it's not on behalf of her band, Society of Sound.

Instead, she'll be performing in a staged reading of an erotic play. The downside? No nudity. The upside? No cover, so it's essentially a wash. (Rumor has it Erik Schark [aka Rich on STBD] will be in the reading as well.)

Shadow Lounge: 5972 Baum Boulevard. Show starts @ 7 PM. 21+

I'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again...

On second thought, maybe they DO get it...

After blogging yesterday that the Pittsburgh Film Office seemed quite clueless about STBD when they called to inquire about our status, I received a voicemail this morning:

"Hi, Justin, this is Jessica with the Pittsburgh Film Office. I just came across a blog posting about..."

So at least the PFO has the whole vanity blogging thing down.

Lessons learned:

#1: Never talk about anyone, anywhere... unless you want them to find you.

#2: The Pittsburgh Film Office does, indeed, know how to use the internet. At least part of the time.

#3: Clearly, I'll never work in this town again. Which is fine, since I wasn't working much in this town in the first place. I'd better fan the flames on those STBD spinoffs in other cities while the iron is hot.

(Moderately mixed metaphors are the new black.)

Justin Kownacki (STBD) Speaks @ Video on the Net

Justin Kownacki speaks at VON 2007 San Jose. Photo by Cirne.
My VON speech, in which I tout the merits of Something to Be Desired in specifc, and sustainable episodic web content in general, is now available in streaming WMV format.

Egad.

Never before has so thin and pale a man been so riveting for 7 minutes...

(You can see all the other speeches from VON at that site as well.)

The Pittsburgh Film Office Just Doesn't Get It

I just fielded a call from the Pittsburgh Film Office. The exchange went something like this:

Me: "Hello?"

Keith: "Hi, this is Keith from the Pittsburgh Film Office. I'm calling to inquire about the status of your... Something to Be Desired."

Me: "Um... status in what regard?"

Keith: "Is it still filming or is it over?..."

Me: "Um... no, we're still going. New episodes every Monday..."

Keith: "Okay, thanks."

Click.

Something tells me that somewhere in the bowels of the Pittsburgh Film Office there resides a database of all the titles currently listed as "in production" within the Pittsburgh city limits. STBD is one of them. And the PFO's only interest in these projects -- be they feature films, short films, student films, web series or TV shows -- is whether or not they're still in production, so they can tally them up and insert a number into an upcoming press release touting the virility of the local film industry.

Meanwhile, clearly, they have no idea what STBD is, nor do they realize we have a website and a blog, or they would have been able to grasp these answers themselves.

This hearkens back to the days of not so long ago, when I mentioned to people around Pittsburgh that I produced a web series and their first response was, "Oh, so do you, like, want to be on public access someday?"

STBD / VON Interview on Geek Riot

On Sunday night, Shawn and Justine at Geek Riot invited me to talk about the STBD relaunch and my experiences at VON.

Joining us for the first hour of the show is Jeff Pulver, VON creator, who also talks about his Video on the Net Alliance and its impending battle to preserve web video from the prying eyes of the FCC.

It's a good all-around show, and features a healthy mix of STBD and VON topics. The whole enchilada clocks in around 2 hours (!), but you can stream and skim if you so desire.

New Cast Photos

Our good friend Kimberly Reed stopped down to the Creative Treehouse a few weeks back and snapped a series of STBD-in-action photos for use as our new cast photo.

We love her work, and we dig what she came up with for us. You can see a few of her shots in our MySpace photo gallery -- do add us as friends while you're there -- and you can see her entire oeuvre at her website, where she's distinguished as one of the finest photographers (wedding or otherwise) in Pittsburgh.

(She's also the mastermind behind many of the best photographs from PodCamp Pittsburgh, which can be found in her Flickrstream.)

