Guess the Classic

Format: Film

Time Period: Mid-80s

Genre: Good, ol' fashioned family entertainment

Neat-o Factiod: Based itself as an epic quest between good and evil. All because of a weird necklace.

Thursday Spotlight: Interview with Amir from College Humor's Jake & Amir

This starts a weekly interview series with a variety of webseries writers that I've had a chance to chat with.

I asked a series of leading webseries creators - both internet stars and those a little less well known.

We start our trek into the strange world of Internet humour culture with the well known College Humour Humor franchise Jake and Amir

For those who don't know College Humor are the people who bring you applications to access the internet for adults amongst other novel ways to spend quality reading and viewing time.

Amir Blumenfeld, co-creator of the series, took a moment to answer a few questions for the world for us.

First of, the series itself is about "Gullies For Life: Jake and Amir are two best friends that work together, live together, and play together. We're not really best friends, so don't type that. Yes we are. No we aren't, and we also don't live together. Whatever. Not whatever. Dinner tonight? Nope."

Half workplace comedy, half bromance this is a show that works on a simple premise: volume. With a solid fanbase in place early - mostly because of a consistent release schedule, and an almost Kenny VS Spenny-like relationship combo that's been a recipe for success these last few years.

EM: When developing the series what were some of the biggest issues you faced?

AB: Finding the time to shoot our episodes. We had to wait until work was over to shoot/edit.

EM: What is the process for each episode?

AB:Writing takes about an hour, shooting takes about an hour, and editing takes about two hours. Jake and I write every episodes. They are usually an offshoot of an improvised bit or two that we come up with actually sitting across from each other and talking in character. Shoots take only 20-40 minutes on average.


EM: How much in advance to shooting was everything written?

AB: It depends. Sometimes we shoot stuff two weeks in advance, and sometimes we shoot stuff three hours before it posts. But on average I'd say 2-3 days.

EM: What kind of crew do you use for one webisode?

AB: We used to just set up little digital cameras on mini-tripods and shoot it ourselves. Now we have two cameramen shooting us on HD cameras.

EM: What’s the best way to kick start a webseries into the vast, vast space of the interwebs?

AB: Just do it. Buy a domain name, set up a tumblr and start making videos consistently. We've made two videos a week for the past two years without fail and that consistency helps.

EM: To get a sponsor or not to get a sponsor?

AB: We have not gotten a sponsor. Which helps because you retain complete 100% creative control.


EM: And the biggest question that everyone’s been asking – monetization. Is it possible? With CH as your hosting venue, this may be a little bit of a different drive for both you and Jake, but how best does this have to/become an issue?

AB: Yeah at this point Jake and Amir is part of our jobs so we don't really get paid directly for the episodes. Though there is a history of that being possible. I know some webseries were able to get funding based on past successes. Anything is possible! Though I'd say if your goal is to make money, perhaps developing a comedy web series isn't for you. Do what you love to do and the money will hopefully eventually come.

Thanks so much for taking the time Amir!

If anyone has any questions they'd like to ask - or a webseries they'd like to suggest - look forward to a brilliant words of wisdom from those in the trenches possibly with trench foot already.

Right-o kids, you don't wanna do it? Don't do it.

This right here.

Let's go back to the ruler, say I.

Too much homework. Bah.

When I was a kid we had to walk doing our homework. In the snow. Backwards.

Kids these days

Coming... Now to a TV near you

There hasn't been a lot of excitement over new in a while in the Canadian TV world.

Especially not with new and non-CBS-procedural in the getting. But Malcolm MacRury's new show definitely has hype - both good and not so good.

Following Jimmy Burns (Luke Kirby): Good Guy Insurance Broker in rough-and-tumble Hamilton, it's a great mix of fun, crazy antics (see: other insurance brokers), and the dark seamy underbelly of corporate insurance.

Showcase has Cra$h & Burn tonight at 9 pm.

On the decline since the 80s you say, Speciality networks you say

According to NDP, kids are gaming more.

Hardly a surprise since this has been a vastly growing enterprise over the last few years. And falls into the "well, duh" clause of 'entertainment' for kids. The thing about entertainment made for kids is that they get the online, the TV, the film, the etc. value with their programming.

More interesting, perhaps, is that in this recession-tinged environment overall monthly per-capita entertainment-content subscription spending rose to $115, an increase of 7% from a year ago, and a bunch of these have been taken over by subscription services to things like Netflix.

And while 81% of U.S. households subscribed to a pay TV service, there's a number of people who've long since given up on on the TV, and it'll be interesting to see where the mighty mac lands us in a few years.

Especially when those kids who grew up on all-360-TV-media start to notice a lessening of that experience because that's only for kids.

On the other hand, there's still a lot of up in the air huffing and hollaring around the CBC's offer to the cable cos going on. Because, of course, the Ceeb is being self serving said the pot to the kettle

"The proponents of skinny basic are self-serving," he said. "They are saying there's a value to the CBC signal and if BDUs (cable and satellite firms) don't agree there is a value, they say, 'Too bad, you have to carry it."'

All the while crying foul, and saying the CRTC can't make them do anything, because they'll take their ball if they want to.

And, just to really add to the debate, comments from the CBC forum: Konrad von Finckenstein? What a great name! Sounds W.C. Fields-ish.

Maybe we should just wait for the dust up to settle and go back to basics.

Bluster. Hype. The WGC, and the Interwebs

The thing of note, after all the bluster and hype

Is, as ever, from the Interwebz and youtube comments...

Guess the Classic: Get those Reds!

As guessed by Mr. Ruano at Bandpractice, the classic for this week (last week?) was indeed, Red VS Blue.

That foremost of machinima series, Red VS Blue was doing things using Halo video games that had only really been a start of a movement.



But Red VS Blue exploded the movement. Made popular what was - until then - a thing relegated to the fannish community.

Red Vs Blue (or RvB) has something that other similar online entities targeted toward gamers don't - a broad appeal.

RvB used office politics, jokes and even existential humour instead of relying on jokes that make sense to a small per centage of the audience.

And while similar webseries The Guild plays in the same sandbox - using a geeky Internet flavour of the month to crack jokes that hit a wide audience.

But it's not "just" a series for gamers, but, like The Guild, it came at a conflux of right-time right-concept, with a great sense of play and poking fun at the gaming/sci-fi/net culture/office industry. And what could have easily turned into a copyright nightmare was encouraged by Bungie Studios.