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One Minute Summary:
The Videoblogs Commentary is live audio commentary for the film The Videoblogs, and anyone can participate. We want to talk about filmmaking while encouraging earnest character-driven storytelling and continuing the conversations about mental health started by The Videoblogs film.
We will be joined by filmmakers around the country, including David Paterson, the writer-producer of The Great Gilly Hopkins. Like The Videoblogs film, The Great Gilly Hopkins is a female-driven story that explores a challenging issue, in this case the emotional toll that foster care can take on a young person, and it features a powerhouse lineup of female actresses which includes Sophie Nélisse, Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, Octavia Spencer, and Julia Stiles.
We’re offering over $500 in filmmaking prizes to encourage participation.
You can join our film commentary on Oct. 9 at 2:30 PM EST/ 1:3o PM CST/ 11:30 AM PST by visiting the link below. From there you’ll be able to listen, join the chat, or say hello on Skype:
Details about how to win prizes are below.
Email to RSVP: podcast@nsavides.com
If you haven’t done so already, you can get an overview of what it’s all about over here.
We’re offering you a number of ways to participate and a couple of prizes, just to keep it interesting, and we’d like to go over them with you.
To Listen
You can save the link. When the event starts, you should be able to hear the audio discussion. (If not, just try refreshing the page or hitting the PLAY button.)
Event starts 2:30 PM EST/ 1:30 PM CST/ 11:30 AM PST on 10/9/16.
About 5 minutes after after the event starts, we’ll encourage participants to start watching The Videoblogs film together. Every 15 minutes, we’ll include an update in the chat about where we are in the film. That way you can still jump onboard, even if you’re a few minutes late.
To Participate
You can share your comments in the chat room for our event page or send your questions and comments on Twitter by using the hashtag #VideoblogsChat.
If you want to jump in on the audio commentary, mention your Skype name in the chat and a quick sentence or two as an introduction. You’ll then get an invitation to join in on the conversation. For best results, we suggest that you use an external microphone with your computer or a phone with good reception and the Skype app installed.
The better you sound, the longer we’ll let you stay on. 🙂
You can sign up for a free Skype account here.
The Top Prize
We hope that you’ll enjoy just hanging out with us and having a conversation, but we are also offering some prizes to encourage participation and to help some of you take your filmmaking aspirations to the next level.
Our most active participant will win a two-hour consultation with producer Jenna Edwards, a $500 value. The runner up will get a one-hour consultation with Jenna.
Jenna started her career in the entertainment industry, landing a part on the last episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her first feature-length film as a producer was April Showers, a story about a Columbine-like school shooting that features Tom Arnold and Janel Parrish (Heroes, Pretty Little Liars). April Showers was also the first feature film to shoot on a DALSA. Some of Jenna’s other projects include the music documentary Unsigned and the talk-show Wake Up!, and Jenna was one of the first producers to embrace online distribution through online platforms like Hulu.
- Jenna’s website
- Jenna on The nsavides Podcast
Other prizes
A 30 min. script read and a 1 hour follow-up strategy session with Micheal DiBiasio
Michael is a New York filmmaker and the writer and director of The Videoblogs, a feature film about mental health and reaching out through technology. The film is currently available on iTunes and other VOD platforms. He has also directed, produced and edited two short films and a featurette. He hosts and produces Coffee with Creatives, a podcast about creative productivity, and his sci-fi pilot, Mnemosyne, was a semifinalist for Screencraft’s 2015 Pilot Launch.
The recipient for this prize will be randomly selected from those who participate in the Skype conversation and leave a review for The Videoblogs on iTunes by Oct. 15. To confirm eligibility, send a screenshot of your review or reference your reviewer name by emailing podcast@nsavides.com.
- Michael’s website
- Michael on The nsavides Podcast
A 30 min. podcast interview with Nick Savides
Nick is a filmmaker in Baton Rouge. He has directed short films and music videos, one of which was nominated for an award by Veer Magazine. Nick also hosts The nsavides Podcast, a show about the art of creative collaboration. Guests on the podcast have worked on films like 12 Years a Slave, Forrest Gump, and Interstellar and have won Oscars, Emmys, a National Book Award, and a Pulitzer. When not working on film and video projects, Nick works for Canon, providing support for the Cinema EOS line and Canon Professional Services.
The recipient for this prize will be randomly selected from those who participate in the Skype conversation and leave a review for The nsavides Podcast on iTunes by Oct. 15. To confirm eligibility, send a screenshot of your review or reference your reviewer name by emailing podcast@nsavides.com.
- Nick’s website
How to Win
Participating is a victory unto itself. Right?!
It is, but the two-hour consulting prize with Jenna will go to our most active participant. That will be determined by whoever gets the most amount of points from now until the end of our outreach. The person who comes in second with points will get a one-hour consultation with Jenna.
All kinds of ways to get points, so you’ll welcome to try whatever works for you. Unless otherwise noted, the last day to earn points for each option is on Sunday, Oct. 9.
You’ve got this!
3 Easy Ways to Earn Points
- Use #VideoblogsChat or mention our Videoblogs Commentary event on public social media post (retweets count!) – 1 point per post, up to 5 per day
- Tweet a question during during the event. Use #VideoblogsChat to make sure we see it. Hint: that’s a bonus point for the hashtag! – 10 points per question, up to 3 questions
- Jump in on the Skype commentary on Oct. 9 for at least 3 min – 25 points, one time bonus
3 Advanced Ways to Earn Points
- Get proverbial high-five from Michael, Jenna and Nick. Each of us can grant one high-five during The Videoblogs Commentary to another participant if we really like that person’s contribution. – 35 points, one time bonus from each commentator
- Write review for The Videoblogs on iTunes by Oct. 15 – 35 points, one time bonus
- Write review for The nsavides Podcast on iTunes by Oct. 15 – 35 points, one time bonus
To ensure that all your points get tallied, keep good notes and send them to podcast@nsavides.com by 9/15. We reserve the right to disqualify anyone who acts like a jerk. So, play nice!
OK? OK!
Ready … Get set …