STBD Season Four: Episode 21 "Taste Test"

Click to Play

Tim has bad taste. Leo has no taste. And Lloyd wonders why he's not Caroline's taste. (10:00)

Music by Edie Marshall and Mofessor

Filmed at Affogato

What VON Means for STBD

My head is still spinning from the VON experience. After three straight days of conference interaction, it can be tough to articulate every observation and event that's worth noting. I'll be breaking my thoughts down to bite-sized highlights over the coming days, starting here with:

STBD @ VON

I was invited to the VON conference to speak as the creator of Something to Be Desired, which is one of the web's longest-running video series. In addition to the general schmoozing and information-gathering, I had a seven minute speaking slot in which to wow the audience with whatever nuggets of wisdom I'd gathered in the past four years.

My speech doesn't exist on paper -- it was almost entirely improvised because I could never whittle it down to the 7 minutes I'd been alotted -- but the gist of my message was this:

Engaging Sustainable Episodic content.

That's what will help web video emerge from its current haze as the bright, shiny object people are still wrapping their heads around and allow us to move forward into a space where the average web user begins to realize that:

- there's more to web video than lip-synching videos and guys getting kicked in the crotch on YouTube,

- there's content being created that asks for (and is actually worth) more of your time and effort than the snack-based culture we're currently experiencing,

- this sustainable content is what active communities are built around, and

- this type of content is increasingly inexpensive to produce.

Anti-Snack?

I have nothing against snacking. I do it all the time. Our attention spans continue to evolve, meaning we can absorb more information in shorter amounts of time. This renders the old "meat and potatoes" theory inert.

If you're going to provide more than a snack, the time invested (on both sides: creator AND audience) had better be worth spending.

With STBD, we've created a show with a very long tail. It's sticky. It also requires more time and effort on the part of the audience to fully grasp what it is we're doing.

This means our core audience still hasn't arrived on the space yet because nowhere else have they seen any reason to invest more than a passing glance at a video whose elements never change over time.

Both the audiences AND the creators need to realize that this space enables us to do much more than just spoofs, skits and one-shots. Web video can be the new TV, the new film school and a whole new way of communicating, all in one.

And Now for the Big Surprise

Two elements I included in the speech generated the most buzz afterward, which makes sense because they were designed to stand out:

1. STBD will be franchising.

As I'd alluded to months ago on this blog, the time is ripe to branch STBD out beyond the borders of Pittsburgh. There's nothing stopping us from creating an STBD New York, and STBD Los Angeles and an STBD London (etc.) tomorrow, except for time and talent.

This concept really caught on with a few of the attendees, and many of them approached me afterwards with questions about how such a thing might be possible. One person in particular is quite interested in branching us out to one of the cities mentioned above. Obviously, all talk of this nature is just discussion until decisions are made and events are put into motion, but the opportunity for growth is certainly an embraceable one.

2. STBD is going open-source.

In the old media empire, the creators and studios talked AT the audience, and then hoped the audience talked amongst themselves ABOUT the finished product.

In the new media revolution, everyone is on even footing. This means the opportunities for audience interaction and creative input are immeasurable. Why not take advantage of that interest and empower the audience to take part in the ongoing creation of STBD?

How we do this will be seen over the coming months, but early elements include:

- Leaving certain elements of each episode open for public creation -- scenes, scripts, plotlines, etc.

- Empowering the audience to submit music, scout locations and rally extras for STBD shoots

- Offering audience interaction tools that will enable viewers to reinterpret our story from their own POV

Sound interesting? It is. And it definitely struck a chord with the audience at VON, who are VERY interested in seeing what STBD can accomplish by opening the doors and ceding certain areas of creative control to our fans -- which will, in turn, grant everyone who works with / on / around the show a greater sense of belonging within the community, and generate new reasons for each of them to spread the word.

Hush-Hush

In business, as in life, nothing is ever final until the last guest leaves the party. However, early indications from conversations that occurred at VON lead me to believe that at least one, if not several, of the following events will occur in the very near future:

- STBD will become a production umbrella, rather than a single show

- STBD will develop working partnerships with individual advertisers and ad networks

- STBD may be moving to a new online home

- STBD may no longer be my only "web job"

Of course, none of these events may happen as well. But the odds are that in seven months, when I'm at VON Boston in October, it may be under a very different set of circumstances...

To hear more about my POV @ VON, call in to Geek Riot this Sunday (March 25) @ 10 PM EST. Hosts Shawn Smith and iJustine have a big show lined up, including yours truly, who'll be talking about the VON experience AND the STBD relaunch beginning Monday!

VON 2007 Photos

At the VON after-party with Sarah Atwood of Nontourage.
I just uploaded all photos from my VON San Jose 2007 trip. While you're there, feel free to search for other "von2007" tagged photos. Everyone who snapped photos tagged them accordingly, so the record of the shenanigans gets clearer as it gets bigger.

Home from VON 2007 San Jose

Still recovering from the red-eye flight, followed by the layover in New York, followed by driving home with a car whose brakes could use a little extra oomph (or de-oomph, if you prefer).

VON was a blast. So much to summarize, so little time. I'll let the ideas continue to ferment and classify themselves in my head, and I'll update more thoroughly tomorrow.

In a nutshell? Web video is no longer an unknown quantity: it's now a non-understood quantity.

Instead of everyone being vaguely aware that video on the web is possible (like at VON Boston 2006 last September), everyone here is VERY aware that web video exists... they're just not sure what to do with it.

Yet.

And, in the meantime, we just keep on making it...

Pitt Basketball Sighting in San Jose

When I checked into my hotel here in San Jose two nights ago, I saw a flyer announcing open practice for the four NCAA men's baskteball teams that were scheduled to play in this weekend's Sweet 16 action here in San Jose.

One of those teams is Pittsburgh. How ironic.

Their free open practice was scheduled for Wednesday at 1 PM -- the same time I was due to pimp STBD at the Network2 booth.

How doubly ironic.

So, I decided I would forego my Pitt basketball schmoozing for the week.

Then, two nights ago, while eating (and drinking) at Original Joe's with the videoblogging community, the front door opens and a litany of the tallest men I've ever seen walks in and heads upstairs for dinner.

The Pitt men's basketball team. How ironic.

As luck would have it, I was already en route to being drunk at the time. This resulted in me not only shouting "Aaron Gray" as he walked past me (obviously thinking I was the world's biggest douche) but also wishing Coach Dixon good luck in this weekend's action. Of course, after two beers and a shot in 45 minutes, I instead extended my hand and shouted "Coach Dixon! Great job tomorrow!"

Coach Dixon benignly takes pity on this drunkard and shakes my sweaty hand. "It's Thursday, actually, but thanks," he says, and heads upstairs to avoid me like the plague.

And that was my Pitt Men's Basketball sighting.

Side note: Our hotel, the Fairmont, is evidently half-booked for VON and half-booked for the University of Kansas, whose men's basketball team is playing here as well this weekend. LOTS of t-shirts tucked into jeans around here...

VON San Jose 2007: Day One Wrap-Up

I would have updated much more throughout the day yesterday from VON, but a combination of zero laptop battery, too many people to talk to and a somewhat shaky internet connection (or Twitter support) stymied my efforts. So, a highlight reel:

- Jeff Pulver led the keynote with an interesting statement: there's no more "IP Communications" anymore. From here on out, we who create and communicate in this space are merely "Communications." The good news is, we're now legitimate. The bad news is, we're now mainstream, and we're ripe for the disruption.

- Niklas Zennstrom from Skype unveiled their plans for world domination. I'm not kidding. Within a year, Skype will be a lifestyle.

- Many interesting speakers during the pre-lunch inundation of video information. I took 7 pages of notes -- many of them future talking points, inspiration or rebuttals to what's been said thus far. Best takeaway: Todd Herman from MSN asked, "Is anyone here interested in telling NEW KINDS of stories?" It seems some folks are starting to realize that we should be able to do more than old things in new media.

- Missed the Jeff Jarvis speech because I was recharging my battery, which led to meeting Kfir Pravda, who's evidently a huge STBD fan. (I understand Jarvis ruffled traditional media feathers AND new media feathers alike, as always.) We were then joined by the affably discombobulated Scottish comedian Mark Day, who had no idea why the hell he was here. ("What I really need is for someone to build be a website...")

- Jim Kirks, Sarah Atwood and I learned about VideoEgg, which may or may not be incredibly useful as an embeddable advertising app for web video. Uncertain about its impact on our futures, we instead led a group of podcasters to local restaurant Original Joe's, where Pulver proceeded to buy about 20 of us dinner and get us all drunk. Schlomo Rabinowitz also bought 5 of us gigantic shots of Jameson, which fueled the fire.

- After-party at the Fairmont Hotel. By then, I'd switched to water. Dozens of great conversations and interesting people. Plus, more suits than you've ever seen before playing Guitar Hero...

Today: I'm breakfasting instead of catching the opening keynotes because I'm still recovering from yesterday. I speak onstage in about an hour, and I have yet to trim my 15-minute speech to the prescribed 7 minute length. Asking a hungover man not to ramble should be interesting...

More updates as my battery and availability allow.

PlugSearch 2007

What happens when you have several thousand tech people in the same building?

A) The internet moves like molasses.
B) Forget about Twitter.
C) No outlets!

My battery will shortly be dead.

Meanwhile, Mike Ambs just won the N2 $25,000 prize. See his video here.

STBD won an honorable mention -- and $1,000! Thanks, Network2!

Safely at VON

That headline is not an overstatement. Considering I experienced the worst turbulence I've encountered in all my years of flying, while directly over Detroit yesterday, I'm quite glad to be here in one piece.

VON has yet to begin today, so we're all milling about in the breakfast area. I'm rooming with Clintus McGintus, whose penchant for taking dares is legendary. If anyone would like to dare him via me, feel free to comment. He may take you up on it -- and since everything here is recorded, vlogging it won't be an issue.

More later, after the keynote.

The L Word Loves STBD!

Lindsay Parrota works her best "L Word" mojo...

News Flash: While on the escalator at the Pittsburgh airport, en route to my flight to NYC, Ann Turiano (aka Caroline on STBD) called to say that she and Lindsay Parotta (aka Alexxxis) just learned they're finalists in an open talent competition from the creators of cable drama The L Word!

They'll be heading to Palm Springs on March 31 for the final stretch of the competition, which includes meeting and schmoozing with the creative team behind the L Word. Considering Lindsay just alerted us to the contest the day before the "sample scene" video was due, I'd say she and Ann pulled off a great effort on extremely short notice.

Of course, Lindsay and Ann are now actively seeking sponsors to help them get to Palm Springs. (They could also use a wee camcorder, since they're not taking the STBD rig...) Anyone have any ideas?

Packing for VON

I'm packing my luggage and checking my must-bring list for Video on the Net, which starts today in San Jose. I'm flying in tonight and will be speaking on Wednesday morning, at a panel entitled "Meet the Producers," along with Steve Garfield and Brian Conley of Alive in Baghdad. It should be an interesting, well-rounded selection of points of view.

Since STBD resumes new episodes starting next Monday, and I'll be in San Jose for four days this week, I'm currently trying to figure out how to squeeze 12 G of video onto my 3 G-free laptop so I can edit on the go. It seems some backing off is in order...

How time flies: at the last VON in September, I was editing the 2nd episode of this STBD season. This week, I'm editing the 21st...

More updates from VON both here and at my personal blog throughout the week -- or add me (or STBD) on Twitter.

The Ups and Downs of a One-Camera Shoot

We filmed two scenes for STBD yesterday at Affogato.

In each of them, characters were having conversations across a divide -- either sitting on opposite sides of a table or staring at each other from different vantage points.

Normally, a professional film crew would use two cameras (at least) to cover this setup, ensuring that the characters' reactions to one another were consistent. But, on our shoestring budget of zero, we use one camera to cover each side of this setup.

How? Multiple takes.

Do you see the potential problems?

The Cons

- If one character ad-libs a line, it may not match the other character's response in the reverse angle.
- If one character changes his or her delivery or motivation during subsequent takes, it may not match earlier takes.
- It may ALSO not match the reactions of the other character, creating a disjointed conversational flow.
- If props are moved, or if one character's hand / body / mouth enters the other character's frame, it could disrrupt continuity.

And yet, despite all of these pitfalls, there are upsides to using a single camera.

The Pros

- Less footage to capture, sort through and edit (in fact, presumably, HALF as much).
- Lighting only needs to work for one angle at a time, rather than both.
- Half a set is NOT in use during the filming of each angle, allowing the unused portion to be dressed / lit for the next setup.
- Fewer potential mistakes by multiple camera operators (and, as a result, only one operator needed).

How a One-Camera Shoot Affects the Actors

This is the tricky part, because the actors always know whom the focus of a shot is on when the camera is only pointed at one of them. This can lead the off-camera conversant to drop his or her energy level. That's understandable, since they can rest assured the visuals of their performance won't be recorded... but that also affects the energy level of the actor being filmed.

If someone is flirting with you, or yelling at you, and they're putting 100% of their effort into it, you'll respond much differently than you would if they're only putting in 50% effort, no? The same goes for actors. Despite their best intentions, it's still inherently unnatural for one to react at 100% when the inciting incident that causes his or her reaction was only delivered at half-energy. The actor being filmed may become self-conscious because he believes he's over-acting -- when, in fact, he's merely doing what he's supposed to be doing.

Suddenly, the entire scene loses its zip.

The solution? Simple. Encourge everyone involved in the scene, even if they're not on camera during that take, to give it 100% every time. It's natural for the off-camera actors to still withhold just a bit, to make sure they have a little something extra in the tank when it's "their turn." But if everyone is running around 80-90% energy, the scene will flow much more effectively -- and believably.

Ask Tim: Hookers and Blow!

Good Lord. There's a new Ask Tim blog entry. And it's ri-goddamn-diculous.

I take limited responsibility for this action -- mainly because I didn't write it.

A Week Until VON

Next Monday, I'll be at Video on the Net in San Jose. I've been asked to speak during a segment called "Meet the Producers," which occurs on Wednesday, March 21. I'll be sharing the stage with Steve Garfield and Brian Conley, among others. It's great company for Something to Be Desired to be in.

The last VON conference was in Boston in September. It's hard for me to believe, but that was 6 months ago. Since then, numerous things have changed for me and my fellow new media creators, including:

- Chris Brogan was hired by Jeff Pulver to help launch Network2,

- PodCamps were held in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Toronto and abroad,

- Blip TV became darlings of the new media startup set, and

- Amanda Congdon went "mainstream."

Things have also changed for STBD in that time:

- 20 new episodes were produced.
- WANT was shut down.
- Dierdre was hired at Affogato.
- Lloyd has come and (for the most part) gone.
- Our audience found new favorites in Rich and Tim.
- We created our first Halloween episode.
- We took a 6-week hiatus to better plan for the future.

That future is now.

On March 26, we return with all-new episodes to close out Season Four. After that, who's to say where we'll go next?

We have some ideas. We have some projects in the works.

All we know is, in six months, STBD -- and the new media playing field as we know it -- could look VERY different... Stay tuned!

Social Networking the Night Away

Justine talked us into it: STBD is now on Virb.

Come. Join. Network.

Pros? Much cleaner than MySpace, and much less spam (since they just went public). Who doesn't love that new social network smell?

Cons? Fewer members, since the world is just learning about Virb. But it'll explode much faster than MySpace did, since the trails have already been blazed.

But hey -- no Blip TV support? What's THAT about?

Lone Baby Photo

Erik Schark and daughter Kate
Whenever someone you know has a baby, expect to see dozens of photos and videos as every step of their newborn's life is charted.

Here at STBD, we know you're all busy. We just wanted to post a photo that proves Erik Schark (aka Rich) is different from his character in at least one respect: he has a soul.

Cheers.

STBD Now Offers Custom Videos!

This has been an announcement in the making for quite awhile, but now it's official: Something to Be Desired is now producing custom videos!

Over the past year, we've filmed at several events and created a few custom promos for various businesses and organizations. Those were our "test run" for a larger focus on promotions for local (and not-so-local) businesses and events.

Now, you can let STBD's characters (or, if you prefer, the cast members themselves) explain your product, promote your business or event in advance, and review your event during or after its activity.

We even offer custom music videos!

For more information, visit our custom videos page or email us!

******

Admittedly, our entire focus, structure and pricing are open to evolution as we embark on a new arm of our business model. And we'll also have a few more business-oriented announcements to make in the coming weeks, as we start to balance the creative side of STBD with the financial side.

(Maybe there WILL be DVDs after all, longtime requesters...)

Baby Schark

The STBD family just keeps on growing!

Erik Schark (aka Rich on STBD) and his wife Gwen had a baby on Monday!

Kate Schark arrived late Monday night. She's happy and healthy (and sleeping most of the day, every day), and so is Gwen. Erik won't be filming again anytime soon, but there will most likely be homemade movies and pictures aplenty.

Best wishes to Erik, Gwen and Kate.

Someday she'll be old enough to realize that Rich is nothing like her dad. More or less.

STBD: How to Watch Internet TV

Click to Play

Let STBD guide you through the wide world of Internet TV.

This is STBD's entry in the Network 2 "How Do YOU Watch Internet TV?" contest.

Filmed at Affogato in Pittsburgh.

Digging Deeper

After yesterday's "extended scene" post, in which we see more of Dex's Christmas DVD for Dierdre than I had time to include in the original episode, we got this comment on our MySpace blog:

"Oh my god… I’m beginning to wonder if much of what we’re supposed to know about Dierdre and Dex is lying on the cutting room floor. In this extended cut we get a much more elaborate profile of Dex and what Dierdre apparently doesn’t want to deal with. I understand better now and would not have begrudged the extra minute of content…"

And there's the rub: how much of the story NEEDS to be told in those 10 minutes every week, and how much can be left out without disrupting the flow?

There's a little something left out of almost every episode. Not on purpose; we frequently just shoot more than we end up using, especially when we ad-lib. All of those extra scenes would go a long way toward helping build character, but they rarely do much to advance the actual story.

We have several extra Dean and Caroline scenes, some unused Karl footage, some Tabitha and Liz anecdotes... We even have a scene between Jack and Dierdre from Season One that would have changed the way at least two, if not four, of the lead characters would come to be viewed... All of which has never been aired.

Where will all this footage end up, you ask? If there were a DVD in the works, it might find its way onto there. But we might also find a more immediate use for it as well... stay tuned...

In the meantime: who (or what) would YOU like to see more of?

Extended Scene: "Dex's DVD"

Click to Play

Watch the full version of the DVD Dex gave Dierdre for Christmas. (5:00)

This scene originally aired in an abbreviated form in STBD 4-19.

Personality of a Group

Often, scenes in STBD need to be tinkered with.

Perhaps a location needs to be switched. Perhaps a useful prop changes the opportunities within a scene.

Most often, it's because an actor is added to or subtracted from the scene, changing its entire dynamic.

Coming and Going

Let's say you're out with a friend at a bar, having a conversation. While you're talking, you're greeted by someone else your friend knows very well, but whom you've never met. Suddenly, the entire conversation changes.

- You can no longer talk about anything personal because now you're in the company of a stranger.
- Your friend and the new acquaintance have numerous anecdotes to share, none of which involve you.
- Suddenly, YOU'RE the stranger in the room.

A similar thing happens when characters get added to or subtracted from scenes.

Sometimes a scheduled scene will be knocked off-kilter because one of the actors becomes unavailable. Alternately, an actor may become unexpectedly available and offer to join a scene. This often happens if we're filming back-to-back scenes in a location and an actor who was only needed for the 1st scene decides he or she has time to be involved in the 2nd scene as well -- if it would be useful.

Then, on the fly, we need to decide if there's room in the scene for another voice.

But it's more than just a reallocation of dialogue, or even the invention of new lines; the presence (or absence) of a character in that scene now affects the rhythm of the scene, as well as the actions and intentions of the other characters.

Bite Your Tongue

For example: let's say Caroline and Dierdre are discussing something personal at Affogato. If we decide to add Rich to the scene, that directly affects Caroline (who's forced to become more "professional" and guarded because her boss is there) and Dierdre (who doesn't know Rich personally and therefore would be reluctant to talk openly).

Conversely, if a scene calls for Leo, Dex and Chloe to be locked out of a car in a parking garage, and then we discover Dex can't be part of the scene after all, this changes the scene's dynamic -- and what it's actually about. Instead of three headstrong, impetuous personalities trying to one-up each other, each with their own motivations, we're now left with an awkward moment between Leo and Chloe. In this situation, Leo would almost certainly be trying to impress Chloe in the first place, until he realizes he's locked out, at which point his ability to impress her becomes nil and she visibly gains the upper hand.

Just like that, the comedy of the scene -- and its weight within the script -- changes.

A change like that might not just affect one scene, but its placement within the script -- or its relocation to a completely different episode.

Just like a recipe, the addition and subtraction of ingredients in a story can drastically affect the end result.

Place Settings

When she's not portraying Caroline on Something to Be Desired, Ann Turiano works in Pittsburgh's theatre and film community.

Yesterday, she suggested we attend a writing workshop conducted by Michele Lowe, a playwright whose most recent work, Mezzulah, 1946, will make its world premiere this month as part of the Pittsburgh City Theatre's New American Trio series of brand new works by American playwrights.

Considering I'm in the midst of writing and refurbishing STBD, this suggestion made sense.

You're Only Ever Where You Are

Lowe's workshop was about the power of "place" in a story -- specifically, how the WHERE of a story impacts the choices made by the characters within. Language, colors, textures -- all of these elements, which provide the backgrounds and settings that inform the characters' identities and create their backstories that directly affect their actions in the present -- it's all a product of the immediate environment.

That resonated with me because STBD is a story about Pittsburgh.

All along, we've never once denied that we're a Pittsburgh production. We've never pretended that the city depicted in the episodes is really New York or Chicago. We're proud to be from Pittsburgh, because we feel that sharing our view of the city with the outside world may help a larger audience come to appreciate what Pittsburgh has to offer. And, living here, we realize that this is a town with a serious identity crisis, so seeing itself dissected -- sometimes positively, sometimes constructively -- might help our fellow Pittsburghers feel proud of where they come from.

But how does being from Pittsburgh actually affect the CHARACTERS?

City as State (of Mind)

Would Caroline and Leo make the same choices they do now if they were from, say, Salt Lake City? Or Maine?

How do local institutions like the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins, Heinz and Primanti Bros., our triangular downtown, our numerous traffic tunnels and our struggle to move beyond a steel-based economy affect the characters' identities and psyches?

Where are the "yinzers" in our cast, the people who speak with that definitive Pittsburgh diction and use our regional dialect (like "slippy," "lurpy" and "redd up")?

As our recent audience survey showed, the bulk of our audience is (or once was) local, and the majority of that audience wants to see MORE Pittsburgh on the show. How can we interweave the city more organically into the story?

Can STBD become a love letter to Pittsburgh, much the same way as Sex & the City became a cultural touchstone for New Yorkers?

I believe so. All we have to do now is figure out HOW to best utilize the WHERE.